The 33.8-metre Baltic 111 sailing yacht Raven has set a new monohull race record after taking Monohull Line Honours in the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race.
Skippered by Damien Durchon, the superyacht crossed the finish line outside English Harbour in Antigua yesterday (18 January) at a speed of over 30 knots, completing the 3,000-nautical-mile crossing from Lanzarote to Antigua in six days, 22 hours, 27 minutes and 47 seconds.
In addition to her record-breaking achievement and line honours, Raven simultaneously clinched the IMA Transatlantic trophy as the first maxi yacht to finish the race. The 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race marked Raven's first major offshore race following her delivery in 2023.
The previous monohull race record was held by the 30.5-metre sailing yacht Comanche, which completed the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada in seven days, 22 hours, one minute and four seconds.
Raven's navigator, Will Oxley, who also navigated Comanche in 2022, commented on the difference between the yachts: “It’s fascinating to compare Raven and Comanche. Comanche is still the global benchmark in VMG downwind sailing, but Raven has clear performance advantages at certain angles. In this race, which is largely a classic downwind Atlantic crossing, when we’re sailing our angles, we’re faster. Where Comanche still has the edge is pure VMG, and that’s something we continue to work on. But Raven is an incredible platform, and what we’ve achieved here sets a very serious benchmark.”
Oxley added: “Before the start, I said I would judge this race on three things: boat condition, crew condition and whether the time we set stood up against Atlantic crossing benchmarks. We achieved all three. We arrived with the boat and crew in great shape, and we set a time that speaks for itself.”
Unlike fully flying foilers, Raven generates righting through her side foils while remaining largely in the water, combining performance with control. “This boat is incredibly stable,” explained her skipper, Durchon. “The better it performs, the safer it becomes. We have huge righting moment from the foils, backed up by 10 tonnes of water ballast and strong hull form stability. If a foil stalls, the boat simply behaves like a conventional yacht. In many respects, I would say Raven is safer than most offshore boats.”
Raven's sailing master, Brad Jackson, also commented on the yacht's sustained performance: “If you complete a race like this in under seven days, a lot has gone right. The weather was excellent, but the boat is genuinely fast through the water. That’s the impressive part. This wasn’t a sprint with everything on the edge; it was about keeping the boat in one piece and letting it do what it’s designed to do.” Jackson also applauded the crew's cohesion during the race.
Raven was constructed in lightweight composite by Finnish shipyard Baltic Yachts and, when delivered in 2023, became the largest foiling superyacht in the world. Finnish designer Jarkko Jämsen is responsible for her exterior and interior design, while Spanish studio Botin & Partners developed the naval architecture.
It was her innovative design, attractive profile and clever interior styling which contributed to Raven's four wins at the 2025 Design & Innovation Awards, having previously won a Judges' Special Award at the 2024 World Superyacht Awards.
“It was truly fantastic to see Raven perform so well in her first outing,” added Mattias Svenlin, Baltic Yachts project co-ordinator. “The boat did exactly what she was designed to do, and watching her sail with such confidence and speed was incredibly rewarding for the whole team. We are very proud of the collaboration with the owner and project team so far, and we look forward to continuing to develop this amazing yacht together.”
Read More/Raven takes flight: On board the world's largest foiling superyacht“This was the first transatlantic race for the boat and the owner,” concluded Durchon. “To set a record in your first attempt is something very special.”
According to officials, Raven has set the benchmark IRC corrected time to beat, though the next yacht likely to finish is the 15.2-metre Mach 50 Palanad 4, which is in a "good position" to take the overall lead under IRC.