Organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with Antigua Yacht Club
Start: Antigua: Monday 24 February 2020
Course: 600nm non-stop around 11 Caribbean Islands
Starting in less than four weeks, teams from around the world will descend on Antigua for the start of the RORC Caribbean 600 non-stop race around 11 islands For many it will be their first time in the race, whilst for others, it's a chance to defend their titles or improve on past results as they are lured back to this challenging race.
Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) - The Kid
First time in the RORC Caribbean 600 for renowned
French round the world sailor. He has won both of the
big double-handed races: the Transat Jacques Vabre
on three occasions in 2003, 2005 and 2011, and the
Barcelona World Race twice, in 2008 and 2011. The
Kid, a fast cruiser/racer JPK54, is derived from the
IMOCA 60 design. He will race with a group of friends.
Aymeric Chappellier (FRA) - Teasing Machine
Class40/Transat Jacques Vabres sailor.
Laurent Pages (FRA) - Teasing Machine
Tactician. Volvo Ocean Race (Groupama victory in
2011-12 race + Team Brunel 2014-15, watch captain
(Telefonica Blue 2008-9).
Loïck Peyron (FRA) – Powerplay
Racing on Peter Cunningham’s MOD70. Peyron is
undoubtedly the most emblematic skipper of the
‘French school’ of ocean racing. Endowed with an
incredible sixth sense of the sea, Loïck Peyron is also
an outstanding communicator and technician whose
influence on the evolution of modern monohulls and
multihulls has been decisive for several decades. This
unparalleled expertise has naturally made him a much
sought-after helmsman, especially on the America’s
Cup- we saw him at the helm of Alinghi for the final of
the 33rd America’s Cup, before setting a record
around the world at the helm of the maxi trimaran
Banque Populaire, and the first flights of the AC 72 on
the 34th America’s Cup. His nautical record is unique:
holder of the Jules Verne trophy, five ORMA champion
titles, four victories in the European race, but above
all, one victory on the Route du Rhum and three on
‘The Transat’. Loïck Peyron has an impressive number
of single and multi-miles to his credit, having made his
first solo Atlantic crossing in the Mini Transat at the
age of 18, and having taken part in the first Vendée
Globe in history, during which he carried out the
extraordinary rescue of Philippe Poupon.
Christopher Pratt (FRA) – Lady First 3
IMOCA sailor. Route du Rhum, Figaro, Transat Jacques
Vabre.
Alexis Loison (FRA) - Albator
First two handed overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet
Race, along with his father. Competes in Elite Offshore
Racing Championships. 2018 Winner of the Solo
Maître Coq, Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE, many solo
offshore races.
Franck Cammas (FRA) – Argo MOD70
Cammas made his name in offshore racing, a
discipline in which he is one of the most successful
sailors: His long list of achievements includes five time
ORMA 60 trimaran class champion; the Jules Verne
Trophy for the fastest non-stop lap of the planet and
winning the Route du Rhum as well as America’s Cup
skipper and VOR winner. In the 2019 Rolex Fastnet
Race, run by the RORC, Franck Cammas and Charles
Caudrelier took line honours and set a new race
record on the 100ft (30m)Maxi Edmond de Rothschild
- with less than 60 seconds dividing Macif (also an
Ultime) on the finish line, completing the 600-miler in
1d 4h 2m 26s and taking Loick Peyron (who is
competing on Powerplay in the 2020 RC600) and the
crew of Banque Populaire’s 2011 time by 4h 45m.
Ian ‘soapy’ Moore (GBR) - Outsider
Race navigator and tactician. Originally from Northern
Ireland, Carrickfergus, but now Gurnard, Cowes, IOW.
Regular on Bella Mente since 2010. He was on his first
boat at a mere six weeks old, and his life has unfolded
into a storied sailing career that includes being
navigator in the Volvo Ocean Race and as navigator
and performance manager for America’s Cup
Campaigns.
Brian Thompson (GBR) - Argo.
