#caribbean600 – Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50 Privateer has clinched the overall IRC win in the RORC Caribbean 600 after a wellnigh perfect race which saw the Newport, Rhode Island boat and crew sweep into the finish at Antigua to topple the much-fancied JV 72 Belle Mente (Hap Fauth) from the winning slot by just over 22 minutes on corrected time writes W M Nixon.

In one of the toughest Caribbean 600s yet sailed, this is the second time a Cookson 50 has won overall – the inaugural race in 2009 had Privateer's Irish sister-ship Lee Overlay Partners (Adrian Lee) taking the title. The continuing list of successes confirms the Farr-designed canting keel boats built by Mike Cookson of New Zealand as a modern classic – Adrian Lee's boat, then known as Ger O'Rourke's Chieftain, was overall winner of the 2007 Fastnet, and the marque has had many other successes since it first hit the water in 2004.

The Irish contingent has had mixed fortunes in this year's race, but two of the bigger boats – the hundred foot Cape Arrow (IRL 1416) owned by Tuskar Shipping, and the Briand 76 Lilla (IRL 7600) owned by Kinsale YC members Simon and Nancy de Pietro, are finished and well placed, with Cape Arrow at 12th overall while Lilla is better again, 8th overall and currently lying first in IRC 1. We'll have a full report and analysis in the Sailing on Saturday blog.

#caribbean600 – Peter Aschenbrenner's 63ft trimaran Paradox from California was first to finish in the RORC Caribbean 600 this morning at 03.22.53 local time, but missed the course record of 40:11:52 set by the ORMA 60 Region Guadeloupe in the 2009 race by just 11 minutes and 47 seconds writes WM Nixon.

Among the mono-hulls, Mike Slade's 100ft Leopard is the front runner on the water, but on IRC - as predicted here on Saturday - the competition is developing between Ron O'Hanley's Cookson 50 Privateer and Hap Fauth's JV 72 Bella Mente.

The fresh conditions which saw Paradox streaking away like a rocket from the start line off Antigua has made mayhem with Irish hopes. The Peter Metcalf-skippered 100ft Liara was dismasted shortly after starting, and while the 78ft Whisper skippered by Mark Dicker made a fine start, she is now recorded as having retired, as too is the First 40 Lancelot II chartered by Dun Laoghaire's Michael Boyd, Niall Dowling and John Cunningham.

Irish hopes now rest on the 76ft Lilla which won the cruiser division in last year's Bermuda Race, and the 100ft Cape Arrow, both of which are available for charter, but sail under IRL numbers.

RORC add:

Just before dawn, Peter Aschenbrenner's American 63ft Trimaran, Paradox powered through the finish line to complete the 600-mile course in less than two days. Conditions have been fresh to frightening right from the start and there has been no let up for over 500 sailors battling through exciting yet tough conditions. Next to finish will be Mike Slade's British maxi, ICAP Leopard to claim Monohull Line Honours, however ICAP Leopard experienced a slow passage to the south of Guadeloupe, preventing the team from getting near the course record.

Any notion that the RORC Caribbean 600 is a jolly around the Caribbean has been totally dispelled. Warm conditions and spectacular surroundings apart, racing 600 miles in big conditions is taking its toll. Eight yachts have now retired from the race leaving 44 yachts still racing. The majority will not finish for at least another 24 hours if not more.

This year, Guadeloupe Grand Large has entered three Figaro IIs for the race. At 33ft in length and crewed by just four sailors, the Figaro Class can be considered the 'coal face' of short handed sailing for the RORC Caribbean 600.

Skippered by young sailors from Guadeloupe, the teams are taking their first steps towards high aspirations. Two of the Figaros are having a tremendous battle out on the water. At 0700, Arthur Prat and Baptiste Maillot had been virtually sailing side by side for 350 miles and were approaching Guadeloupe. No doubt their local knowledge will give them good speed around their homeland.

