Tschüss 2 powers ahead in Transatlantic Race
by Louay Habib 24 Jun 05:47 NZST
23 June 2025
Tschüss 2 - Transatlantic Race 2025 © Paul Todd / NYYC
Six days into the West-East Transatlantic Race, Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 Tschüss 2, co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has raced over 2,000 miles and is the clear leader for both Monohull Line Honours and the overall IRC win.
"For the first few days of the race, we had a variety of conditions, mainly driven by sea temperature changes. The plan is panning out—but everybody sticks to the plan until it punches you in the face," commented Tschüss 2 navigator Campbell Field, taking nothing for granted.
A standout feature of their progress has been precision navigation through the Gulf Stream's meanders. "We picked up over three knots of current in one area and nearly four in another," explains Field. "Sea temperature has been a big indicator—we saw it drop from 25 degreesC to just under 8 degreesC in a matter of hours."
Their 24-hour distance run has peaked at 491.5 nautical miles, averaging 20.5 knots. With 3.8 knots of favourable current and sustained speeds of 18-19 knots, they're pushing hard. "We're not cutting corners—we passed just a mile off Point Alpha," says Field. "We've got 1,600nm to go, and anything can happen, but right now, we could beat the previous boat's elapsed time."
That time—10 Days, 9 Hours, 1 Minute, and 42 Seconds—was set in 2019 by Wizard, now racing as Tschüss 2. Current projections show a finish nearly two days faster. Their main challenge is staying ahead of a cold front expected within 48 hours. "It's all about placing ourselves on the leading edge. We're running our own race, and if we stay smart, we'll finish strong," Field concluded.
Tschüss 2's nearest rival, some 300 miles astern, is Oliver Kobale's VO65 Sisi. Xaver Kettele, aboard the Austrian VO65, reflected:
"The start was slow for us, but after 20 hours of racing we found the breeze and have been sailing the 'highway' ever since. We chose a more northerly route than Tschüss based on our models—but later saw their boat speed was better. Life on board is fast, wet and wild. Spirits are high, and if Tschüss slips up, we'll be ready."
Further back, the rest of the fleet is still battling unstable conditions. Leading IRC One after time correction is Hanno Ziehm's Marten 49 Moana, well positioned to reach better pressure ahead of rivals. Their closest contender is Dan Litchfield's Nielsen 59 Hound.
"We're reaching the point where the boat is becoming our whole world," said Hound's Nicholas Horbaczewski. "I get the luxury of flying my drone—it's a stark reminder of how isolated we are. But the Atlantic is alive. Dolphins play in our wake, birds follow us at night, and whales breach in the distance."
Aboard Clarke Murphy's JV82 Ikigai, navigator Dee Caffari is sharing candid daily updates. On Saturday 21 June, she reported champagne sailing and top speeds over 22 knots. By the next day, the tone had shifted:
"It's been a challenging 24 hours," said Dee. "We shredded our A2 mid-gybe in the dark, scrambled for the A1, and ended up with the Code Zero. Think Fawlty Towers meets Friends. Two more days of this and we'll finally be clear of the Ice Zone."
Leading IRC Two is Tom Bowler's Morris 46 Escapade II. Meanwhile, Calamity—the race's only multihull—is thriving. Skippered by Timo Tavio and Kimmo Nordstrom, the Ocean 50 is the southern most boat in the fleet, making great progress with a mostly Finnish crew.
Follow the fleet live via YB Tracker here or on the YB Races app (free, no login).