On the third day of the RORC Transatlantic Race, which started from Lanzarote on 8 January (11:00 UTC), most of the fleet has left the Canary Islands behind to sail into the expanses of the Atlantic Ocean. Normally, this passage sees the boats push south-west into the trade winds, but this year's race is being affected by a very complex weather pattern in the days ahead.

The gamble on the winds has been reflected in the first tactical choices that have split the fleet in two right at the Spanish islands. While to the south, the lowest route, appears for now to have been rewarded by a better than expected breeze; a low pressure system to the north is instead affecting in this phase the race of the head of the fleet made up of the multihulls PowerPlay, Argo and Maserati Multi 70, who have chosen the high route. The trimarans' march was temporarily slowed as they entered the transition zone created between the low pressure to the northwest and the trade winds to the northeast, but they resumed their flight once the cold front had passed.

At 15:oo UTC today (16:00 Italian time), tracking records that the three rivals have started to descend and are now running in a south-westerly direction some 2000 miles from the finish line.

"We've passed the cold front," said the crew from aboard, "now there are 25-30 knots of wind from the north-northwest. We're chasing our opponents, at the moment we're going at an average speed of 32 knots, with peaks of 38-40: we're going 'a cannamorta'!"

Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay has so far dominated the race, followed closely by Brian Thompson's Argo and Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi 70. Ultim Emotion 2 made a great comeback, being forced to make a technical stop that put a brake on the start but did not prevent the French trimaran from taking to the sea again, choosing a more southerly route.

The race, organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in collaboration with Yacht Club de France, started in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, and finished in Grenada, Caribbean, after 2995 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

Maserati Multi 70 - The crew
Aboard Maserati Multi 70, Giovanni Soldini is accompanied by 5 professional sailors, already crew members:

Vittorio Bissaro (ITA) - born in 1987, he started sailing as a child, on Optimist and Laser, and then switched to catamarans. He participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the Nacra 17 class finishing in fifth place and won the Nacra17 World Championship in 2019. Aboard Maserati Multi 70 he participated twice in the RORC 600 Carribean (in 2017 and 2019), in the 2017 edition of the Transpacific Yacht Race, as well as taking part in training and transfers. He also participated in the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2018 and was part of the trimaran's crew on the occasion of two records set in 2021.

Oliver Herrera Perez (ESP) - born in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands in 1987, he started sailing at the age of 9 in an Optimist, before moving on to racing as an adult on Ims 500s, Swan 45s and Rc44s. Already part of the crew of the Maserati VOR 70, he continues to race as bowman on the Maserati Multi 70. He has participated in most of the trimaran's regattas, records and transfers.

Thomas Joffrin (FRA) - from the Côtes-d'Armor in Brittany, he is 22 years old and has been working in the sailing world since 2018. He was part of the Ultim Emotion 2 maxi trimaran team for two years and in June 2021 he participated in the Ocean Race Europe with the Austrian team. He has 4 transatlantics to his credit and over 50 thousand miles in race and transfer.

Francesco Pedol (ITA) - professional Skipper, he is experiences in long distance deliveries and has many Atlantic crossings to his credit.

Since May 2021 he is member of the Maserati Multi 70 Team, both as a crew member and shore team.

Matteo Soldini (ITA) - is member of the shore team and has been involved in the Maserati Multi 70 project since its inception, having taken part in almost all the transfers of the Maserati VOR 70. He has numerous Atlantic crossings under his belt and has participated in many offshore races. On board Maserati Multi 70 he has participated in the vast majority of regattas, records and transfers carried out, accumulating many miles of sailing.