Thompson made it into the history books by becoming
the first Briton to break the Round the World sailing
record twice. He has broken 27 world sailing records,
setting him apart from every world class sailor on the
grand prix circuit. He was also the first to sail non-stop
around the world 4 times. He has more multihull
sailing miles than any other Briton today. A vastly
experienced and successful offshore racer, Brian
Thompson has been racing the two and three-hulled
speed machines for over 20 years.
Nikki Henderson (GBR) - Emily of Cowes
Became the youngest ever Clipper Round the World
race skipper in the 2018 race, at the age of 25. Has
skippered in the RC600s previously, as well as
Fastnets. In June 2019, Henderson joined the winning
team, Sail Like a Girl to compete in the Race to Alaska,
an engineless boat race from Port Townsend,
Washington State, to Ketchikan, Alaska. In November
2019 she accompanied the environmental
activist Greta Thunberg on her return voyage to
Europe aboard the catamaran La Vagabonde. She was
also guest skipper on Maiden in 2018.
Pip Hare (GBR) - Panther
Pip is a British sailor who next year will be taking her
place with Superbigou on the start line of the Vendee
Globe Race with the intention of becoming the 10th
British sailor and the 8th woman ever to compete in
this epic non-stop 24,000 nm, solo race around the
world.
Rob Greenhalgh (GBR) - Wizard
British Volvo Ocean Race winner and international
sailing champion. Five x Volvo Ocean Races, winning
the prestigious event with ABN Amro One in 2006 and
finishing second on two occasions with
Puma and Mapfre. A World Champion in both the
18ft Skiff & International 14 Classes, and he has also
won National and European titles in the International
Moth Class. Offshore, Robert was part of the
transatlantic record-breaking team
onboard Comanche and has a number of other
records to his name including; Fastnet records, both
monohull and multihull, and the RORC Caribbean 600.
Rob also has extensive multihull experience.
Simon 'SiFi' Fisher (GBR) -Powerplay
Fisher was navigator on the overall winner (Wizard) in
last year’s race. As a VOR winner with multiple round
the world races under his belt, as well as America’s
Cups, he brings a lot to Peter Cunningham’s MOD 70
team.
Sam Goodchild (GBR) - Powerplay
Through talent, hard graft and building a broad based
experience, 30 year old Goodhchild has forged himself
a diverse career, increasingly among the early picks
for big multihull projects, IMOCA and Class 40 races.
Transat Jacques Vabres x 2, Figaro, Route du Rhum,
Team Mapfre VOR, Maserati for Transat record
attempt. Competing in Figaro Beneteau 3 in April’s
doublehanded Transat AG2R La Mondiale.
Nigel King (GBR) - Phan
Coaching on Phan in this year race, King was part of 6
round the world campaigns, including 2 Volvo Ocean
Races, and a Jules Verne Trophy record attempt. He’s
raced at international level on the Match Racing
World Tour, 4 years on the RC44 circuit, International
Etchells Class, International Dragon Class, 5 years on
the French Figaro Circuit, 5 x Rolex Sydney Hobart
Races, 5 x Rolex Fastnet Races, 4 x Round Britain
Races, 2 Round Ireland Races, 3 x Rolex Middle Sea
Races and 6 years on the Olympic Circuit racing the
Soling Class including the 1996 British Olympic Trials.
Tilmar Hansen (GER) - Outsider
Highly respected Admiral’s Cup winner with the
German team in ’83 and ’85.
Campbell Field (NZL) - Childhood 1
Navigator and expedition expert.
Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) - Summer Storm
Kiwi sailor has won 4 of the 8 Volvo Ocean Races he’s
competed in. Most successful sailor in the history of
the race. Regarded as one of the world's best heavyweather helmsmen. Nine Fastnet Races, three
Transpacs from California to Hawaii and 11 x Sydney
to Hobart races.
Liz Wardley (AUS) – Maiden
Australian sailor from Elliott Heads will skipper the allfemale team on Tracy Edwards MBE Farr 58 Maiden.
Wardley has competed in 3 x Volvos, 5 x Figaros +
numerous offshores. This will be the first time the
boat has raced as Maiden since the 1989 Whitbread
race. The crew are coming together at the last minute
as we are taking guests, so pulling together a race
team will be a great challenge. Maiden inspired a
generation and now she has a new mission; to raise
awareness and funding for girls’ empowerment and
education through The Maiden Factor Foundation.
