From 17-20 February 2026, the fourth edition of the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series culminated in the Antigua 360 Race, hosted by the Antigua Yacht Club. The race featured 25 teams from over 10 nations competing in superb tropical conditions.
RORC Race Officer Nigel Biggs described the start, noting strong east-southeast winds of 18 to 20 knots. Despite some early challenges with boats over the start line, racing commenced safely, with teams showing disciplined tactics as they navigated the choppy waters.
The highlight of the race was the MOD70 trimaran Argo, skippered by Jason Carroll, which shattered the Antigua 360 race record with a stunning time of 2 hours 29 minutes and 20 seconds. Carroll praised the conditions and the performance of the team, stating, “Setting a new record around Antigua is special. It’s great to be back pushing with the team.” Sam Goodchild, another crew member, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of precision during the high-speed sections of the race.
In monohull competition, Joost Schuijf’s Farr 100 Leopard 3 took line honours with a time of 3 hours 32 minutes and 58 seconds, securing a new course record. Schuijf relayed that the intense competition among the 100-footer class added excitement to the race, revealing there was a challenging furler issue that nearly derailed their lead.
Meanwhile, the overall winner under IRC was Sam Hall’s J/125 Jackknife, clinching victory in a thrilling battle against Niklas Zennstrom’s Carkeek 52 Rán, winning on countback. Hall expressed his pride in the Jackknife team and looked forward to the upcoming RORC Caribbean 600, stating the importance of their performance against a talented fleet.
In the IRC Zero Class, Zennstrom’s Rán triumphed for the third consecutive year in the Nelson’s Cup Series, while Daguet 5, skippered by Frederic Puzin, won the IRC corrected time for the Antigua 360 Race by mere seconds over Leopard 3. Puzin attributed their success to a strategic approach in preparation for the RORC Caribbean 600.
The course’s engaging challenges provided an excellent environment for teams to test their readiness ahead of the event.
Following the races, prize-giving ceremonies took place at the Antigua Yacht Club, wherein RORC Commodore Deb Fish presented awards. The event not only celebrated the racing accomplishments but also acknowledged the essential role of volunteers contributing to the event’s success.
For further results from the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series and the RORC Antigua 360 Race, visit HERE.
The anticipated 17th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 will commence on Monday, 23rd of February 2026, with crews preparing for the non-stop 600 nautical mile sprint around 11 Caribbean islands.
Louay Habib/RORC
RORC Caribbean 600 website: http://caribbean600.rorc.org
#NelsonsCup #Caribbean600 @RORCracing
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