#rorc – Piet Vroon's marlin blue Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, surfed through the finish line at Dieppe to take Line Honours and the win overall under IRC to lift the Morgan Cup writes Louay Habib. Finishing the 122-mile race in under 12 hours, it was a fast downwind ride across The English Channel but boat handling and tactics were very much a big part of the overall win.

"That was pretty quick!" exclaimed Adrian Gray from on board just after the finish. "We hit 20 knots as we crossed the finish line and we have been hovering around 16 knots since we rounded The Nab Tower leaving The Solent. From the start line to Owers was tactical, especially staying in the breeze and the run south was dead downwind so we were gybing non-stop through the night, there was no sleep for the crew and it was pretty wet on deck, so it was flat out all the way but it was a real blast and we all loved it."

Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum 3, was runner up with Edward Broadway's Ker 40, Hooligan VII, into third place overall.

In IRC Two Philippe Falle racing Grand Soleil 43, Trustmarque Quokka, was the victor. Stacy Vickers' First 40 Windward Assoc. on Lancelot II Logic was second but only by the narrowest of margins, astonishingly after over 17 hours of racing the race charter team was just 9 seconds ahead of First 40, La Réponse, skippered by RORC Admiral, Andrew McIrvine.

In IRC Three there was a 'David vs. Goliath' battle for the class win. Pascal Loison's JPK 10.10, Night and Day, racing two handed, was one of the smallest yachts racing to Dieppe and Ben Morris' Swan 55, Lulotte, racing fully crewed, one of the largest. Lulotte took line honours but Night and Day finished just over half an hour later to win the class by a mere 3 minutes on corrected time. Christopher Palmer's J/109, J-T'Aime, was third in class.

There was drama in IRC Four, even before the fleet had left the Solent, as Chris Choules, skipper of Sigma 38, With Alacrity explains:

"About half an hour into the race, we were racing past Wooton Creek flying our spinnaker with Mefisto about three boat lengths behind us. In a big gust, Mefisto broached and we saw one of their crew members had gone over the side. We dropped our spinnaker immediately and turned around and headed back upwind. We could see that Mefisto was still trying to gain control of the boat and we were in a better position to retrieve the casualty, so we motored alongside him and recovered him from the water. The man-over-board routine is something we have practiced a lot. Recently we spent half a day just practicing that, so it was time very well spent. Once we had established that the casualty was okay, he asked to be returned to Mefisto. Both of us continued racing, and we had a fantastic close battle, as we have done all season. However, Mefisto got the better of us on the downwind leg to the finish. We will have to see how the race committee handle our request for redress, but I am sure that any other yacht in the race would have done exactly what we did in the same situation."

Subject to a request for redress from With Alacrity, Kevin Sussmilch's Sigma 38, Mefisto, is the winner of IRC Four, Chris and Vanessa Choules' Sigma 38, With Alacrity, is second and Robert Boulter's Cal 40, Breeze, is in third.

The RORC Season's Points Championship continues next weekend with The Lyver Trophy Race organised by the Royal Dee Yacht Club and Liverpool Yacht Club. The bi-annual 100-mile race from Holyhead, Wales to Howth in Dublin Bay is timed to take place a week after the Holyhead Regatta and is an excellent feeder race for yachts taking part in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

#rorc – Two Irish linked Ker campaigns – among seven such designs in the top ten – showed the potency of Irish offshore sailing in a marathon edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's (RORC) Myth of Malham race with both Ker 39 sisterships finishing in the top ten. 2012 Round Ireland race winner Inismor (Bernard Guoy) sailing under French colours but with links to Clifden Boat Club and Royal Cork's Commodore's Cup winner Antix (Anthony & Peter O'Leary) were sixth and seventh respectively in IRC overall in the 120–boat fleet.

After last year's extremely windy Myth of Malham Race, this year's edition provided a far more tactical race for the fleet in the 230-mile race around the Eddystone Lighthouse.

Staying in the breeze and calculating the best route for tides made all the difference. The wind conditions ranged from zephyrs during the first night to 25 knot gusts on the last day of racing. Most of the fleet used the full complement of their sail wardrobe and, as many crews were exploiting the race route as a Rolex Fastnet qualifier, the Myth of Malham Race was a fine test of man and machine.

Edward Broadway's Ker 40, Hooligan VII, was declared overall winner after time correction under IRC. Broadway has been a member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club for over 20 years but only started campaigning his Ker 40 this year.

"We were the last Ker 40 out of the Solent," admitted Broadway. "We chose to play the island shore and the two other Ker 40s, Magnum andBaraka, went to the mainland shore and they were both just ahead at the Hurst Narrows. However, we caught up and virtually match raced all the way to Eddystone with Magnum. This is the first season with our Ker 40 and it is such a fantastic boat to sail; really responsive and very fast. I am an old man but just about all the crew have come from the British Keelboat Academy, including Aaron Cooper who has built the sails.

I can't really single out any defining moment in the race, save Magnum's kite ripping, which was a big gain for us. However, my crew were magnificent; totally committed and extremely respectable sailors. Between the three Ker 40s, after three RORC races, each one of us has come out on top, it looks like a fantastic season ahead."

Hooligan VII was also the winner of IRC One for the Myth of Malham, Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum 3, was second by less than 15 minutes and Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, was third in class but still retains the overall lead of the RORC Season's Points Championship, albeit by just 2.4 points.

