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Line honours victory for Hap Fauth’s American Mini Maxi, Bella Mente in action during the recent RORC Caribbean 600 – Credit: Tim Wright/photoaction.com |
The International Maxi Association (IMA) has joined forces with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in the organisation of the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race and will be awarding an exquisite vintage sterling silver trophy to the Line Honours winner.
The IMA invites the expanding Maxi fleet to a new format of a classic autumn competition, starting from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote on 29 November and racing 2,800 n miles across the Atlantic to the inviting waters of Grenada in the Caribbean.
IMA Secretary General, Andrew McIrvine is pleased with the RORC association for the race:
“The IMA’s support will provide a resounding endorsement of RORC’s new Transatlantic Race which has a strong future. With time, it will attract a large and competitive fleet that aspire to a real challenge and strong competition in a warm-water race to the Caribbean. The IMA are pleased to support the RORC organisation and are delighted that the beautiful island of Grenada has been chosen for the finish of the race. The IMA will continue the partnership with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with a planned rally and party at its yacht club in British Virgin Gorda following the finish of the RORC Transatlantic Race.”
The International Maxi Association has been expanding its activities since 2010 when the first Mini Maxi World Championship took place in Porto Cervo, Italy with 24 entries from two continents and 49 Maxis participating in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Its growing membership boasts 12 Honorary Members and 60 Members with boats such as RÁN; Sojana; Alegre; Bella Mente and Nilaya regularly competing in the RORC’s international racing programme of over 20 races, including the RORC Caribbean 600 and Rolex Fastnet Race.
It is anticipated that a strong fleet of Maxi, Mini-Maxi and Superyachts will take part in the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race which also allows them to compete in Caribbean regattas before heading back to the yacht racing season both sides of the Atlantic.
Grenada Tourism Authority with Camper and Nicholsons Marinas, will host the first edition of the race to the spice island of Grenada which will also act as a set-up for The Atlantic Ocean Racing Series. This quadrennial event is run jointly by the New York Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club. Starting in February 2015 with the RORC Caribbean 600, followed by the Transatlantic Race from Newport R.I. to England, the Rolex Fastnet Race and finally the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
For more information on the first RORC Transatlantic Race: http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/
The International Maxi Association: http://www.internationalmaxiassociation.com/
To register interest and for more information, contact the RORC Race Office: racing@rorc.org
ENDS/…
NOTES TO EDITORS:
MEDIA INFORMATION:
Trish Jenkins – RORC Press Liaison
T: +44 (0)1983 292576
M: +44 (0)7880 518689
RORC RACE OFFICE:
Nick Elliott, Racing Manager
Royal Ocean Racing Club
T: +44 (0) 207 518 3131
ROYAL OCEAN RACING CLUB:
20 St James’s Place
London SW1A 1NN
Tel: 020 7493 2248
Fax: 020 7493 2470
The Royal Ocean Racing Club
- The Royal Ocean Racing Club also called RORC was established in 1925 and has premises in London and Cowes, Isle of Wight. The RORC organises offshore and inshore yacht races in the UK and all over the world, including the Easter Challenge; Rolex Fastnet Race; The Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race; The Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup and RORC Caribbean 600
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: http://www.rorc.org http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/
- In co-operation with the French offshore racing club, UNCL, RORC is responsible for IRC, the principal international handicap system for yacht racing worldwide.The Spinlock IRC rating rule is administered jointly by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, UK and UNCL Centre de Calcul in Paris, France. The RORC Rating Office is the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and recognised globally as a centre of excellence for measurement. For more information see www.rorcrating.com
About International Maxi Association
The IMA is a member of the IRC Congress, a full ISAF international class (since November 2010) and the only recognized Maxi Class Association with the authority to hold annual World and European championships.
The racing activities for the Maxi as a separate class started in Porto Cervo in 1980 with the first Maxi Yacht Cup. Immediately afterwards, on the initiative of a group of owners, the Association of the Maxi Owners was founded under the name “International Class A Yacht Association” (ICAYA) with Baron E. de Rothschild elected thefirst President of the Class. The legal office was created in Geneva, Switzerland. “Class A” was the definition of a Maxi boat in the IOR rating system, in force at that time.
The following year Gianfranco Alberini was appointed Secretary General of the Association.
ICAYA organized the Maxi Yacht World Championship for many years in Porto Cervo as its European base, as well in other venues in USA – Honolulu, Newport R.I., Miami, St. Thomas, San Francisco. In Europe also Puerto Portales, Antibes and Saint Tropez were selected as championship locations. When the IOR rating system declined and the IMS rating was adopted, the Maxi fleet was severely reduced and the activities of the Class decreased. The definition “Class A” disappeared with the change from IOR so at the Annual General Meeting in Miami in 2001 it was decided to rename the Class as “International Maxi Association” (IMA), which is still the name of the Class.
The Association is now registered in Geneva (Switzerland), has a base in Porto Cervo and an office in the USA, for rating and technical matters. Claus-Peter Offen is the actual President. The Class is now expanding its activities, and in 2010 the first Mini Maxi World Championship took place in September in Porto Cervo, Italy, with 24 entries from two continents and 49 Maxis participating in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. In 2011 the Rolex Volcano Race opened the 2011 Mediterranean sailing season.
Grenada Tourism Authority
- The premium yachting destination in the Southern Caribbean. Grenada and The Grenadines are widely considered to be the most unspoilt cruising grounds in the Caribbean. Famed for its people’s warm and gregarious hospitality the ‘Spice Island’ of Grenada has a varied topography of mountains, rainforests and waterfalls, fringed by icing sugar beaches and cooled by trade winds
Camper & Nicholsons’ Port Louis Marina
- Camper & Nicholsons is widely recognised to be one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious yachting business names, with origins dating back to 1782 when boat building began at Gosport, in the south of England
Owned and managed by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, Port Louis Marina has transformed Grenada’s yachting facilities. Overlooking the historic capital St Georges and designed to reflect the traditional Creole architecture, the marina offers 170 berths, including 30 superyacht berths for vessels from 25m to 90m LOA, and up to 7m draft