The long leg from St Marten down to Guadeloupe has provided joy for some and pain for others as the yachts negotiate through the leeward side of the high mountains on the west side of the island. Hap Fauth's American JV72, Bella Mente approached Guadeloupe yesterday afternoon and compared to their rapid transit down from St.Barths, the race favourites virtually came to a grinding halt.

As Bella Mente struggled for speed, as Filip Balcaen's magnificent Belgian Baltic 112, Nilaya came barrelling down the track closing fast. Nilaya made up an astonishing 40 miles in just a few hours to challenge Bella Mente for the overall lead. Nilaya's cunning move has meant the Belgian yacht is now winning the Superyacht class.

Ron O'Hanley's American Cookson 50, Privateer also caught up and at one stage, Privateer was back on top of the overall leaderboard. However at 0700, Bella Mente had regained the overall lead, with Nilaya and Privateer needing to make up about three hours to prevent Bella Mente taking the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy.

In IRC One Simon de Pietro's Irish Briand 76, Lilla continues to impress and has now opened up an 8-mile gap on the water to lead the class and has a three hour handicap cushion, but there is still nearly 400 miles to the finish.

Andy Middleton's British Beneteau 47.7, EHO1 have found another gear, showing great pace on the tight reach to Guadeloupe to move up to second in class. Colin Buffin's British Swan 62, Uxorious IV has dropped to third in class, but their extra water-line length should see the British Swan move back up the leaderboard on the reach to the North Sails mark at Barbuda.

In IRC Two at 0700, the entire class were enjoying the tight reach south to Guadeloupe and waterline length has played a big factor on this leg. The Oyster 48 Scarlet Logic, co-skippered by Ross Applebey and Tim Thubron still have the lead in class and on the water and Scarlet Logic is two hours ahead on corrected time. Christian Reynolds' British Swan 53, Northern Child and Joseph Mele's American Swan 44, Triple Lindy both had a great night sail and move up to second and third respectively on corrected time. However, with lighter winds expected around the south side of Guadeloupe, Philippe Falle's, British Grand Soleil 43, Quokka LLYC will be looking to catch their heavy displacement rivals.

In IRC Three, Jonty Layfield's, British J39, Sleeper still lead the class, but Valerio Bardi's Italian Swan 46, Milanto has closed the gap significantly. Adrian Lower's British Swan 44, Selene made the bold move of leaving Montserrat to Port, to take up an offshore approach to Guadeloupe. For now Selene has dropped like a stone on the leaderboard but the move may well pay off later for the British team.

#caribbean600 – "This is going to be a fast and fairly tough race," commented RORC CEO, Eddie Warden Owen, prior to the start of the Caribbean 600 race today. "All the teams are aware of the forecast and they know it is going to be breezy and how they handle those conditions will have a big impact on their performance. They will be excited but also apprehensive about the conditions. However, watching the start I have to say it was stunning, sunshine, beautiful warm water, they are all going to have a fantastic race."

A flash of smoke, high above the 'Pillars of Hercules' announced the start of the fifth edition of the RORC Caribbean 600. Before the start 25 knots of trade winds, gusting close to 30, provided feisty conditions. 53 yachts blasted into action, crashing to windward through the surf in the starting area. The international fleet, with crews from 31 nations, set off for the 600-mile race threading through 11 stunning Caribbean islands and the forecast strong winds promises a wild and memorable ride.

First to go were the multihulls. Peter Aschenbrenner's ballistic trimaran, Paradox,chose to start on port and had to dip Austin Hearst's Gunboat 66, Slim. Meanwhile Lloyd Thornburg's Gunboat 66, Phaedo, looked to have a mainsail issue with the crew battling to gain control in 25 knots of brisk trade winds. Phaedo fell behind but quickly rectified the problem and took chase.

The second start had 22 yachts barrelling towards the start line. Joseph Mele's American Swan 44, Triple Lindy, got a cracking start but the bigger yachts soon passed them, notably Christian Reynolds' Swan 53, Northern Child, who went inshore to benefit from a great lift back out to lead on the beat.