With 31 yachts IRC Two was the largest class in the race. RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse, took line honours for the class but after time correction missed out on a podium place by less than two minutes. Patrick Ponchelet's French X40, Exception sailed a stunning leg back from Eddystone to over take two British First 40.7s to win the class. Ifan James' Cheeki Rafiki was second by just over 19 minutes on corrected time, whilst Peter Newlands' Anticipation took third.

Benoit D'Halluin's A35, Dunkerque Plaisance, took line honours in IRC Three and the class win on corrected time. "We had a great start out of the Solent, we were really pleased with our performance and the boat was going really well. However, between Start Point and Eddystone, we had foul tide and the wind faded. It was difficult and frustrating because as we are one of the highest rated boats and the fleet around us was gaining all the time. Once round Eddystone we went inshore at Start Point on the way back and it really worked for us, especially as the tide changed in our favour a little earlier than predicted. The run to the finish was dead downwind and we used our symmetrical spinnaker to great effect, whilst the J/109s in our class could not. All of the crew is absolutely delighted with our result."

Richard Palmer's J/109, Jangada Too, was second in IRC Two and won the highly competitive Two-Handed Class. With Jeremy Waitt as co-skipper, Jangada Too won against a 22 strong fleet containing many proven race winners in past RORC and Transatlantic races. "A very tough race, I doubt whether either of us got more than two hours sleep," admitted Richard. "The wind was so fickle that we were constantly raising and dropping the spinnaker and we didn't use the autopilot at all. The race was very stop-start and required a huge amount of mental concentration to work out the ever-changing scenario, especially with regards to the tide. It is great to get our first win of the series."

The runner up in the Two-Handed Class was Bernie Bingham's Rogers 30, Brightwork. A terrific battle for third place was won by Rob Craigie's J/122, J Belllino, by just seven seconds on corrected time from Simon Mitchell's Sunfast 3200, Roxanne. The racing in the Two-Handed class was incredibly close with less than an hour, after time correction, separating 2nd place from 10th.

The Class40 division produced a photo-finish: after 230 miles of racing Yvon Berrehar and Stephan Theissing racing Al Bucq were just 32 seconds ahead of Emma Creighton and Dan Dytch's Momentum Ocean Racing.

In IRC Four this was the first RORC race of the season for Jean Yves Chateau's Nicholson 33, Iromiguy, and the French crew won class ahead of Christophe Affolter's French Sigma 33, 4 Déci. Noel Racine's JPK 10.10, Foggy Dew, was third. The podium finish was just enough to put Foggy Dew at the top of the leader board in IRC Four for the RORC Season's Points Championship.

The Championship continues on Friday 14th June with the De Guingand Bowl Race from Cowes to Guernsey.

IRC Overall

Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary's Antix, will have his son Olympic helmsman Peter on board the Ker 39 for RORC's weekend Myth of Malham race.

The offshore race starts this Saturday from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line. It is a 230–mile race from Cowes, round the Eddystone lighthouse and back to the Solent and marks the Irish Commodore's Cupper's offshore debut.

"Antix is entered for the Fastnet this year. We will have a good test in Ireland with the Dún Laoghaire to Dingle Race but the quality of the opposition and the route for the Myth of Malham is ideal for our preparations. O'Leary said. 'Looking at the long-term weather forecast, it looks like a northeast wind, which will suit the reaching machines more than us but forecasts can change ' he said.

'We are very happy with the changes we made to the boat last year but the best way to truly find out if you are fast is to race against the best' he added.

The RORC Season's Points Championship continues over the May Bank Holiday weekend with one of the longest races of the season. Fresh from victory in the North Sea Race, Piet Vroon's Dutch Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens 3, is the scratch boat in IRC One but will surely be under tremendous pressure from three Ker 40s: Harmen de Graaf's Baraka GP, Edward Broadway's Hooligan VII and Andrew Pearce's Magnum III. Mike Greville's Ker 39, Erivale III, is a former winner of the race.

120 yachts have entered the Myth of Malham Race and no doubt many teams see the race as a dress rehearsal for the first part of the Rolex Fastnet Race. However, the race from Cowes, around The Eddystone Lighthouse and back to the Solent, can be extremely tough, as the competitors in last year's race can testify.

In IRC Four Harry Heijst's Dutch S&S 41, Winsome, was one of only three yachts to complete last year's race, coming second overall and winning class. The veteran Dutch skipper will be racing agin this year and commented: "I am 67 years of age and I have done a lot of racing; round Britain and Ireland, the Fastnet, the Sydney Hobart and I remember a very tough St. Malo Race but I have to say that the 2012 Myth of Malham Race was one of the hardest races Winsome has ever done. The waves were five metres high going past The Needles and the cockpit filled up with water on several occasions. This year looks like it will be a colder race but hopefully in 20 knots less wind." For this year's Myth of Malham Race, Winsome will be defending their class title against 35 other yachts, including a gaggle of seven Sigma 38s and proven race winners, such as Jean Yves Chateau's Iromiguy and Noel Racine's Foggy Dew.

Two-Handed racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club has been going from strength to strength and 17 teams will take part in the Myth of Malham with just two crew on board. Robin Elsey is just 20 years of age and won his first ever RORC Two-Handed race last month, racing Figaro II Artemis 21 in the Cervantes Trophy Race with Sam Matson.

