Wiggling through Gulf Stream meanders

Eleven teams crossed the start line on June 18 for the Transatlantic Race 2025, leaving Newport, RI for the 3000nm course to the finish off Cowes, England. Here’s an update on June 23, 2025:

Six days into the 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 Honors 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°C to just under 8°C in a matter of hours.” – Full report