Phil Harmer (AUS) - Wizard
5 x Volvo Ocean Races under his belt. A race winner in
Groupama in 2011-12 and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in
2014-15.
Will Oxley (AUS) - Wizard
Oxley is a racing skipper/navigator/weather routing
specialisr, and marine biologist. Three-time VOR
veteran, he has confirmed that he's eyeing at least
one more lap around the planet, as the 2021-22
edition of the round-the-world race continues to take
shape. At 54, Oxley had one of the most illustrious
seasons in his long professional sailing career in 2019,
winning an historic double onboard VO70 yacht
Wizard by taking victory on the RORC Caribbean 600
and the Rolex Fastnet Race and culminating in the
team winning RORC Yacht of the Year. He then took
his second overall Sydney Hobart win as navigator on
TP52 Ichi Ban. He has logged almost 300,000
circumnavigation miles in a long career. He’s recently
been nominated to World Sailing’s Committee to
create guidelines for making sailing more sustainable
by 2030. “As a sailor and a scientist I can help in both
of my roles.”
Mark Towill (USA/lives in Hawaii) – Wizard
Towill has participated in the VOR two times (2014-15
and in 2017-18), and he and his business partner
Charlie Enright recently announced that they’ve
renewed their sponsorship with 11th Hour Racing with
the intention of entering The Ocean Race in 2021.
Charlie Enright (USA) – Wizard
Co-founded of Team Alvimedica with Mark Towill for
the VOR 2014-15 and were the youngest team in the
fleet. Enright is one of America’s leading offshore
sailors having led two Ocean Race campaigns in 2014-
2015 and 2017-18 and skippered several yachts to
overall wins in ocean races like the Fastnet Race,
Transatlantic Race 2019 and other offshore regattas
over the past decade.
Chris Larson (USA) - Outsider
Chris is a champion Program Manager, Helmsman and
Tactician with over 30 years of experience across all
classes of boats. Chris' vast experience includes over
30 World, International, National and Match Racing
Championships. As a past Helmsman for an
America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race campaign team,
Chris is well versed in team management and what it
takes to be successful on and off the water.
Don Street (USA) Kinship – in his 90th year he is racing
in the RC600. The lifetime sailor has spent 45 years
cruising, charting and writing about the Caribbean for
his famous guide books. 40 of those years were spent
in his 46ft engineless yawl, Iolaire, built in 1905. Iolaire
flew the RORC burgee for 80 years! “My nick-name
used to be ‘squeaky’ but with the way I am having
holes cut in me, it should be changed to ‘swiss
cheese’, says Street. He will be racing with a team who
has sailed and raced Kinship for over a dozen years,
with good results in ocean races and local regattas
along the East Coast of the US. Oldest combined crew
ages? A 91 year old will also on be on board!
Jaime Arbonnes (ESP) – Triple Lindy
Veteran ocean race and America’s Cup sailor.
Match Race Sailor. Copa del Rey winner, Maxi Worlds,
Rolex Middle Sea Race
Giovanni Soldini (ITA) – Maserati
Revered Italian skipper Giovanni Soldini has 25 years
of ocean racing experience, including two singlehanded round the worlds, six Québec-Saint Malos, six
Ostars, three Transat Jacques Vabres and more than
40 ocean crossings. Aboard VOR70 Maserati he
achieved many victories and major records, including
the Cadiz-San Salvador (2012) and the New York San
Francisco Gold Route (2016). In 2016 he started the
new challenge at the helm of Maserati Multi 70,
aboard which he set the record for the Tea Route,
from Hong Kong to London (2018), as well as winning
many ocean races. In 2019 he crossed in first place
the finish line of the RORC Caribbean 600 setting the
new race record of just over 30 hours - 1 day 6hours
49 mins.
Giancarlo Simeoli (ITA) – Triple Lindy.
Many Rolex Sydney Hobarts. His day job is training
budding Olympic sailors in 49er, 49FX and 470 classes
for the Italian Air Force Sports Centre.
