Palanad 4 holds nerve to clinch IRC Zero crown in Caribbean 600

Feb 26 - Antoine Magre's Palanad 4 secured IRC Zero victory in a Caribbean 600 race decided by tactical nerves and sustained speed, posting the best corrected time after two days, 10 hours and 32 minutes of intense sailing.

James Neville's British Carkeek 45 Ino Noir finished second by a slim margin after a bold gamble on the final leg, while Niklas Zennstrom's Swedish entry Ran completed the podium in a contest that remained tight until the final beat to Antigua.

IRC Zero is the fastest bracket within the IRC (International Rating Certificate) handicap system.

Palanad 4's victory came a day after Black Jack 100 had won monohull line honours and MOD70 Argo the multihull equivalent.

The race unfolded as a sustained four-way battle between the eventual podium finishers and Frederic Puzin's French entry Daguet 5, with more south-easterly trades than usual.

For the Mach 50 Palanad 4, renowned for reaching performance, the conditions demanded discipline rather than domination.

"Intense," said skipper Magre. "There were constant manoeuvres, constant sail changes. We never really got into a normal watch rhythm."

An early halyard failure that dropped their J1 shortly after the start added to the challenge, with Magre admitting: "We lost over a mile."

The pivotal moment came at Guadeloupe's lee, where Ino Noir's tactical gamble reshaped the standings.

Navigator Juan Vila explained their offshore strategy: "We could see the boats ahead on the tracker and how slow they were going. So we made a plan" to sail one to two miles further offshore seeking different pressure.

On the final approach to Antigua, with 35 miles remaining, Ino Noir made another bold call, turning substantially north to avoid a squall.

"We thought going north of the cloud was better," Vila said, though ultimately "the gains were not quite sufficient to overturn Palanad 4's advantage."

For Magre, the victory carried special meaning: "My father couldn't race with us this time. As we lost my uncle last week. The IRC Zero win was dedicated to him."

Starting and finishing in English Harbour, the Caribbean 600 course loops around 11 islands — including Barbuda, Nevis and Guadeloupe — mixing open-water legs with tighter, tactical sections in the lee of headlands.

More than 50 boats and nearly 500 sailors from more than 30 countries were competing in the 2026 race. REUTERS