TRANSPAC: Jason Carroll's MOD 70 trimaran ARGO is first to finish in fast run into Honolulu
HONOLULU (#1172) – After a slow start on Saturday, Jason Carroll (USA) and crew on ARGO were the first to finish the 50th Transpac Race when the MOD 70 trimaran crossed the finish line off Diamond Head with an elapsed time of 4 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds.
That was just five hours behind the record pace set in 2017 by the ORMA 60 MIGHTY MERLOE in 4 days, 6 hours, 32 minutes, 30 seconds.
ARGO's average speed on the run from Los Angeles was 20.7 knots.
The rest of the crew is Chad Corning (USA), Thierry Fouchier (FRA), Anderson Reggio (USA), Alister Richardson (GBR), Brian Thompson (GBR), and Westy Barlow (USA).
“Four and a half days is not a bad time at all to do 2,200 miles,” Thompson said. “We’re all chuffed to be here,”
After several hours into the race and having to fight to get out of a wind hole on the first night, ARGO was the first to find the strong offshore breeze to take the lead against the two other MOD 70s in the race. It was never seriously challenged, playing a brilliant tactical game to deftly stay ahead of the other two of the their top competition on the final approach to the finish.
Peter Cunningham (CAY) and team on POWERPLAY, a sistership MOD 70, finished just 29 minutes astern after 2225 miles of racing. Giovanni Soldini (ITA) and MASERATI, which hit an object Monday and had to slow to make repairs, finished more than seven hours after ARGO.
Argo's winning crew celebrates on the dock in Honolulu after being first to finish in the 50th Transpac. Transpacific Yacht Club photo.