Gideon Messink (NED) - Lott 99
Whitbread racer and Volvo Ocean Race team manager
on largest Maxi, Swan 95.
Bouwe Bekking (NED) - Childhood 1
Eight Volvo Ocean Races. The racing legend first sailed
the VOR during the 1985–86 Whitbread Round the
World Race, on board Philips Innovator. “I love the
lifestyle, I love working with people and teams and
getting them better, to get things in place so they
work better.” Twice runner-up in the VOR and 3rd last
time. The boat is a French charter for the race, with a
semi-professional crew.
Martin Strömberg (SWE) – Matador
Calling tactics and navigation on the Elliot 44 is 4 x
Volvo Ocean Race sailor Strömberg from Gothenburg.
Niklas Beckvid (SWE) – Matador. Gold medallist and
world champion sailor. Owner, Jonas Grander and the
crew on Matador has been awarded Offshore Racer of
the year twice (2017 and 2019) in Sweden for their
achievements in major offshore races.
Matilda Ajanko (FIN)
Part of the crew that sailed Maiden around the world
and is a veteran of J-Class racing. She is bow on
Andrew Berdon’s Marten 49 Summer Storm (USA.)
Female crews and skippers increase
Some top female sailors taking part this year include:
Pip Hare (’20 Vendee Globe is racing on Panther),
Nikki Henderson (youngest Clipper RTWR skipper on
Emily of Cowes), Liz Wardley skippering all female
team on Tracy Edwards’ Maiden, Pamala Baldwin’s
Liquid, Katy Campbell skippers amateur crew on Emily
of Cowes.
Three previous overall winners on the startline
2009 winner – Adrian Lee with Lee Overlay Partners
(this time in his Swan 60)
2013 winner – Ron O’Hanley on Privateer, Cookson 50
2019 winner -Peter and David Askew on VO70 Wizard
Organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with Antigua Yacht Club
Start: Antigua: Monday 24 February 2020
Course: 600nm non-stop around 11 Caribbean Islands
Starting in less than four weeks, teams from around the world will descend on Antigua for the start of the RORC Caribbean 600 non-stop race around 11 islands For many it will be their first time in the race, whilst for others, it's a chance to defend their titles or improve on past results as they are lured back to this challenging race.
Jean-Pierre Dick (FRA) - The Kid
First time in the RORC Caribbean 600 for renowned
French round the world sailor. He has won both of the
big double-handed races: the Transat Jacques Vabre
on three occasions in 2003, 2005 and 2011, and the
Barcelona World Race twice, in 2008 and 2011. The
Kid, a fast cruiser/racer JPK54, is derived from the
IMOCA 60 design. He will race with a group of friends.
Aymeric Chappellier (FRA) - Teasing Machine
Class40/Transat Jacques Vabres sailor.
Laurent Pages (FRA) - Teasing Machine
Tactician. Volvo Ocean Race (Groupama victory in
2011-12 race + Team Brunel 2014-15, watch captain
(Telefonica Blue 2008-9).
Loïck Peyron (FRA) – Powerplay
Racing on Peter Cunningham’s MOD70. Peyron is
undoubtedly the most emblematic skipper of the
‘French school’ of ocean racing. Endowed with an
incredible sixth sense of the sea, Loïck Peyron is also
an outstanding communicator and technician whose
influence on the evolution of modern monohulls and
multihulls has been decisive for several decades. This
unparalleled expertise has naturally made him a much
sought-after helmsman, especially on the America’s
Cup- we saw him at the helm of Alinghi for the final of
the 33rd America’s Cup, before setting a record
around the world at the helm of the maxi trimaran
Banque Populaire, and the first flights of the AC 72 on
the 34th America’s Cup. His nautical record is unique:
holder of the Jules Verne trophy, five ORMA champion
titles, four victories in the European race, but above
all, one victory on the Route du Rhum and three on
‘The Transat’. Loïck Peyron has an impressive number
of single and multi-miles to his credit, having made his
first solo Atlantic crossing in the Mini Transat at the
age of 18, and having taken part in the first Vendée
Globe in history, during which he carried out the
extraordinary rescue of Philippe Poupon.
