ARRECIFE, Lanzarote, Jan 11 (Reuters) - ‌Two sleek MOD70 trimarans burst out of Lanzarote on Sunday with their sights ‌set on a blistering five-and-a-half-day dash to Antigua, leading a colourful 21-boat fleet ‌into the RORC Transatlantic Race under glorious blue skies.

Speed machines Argo and Zoulou, purpose-built for sustained offshore racing, are the thoroughbreds in an eclectic field that ranges from the stunning 129ft Linnea Aurora — blending 1930s aesthetics with ‍cutting-edge technology — down to the plucky 32ft double-handed Stimmy ‍from Finland.