600 miles, 11 islands. An edition where nothing came “easy.
The 2026 RORC Caribbean 600 once again showed what makes this race so special: an unchanged course, but weather that rewrites the story every year. This time, the trade winds set further to the southeast turned what is often a fast island circuit into a more technical challenge, with more upwind sailing, tighter angles, and repeated transitions through the light-air zones and wind shadows of the islands.
At the heart of that challenge, Calamity delivered an exceptionally clean race. The result: victory in MOCRA, ahead of Sophia (skippered by Adam Davis), with Argo completing the podium.
An inspiring season already for Calamity
The season had started on a frustrating note. Calamity came into the race after a retirement from the RORC Transatlantic Race. The team then rallied to get the boat back in shape in time to be on the starting line of the Caribbean 600.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the race began with yet another setback: a collision on the start line, water on board, and urgent repairs to manage before even finding the rhythm of the race.
The simple rule that changes everything: “don’t make mistakes”
What followed looked like a masterclass in consistency. On board, the focus was clear: reduce risk, keep the boat moving, and give nothing away for free. Ryan Breymaier sums it up without hesitation: sail the course “cleanly,” avoid doing anything stupid, work through the holes in the breeze, and never really stop.
On an island course like the Caribbean 600, that’s often where everything is decided:
- Keeping the right pace through transitions
- Getting out of the wind shadows quickly
- Linking manoeuvres without losses
- Protecting the boat to stay in the race all the way to the finish
This year, that’s exactly what Calamity’s crew did on the RORC Caribbean 600 to take the win in the MOCRA class.