Christopher Pratt (FRA) – Lady First 3
IMOCA sailor. Route du Rhum, Figaro, Transat Jacques
Vabre.
Alexis Loison (FRA) - Albator
First two handed overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet
Race, along with his father. Competes in Elite Offshore
Racing Championships. 2018 Winner of the Solo
Maître Coq, Transat AG2R LA MONDIALE, many solo
offshore races.
Franck Cammas (FRA) – Argo MOD70
Cammas made his name in offshore racing, a
discipline in which he is one of the most successful
sailors: His long list of achievements includes five time
ORMA 60 trimaran class champion; the Jules Verne
Trophy for the fastest non-stop lap of the planet and
winning the Route du Rhum as well as America’s Cup
skipper and VOR winner. In the 2019 Rolex Fastnet
Race, run by the RORC, Franck Cammas and Charles
Caudrelier took line honours and set a new race
record on the 100ft (30m)Maxi Edmond de Rothschild
- with less than 60 seconds dividing Macif (also an
Ultime) on the finish line, completing the 600-miler in
1d 4h 2m 26s and taking Loick Peyron (who is
competing on Powerplay in the 2020 RC600) and the
crew of Banque Populaire’s 2011 time by 4h 45m.
Ian ‘soapy’ Moore (GBR) - Outsider
Race navigator and tactician. Originally from Northern
Ireland, Carrickfergus, but now Gurnard, Cowes, IOW.
Regular on Bella Mente since 2010. He was on his first
boat at a mere six weeks old, and his life has unfolded
into a storied sailing career that includes being
navigator in the Volvo Ocean Race and as navigator
and performance manager for America’s Cup
Campaigns.
Brian Thompson (GBR) - Argo.
Thompson made it into the history books by becoming
the first Briton to break the Round the World sailing
record twice. He has broken 27 world sailing records,
setting him apart from every world class sailor on the
grand prix circuit. He was also the first to sail non-stop
around the world 4 times. He has more multihull
sailing miles than any other Briton today. A vastly
experienced and successful offshore racer, Brian
Thompson has been racing the two and three-hulled
speed machines for over 20 years.
Nikki Henderson (GBR) - Emily of Cowes
Became the youngest ever Clipper Round the World
race skipper in the 2018 race, at the age of 25. Has
skippered in the RC600s previously, as well as
Fastnets. In June 2019, Henderson joined the winning
team, Sail Like a Girl to compete in the Race to Alaska,
an engineless boat race from Port Townsend,
Washington State, to Ketchikan, Alaska. In November
2019 she accompanied the environmental
activist Greta Thunberg on her return voyage to
Europe aboard the catamaran La Vagabonde. She was
also guest skipper on Maiden in 2018.
Pip Hare (GBR) - Panther
Pip is a British sailor who next year will be taking her
place with Superbigou on the start line of the Vendee
Globe Race with the intention of becoming the 10th
British sailor and the 8th woman ever to compete in
this epic non-stop 24,000 nm, solo race around the
world.
Rob Greenhalgh (GBR) - Wizard
British Volvo Ocean Race winner and international
sailing champion. Five x Volvo Ocean Races, winning
the prestigious event with ABN Amro One in 2006 and
finishing second on two occasions with
Puma and Mapfre. A World Champion in both the
18ft Skiff & International 14 Classes, and he has also
won National and European titles in the International
Moth Class. Offshore, Robert was part of the
transatlantic record-breaking team
onboard Comanche and has a number of other
records to his name including; Fastnet records, both
monohull and multihull, and the RORC Caribbean 600.
Rob also has extensive multihull experience.
Simon 'SiFi' Fisher (GBR) -Powerplay
Fisher was navigator on the overall winner (Wizard) in
last year’s race. As a VOR winner with multiple round
the world races under his belt, as well as America’s
Cups, he brings a lot to Peter Cunningham’s MOD 70
team.
