Bella Mente with the rest of the IRC Zero competitors approaching the starting line (Photo Credit Tim Wright/photoaction.com)

The RORC Caribbean 600 is known for blending beauty and thrills on its challenging 600 mile course around eleven Caribbean islands. Today, just three hours after the start of the distance race in Fort Charlotte, Antigua, the majority of the 60 yacht fleet has passed Green Island and Barbuda and is racing downwind to Nevis. Currently Bella Mente Racing and Rambler are leading the pack. Follow the race real-time at http://caribbean600.rorc.org/2014-fleet-tracking.html

See below for video and text breakdown of the course (courtesy of RORC Race Organizers)

The First Corner: Starting on the leeward side of Antigua, the upwind start takes the fleet past some of the most spectacular bays and cliffs of Antigua. Tactically, inshore gives relief from current, but in recent months there has been a tendency to get a lift offshore. It has also been exceptionally windy in Antigua since December; be prepared for 3 metre swell. A cracking start into heavy seas will soon dispel any thoughts of an easy trip.

Power Reach to Barbuda: The sea state on the windward side of Antigua is very agitated at the moment and the wind direction has been almost due east for a long time. This should provide a roller coaster, power reaching ride in full-on ocean racing conditions to Barbuda, with a spinnaker set just off the spectacular coral island around the only laid mark on the course.

Downhill Fun to Nevis: The spinnaker run to Nevis in trade wind conditions provides the downhill ride that all the crews were imagining when they signed up. It is a chance for those downhill flyers to show their pace and stretch their legs surfing downhill into the setting sun.

Shifty First Night: As night draws in, the fleet will be two-sail reaching from Nevis to Saba in beautiful flat water along the leeward side of St Kitts. Fast, but not furious and time to take stock of the surroundings and the beautiful night sky, with the odd wind shadow from the towering islands to disturb the reverie.

Tough Beat to the Chicane: Saba up to St.Barths is the first of three tough beats in the race and, for the front runners, will be negotiated in the dark, with confused sea conditions and worthwhile wind shifts to keep the team concentrating. In the past, gains have been made by heading north of the rhumb line, to get a lift from the coastline and the flat water in the lee of St Barths. Rounding St Barths requires caution as it is a lee-shore festooned with rocks and reefs; navigators will really need to be on their toes, as will all of the crew, to keep a watch out for faster boats which have already rounded the top of St Martin and are making their way down to Guadeloupe. Once clear of the rocks, spinnakers are hoisted and a glorious downhill sleigh ride can be enjoyed by all on the way to St Martin.

Pedal to the Metal: Rounding Tintamarre, northeast of St. Martin, marks the halfway point in the race and the beginning of the longest leg in the course: a 170-mile reach to Guadeloupe. The yachts may well be power reaching, close to top straight-line speed, and for those yachts without power winches this can be a real work out. The crew will be beginning to feel the effects of fatigue after long periods of concentration and the physical exertion of both numerous sail changes, and continually adjusting the sails.

The rhumb line course passes close to the amazing volcanic island of Montserrat. The volcano erupted again in 2010 and as a result it is probably not a good idea to get too close as the island is still growing!

Guadeloupe Pit Stop: Negotiating the west side of Guadeloupe adds another tricky twist to the race as the island throws out a huge wind shadow and it has been the downfall of many a potential race winner. Also, the shores around the island have several shallow spots, festooned with lobster pots. There is a freely available radar of the island to spot squalls: http://www.meteo.gp/donnees/bulletin/3h/bul_3h_guad.php

The beat from Les Saintes to La Desirade can be toughest part of the course and rounding La Desirade to the East of Guadeloupe can be extremely rough as the yachts feel the full force of the Atlantic.

Full Throttle Again: The reward for escaping the clutches of Guadeloupe is a fast shy spinnaker reach to Barbuda, but once again clouds and rain squalls will make this another tough leg for those with winning aspirations, as quick sail changes can make the difference to a top podium place.

After rounding the laid mark off Barbuda it’s a fast downwind spinnaker ride, pretty close to red lining, and the surfing fun should last all the way to Redonda. This small island, the remnant of a  volcanic cone ,rises to nearly 1000ft and is yet another small windless trap.

Nearly Home: It is an energy sapping 40-mile upwind slog to the finish from Redonda but the crews will be dreaming of a cold drink and a hot Antiguan roti! As always, all of the competing yachts will receive a warm greeting from the Antigua Yacht Club volunteers, offering a cold beer on arrival.

 For more updates on the race and the Bella Mente Racing team, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Tomorrow, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Bella Mente Racing will sail through the starting line, in Fort Charlotte, Antigua, for the sixth edition of the RORC Caribbean 600. The 600 mile distance race takes competitors around eleven Caribbean islands, and is hosting a record number of yachts this year.

“We have had three days (in Antigua) to prepare Bella Mente for racing,” said the team’s Tactician, Terry Hutchinson, adding that this event marks the first offshore race of the season for Bella Mente Racing. “The race is fairly straight forward but what makes it unique is the boat handling element, as there is only one leg that is around 100 miles. Because of this, the team must be on its toes throughout the entire event.

“We are fortunate to have a couple key guys onboard with a lot of ocean racing experience,” added Hutchinson. “It will take teamwork to win this event, but we are confident that we have all the tools to hopefully succeed.”

Last year, Bella Mente Racing won IRC 0 and finished second overall for IRC, and this year its sights are set on not only the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy but also the inaugural Bella Mente Trophy. However, there will be lots of direct competition on the racecourse in IRC, including U.S. entries Rambler, Shockwave, and Privateer.

“Out of all the events on our calendar for the year this one for sure feels like we have come back for unfinished business,” said the team’s Offshore Helmsman Mike Sanderson. “Last year we lost IRC overall by five minutes on corrected time, which was brutal after all we had put into it. However, we have learned, done more homework, sailed more as a team and feel very ready to take it on. It is a great race with great competition and it’s going to be quite a battle.”

The forecast is calling for traditional Caribbean sea breeze, around 15 to 18 knots (with some lighter patches over the course of the race). Current routing has Bella Mente finishing the 600 mile course in about 48 hours, but this is condition dependent.

Follow the event on real time at http://caribbean600.rorc.org/2014-fleet-tracking.html and follow the team on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates

Bella Mente left Cracker Boy Boat Works in Florida today and the boat is Antigua bound for the RORC Caribbean 600, which starts February 24th. Stay tuned for a full report on the team’s status coming early next week!