Next to go were the Class40s and CSA. Peter Harding's British Class40, 40 Degrees, was over eager and was OCS and had to return to the start line. Christof Petter's Austrian Class40, Vaquita, got away to a flyer at the pin end but Marc Lepesqueux's Sensation headed inshore and tacked back to cross in front of Vaquita. The Class40s are very close in speed and have a great battle in store.

The penultimate start for the Class Zero and Canting Keel was delayed due to the race committee elected to relay the line, which was carried out with great precision.

Mike Slade's Maxi, ICAP Leopard and Hap Fauth's, Mini-maxi Bella Mente got away well, but Leopard's prowess upwind was a telling factor as they rolled Bella Mente to leeward. Heading perilously close to the rocky cliffs, Bella Mente tacked first, releasing Leopard, who tacked right on their line. Dramatic to say the least but more drama was to come. Close behind the 100ft Maxi Liara was dismasted. The crew, all safe and well, motored Liara back to the dock.

Last to go were the Superyachts; Filip Balcaen's 112 ft Baltic, Nilaya was dwarfed by two mighty schooners, Athos and Adela. Nilaya had the line to herself, as Athos and Adela powered to windward on opposite tacks. They made a dramatic backdrop crashing through the waves as they made their way upwind to the turning point at Green Island off the Eastern end of Antigua with Adela crossing ahead of Athos to lead the private battle.

#rorc – Over 50 yachts will be competing for the 5th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 and Irish boats are in with a shout too. The Royal Ocean Racing Club's latest ocean race has proved an irresistible temptation to an international set of yacht owners and crew representing nations from an incredible 28 different countries: Antigua, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, French Southern Territories, Germany, Great Britain, Guadeloupe, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States of America.

Warm trade winds, Caribbean swell and a challenging course are a fabulous combination and well over 500 sailors are rubbing their hands with relish at the prospect of blasting around 11 Caribbean islands in heavenly sailing conditions.

In the Canting Keel Class Mike Slade's British 100ft Maxi, ICAP Leopard, is back after a substantial refit and is a hot favourite for line honours. If the conditions are right and Leopard's stellar crew perform well, the Maxi could realistically eclipse the course record of 40 Hours, 20 minutes, 2 seconds set by George David's Rambler 100 back in 2011.

However Leopard could face stiff competition just for class honours. Ron O'Hanley's American Cookson 50, Privateer, is back for a third attempt to win the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy. Privateer came third overall in 2010 and had a fantastic race last year before a 10% penalty put them out of the running for the overall title and O'Hanley's crew will consider this year's race as unfinished business.

With 16 confirmed entries from six different countries, the largest class racing in the RORC Caribbean 600 is IRC Zero and among them American Mini Maxi, Bella Mente, can be considered a favourite for the overall trophy. "This will be my first 600 and I have to say I have been looking forward to it for a while," commented Bella Mente's owner, Hap Fauth. "It will be a good test of the crew in offshore conditions, something that we have not done a lot of since the boat was launched last year. We'll have an opportunity to test some new sails and crew coordination but since we have never sailed this race things are a bit unknown but I am optimistic of a podium result."

Also racing in Class Zero the French Maxi, Med Spirit, is a fine example of the international flavour of the RORC Caribbean 600. Racing under the burgee of the Société Nautique de Marseille and owned by Didier Lacombe, the 92-foot racing yacht has been chartered by The Russian Yachting Federation and the crew will include 15 of its members, skippered by Russian round the world sailor, Vladimir Kulinichenko. The CEO of the Russian Sailing Federation, Oscar Konyukhov, will be part of the crew, as well as a host of world-class French sailors from the Vendee Globe and the Figaro Class.

This year's race has nine yachts over 90ft in length and two magnificent schooners will battle it out for the first time offshore. With an overall length of 181 feet the Dykstra designed schooner, Adela, is an impressive sight. However Adela's arch-rival Athos is 203 feet which is the largest yacht competing this year. Adela won the Spirit of Tradition Class in 2012 by some margin but Athos poses a serious threat. No doubt it will be fascinating to watch these two glorious yachts sparring around the 600-mile course.

