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Most of the Rán team flew home one day after docking and few stayed in Antigua for the honourable duty to collect the trophy. The Rán team on-board Rán II won the class IRC Zero and Overall IRC for our 1st attempt of the RORC Caribbean 600 race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in association with the Antigua Yacht Club. Overwhelmed and extremely happy! Thanks to a top preparation of the boat, a well prepared navigation and tactics, an extremely well sailed boat with diligent and hard work on board have contributed to this result. We should not forget the good spirit and fun atmosphere on-board and onshore which contributed to this achievement. R&R is now well deserved for Rán II and its crew!
Big thank you to the organisers of this race, RORC and the Antigua Yacht Club!

We have finally arrived in Antigua at the finishing line. After a last beat of only 35 miles - but seemed much longer, we are enjoying the sun warming the shoulders. The sun set light gives Antigua island and its hills wonderful colour of green. Wonderful race! Let's see the results later one tonight or tomorrow for the compensated time. Hurrah team Rán!

Very high rock in the middle of those island. But it could be called an island especially as there is one single house built. Not sure if inhabited tough... We rounded this point around noon under a typical tropical shower. Drenched in 2 minutes. We are now going up wind - everyone on the rail just like laundry drying in the sun. We can see Antigua our finish mark closer and closer as we have now less than 30 miles to go. What a race! Nearly there. Come on team Rán!

No comment! Fast, wet, wild and still rock and roll! Go Rán Go!

All you really want for this water sport: wind! And if you get wet, you hope for warm water. Lucky us - this is what we have: warm water from the sea and wind. Still sailing at 16 knots or so.

We are less than 20 miles until the way point next to Barbuda, less than a 100 miles until finish.

Have you ever had breakfast on the sea at sunrise? Did it look anything like that? Surely: some kind of fruity-juicy something full of goodies - we are told - after few minutes there is the extra taste of sea salt. Add in the picture wet feet and wet gear, trying to keep up on the rail as the boat goes up to 18 knots or so with 20 knots of breeze... Guts of wind are swinging you even further! Helmsmen change every hour or so, as the boat is very powerful to hold. Hang along, this is wet wild and rock and roll!

Middle of the night and despite the few stars we can see through the clouds, it is pitch dark and the only light is really the glow from the land. We have now passed Grande Terre from the Guadeloupe island. And we are sailing around 9 to 10 knots up wind towards La Desirade. Earlier on we passed, on starboard, the island called Marie Galante. We now have sailed 400 miles and once we round La Desirade, we will be heading towards Antigua and the finish.
We have found out that the 2 other boats on the water ahead of us are quite close to us. In another words we caught up with them! Let's keep up and not let them go again. It has been wet, and more wet, bumpy, lumpy, and real rock and roll! It seems we were not to have just a nice sunny or dry sailing the entire race!

Last minutes of the sun before it goes just after 6pm. Reaching towards Guadeloupe, takes quite some concentration and force to keep her going at the pace we are sailing right now. We are going nearly as fast as the wind! In the distance we can see the profile of Montserrat island and coming close to us the big shadow of Guadeloupe. We can also see clouds, many! Now will they turn out to be our friends if we stay at their edge to catch the wind and not need to go under and stop because of the rain? Or will they clear by the time we get to them? ... We will also have to look out for fishing pots in the water. Their marking is very discreet it is easy (or easier for sure) to see them in the light but at night it is what is called "pot-luck" ! Go team Rán!

Around 5pm we passed Montserrat island, this is the half way distance in this race. We are now reaching with about 17 to 18 knots of wind speed and the boat sails at about the same speed, even sometimes peaking to 19 knots! Absolutely amazing how she flies and surfs the water. She is very wet at the bow, all hatches are closed and the bow team are drenched when they need to adjust sails or change sails at the bow. At the stern it feels we are on a very energetic rocking chair, splashed too! Diner will be rock and roll on the rail. Everyone is on the rail - all who are not off watch down below or helming or trimming. We have another 60 miles or so until Guadeloupe rounding. Let's hope those trade winds hold until then! Go team Rán, Go!