Results are now in for the first-ever Royal Ocean Racing Club Nelson’s Cup Series. Niklas Zennstrom’s CF520 Rán (SWE) was the overall winner and OnDeck’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno was the winner of IRC Two.

 The six-race regatta, including the RORC Caribbean 600 offshore race is the first to be run by the RORC, with the support of the Antigua Yacht Club. Teams from all over the world took part including: Antigua, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, France, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States.

 Two days of windward leeward racing in moderate trade winds was followed by a lay day before the teams were back in action for a high-velocity Antigua 360 Race (about 50-miles around Antigua). After a two-day break, the sixth and final race of the Nelson’s Cup Series was the RORC Caribbean 600. Daily informal prize givings at the Antigua Yacht Club gave the teams the opportunity to rub shoulders with the competition.

The top three overall were racing in IRC One. Niklas Zennstrom’s CF520 Rán (SWE) was the overall winner of the RORC Nelson’s Cup by a single point from Frederic Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet 3 - Corum (FRA). Third overall was RORC Vice Commodore Eric de Turckheim’s NMD54 Teasing Machine (FRA).

 In IRC Two, the winner was decided by the narrowest of margins. OnDeck’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno (ANT), skippered by David Hanks won on countback from Marie Tabarly’s 1973 ketch Pen Duick VI (FRA). Szymon Kuczynski’s Figaro Hultaj (POL) was third.

“Our first Nelson’s Cup Series has been a great success,” commented RORC CEO Jeremy Wilton. “We have learnt a lot and we have had really good constructive feedback that we were looking for from owners, crew and our stakeholders. Many of the teams that competed this year have said it’s a no brainer if you want to do well in the RORC Caribbean 600, you have to do the Nelson’s Cup Series. The regatta prepares teams for the weather conditions and gives them experience in the actual race area for the RORC Caribbean 600.

“For teams looking to compete next year we would ask you to please get in contact with the RORC. A big thank you to the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, Antigua Yacht Club, Carib Beer, English Harbour Rum and Axxess Marine. The RORC is looking forward to staging the second edition next year and making the Nelson’s Cup Series bigger and better,” concluded Wilton.

The second edition of the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series will be held 13th-23rd February 2024. Two days of inshore racing on 13th-14th February, the Antigua 360 Race on 16th February and the big race will be the RORC Caribbean 600 on 19th February.