Whilst the RORC Caribbean 600 has attracted a significant number of high profile yachts, the majority of the competitors attracted to the glorious conditions are Corinthian amateurs, racing in performance cruisers.

Eight yachts from Nautor's Swan will be competing in various classes and also for the Swan Caribbean Challenge Trophy. Colin Buffin's Swan 62, Uxorious IV, returns having had a superb yet agonising race last year. In 2012 Uxorious IV came second in class by an amazing 21 seconds to Amanda Hartley's Swan 56, Clem. This year the largest Swan competing will be Anders Nordquist's beautiful Swan 90, Nefertiti. One of the smaller Swans entered is Patriot, crewed by the British Royal Armoured Corps and skippered by Captain Richard Luckyn-Malone.

In IRC One one of the more unusual entries is Jolt 2, owned by Peter Harrison. The custom 45 foot yacht has been especially designed for short-handed sailing and a crew of just four people will be on board for the 600-mile race.

"Jolt has over 7000nm under her keel since September, and most of those miles, including a transatlantic, have been double-handed, we are racing the 600 with a couple more than that, under duress!" joked Jolt's captain, James Heald. "Peter loves to helm and talk tactics and we are all looking forward to the challenges of sailing fast in big trade wind seas, threading the islands, gazing at stars, all just wearing a pair of shorts."

Liz Lotz, Commodore of Lloyd's Yacht Club, will be taking part in her fourth Caribbean 600 racing on Grand Soleil 43, Trustmarque Quokka. Skippered by Philippe Falle, the majority of the crew are members of the LLYC. "Leaving cold grey England in February to race in the Caribbean is just fantastic," commented Liz. "When you come over the brow of that hill over looking Falmouth Harbour and see all of the magnificent yachts, it just takes your breath away. The course is just amazing but the social scene is also a great reason to take part; last year's Prizegiving was the best I have ever attended. It didn't matter if you were a world class pro or a Corinthian sailor, everybody shared the buzz of a wonderful race and an unforgettable occasion."

The RORC Caribbean 600 starts 18th February from Antigua.

#rorc – World renowned as a centre of excellence for measurement, the UK-based RORC Rating Office, the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), is delivering a series of Seminars to clubs across the UK this Spring. 

There are no dates for Ireland as it is up to each rule authority to promote IRC in its own area. In Ireland the authority is the Irish Sailing Association.

The main focus of the presentations is to examine the current state and future opportunities for club cruiser racing at a local level.

The aim of these 'roadshows' is to encourage all the clubs in a specific region to work together to offer cohesive and attractive racing to club sailors for the benefit of all.

Sailors have different priorities & concerns about racing

The idea for the seminars came from a survey run by the Rating Office last winter, which showed that sailors had many varied priorities and concerns about racing, either under Spinlock IRC or local handicap/PY.

The Seminars are being presented by Mike Urwin, RORC's Technical Director, who explained: "These seminars will offer a discussion forum about improving turnouts generally; the advantages of dual scoring, class splits, types of courses, and any other issues relating to cruiser racing.  They should also dispel some of the many myths surrounding IRC, such as the idea that it is only suitable for grand prix racers, which is very far from the truth!"

Mike will also be explaining the highly practical initiative for 2013, the Limited Validity TCC, for those who might like to do one or two IRC events a year.

In addition, members of the RYA Technical office will be attending at least one of the seminars to introduce the new National Handicap scheme for Cruisers (NHC).

All are welcome

The RORC Rating Office is urging all the individuals undertaking key roles at the local clubs to attend, such as the sailing secretary, club secretary, captain of racing and other flag officers; and of course the sailors, whether they usually race PY/ local handicap or Spinlock IRC. All are welcome.

There are currently nine events scheduled between the end of January and the end of March, with venues stretching from the Isle of Wight on the South Coast to Inverkip on the Clyde in Scotland.  Others include South Wales, the East Coast and the Channel Islands.