"Winning class in the Cervantes Trophy Race was just brilliant," commented Robin, " but the Myth of Malham is a very different race, it is very tactical with all of the different tidal issues along the headlands and it is a much longer race but it is so long that you can really get into a rhythm. It will be important for us to get the balance between going flat out and backing off just right but personally I am also looking forward to the race because I come from Cornwall so I will be racing in my own home waters."

Todd Wells' Je Vante is one of ten J/109s entered for the Myth of Malham. "The big entry shows that a lot of yachts are using the race as a significant part of training for the Fastnet. Depending on the weather, this will be a particularly sanitizing event for crews at all levels. Last year was incredibly tough but that is part of the attraction of offshore racing, you either talk about it in the bar or get on with it."
John Allison will be racing J/109, Jumbuck, for the first time but John and the vast majority of his crew are experienced offshore sailors. "In my honest opinion, the first 24 hours of any ocean race are easy, the next 24 the hardest, and then one normally settles into a pattern that gets progressively easier as each day passes. So maybe there is a case for saying overall, the Fastnet is not as hard as the Myth of Malham," commented John. " Having said that the race will be a good training exercise for the Fastnet, as it allows one to get familiar with that coastline in race conditions. As Jumbuck is a new boat for us for the race, it will bring the pleasure of bringing a crew and new boat up to speed, not just against other yachts, but also against weather and routing conditions."
Capstan Sailing's Yuri Fadeev is the skipper of Reflex 38, Intuition. "It's the first Fastnet for most of the crew, so we are taking qualifying races very seriously to get into shape. The crew is from UK, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine with a great mix of abilities but some of the guys have sailed with us for a few seasons now. As most of the races we do are on a commercial basis, safety is paramount, and most of the preparation effort goes into that, although we do like to give the competition a bit of a challenge, so making sure the boat is fast is always a good thing. I am sure the guys will know all about beating by the time we round Eddystone!"

Line Honours favourite for the race will be Andrew Budgen's Volvo 70, Monster Project. "This is the first time we have entered this race and dependent on the weather it could be quite hard but it is much shorter than the Fastnet Race and there is no Celtic Sea to worry about. The start mirrors the Fastnet but the weather at this time of year will be very different but saying that, the tide areas will be very similar. The crew is mostly friends that have previously sailed on our Volvo 60, all good amateur sailors. As always, the race will be a test of mental as well as physical strength."

The RORC domestic offshore season sprang to life with a fast and, at times, furious 100 mile race to Le Havre for the coveted Cervantes Trophy. Sam Marsaudon and Géry Trentesaux's MC34 Patton, Courrier Vintage, finished the course in under 10 hours to win IRC Two and was declared the overall winner. Racing under IRC rule, the French team of seven included UNCL President, Marc de Saint Denis and was skippered by Géry Trentesaux.

Géry Trentesaux's MC34 Patton, Courrier Vintage, finished the course in under 10 hours to win IRC Two and was declared the overall winner of the Cervantes Trophy Credit: Peter Mumford-Beken of Cowes Géry Trenteseaux is one of the most experienced helmsmen in the race; he recalled: "We had more wind at the start than we expected and we had our big spinnaker up, which made for a very fast but at times tricky start, but Courrier Vintage loves going downwind in big conditions. I am too old to helm for ten hours, so we were rotating the driving. It was a very fast race and although the wind was down towards the end, we were not concerned as there was still enough to keep the boat going fast. We received a very warm welcome from the yacht club in Le Havre and celebrated with some dinner and of course some French wine and now we are looking forward to next week's North Sea Race."

Andrew Budgen's Volvo 70, Monster Project, took line honours and the IRC Canting Keel class in an astonishing elapsed time of just over 7 hours. Averaging close to 14 knots for the race, Monster Project was out of sight of the rest of the fleet shortly after the start.

Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, led the chasing pack out of the Solent with Ker 40, Magnum III, in hot pursuit, as owner Andrew Pearce explains:

"Well, what a race; quite spectacular and exciting in the extreme! The wind direction at the start made for a decision between a two-sail reach or our A3 kite and we went for the latter. With 20 knots at the start and rising it was an exhilarating first leg to clear the Solent. With gust after gust blowing through, it was all very exciting and in one bear-away we hit 20 knots of boat speed. Leaving the Solent, we changed to the Jibtop. As the wind increased, we reefed the main and hoisted the genoa staysail; if the breeze had been another ten degrees lower we would have surfed all the way to Le Havre!"

It was a case of digging deep and rotating the helm and trimmers for maximum input and sailing the best numbers. The wind speed was forecast to drop quite steeply through the late afternoon but it was a fast last leg into the finish, with just a slight softening of the wind strength on final approach. First in class and second overall was a satisfying result; we were beaten by Courrier Vintage and very well deserved it was too."

Magnum III was declared the winner of IRC One with Tonnerre de Breskens second and Edward Broadway's Ker 40, Hooligan VII, taking third.
Runner up in IRC Two was one of the two Figaro II entries from the Artemis Offshore Academy raced two-handed by Sam Matson and Robin Elsey, Artemis 21. RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse was third in class.

