The 6th edition of this classic offshore race will start on Monday 24th February 2014 from Antigua. The start line is at Fort Charlotte, a good choice by RORC as those left on land can get a wonderful view of the start from there, or from Shirley Heights.

So far there are twenty eight entries with the first in line being, five-times race veteran, Bernie Evan-Wong.  Mr Wong has been ecstatic about the race since its beginning.  "You can look forward to 600 miles of adventure, exhilaration, excitement and sometimes surprises.  The race is also incredibly well organised and I love the pre-race parties and camaraderie ashore as well as the warm welcome and cold beer when you come ashore after a long race in challenging conditions. The prize giving is a must and all the entries receive a beautiful keepsake English Harbour Rum Decanter, engraved with your yacht's name. Beautiful memories, not to be missed! Plus the keep-sake glossy photo book each competitor gets after the race as a memento is a really super touch."

Mr Wong who carries the flag for host country Antigua and is intent on at least a class win this year, chartered Peter Rutter's Grand Soleil 43, Trustmarque Quokka 8 within an hour of docking his Mumm 36, High Tension after the finish of the 2013 race. "I have really enjoyed every race. Each one has been different, but driving a 36ft boat at hull speed or greater for 600 miles is no easy task. Waterline length is a definite advantage and Quokka is a Grand Soleil 43. We will have 13 crew to share the responsibilities and this is definitely advantageous; more crew can stay alert and will be less fatigued, so it's easier to keep her sailing flat out 100% of the time."

"The RORC Caribbean 600 race captured my imagination the first time I heard about it," exclaimed Bernie Evan-Wong. "The thought of full-on racing, night and day in tropical waters for 600 miles was a challenge and an adventure I just could not resist! If you love sailing and are a serious sailor, you have to put the RORC Caribbean 600 on your itinerary."

You can follow the progress of Bernie Evan Wong and the rest of the fleet with the race viewer. Each of the participating boats will have a YB tracker on board that will transmit the GPS co-ordinates of the vessel every fifteen minutes. This means loved ones left on shore and armchair admirals from around the world can track the race in almost real time.

For more information please visit the RORC Caribbean 600 website.

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