Full details of the venues and dates can be found here

#rorc – After three and a half days of racing the prestigious Dubai to Muscat Race came to a conclusion with all yachts accounted for on the morning of Thursday, 22nd November. Racing under the RORC'S IRC Rule, the overall winner of the race was announced as Doug Worrall's First 36.7, Shahrazad, with Cork sailor Kieran Walsh on board, which also claimed line honours. Listen to podcast with Walsh below.

Recognised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the 2012 Dubai to Muscat Yacht Race is organised by the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation and hosted by the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. HH Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Bin Saqr Al Nahyan, Chairman of the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation was the guest of honour for the start.

"We stayed out of trouble and kept going, it was as simple as that." Suggested Doug Worral "We stayed offshore at the start in the Arabian Gulf, to keep away from fishing nets and we got the added bonus of more wind than the yachts that chose the inshore option. Later in the race, after we rounded Khasab, we could see a terrific storm ahead and we prepared to reef and eased sheets to avoid it, this good seamanship was rewarded as we managed to skirt around the edge of the storm and in control, we had excellent boat speed.

I have always maintained that the last 12 hours of an offshore race is crucial; you are tired and that is when the mistakes can creep in but we kept focused and finished off the job. I am now looking forward to race to Khasab."

Vice Commodore of the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Calum McKie racing his Grand Soleil 37, Boracic was second and commented shortly after mooring up in Bandar Al Rowdha Marina: "This was a very competitive race and we experienced a huge range of conditions, probably the most bizarre was a series of water spouts, which caused very confused winds. I wouldn't say there was one particular tactical decision that went against us but after we passed Fujairah, we went inshore and got the wrong side of a big shift. At that stage we were looking like leading the race but fell behind Shahrazad and we never made up the lost ground. All credit to Doug's team they sailed extremely well and deserve their victory. Veterans back at DOSC have told me that this is a hard enough race just to finish and Boracic has a 100% record, so I am happy with that."

Matt Britton's J/92 Privateer was the smallest yacht in the class and claimed third overall, short-handed it would have been tough going on the 30-foot yacht.

Barrie Harmsworth's custom 43, Bin Toak had four Emerati crew on board. Abdul Aziz Alobaidli, Ahmed Qubasi and Ahmed al Marzooqi and Adil Khalid. All four are experienced laser sailors and Adil was part of the Volvo Ocean Race crew on board Azzam, the first Arabic entry in the prestigious round the world race.

"We lost out by going inshore on approach to The Straits of Hormuz." Admitted Barry. "We ran out of wind and managed to get tangled in a fishing net, which was not exactly what we intended but that's just how it goes sometimes. However, I will never forget the first night, passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Adil (Khalid) was on the tiller and he has really become a top class sailor after competing in the Volvo. On a tight reach, the boat was doing 12 knots over the ground with the crew on the rail grinning from ear to ear. I have done this race a few times and just sailing through the strait is a magical moment but to be going at that speed at night with exceptional sailors on board was just magic."

With all of the yachts in the Dubai Muscat Race finished, attention in Muscat has turned to two days of inshore racing. Hundreds of sailors from Oman and overseas are taking part in the reatta. However, next Saturday, 24th November marks the return to offshore action with start of 230-mile Bank of Beirut Chairman's Cup Race to Khasab with a prize fund of $50,000, generously donated by the title sponsor.

#rorc – An Irish sailor is racing in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Dubai to Muscat Yacht Race organised by the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation and hosted by the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club writes Louay Habib. Kieran Walsh is racing on board Doug Worrell's First 36.7, Sharazad.

Kieran hails from East Cork and is a Graduate from the University College Cork. Kieran has been working as a business analyst for the Jumeirah Group in Dubia for the last four years. "I love to sail and when the opportunity came up I was so excited. I used to do a lot of sailing back at home but the weather is just fantastic here. Doug has spent a lot of time preparing the boat and we have a good crew. We have won a few regattas out here and we hope to do the same for the Dubai to Muscat."

