Image: Carkeek 52 Rán © Alex Turnball

The Carkeek 520 Rán is owned by Swedish entrepreneur and technology investor (founder of Skype), Niklas Zennström. Back in February, he and the Rán racing team won a highly contested battle for IRC Zero in the 2024 Caribbean 600, just missing out to Leopard 3 for an overall win after IRC time correction. The team also won the RORC’s Antigua 360, with the best corrected time under IRC.

Crew: Bouwe Bekking, Fernando Simbad Quiroga, Justin Slattery, Mark Lees, Niklas Zennström, Paul Willcox, Rebecca Gmuer Hornell, Steve Hayles, Thomas Kiff, Timothy Powell, Toby Iles.

The team includes the crème de la crème of the sailing world; record-breaking offshore round the world race sailors, including veteran Dutch sailor Bouwe Bekking who has sailed in eight Volvo Ocean Races. Also on board is Justin Slattery, a highly experienced and accomplished offshore sailor who has also
circumnavigated the globe no fewer than six times, and winner of the 2023 Maxi Worlds. Fellow VOR veterans include: Spanish sailor Fernando Simbad Quiroga, plus Britain’s Steve Hayles who has also competed in six round the world races.

Rán is a 52 foot ocean racing yacht designed by Carkeek Design Partners, all carbon pre-preg with kevlar honeycomb, supercharged water ballast and a very sophisticated Southern Spars Rig. She was built in 2023 by the raceboat team at Fibre Mechanics in Lymington UK.

This will be the first time Team Rán has competed in the race and they are sure to be highly competitive, with their sights set on the overall Roschier Baltic Race Trophy as well as class win.