IRC Four was dominated by French yachts; Noel Racine's JPK 10.10, Foggy Dew, corrected out to win the class with Philippe Auber's JPK 9.60, Tusen Takk II, taking second place, a phenomenal effort as the boat was raced two-handed. Jean-Baptiste Crepin's Sun Fast 3200, Jubilon, was less than a minute behind after time correction, to take third.

19 yachts raced to Le Havre in the Two-Handed class with the entire fleet completing the race. The two pairs of young graduates from the Artemis Offshore Academy took the top two positions. Artemis 21, skippered by Sam Matson and Robin Elsey took the win from Alex Gardner and Dyfig Mon in the second Figaro II, Artemis 43, followed by Philippe Auber's Tusen Takk II in third place.

Momentum Ocean Racing was the only two-handed entry in the Class 40 Division, sailed by Dan Dytch and Emma Creighton, and the duo completed the race in just over nine hours to take the class win. Julian Metherell and Mark Denton's Fortissimo was second, with Brieuc Maisonneuve's AL Bucq, skippered by Stephan Theissing, in third.

"This was the first race of our season and we were delighted with the performance," commented Emma Creighton. "Third boat across the line, first Class 40 and first double-handed boat by hours! Then we turned straight around and after tucking the boat away in Hamble, it was time for a big breakfast and a nap!"

The RORC Season's Points Championship continues with the North Sea Race which starts on Friday May 10th, the 210 mile course taking the fleet from Harwich to Scheveningen.

In IRC Three, the top two boats on corrected time are subject to protests and therefore we await the decision of the Protest Committee before any trophies can be awarded.

104 boats are lining up for the opening race of the RORC domestic offshore racing season, the Cervantes Trophy. Organised by RORC in association with the Société des Régates du Havre and the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Cervantes Trophy race kicks off on Saturday 4th May from the RYS line taking the fleet across the channel to finish in Le Havre.

The weather conditions leading up to the race look uncertain with a complex pressure system over northern Europe which will make it a good test for the international fleet from Belgium, Britain, France, The Netherlands and Russia.

In IRC One Piet Vroon's Dutch Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, is back racing and will relish the opportunity of taking on Laurent Gouy's French Ker 39, Inis Mor, the reigning Season's Points Champion. Inis Mor beat Tonnerre de Breskens in a photo–finish last season and the Tonnerre crew will want to reverse the order this year. Two Ker 40s will also be racing in IRC One: Andrew Pearce's Magnum III and Edward Broadway's Hooligan VII, both experienced offshore racers with an eye on the overall prize.

The Army Sailing Association's brand new J/111, British Soldier, is the scratch boat in IRC Two. Reigning IRC Two champion, Puma Logic sailed by race charter company Sailing Logic, returns to defend their title and last year's runner up, La Réponse skippered by RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine, will renew the battle they enjoyed last season.

IRC Three has a fleet of 31 yachts ranging from Ben Morris' vintage Swan 55 Yawl, Lulotte, to Noel Racine's proven French pocket-rocket, JPK10.10, Foggy Dew. Last year's IRC Three winner and RORC Yacht of the Year, Diablo-J skippered by Nick Martin, drops a division to race in IRC Four.

IRC Four is the biggest class with 37 entries including the IRC Four 2012 champion, Harry Heijst's S&S 41, Winsome. Harry Heijst has done a big re-fit to his classic yacht and is looking to repeat his class win and determined to win the overall season's points championship.

Four Class40s will be racing under class rules; Al Bucq, Concise 2, Fortissimo and Swish will be using the race as a warm up for their Rolex Fastnet Race campaigns.

Two handed sailing continues to grow with 18 yachts racing, confirming the attractiveness of this discipline. Diablo-J will be defending the IRC Two-Handed title won last year, as Nick Martin explains:

"Here we go again!" smiled Nick. "It's seven months since the last race of the 2012 season, which saw Diablo-J clinch the Two-Handed and IRC Three titles, 3rd in IRC overall and the coveted RORC 'Yacht of the Year'. It's all to play for again, with a clean slate and no advantage! Every race has to be fought hard and won. We've done a lot of pre-season preparation; replacing, fixing, upgrading and ensuring everything works as it should for performance and safety. And for me, a particular feature for the season - ensuring I have a dependable co-skipper for the full season (unlike last year with 5 different guys!). Andy Boyle from Dublin, Ireland, with whom I won the Two-Handed and Team Trophy in the 2012 Round Ireland Race, is fully signed up and we're excited about the season ahead."

A warm welcome is ensured for all competitors when they arrive at Le Havre and for those interested in racing back to Cowes there is the Trophée Guillaume Le Conquérant race organised by the Société des Régates du Havre in association with RORC and the Island Sailing Club, Cowes, starting on Sunday 5th May from Le Havre.

