Alberto Bona wins the RORC Caribbean 600 aboard the Class40 IBSA

The year 2023 could not start better: aboard the Class40 IBSA, Alberto Bona arrived first in his category at the RORC Caribbean 600, the 600-mile “slalom” race between the Caribbean islands, which started on February 20 from Antigua. The crew crossed the finish line in first place shortly after midnight (Caribbean time), showing endurance, focus, quality and great tactical ability.

A wonderful start of the season; a victory desired from the very start; a regatta fought in every detail and every manoeuvre! On board, together with Alberto, a crew that proved to be exceptional: the Spaniard Pablo Santurde del Arco (at its eighth RORC, and a new entry to the team), Frenchman Luke Berry and team manager Luca Bertacchi.

The Class40 IBSA ended its run at 00:17 am on February 23, in 2 days, 13 hours, 7 minutes and 18 seconds, with an advantage of 14 minutes on Ambrogio Beccaria’s AllaGrande Pirelli and 27 minutes on Axel Trehin’s Project Rescue Ocean. From the very first miles, the three crews carried on a regatta within a regatta, marking each other and making this 13-leg grand “slalom” between the Caribbean islands even more exciting.

“Challenging, beautiful, compelling: after over three months of break”, stated Albert Bona, “this is the regatta that we needed to open the second season of the project Sailing into the Future. Together and the Class40 IBSA. We raced like lions, always in contact with the others and sparing nothing, and all of this paid off. An impeccable performance, that showed the boat’s potential on a very varied course. I liked everything: the atmosphere on board, the choices we made and the reaction in the most challenging moment, when yesterday we left Guadeloupe in third place and we reacted immediately, taking back the lead of the race. The whole team did a superb job”.

After a good start and a little effort to disentangle from the other crews, the Class40 IBSA immediately put its bow in the leading group, gauging its opponents during the upwind leg, along the first pass south of Guadeloupe to La Désirade. With the ascent to Barbuda, the Class40 IBSA began to dictate the pace, mixing the cards with a long right tack while approaching the course to Nevis. The “S” to be covered around St. Barths, characterised by gusts of wind, made the adrenaline rise, with well-chosen sail changes and an indomitable grit. The 140-mile southward descent to return to Guadeloupe – the only straight stretch of this splendid route – defined the leading group.Past the Guadeloupewaypoint, the leading boats chose to mark each other along a longer but faster course, passing South of Green Island to then head back to La Désirade. This was the most difficult moment for the team of the Class40 IBSA, who had come out from Guadeloupe in third place: they tried their hand at a quick and decisive reaction in the ascent towards Barbuda to regain the lead of the race. The last leg, to be covered on tacks, was a real all-Italian match race up to the finish line.

A start to the season that is good for the team as well as for IBSA’s project Sailing into the Future. Together,whose next stage includes the participation in the Défi Atlantique ocean regatta, on April 1.