Argo smashes Antigua 360 record in 35-knot blitz

(Reuters) – Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo has smashed the course record for the Royal Ocean Racing Club Antigua 360 Race, screaming around the 48-nautical-mile circuit in 2 hours, 29 minutes and 20 seconds – a 25% improvement on the previous mark.

The trimaran slashed 45 minutes off Argo’s own 2023 record of 3 hours, 14 minutes and 23 seconds, turning the turquoise waters off Antigua into a blur, during what Carroll described as “a beautiful day for sailing and a fantastic lap around Antigua.”

Despite encountering rougher conditions on the island’s eastern flank and approximately 20 knots of wind at the start, Carroll’s crew opted for a conservative approach with one reef, to reduce maximum sail size and de-power the boat.

“We chose to go with one reef, which felt like the right call. I think we sailed it relatively conservatively and didn’t leave much out there,” Carroll said.

The only hiccup came during “one bad tack where we ended up in irons and had to back out, which probably cost us about a minute, but apart from that it was smooth sailing all the way around.”

Crew member Sam Goodchild, who will also race on Argo for the upcoming RORC Caribbean 600, highlighted the spectacular nature of the course.

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