Sam Goodchild (GBR) - Powerplay
Through talent, hard graft and building a broad based
experience, 30 year old Goodhchild has forged himself
a diverse career, increasingly among the early picks
for big multihull projects, IMOCA and Class 40 races.
Transat Jacques Vabres x 2, Figaro, Route du Rhum,
Team Mapfre VOR, Maserati for Transat record
attempt. Competing in Figaro Beneteau 3 in April’s
doublehanded Transat AG2R La Mondiale.
Nigel King (GBR) - Phan
Coaching on Phan in this year race, King was part of 6
round the world campaigns, including 2 Volvo Ocean
Races, and a Jules Verne Trophy record attempt. He’s
raced at international level on the Match Racing
World Tour, 4 years on the RC44 circuit, International
Etchells Class, International Dragon Class, 5 years on
the French Figaro Circuit, 5 x Rolex Sydney Hobart
Races, 5 x Rolex Fastnet Races, 4 x Round Britain
Races, 2 Round Ireland Races, 3 x Rolex Middle Sea
Races and 6 years on the Olympic Circuit racing the
Soling Class including the 1996 British Olympic Trials.
Tilmar Hansen (GER) - Outsider
Highly respected Admiral’s Cup winner with the
German team in ’83 and ’85.
Campbell Field (NZL) - Childhood 1
Navigator and expedition expert.
Stuart Bannatyne (NZL) - Summer Storm
Kiwi sailor has won 4 of the 8 Volvo Ocean Races he’s
competed in. Most successful sailor in the history of
the race. Regarded as one of the world's best heavyweather helmsmen. Nine Fastnet Races, three
Transpacs from California to Hawaii and 11 x Sydney
to Hobart races.
Liz Wardley (AUS) – Maiden
Australian sailor from Elliott Heads will skipper the allfemale team on Tracy Edwards MBE Farr 58 Maiden.
Wardley has competed in 3 x Volvos, 5 x Figaros +
numerous offshores. This will be the first time the
boat has raced as Maiden since the 1989 Whitbread
race. The crew are coming together at the last minute
as we are taking guests, so pulling together a race
team will be a great challenge. Maiden inspired a
generation and now she has a new mission; to raise
awareness and funding for girls’ empowerment and
education through The Maiden Factor Foundation.
Phil Harmer (AUS) - Wizard
5 x Volvo Ocean Races under his belt. A race winner in
Groupama in 2011-12 and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in
2014-15.
Will Oxley (AUS) - Wizard
Oxley is a racing skipper/navigator/weather routing
specialisr, and marine biologist. Three-time VOR
veteran, he has confirmed that he's eyeing at least
one more lap around the planet, as the 2021-22
edition of the round-the-world race continues to take
shape. At 54, Oxley had one of the most illustrious
seasons in his long professional sailing career in 2019,
winning an historic double onboard VO70 yacht
Wizard by taking victory on the RORC Caribbean 600
and the Rolex Fastnet Race and culminating in the
team winning RORC Yacht of the Year. He then took
his second overall Sydney Hobart win as navigator on
TP52 Ichi Ban. He has logged almost 300,000
circumnavigation miles in a long career. He’s recently
been nominated to World Sailing’s Committee to
create guidelines for making sailing more sustainable
by 2030. “As a sailor and a scientist I can help in both
of my roles.”
Mark Towill (USA/lives in Hawaii) – Wizard
Towill has participated in the VOR two times (2014-15
and in 2017-18), and he and his business partner
Charlie Enright recently announced that they’ve
renewed their sponsorship with 11th Hour Racing with
the intention of entering The Ocean Race in 2021.
Charlie Enright (USA) – Wizard
Co-founded of Team Alvimedica with Mark Towill for
the VOR 2014-15 and were the youngest team in the
fleet. Enright is one of America’s leading offshore
sailors having led two Ocean Race campaigns in 2014-
2015 and 2017-18 and skippered several yachts to
overall wins in ocean races like the Fastnet Race,
Transatlantic Race 2019 and other offshore regattas
over the past decade.
