Transatlantic Race 2025: A dream realised for Litchfield's Hound
by Louay Habib / NYYC 7 Jul 19:08 NZST
Transatlantic Race 2025 © Corinna Haines
Dan Litchfield's classic Nielsen 59 Hound, co-skippered by Tom Stark, finished the Transatlantic Race 2025 on July 5 in an elapsed time of 16 Days, 08 Hours, 49 Mins and 22 Secs.
Designed by Aage Nielsen and built by Abeking & Rasmussen in 1970, Hound has an amazing history, but this was the first time her current guardian Litchfield has raced her across the Atlantic.
"This race has been a passion project for the last two years," commented Litchfield. "Not just preparing Hound but organising the whole effort. It's a massive undertaking to get a crew together, line up time off, and leave behind families and day-to-day lives. But to see it all come together, to cross the Atlantic with no major issues and everyone safe and smiling, that's hugely satisfying.
The Transatlantic Race 2025 is organized by the New York Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, with support from the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Storm Trysail Club. The race started from Newport, R.I., on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, and finishes off Cowes, England, one to three weeks later. The competitors covered a distance of approximately 3,000 miles. IRC handicap scoring will determine the winners in each division. The 2025 edition is the 32nd Transatlantic sailing competition organized by the New York Yacht Club. The race is sponsored by Peters & May, Helly Hansen and Safe Harbor Marinas.
"This was Hound's third trip across the Atlantic, but her first race," Litchfield continued. "She's a remarkable boat: long, narrow, beautifully balanced. We saw big seas, light airs, everything in between, and she just handled it all. Fingertip steering upwind in 30 knots, surfing beautifully downwind—it really reminded us why she's such a great offshore boat.
"Offshore racing is a challenge, but it's also about camaraderie. Our crew was fantastic—skilled, compassionate, fun to be with—and we're all still friends at the end of it! We saw whales every other day, dolphins every day. It's a magical experience. I'm not rushing to do it again next month, but maybe one day, absolutely."
Three boats are still racing in the Transatlantic Race 2025, Jeremi Jablonski's Hanse 450 Avani racing double-handed, Tom Bowler's Morris 46 Escapade II and Constantin Claviez's Swan 44 Charisma.
The Transatlantic Race 2025 is organized by the New York Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, with support from the Royal Yacht Squadron and the Storm Trysail Club.