Thursday 11 July 2024 will see the welcome return of Plymouth Race Week.

There will be three great events happening simultaneously during the four-day regatta taking place over three racecourses in Plymouth Sound National Marine Park on the south-west coast of England.

Hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club of England, the week is guaranteed to have a strong local turnout as the race committee will be regional and national race officers from a number of the local clubs.

Racecourse A will host the IRC Southwest Championships. As with all racing over the week, this is an open event which will run from committee boat starts and managed by the RWYC.

Within the IRC class will be breakout results for RC1000 and RC900, two local initiatives which have seen some great racing over the past two years.

Following a lunchtime briefing, IRC racing will begin on Thursday afternoon with two races, followed by a maximum of four races on Friday and Saturday and finally two on Sunday.

Racecourse B will be from the Plym Yacht Club start line on the Mount Batten Breakwater and will host the SW YTC Southwest Championships.

Map of the planned racecourses for Plymouth Race Week 2024

Race 1 will be the traditional Chris Moyse Pursuit Race, followed by round-the-cans racing on Saturday and Sunday.

Racecourse C will be south of the Breakwater and the venue for the J24 National Championships. A large entry is expected for this competitive one-design class as their World Championships in 2025 are to be held here under the burgees of both the Saltash Sailing Club and Plym Yacht Club.

Known as “The Yachtsman’s Regatta”, Plymouth Race Week is unique. The Breakwater provides excellent shelter against big seas so the conditions will be the very best available anywhere. That coupled with the natural amphitheatre, being the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, provides the best spectator vantage points in order to watch the action close up.

It is no surprise that Plymouth Sound has hosted both SailGP and America’s Cup World Series events in recent years. Now, Plymouth Race Week allows the opportunity for all visiting teams to experience racing in those same waters as seen on TV.

A full entertainment package is scheduled for the event, to include a roast, live music, barbecue, wet bar and of course a crew party — with the prize-giving on the Sunday afternoon where the J24 National Champion will be crowned along with the SW YTC and IRC Southwest champions.

For further details and entry forms, see the RWYC website. And for the latest chat and information, see the event’s official social media page.