Chris Larson (USA) - Outsider
Chris is a champion Program Manager, Helmsman and
Tactician with over 30 years of experience across all
classes of boats. Chris' vast experience includes over
30 World, International, National and Match Racing
Championships. As a past Helmsman for an
America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race campaign team,
Chris is well versed in team management and what it
takes to be successful on and off the water.
Don Street (USA) Kinship – in his 90th year he is racing
in the RC600. The lifetime sailor has spent 45 years
cruising, charting and writing about the Caribbean for
his famous guide books. 40 of those years were spent
in his 46ft engineless yawl, Iolaire, built in 1905. Iolaire
flew the RORC burgee for 80 years! “My nick-name
used to be ‘squeaky’ but with the way I am having
holes cut in me, it should be changed to ‘swiss
cheese’, says Street. He will be racing with a team who
has sailed and raced Kinship for over a dozen years,
with good results in ocean races and local regattas
along the East Coast of the US. Oldest combined crew
ages? A 91 year old will also on be on board!
Jaime Arbonnes (ESP) – Triple Lindy
Veteran ocean race and America’s Cup sailor.
Match Race Sailor. Copa del Rey winner, Maxi Worlds,
Rolex Middle Sea Race
Giovanni Soldini (ITA) – Maserati
Revered Italian skipper Giovanni Soldini has 25 years
of ocean racing experience, including two singlehanded round the worlds, six Québec-Saint Malos, six
Ostars, three Transat Jacques Vabres and more than
40 ocean crossings. Aboard VOR70 Maserati he
achieved many victories and major records, including
the Cadiz-San Salvador (2012) and the New York San
Francisco Gold Route (2016). In 2016 he started the
new challenge at the helm of Maserati Multi 70,
aboard which he set the record for the Tea Route,
from Hong Kong to London (2018), as well as winning
many ocean races. In 2019 he crossed in first place
the finish line of the RORC Caribbean 600 setting the
new race record of just over 30 hours - 1 day 6hours
49 mins.
Giancarlo Simeoli (ITA) – Triple Lindy.
Many Rolex Sydney Hobarts. His day job is training
budding Olympic sailors in 49er, 49FX and 470 classes
for the Italian Air Force Sports Centre.
Gideon Messink (NED) - Lott 99
Whitbread racer and Volvo Ocean Race team manager
on largest Maxi, Swan 95.
Bouwe Bekking (NED) - Childhood 1
Eight Volvo Ocean Races. The racing legend first sailed
the VOR during the 1985–86 Whitbread Round the
World Race, on board Philips Innovator. “I love the
lifestyle, I love working with people and teams and
getting them better, to get things in place so they
work better.” Twice runner-up in the VOR and 3rd last
time. The boat is a French charter for the race, with a
semi-professional crew.
Martin Strömberg (SWE) – Matador
Calling tactics and navigation on the Elliot 44 is 4 x
Volvo Ocean Race sailor Strömberg from Gothenburg.
Niklas Beckvid (SWE) – Matador. Gold medallist and
world champion sailor. Owner, Jonas Grander and the
crew on Matador has been awarded Offshore Racer of
the year twice (2017 and 2019) in Sweden for their
achievements in major offshore races.
Matilda Ajanko (FIN)
Part of the crew that sailed Maiden around the world
and is a veteran of J-Class racing. She is bow on
Andrew Berdon’s Marten 49 Summer Storm (USA.)
Female crews and skippers increase
Some top female sailors taking part this year include:
Pip Hare (’20 Vendee Globe is racing on Panther),
Nikki Henderson (youngest Clipper RTWR skipper on
Emily of Cowes), Liz Wardley skippering all female
team on Tracy Edwards’ Maiden, Pamala Baldwin’s
Liquid, Katy Campbell skippers amateur crew on Emily
of Cowes.
Three previous overall winners on the startline
2009 winner – Adrian Lee with Lee Overlay Partners
(this time in his Swan 60)
2013 winner – Ron O’Hanley on Privateer, Cookson 50
Image: David and Peter Askew, Wizard, Volvo 70 (USA) - Overall winner in 2019 and back to defend their title
© Tim Wright/Photoaction.com
2019 winner -Peter and David Askew on VO70 Wizard