The RORC Caribbean 600 is one of the world’s great ocean races. It starts off Antigua, sails 12 legs around neighboring islands, and finishes back off Antigua’s English Harbor. The 2025 edition of the race started Monday morning, February 24, with Bryon Ehrhart’s Juan K 27M Lucky finishing 41 hours later, earning them monohull line honors. Lucky’s 1:17:14:12 elapsed time corrected out to third best in IRC Super Zero and fourth overall.
When interviewed about his first-to-finish achievement, Bryon shared the following, “There were very fast boats against us. You have to get so many things right, the lay lines, the shifts, having everything work right so you can end up ahead...just ahead...at this finish. It was very close racing, and you have to perform at a very high level which the crew did, especially navigator Juan Vila. It all came together for us, and we were very happy to get line honors with Lucky.”
Charlie Enright was aboard Lucky and Bryon shared the following about his STC shipmate, “Charlie Enright is always great to add to our team when he can make it. We have been lucky to have him join us twice this year. Charlie is so versatile—literally, any role at any time. That’s Charlie! There are so many sail and mode changes necessary to win a race as grueling as the RORC 600—he integrated so well with Brad (Butterworth) and Dean (Phipps) that our entire performance was elevated.”
About his boat, Ehrhart noted, “We have a performance characteristic when we begin to reach or run that allows us to get up on our chine and move quite quickly with the triple headsail rig. It’s really hard to beat us when the wind is up, but if the wind had been light, we would have been beaten.”
Also sailing the C600 were Chris Sheehan and Chad Corning on the Class 40 Tquila. They finished Thursday morning with an elapsed time of 2:23:13:39. That time earned them a podium position, correcting out to second in IRC One. On behalf of the two of them, Chad noted, “The new scow bow Class 40’s love reaching and running but hate wavy upwind. Naturally, this year’s 600 was fully on the wind for 2 of the 3 days it took us to complete the course. Though leading our class at Guadeloupe, we found a long-term parking spot and watched our main competitor, Albator, avoid our pothole and gain 20 miles in just a few hours. It’s a very different course when the wind is south of east, and far less fun. Finding the right mode through the large, unorganized waves was the biggest challenge on the mostly upwind course. A bit different sailing the 40 somewhat shorthanded as four crew was the max we could fit in the small cockpit and limited accommodations of these double hand-optimized boats. Still a beautiful course and a satisfying result.”
Two other STC boats sailing weren’t so lucky. Relatively early in the race, before turning north around Nevis, Peter McWhinnie’s JPK 10.80 In Theory, racing shorthanded with fellow STC Members, co-skipper Erin Mhley and Doug Lynn aboard, started hearing groaning noises which were suspected to be emanating from the port rudder bearings. Not a good thing. Being savvy safety at sea advocates, the trio turned back to Antigua disappointed...but safe.
The fourth Member to start only to retire was Andy Berdon aboard his TP-52 Summer Storm 52. was more upwind than usual. Short, wind-driven waves about 1 meter high but only at a 2-3 second interval. (Editor’s note: Talk about pounding!) Summer Storm 52 retired after we discovered damage to our PBO headstay.”