Jason Carroll looked tired but well after standing at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club dock shortly after midnight and winning the line’s honor at the 52nd Newport Bermuda Race.
The crew of Carol and the MOD70 Trimaran Argo set the elapsed time recording time to 33 hours. It covers a course with an average speed of 635 nautical miles, faster than any elapsed time recorded in the 116-year history of Bermuda racing. 19.24 knots. But it wasn’t without some pain.
The forecast underestimated how rough the ocean was, “said Carroll, 44. Later he said, “All the crew were wiped out. I was tired.”
At the end, Argo winds up the jib against the backdrop of St. George’s Harbor and slowly begins motor sailing around the island to Hamilton.Chris Barville Photo
You may be tired, but I’m happy to be able to set Argo’s sixth course record to set two world records. They were the first Saturday night finishers in the history of the prestigious race, co-sponsored by the American Cruising Club and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
Chad Corning, Program Manager, said: “There are so many major marine races … Hosting Bermuda Races, Middle Sea Races and the Caribbean 600 makes a lot of sense to us, and it’s great to be the only boat to finish on Saturday. The Bermuda race has a lot of history and this record is probably the most important to us as it is a very well established race. It feels great. “
Carroll’s international crew on the Argo included Westy Barlow. [Newport, Rhode Island]Corning, Petecoming [Warsash, England]Thierry Foquier [Marseille, France]Boat captain Chris Maxted [Melbourne, Australia]Charlie Ogletree [Seabrook, Texas] And Alistair Richardson [Bournemouth, England]..
After the finish, the Argo crew is standing in the relatively small cockpit of Trimaran. Overhead, the two reefs on the mainsail demonstrate the crew’s efforts to use less sail area to avoid overwhelming the boat.Chris Barville Photo
Navigator and Master Brian Thompson was previously reported [Cowes, England] Although part of the crew, he tested positive for COVID before the race and did not sail. He was replaced by Barlow in the crew and Corning was filled in as a navigator.
“On paper, it was a very nasty race,” Corning said. “We had to sail high to control the boat, so we ended up west of the Rhumb line. If we were bored, we would have been too fast. Speed around 20 knots. I was trying to keep it, so I kept a higher course to slow down the boat, which is why we weren’t on the run line. “
“After starting the race with the Full Maine and the J1 Headsale and clearing the Commission’s boat within just a few feet, Carroll said it didn’t take long for the crew to relax.
“We spent a lot of time restraining ourselves so that we didn’t have any problems. It was pretty hard for us in the middle of the race,” Carroll said. “About 3 hours after the start of the race, I had two reefs and a J2. I ate J3 in 10 hours. When I got offshore, I took a lot of steps in the first few hours.”
Late Saturday night, on the final approach to finishing the St. David Lighthouse, the MOD70 Trimaran Argo shows its sleek lines and black carbon sails. Time-lapse photography turns the port navigation light into a red stripe.Chris Barville Photo
Corning responded to Carol that the race was rough, mainly due to sea conditions.
“We expected sea conditions of 2 to 2.5 meters, but generally 3.5 to 4 meters,” Corning said. “The Gulf Stream was a bit smoother because the current direction is almost in line with the wind direction. Most races have 25-30 knots of wind, with maximum temperatures sometimes in the mid-30s. We were really just hanging. “
Corning said he saw a four-knot stream flowing from west to east, passing through the Gulf Stream at about 90 degrees, but soon entered and exited. They sailed the course meat using two reefs and a storm jib for about 21 hours from Friday evening to Saturday afternoon.
“It was some of the toughest conditions we’ve ever experienced on a boat,” Corning said. “The sea conditions were just awkward, coming from all directions. You didn’t know where the waves were coming from and the waves would hit the boat at every angle. You’re in the cockpit to go anywhere I had to crawl around. It was a very violent move, many got sick. “
Photo of Argo in Bermuda today:
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