Remon Vos’ RP100 Black Jack 100 has crossed the finish line ahead of the monohull fleet at the 2026 RORC Caribbean 600, securing line honours with a hard-fought elapsed time of 1 day, 20 hours, 31 minutes, and 36 seconds. The century-footer was skippered by Tristan Le Brun, who guided his crew through the demanding 600-nautical-mile Caribbean course.
The twenty-strong crew aboard Black Jack 100 included owner Remon Vos alongside Le Brun, Bruce Clark, Clément Cron, Edwin De Laat, Guillaume Berenger, Harley Spreadbury-Key, Jelmer van Beek, Jorden Van Rooijen, Martin Kirketerp Ibsen, Matiu Te Hau, Max Deckers, Robin Jacobs, Rokas Milevicius, Romain Testa, Rutger Vos, Shane Hughes, Sofian Bouvet, Thierry Fouchier, and Bram van Spengen. It was a truly international effort, with sailors drawn from across Europe, Australasia, and beyond combining their talents to push the powerful maxi to the front of the pack.
A comprehensive race report with full analysis and reaction from the crew is expected to follow shortly. In the meantime, fans and followers can stay up to date with the latest developments through the official race website at http://www.caribbean600.rorc.org, where live tracking, the full entry list, and a competitors’ blog are all available. Race coverage continues across RORC’s social media channels under the hashtag #Caribbean600 and the handle @RORCracing.
The RORC Caribbean 600 is a modern classic of offshore sailing: a non-stop, ~600-nautical-mile race that starts and finishes in English Harbour, Antigua, sending a mixed fleet of high-performance monohulls and multihulls on a tactically demanding loop around the northeastern Caribbean.
Origins and purpose
The event was created through a partnership between the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Antigua Yacht Club to bring top-tier offshore racing to the heart of the trade-wind Caribbean—combining professional-level race management with Antigua’s established sailing infrastructure and hospitality.
The course: “11 islands, one relentless puzzle”
A big part of the race’s identity is its island-to-island geometry. The course weaves around a chain including Antigua/Barbuda, Nevis/St Kitts, Saba, St Barths (and other nearby islands/marks depending on the year’s course definition), creating constant transitions: acceleration zones, wind-shadow traps, big header/lift patterns, and strong current/tide effects around headlands and channels.
The result is a race where the “best boat” doesn’t automatically win—execution through dozens of micro-decisions matters.
How the winners are decided
While line honours (first to finish) are a major headline—especially for maxis and MOD70s—the overall “Caribbean 600 Trophy” is awarded on IRC corrected time (with additional class scoring across IRC divisions and multihull rules such as MOCRA in various editions).
That scoring structure is a big reason the event has remained compelling: it can crown anything from a purpose-built speed machine to a well-sailed “fast cruiser-racer,” as long as the performance is consistent across the whole chessboard.
Records and defining moments
Over the years, the Caribbean 600 has become a proving ground for “how fast is fast” in warm water with trades—especially as yacht design and offshore technique have evolved.
Monohull record progression (notable milestones):
In 2011, Rambler 100 pushed the monohull benchmark to 1 day 16 hours 20 minutes 2 seconds, a major early statement of maxi speed in this arena.
In 2018, Rambler 88 reset the monohull race record to 1 day 13 hours 41 minutes 45 seconds, highlighting both design evolution and how brutally quick the course can be when the fleet hits the right weather rhythm.
Multihull headline performances:
The race has also become a showcase for top multihulls. For example, RORC recaps note MOD70 campaigns like Argo delivering standout runs and line-honours performances in recent editions.
As of the 2026 edition, Reuters reported Argo winning multihull line honours again in 1 day 12 hours 1 minute 46 seconds, underscoring how the fastest multihulls can make the Caribbean 600 feel like a high-speed endurance sprint.
A race that blends pros and amateurs
One of the Caribbean 600’s lasting achievements is its fleet mix: grand-prix teams, shorthanded veterans, Corinthian crews, and boats spanning a wide performance range. Reuters described the event’s attraction as precisely that variety—“from high-tech maxis and multihulls to amateur-crewed yachts”—all facing the same navigation and seamanship test.
That mix has helped make the race a true “bucket list” event, rather than a niche championship for only one design or one budget tier.
Recent editions and modern narrative
Recent race reports show how the Caribbean 600 has matured into a repeat-entry cornerstone for major programs:
In 2025, RORC announced Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (Christian Zugel; co-skippers including Johnny Mordaunt) as the overall winner on corrected time.
In 2017, RORC reported Maxi 72 Bella Mente as overall winner—an example of how the race often rewards disciplined, error-free offshore execution as much as raw speed.
RORC’s own “about” materials list 2019’s overall winner as Wizard (Volvo 70), illustrating a continued era where well-sailed big boats can convert pace into corrected-time wins—but only if tactics and transitions are nailed.
RORC retrospectives also note Leopard 3 as a defining presence across the event’s history and as overall winner in 2024, reinforcing the theme of repeat contenders returning to solve the course again and again.