For more information visit the RORC website: www.rorc.org

#rorc – Winter was halted momentarily this morning on the final day of at the RORC Easter Challenge when the sun broke through, raising the ambient temperature on the Solent above freezing. Combined with more 15 knot winds, Easter Sunday's two races provided the perfect conclusion to the Royal Ocean Racing Club's UK season opener and training regatta.
Scoreboard stars were once again David Franks and his JPK 1010, Strait Dealer in IRC Three. Their two wins today saw them conclude the regatta with straight bullets across the event's seven races, a repeat of Strait Dealer's scoreline last year at the IRC Nationals.
Franks attributed his success to his crew and also to the time they have spent sailing Etchells, between RORC races. Many new crew were aboard Strait Dealer for this regatta, with regular hand, Graham Sunderland, joined by Ben Ainslie's coach and keelboat legend David Howlett, ex-Team GBR squad sailor Bleddyn Mon calling tactics and several members of the British Keelboat Academy.
"In one design sailing there is nowhere to hide," said Frank. "Even little things are immediately seen. That helps you in handicap fleet racing - even if you don't get the instantaneous response, the skills you learn are transferable."
The winner of IRC 1 also scored two bullets today - Sir Keith Mills' TP52 5°West also claimed the overall prize in the big boat class in what is the first regatta for the TeamOrigin boss as an 'owner driver'.
"The objective of the weekend was to get better and these guys are great coaches - when you have a crew of this calibre driving is easy." admitted Mills, pointing to the small army that sails 5°West, led by three time Volvo Ocean Race sailor Robert Greenhalgh and including Laser gold medallist Paul Goodison on tactics.
"It has been a great end to a very cold weekend. It has been fantastic – a steep learning curve for me, but a lot of fun and it will be more fun when it warms up by another 10 or 20°C!" Mills plans to helm his TP52 in many more regattas in the UK this year.
The rising intensity of competition between 5°West and the Farr 52 Toe in the Water, and between the three Farr 45s and Ker 40s was best indicated in today's final race when a dog fight on the line led to a general recall.
Between the speedy trio of Ker 40s, it was Andrew Pearce's white-hulled Magnum III that came out on top, finishing second overall in IRC One, six points ahead of Edward Broadway's Hooligan VII.
Despite Magnum III being the only Ker with the same owner as last season, Pearce was sailing with a new young crew and he bemoaned their lack of practice before the RORC Easter Challenge. "Unlike last year, we've literally only had two weekends training before the Easter regatta. With the new crew, it is a bit of trial and error, so I am very pleased with the way we have performed. This training weekend has turned into quite a hot, competitive weekend, so I am pleased about that."
Runaway leader in IRC Two was the King 40, Tokoloshe, of South African owner Michael Bartholomew. With a 3-1 scoreline today, the Hamble-based crew podiumed in all seven races this weekend to finish 15 points clear of second. Holding this position, albeit tied on points with Anthony O'Leary's Ker 39 Antix, was the top female skipper at the regatta: Jackie Dobson, helm of the Poole-based J/133, Jeronimo.
"I am really really pleased," said Dobson. "Over the winter we've had the keel off, the mast down – we've had a lot of work done on the boat. We had a real battle to get the boat back together, with no time to practice, so we're really chuffed. We never thought we were going to make it."
Dobson was also doubtful about the freezing temperatures. "We were humming and harring about whether anyone would enjoy it because it was so cold, but everyone has absolutely loved it. And the coaching is brilliant. It is a great regatta to refocus everyone for the coming season and get everyone back working as a team together on the boat. Everyone gets a lot out of it and they are all fired up now for the rest of the season."
In IRC Four, Peter Schofield's HOD35 Zarafa dominated and like 5°West and Strait Dealer won both today's races. The Lymington-based team finished 6.5 points ahead of Altura & Steamy, the First 34.7 campaigned by Neil Cash and Nick Haigh.
Well known RORC racer Haigh has previously sailed on Cash's boat in Plymouth. "Neil is thrilled. It was far colder than skiing, but we've really enjoyed it."
For the Plymouth crew it was a strong learning experience, assisted by RORC Easter Challenge coach Jim Saltonstall and his team. "Training-wise, we had a mix of people and we hadn't sailed as a team before so it was great to learn about the trim and sail shapes and how to hit buoys in a lot of tide!" said Haigh.
Although they admit there is "room for improvement" with their results, one of the most enthusiastic participants at the RORC Easter Challenge was the team on Sebastien Delasnerie's Dr Feelgood (again). The Paris-based crew has their A-35 berthed in Cherbourg and made the trip over for the training regatta, the first of many RORC races they plan to do this season, says Delasnerie. However of this regatta he admitted: "We didn't train enough for the training regatta! But it was extremely helpful because this is the early race of the season. Cowes is very exotic! The people are extremely friendly. Even the customs guy was nice to us!"
At the prizegiving this afternoon in Cowes Events Centre, class winners were presented with their prizes, including a stockpile of Easter eggs.

#RORC – Anthony O'Leary and his Royal Cork crew on the Ker 39 Antix have moved up to second overall in IRC 2 at the RORC Easter Challenge but South African Mike Bartholomew and his King 40 Tokoloshe had another solid day, scoring a 1-2-1 in IRC Two, where she is now easing away from O'Leary, the RORC Vice Commodore wirtes James Boyd of the Daily Sail.

Force of Olympic medals, America's Cups and Volvo Ocean Races among the all-star crew aboard Sir Keith Mills' TP52 5°West prevailed on day two of the RORC Easter Challenge. The fastest boat in the fleet, being steered by the TeamOrigin boss and creator of Air Miles, has taken the lead on handicap in IRC One, after today's three races on the central Solent. One around the cans, was followed by two windward-leewards, held in continued challenging conditions, spring tides and a freezing Arctic breeze from the northeast.

