Giovanni Soldini and team complete RORC Transatlantic Race dash in 7 days, 8 hours, 44 minutes and 23 seconds.
Maserati Multi70 sailed across the finish-line of the third RORC Transatlantic Race at precisely 20h 54’ 23” GMT (16.54 local time), just off Camper & Nicholsons’ Port Louis Marina on the island of Grenada, completing her first ocean race in a time of 7 days, 8 hours, 44 minutes and 23 seconds.
After casting off from Lanzarote at 12.10 GMT on November 26, Giovanni Soldini and the Maserati Multi70 team opted to skirt the island of La Palma to the north on their first night at sea. This choice impacted the rest of their race and allowed Phaedo3, which rounded the island to the south, to take what proved to be an unassailable lead.
Just after jumping ashore, Giovanni Soldini had this to say about the experience: «It was a fantastic race. We’re delighted to have arrived into Grenada with the boat in excellent shape. We would have liked to compete up close with Phaedo3, but on the first night out, we made different route choices. Passing Las Palmas on the windward side seemed the less risky choice to us, but it turned out we were wrong as it took us into a zone with less wind. When we received our American friends’ position the following morning, we were 100 miles behind.
But overall it was a positive experience: we are very happy with everything we learned about flying using the L-foil in the open ocean. We’ve found a way to use it both when there’ s too much wind and wave, and in other more changeable conditions when it is possible to fly».
Giovanni Soldini was flanked aboard Maserati Multi70 in the RORC Transatlantic Race by a team comprising Guido Broggi, Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant, Carlos Hernandez, Oliver Herrera, François Robert and Francesco Malingri.
The American trimaran Phaedo3 crossed the finish-line at 01.49 GMT yesterday, to take line honours in the multihull (MOCRA) class, having led the 14-strong fleet for all 2,865 nautical miles of the race.
credit@Aldo Samele
