On 11 January 2026, Jackknife set off from Lanzarote in a fleet of 21 boats for the RORC Transatlantic Race, an offshore contest from Marina Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to Antigua covering roughly 3,000 nautical miles.

Jackknife is a J/125, a design now around 30 years old and one of the oldest yachts in the fleet. Despite her age, she delivered a performance that stood out in this edition of the race, finishing ahead of several boats that were faster on paper.

                                                                                                                                                  Picture by: RORC - James Mitchell

Skippered by Sam Hall, with his father Andrew Hall sailing as co-skipper, Jackknife raced with a corinthian crew largely drawn from the Irish Sea. The team maintained a consistent approach throughout the crossing.

After 11 days, 13 hours, 6 minutes, and 22 seconds at sea, Jackknife crossed the finish line in Antigua, securing First place in IRC Two and third overall on IRC corrected time. This result was particularly notable given the make-up of the fleet, with Jackknife finishing ahead of newer and faster boats on corrected time.

                                                                                                                                                     Picture by: RORC - Arthur Daniel

As part of the sail inventory, Jackknife raced with an Ullman Sails FiberPath mainsail and an Ullman Sails IRC Flying Jib. We were proud to make up a small part of their sail inventory and to have been a small part of their race.

Congratulations to Sam Hall, Andrew Hall and the entire Jackknife crew on a well-sailed 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race.

photos Bronny Daniels