5°West now leads IRC One, three points ahead of Andrew Pearce's Magnum II, first of the trio of Ker 40s competing. Yesterday's leader, Simon Henning's Alice II, was over early in the opening race and followed this with a disappointing day dropping her to fourth overall, albeit tied on points with their Farr 45 sistership Kolga, crewed by the British Keelboat Academy crew.

Owned by former Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström, Kolga is this year being skippered by 20 year old James French and at the RORC Easter Challenge this year she is the only entry crewed solely by British Keelboat Academy trainees, although their sailors are to be found on numerous other boats across the fleet.

Like Alice II, Kolga suffered an OCS today but in the second race. "It was super shifty and we got up to the mainland shore and it was snakes and ladders, but that makes the race pretty interesting," recounted French. "It's great racing this weekend between the three 45s, the team is gelling nicely and we are getting some good results. The Ker 40s are the same pace as us, so we are always racing someone."

French, who calls tactics confirmed it was a tough day with the tide turning around lunchtime, in the middle of racing and while the wind built to 15 knots in the first race in the second many of the boats were caught out with headsails that were too small as the breeze dropped to five knots off the mainland shore.

IRC Two is popular with officers of the RORC. Admiral of the Club, Andrew McIrvine and his First 40, La Réponse, are lying sixth in the 12-strong class. "It is very close boat for boat racing despite the big range of handicaps," said McIrvine, adding of today's racing: "There was loads of current. In every race the boats on the left found the lifts and bands of pressure. It was the old rule of 'if it's from the north, go north': If you stayed on the left of the fleet, you gained."

McIrvine, who was particularly proud of his port tack start in race three, added his crew was also improving in what is their first UK regatta of 2013. "Yesterday was a bit sloppy, but the boat handling today - we did some very good manoeuvres, last minute take downs and gybes in the middle and everything worked beautifully."

David Franks' JPK 1010, Strait Dealer, looks set to repeat her perfect score line from 2012, winning all five races held so far. Gunning hard for them is Peter Morton's crew on the second-placed Corby 33, Salvo, but this is proving hard. "They are sailing very well. They are spotting shifts and putting the boat in the right place all the time. We are marginally quicker upwind, but on each run they come through us again," said Morton, adding that the competition on the water is superb with very tight finishes in every race.

Trying for a similar record to Strait Dealer is Peter Schofield's team on the Lymington-based HOD35, Zarafa. Unfortunately her perfect scoreline was blemished when she finished third equal in today's second race, won by Neil Cash and Nick Haigh's Fist 34.7 Alutra & Steamy.

"Talk about up and down - it was very challenging and difficult," said Schofield, who admitted that the racing this Easter weekend is some of the coldest he can remember. "We were wearing so many clothes we could barely move."

Schofield is a big advocate of the coaching aspect of the RORC Easter Challenge. "The format is great. I find it staggering that people don't make more use of coaches sailing. You wouldn't have a cricket team or a rugby team, even a village team, without some coaching."

But perhaps most grateful for the on the water and post race tuition provided by the guru Jim Saltonstall and his team are the crews from the three Gosport-based Royal Engineers Yacht Club boats. Today a coach came on board their Elan 31 Ragna of Upnor for the second race.

Skipper of Ragna of Upnor is Lucy Allaway and her crew is all-female, save one. Allaway serves with the Adjutant General's Corps and is attempting to form the army's first all-female sailing team. "This is a great weekend because the amount of benefit we get back from the coaching is fantastic and the debriefs are brilliant. Particularly when you bring a crew which doesn't usually sail together, it is great to have that professional feedback."

Two races are scheduled today, the final day of the RORC Easter Challenge, with the first start due at 11.00.

Race results here

#rorc – Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary is fourth overall after counting a fourth and third in his 11-boat fleet in the IRC 2 division of the RORC Easter Challenge, held in freezing conditions in the central Solent off Hill Head today.

The Irish J/35 Bengal Magic, skippered by James Chalmers is third overall in the eight boat IRC 3 fleet.

The first day of racing at the Despite Easter Sunday looming, the UK still remains in deepest winter with Arctic winds dropping the chill factor below freezing. Fortunately with 13-17 knots of shifting easterly breeze blowing this Good Friday there was plenty of action to keep the crews busy in the two opening races of the RORC Easter Challenge, held in the central Solent off Hill Head.

The UK season opener for the Royal Ocean Racing Club traditionally doubles as a training regatta in preparation for the season ahead. As ever guru Jim Saltonstall is running the coaching with his team including ex-Olympic Soling sailor Barry Dunning and RORC CEO Eddie Warden Owen. For the RORC Easter Challenge, the outside assistance rule is waived allowing Saltonstall and his team to provide coaching mid-race, while as ever his post-race debriefs, with accompanying video showing the highlights and horrors of the day, are standing room only affairs.

After today's races RORC Easter Challenge regular Simon Henning and his Farr 45, Alice II, are the runaway leaders in IRC One, winning today's second race and third in the first. This year Alice II is in good company with two other Farr 45s to race, plus a trio of Ker 40s.

On the water it has been the 52 footers leading the charge around the race course. The RORC Easter Challenge is the first competitive outing for 5°West, the former TeamOrigin TP52, helmed by Sir Keith Mills and featuring a studded crew led by Volvo Ocean Race sailor Robert Greenhalgh and with Laser Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison calling tactics.

