Newcomer Raven favourite for RORC Transatlantic Race's IMA Trophy
by International Maxi Association 11 Jan 07:04 GMT
11 January 2026
There could be some surprises afoot as to how Raven will perform © Baltic Yachts
Leading away from Lanzarote after Sunday's 1230 start of the RORC Transatlantic Race will be the maxi monohulls, jockeying for monohull line honours into the race's new destination of Antigua. The first of them home will receive the International Maxi Association Trophy. The race is organised by Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club de France.
Three significant maxi monohulls are making their race debuts in this year's RORC Transatlantic Race.
The favourite is certainly the most ground-breaking; the 111ft semi-foiler Raven. Since her launch at Baltic Yachts in 2023, she has spent much time sea trialling out of Calero Marinas' Marina Arrecife, the start port of the RORC Transatlantic Race. She is designed to be the fastest fully-appointed (although ultra-lightweight) superyacht. She is fitted with flip-up T-foils, resembling those of an AC75 America's Cup monohull, however Raven is designed only to partially 'skim', not to fully fly. Unlike AC75s she is fitted with a keel and 10 tonnes of water ballast each side.
As part of her lengthy sea trials Raven has crossed the Atlantic twice, and, aided by a world class crew including antipodean heavyweights such as Brad Jackson, Tony Mutter, Robbie Naismith, Daryl Wislang and navigator Will Oxley, has been making solid progress. "We are moving in the right direction," explains Project Manager, Swedish round the world race veteran Klabbe Nylöf. "In the beginning we had a lot of problems to reach the VPP, but now we are exceeding it..." While light winds and upwind may be Raven's bane, her performance has now been very optimised once sheets are cracked and in breeze, making the RORC Transatlantic Race a perfect course for her. Here the aim is to sit on 25+ knot average speeds to the extent that she may, at some point, better the present monohull 24 hour record of 640.48 miles (26.68 knots).
The RORC's Rating Office has calculated an IRC TCC of 1.905 for Raven. This places her just a few points higher than Lucky, which in 2025 established a new RORC Transatlantic Race record into Grenada of 7 days 20 hours 34 minutes. The new finish into Antigua as well as removing the waypoints that previously forced the fleet to pass through the Canary Islands, has lowered the course distance from 2995 nautical miles to 2770.
For the Raven crew overall victory is not being contemplated. They are happy to be able to compete, says Nylöf. With a ridge lying immediately to the north of the Canary Islands, the forecast is for a light start from Arrecife, the front runners expected to dive due south to pick up the northeasterly trade winds off Western Sahara. For Raven this is likely to make for a slowish start before she keys into the solid 20-25 knots propelling her west.
Enjoying the light wind at the start better will be the Swan 128 BeCool. One of the biggest yachts to be built by Nautor Swan, BeCool is decidedly a displacement superyacht of high luxury, weighing 132 tonnes in comparison to Raven's nimble 48. She comes with a professional crew but "no rock stars" says captain Luca Serra and the only cross over with the owner's Rolex Maxi Grand Prix World Championship-winning crew is navigator Nevio Sabadin. She is competing with her regular sailing wardrobe.
In the RORC Transatlantic Race, Serra says "the plan is to start softly because we haven't had a lot of time to test the boat and we need to see how she will behave. I am absolutely confident there will be no problem as we have sailed many miles, but not in windy conditions." Serra says their routing shows a 8.5 day crossing. "We will try to be in the fight. The goal is to do a good race, but to preserve the boat too."
While she competed in last year's Superyacht Cup in Palma, it will be the first offshore race for the Truly Classic 128 Linnea Aurora. Her Swedish racing skipper Magnus Woxen explains: "It was brand new last year. At the Superyacht Cup we only made the start line on the second day but then we managed to win two races." Linnea Aurora is the fifth Truly Classic 128 to be launched and according to Woxen she has a more modern rudder but is otherwise similar to her sisterships. Her Swedish owner is a keen Dragon sailor and her crew is a mix of his family and friends, the permanent crew and others recruited by Woxen.
Despite being the same length as BeCool, the neo-classic Linnea Aurora has a higher displacement and a smaller sail area and so under IRC rates substantially lower at 1.496 to BeCool's 1.707.
Despite three Volvo Ocean Races to his name, this will be Woxen's first west to east Transatlantic Race: "We will try to push as hard as we can. In trade winds it will be about average speed. It is not like there are many tactical decisions to be made. It is more about boat speed."
Other maxis include the VO65 Sisi, the Italian-owned 69ft Nacira and the 85ft Adrien; present holder of the solo non-stop westabout round the world record (set in 2004 by Jean-Luc van den Heede).
Meanwhile leading the charge across the Atlantic will be the trimaran match race between the MOD70s Jason Carroll's Argo and Erik Maris' Zoulou, which, although heavily turboed, have similar foil and sail packages to the extent they are near enough one designs. Argo won when they lined up in the RORC Transatlantic Race in 2023 and also beat her rival in last year's Rolex Fastnet Race (partly due to Zoulou breaking a rudder).
According to Argo's multihull legend Brian Thompson, the conditions look good for a fast passage and this might be adequate to better the 23.8 knot average speed record set by Giovanni Soldini's Maserati on the old course to Grenada. "I've done maybe six or seven of these races, but this looks like it will be one of the best ones weather-wise. The trade winds are established, but with a gentle start, so everyone can ease into it. You will go down the African coast then it will pick up overnight in on the coast and when you get south enough and into the established Trades, then you can start heading west."
While the course is shorter, as Antigua is further north than Grenada, Thompson advises that there is the prospect of encountering cold fronts approaching the finish. This year this won't affect them but might affect the slower yachts.
On Sunday the monohulls will be first away at 1230 followed by the multihulls 10 minutes later.
For more on the RORC Transatlantic Race visit here or follow the tracking here.
For more on the International Maxi Association visit www.internationalmaxiassociation.com