The RORC Nelson’s Cup Series kicked off Tuesday with two superb races starting off Fort Charlotte, Antigua.
Race results were decided by very close margins.
Two teams remain unbeaten in the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series: Wendy Schmidt’s Botin 85 Deep Blue (USA) and Frederic Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet 3 (FRA).
RP37 Warthog (ANT), skippered by Jules Mitchell with an all-Antiguan crew, leads IRC Two on countback from Ed Bell’s Dawn Treader (GBR).
Fantastic conditions produced close racing right through the RORC fleet.
PRO Stefan Kunstmann set different tracks for all three IRC classes; course lengths ranged from 10-23 miles.
After a windward start for every race, crews and their boats were tested on every point of sail. Tropical heat with sunshine bursting through the cloud cover produced shifty conditions.
There was also a variety in sea state; inshore the sea state was choppy with a knot of windward current standing up the waves. Offshore, especially to the east, a building breeze topping out at 17 knots produced a longer wave pattern.