Mills spearheaded the London bid to host last year's Olympic Games. "Now the Olympics are over I have a bit more time and I thought I'd give the TP52 a go this season. It's nice to get back on the water," he said.

5° West currently lies in fourth place in IRC One after a disappointing opening race when they missed a wind shift. "It was a good warm-up day for us," said Mills, who admits he is on a steep learning curve helming. "Now we just have to get the crew topped up with anti-freeze for tomorrow and we'll be in good shape."

Having a tougher time today was the Farr 52 Toe in the Water, skippered by Lloyd Hamilton and with fastest man non-stop around the world, Brian Thompson, calling tactics. The Toe in the Water crew is mostly from the forces, and includes two injured servicemen and one woman from the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Unit at Headley Court.

"Today was good," commented Thompson. "We had two practice starts which both went well. Then the first proper start was great except we touched the pin with our guard rail so we had to turn around and we were playing catch up from there."

They redeemed themselves in the second race when Toe in the Water was nipping at 5°West's heels. "At the last windward mark we were crossing tacks with them. So that was great progress from only having sailed together for the first time yesterday," concluded Thompson.

IRC Two is being led by South African Mike Bartholomew's King 40 Tokoloshe, which won today's second race. However the first was claimed by another Mills design, Zero II. Previously campaigned as marinercove.ie and in last year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup as Dignity, this 39 footer is now owned by the Cowes Race School and skippered by James Gair. Zero II's crew, experienced racers who are paying their way, was competing together for the first time today, so winning race one was a welcome result.

"I love the format because you get the practice starts, it gets the team communication going - it is a great way to start the regatta," said Gair, adding that today's races were challenging - aside from the bitter cold, there was a spring tide running.

Sadly Zero II was unable to follow up their success suffering "a multitude of breakages" in race two. This included breaking a jib sheet and having to unwind "the biggest kite twist you've ever seen, which took half the run to sort out," as Gair described it.

David Franks and his JPK 1010 Strait Dealer are lining up to repeat last year's record of straight bullets at the RORC Easter Challenge. They won both today's races and lead IRC Three from Peter Morton's Corby 33 Salvo and the Irish J/35 Bengal Magic, skippered by James Chalmers.

The HOD 35, Malice, lies fifth. "We had a couple of third rate starts but the standard of racing is very good," said skipper Mike Moxley. "Strait Dealer and Salvo are sailing extremely well, so no complaints at all." Moxley hopes that the wind gets lighter as it is forecast to tomorrow, as this will suit them better.

Another lower rated HOD 35 is leading IRC Four in Peter Schofield's Zarafa. Like Strait Dealer she also notched up two race wins today to lead IRC Four from Neil Cash and Nick Haigh's First 34.7, Altura & Steamy.

They may be among the smallest boats competing in this year's RORC Easter Challenge but one of the best competitions is occurring between the trio of Quarter Tonners. Here Sam Laidlaw on Aguila is lying fifth, three points ahead of Cote, skippered by his former Farr 52 co-owner Rob Gray.

"It was great fun," said Gray of today's racing. "Once you got going you forgot about the cold and it was nicely arranged and everyone had a lot of fun. There was a huge amount of tide running and it was a bit of an each way thing whether to say inshore or stay out and play the shifts. I think both worked at different times of the day. But thanks to everybody who put it on - I'm glad there are so many yachts have turned out."

Another bracing day of racing is scheduled to begin tomorrow at 1000.

Race results: http://www.rorc.org/race-results/2013-season-cumulative-results.html

#rorc – The 2013 Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's Points Championship is set for the biggest turnout since the series began in 2000 writes Louay Habib. Every edition of the Championship has attracted hundreds of yachts, however this year buoyed by the Rolex Fastnet Race, over 400 yachts will be racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club. It's a boost for the club that includes Ireland's Round Ireland race in its points championships.

While the Rolex Fastnet Race is the showcase race of the 2013 series, there are 13 testing races that make up the championship with the best five results counting for the overall winner. Trying to win the RORC Season's Points Championship is a real challenge but every race has its own coveted prize for the overall winner and class honours.

Since 2000 only one yacht, Piet Vroon's Tonnerre de Breskens, has won the Season's Points Championship twice (2010 and 2011) and only two times has it been awarded to a yacht 50' or over. (2005 -TP52, Fidessa Fastwave & 2006 - Cookson 50, Chieftain). More often than not, a production yacht, crewed by amateur sailors, wins the RORC Season's Points Championship, arguably the most competitive and popular offshore series in the world.

In 2004 Shaun Frohlich's IMX45, Exabyte III, had a fantastic year winning the Cervantes Trophy, De Guingand Bowl, Morgan Cup, The Assuage Trophy and the Alan Paul Trophy but Exabyte III didn't win the championship overall, Chris Bull's J/145, Jazz, scored an impressive performance in the Round Ireland Race to tip the balance in their favour.

"It was a great year with a completely amateur team," commented Frohlich. "Although we didn't win overall, it is lovely to think back and remember the anticipation before every single race; it is a delicious excitement. Even when you finish in the wee small hours, tired and hungry, all you want to know is the result. As each boat crosses the finish line a picture develops, just like in an old fashioned darkroom, and you want to know if it is a cracking picture or not."

"The championship is a brilliant combination of the excitement and immediacy of each event. However because it is a series, if you have a bad race there is still more to fight for. Taking your best five results means that more often than not, the chance of winning stays alive until the very last race," continued Frohlich.

2012 saw one of the closest championships ever with three boats vying for the overall prize going into the last race, a 78-mile sprint from Cowes to Cherbourg. Piet Vroon thought he had won the title for a third time when his Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, won the race. However Laurent Gouy's Ker 39, Inis Mor, managed fifth overall in the Cherbourg race to win the seven month series by a single point. Also in 2012, a remarkable run of form by Nick Martin's J/105, Diablo-J, was rewarded with third overall, a massive achievement as Diablo-J had been racing two-handed against fully crewed yachts.

One notable change this year is that the RORC have altered the points system for scoring the Season's Points Championship and competitors are only allowed to count the bonus points from one race towards their overall score. Bonus points are awarded to five of the 13 races with the Rolex Fastnet being the highest scoring race with a factor of 1.5.

"In the past, with no restriction on how many high points factored races a boat could count towards their overall score, a big advantage was to be gained by boats that were capable of travelling to places like the East Coast and Ireland," commented RORC CEO Eddie Warden Owen on this year's change to the points system. "Now with RORC races in different parts of the world scoring a high points factor, such as the RORC Caribbean 600 and the Rolex Middle Sea Race, both tough extended offshore races, the Club did not want the majority who chose not to travel to be at a disadvantage. Points from these races can still be counted but boats can only count the high points score from one race, most likely the race with the best result."

The 2013 RORC Season's Points Championship has already begun with the RORC Caribbean 600 in February, however on May 4th the European season kicks off with The Cervantes Trophy Race from Cowes to Le Havre. ENDS/..

The 2013 RORC Season's Points Championship comprises 13 testing races. The Championship started in February with the Caribbean 600, Antigua. The Cervantes Trophy Race from Cowes-Le Havre kicks off the European season on 4th May, with the showcase of the Championship, The Rolex Fastnet Race in August.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club: The RORC was formed immediately following the completion of the first Fastnet Race in 1925. Its brief was 'to encourage long-distance yacht racing and the design, building and navigation of sailing vessels in which speed and seaworthiness are combined.' The RORC has been a pioneer in the sport, not only organising offshore racing, but also in developing standards of excellence, particularly in regard to safety issues. It is at the forefront of race management and in the development and administration of rating rules for racing yachts around the world.The principal clubhouse is in St James's Place, London. With over 85 years of proud history, the RORC is a truly international yacht club comprising approximately 3,300 members from 54 different countries.
Races will be scored using The Spinlock IRC rating rule which is administered jointly by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, UK and UNCL Centre de Calcul in Paris, France. The RORC Rating Office is the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and recognised globally as a centre of excellence for measurement.

#rorc – With many of the UK's top IRC boats signed up to compete over three days at the popular RORC Easter Challenge (Good Friday 29 March to Easter Sunday 31 March 2013), the regatta is turning into a practice session for the highly competitive IRC Nationals taking place later this summer.

But for the top boats, its also a serious event and with the likes of RORC Vice Commodore, Anthony O'Leary bringing his Antix team from Cork and Niklas Zennström taking a break from the TP52 Super Series to race Rán, his Farr 45, the racing is all about winning:

"Whilst it's the first event of the season for us and we look forward to the input provided by the like's of Jim (Saltonstall) and Eddie (Warden Owen), we will be doing our best to win the event. There's some serious competition from the Ker 40's and from the South African Tokoloshe whose boat is very similar to ours. It's a brilliant format, great value and a well run event with nine races over the weekend," says O'Leary.

"I am impressed with the quality of the early entries to our training weekend at Easter which starts on Good Friday, 29th April," comments Royal Ocean Racing Club's Racing Manager, Nick Elliott.

"These are the top race boats in the UK and include teams from the Solent, the East Coast and West Country, as well as teams from as far away as France, Ireland and even South Africa. This is a great endorsement for the event which is designed as a training weekend for those keen to improve their overall performance."

In a unique initiative and as the first Solent-based event in the Club's racing calendar, RORC relax the rules on outside assistance and invite coaching guru, Jim Saltonstall and a team of expert coaches - including past Olympian Barry Dunning - to actively participate and provide helpful tips to improve sail trim and boat handling whilst the boats are racing. The coaching team has also been boosted this year by the addition of sailmakers who will provide sail trim and rig set up tips.

"It's the only event of its kind in the UK and I've not seen it done anywhere else in the world," comments RORC CEO Eddie Warden Owen who is also one of Saltonstall's coaching team.

"Even the top teams with pro sailors on board are keen to get the view we have from the outside. It can be extremely effective, especially for the less experienced crew who often see an immediate improvement during the race," continues Warden Owen.

After racing, Saltonstall de-briefs crews using video evidence to back up his thoughts. These sessions held after racing in the Event Centre at Cowes Yacht Haven are always packed out.

Last year the RORC introduced a second race course for the smaller boats and One Design classes such as J80's and RORC have the intention to do the same if there is sufficient demand.

Racing for all classes starts on Good Friday 29th April and runs through to Sunday 31st April. Entries close for the RORC Easter Challenge on 14th March; interested owners can find the details and enter online at www.rorc.org.