HH Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Bin Saqr Al Nehayan, Chairman of the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation was the guest of honour for the start.

The 21st edition of the historic race got off to a fantastic start on Saturday 17th November 2012 with the Rally Class first to go and enjoying near perfect sailing conditions with blazing sunshine, good breeze and flat blue water. Competitors relished 12 knots of wind from the northwest providing a fast reaching start along the glittering shoreline of Dubai. The wind held through the night and by dawn on the second day, the leading yachts had safely sailed through the Arabian Gulf and The Straits of Hormuz.

24 hours into the race, the leaders were experiencing the fresher conditions in the Gulf of Oman, enjoying sublime air temperatures and ocean swell. By Sunday 18th November 1100 local time, Ric Schotte's First 36.7, Southern Cross and Eric Laing's Beneteau 57, Yours Truly were leading the fleet, virtually side by side. The two yachts had enjoyed an exciting duel through the first day and night, swapping the lead on several occasions.

The IRC Racing division started, Sunday 18th November. An international fleet of performance cruisers set off from Dubai for the 360 nautical mile race to Muscat. By dawn on Monday 19th November. The IRC Racing Division was approaching one of the trickiest parts of the course; the complex tides of The Straits of Hormuz. Doug Hassell's First 44.7, Diablo was leading the fleet and contacted the media team via Thuraya satellite:

"We chose an inshore route to make the best of breeze coming from land, whilst our closest competition Sharazad went further offshore and it looks like the decision paid off for us." Reported Paul Spencer, on board Diablo. "But there were fishing boats everywhere and at one point we had to do a crash tack to miss a fishing line. It was probably only 3 meters away from us, that was a little bit exciting to say the least."

The international fleet of sailors from Australia, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and South Africa are expected to arrive in Muscat over the next two days to participate in the Muscat Regatta. Barrie Harmsworth's Bin Toak has four Emirate crew on board including Adil Khalid, who competed in the last Volvo Ocean Race with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

"This race is an important part of the development of offshore racing in the GCC. The United Arab Emirates was the first nation to compete in the round the world race and it is important that we continue that. The UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation is determined to promote all types of yacht racing in our country." Commented Adil.

#The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) confirmed the leading Dutch specialist yacht transport company as title sponsor of the 1,802 nautical mile non-stop race starting from Cowes, Isle of Wight on 10th August 2014.

Sevenstar sponsored the race in 2006 and 2010 when 30 yachts from nine different nations competed in a thrilling and world record breaking event. Three records were broken in what was a very memorable race, highlighted by the monohull record set by Franck Cammas' French team aboard the Volvo 70 Groupama, completing the course in5 days 21hrs 2mins and 55 seconds, breaking Dee Caffari's 2009 record on Aviva by over half a day.

Determination and Tenacity

Richard Klabbers, Managing Director of Sevenstar who competed in the last two events and secured victory in IRC Two aboard Harry Heijst's S&S 41, Winsome, explains the reason for their sponsorship:

"After beating upwind for 14 days non-stop in the now renowned 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race,I am hooked on this event! We are very proud to be the title sponsor once again and feel that the determination and tenacity this endurance race demands from competitors is in line with what Sevenstar stands for as the Global leader in Yacht Transport. Together with what the RORC stands for in terms of values, traditions and reliability, we are certain to be the right partner for the race and the RORC. We also believe that this race is attractive to the serious offshore racer and we will see an impressive fleet at the start line in 2014."

New Prize Incentive: $20,000 transport voucher

Sevenstar also announced a significant new incentive for competitors in the race - a prize for the first boat under IRC rating will receive a US$20,000 voucher for yacht transport to their selected destination in the world.

Long Term Partnership for challenging race

"As organisers, The Royal Ocean Racing Club is delighted to secure this long term partnership with Sevenstar Yacht Transport who have now supported the race for the last three events," says RORC CEO, Eddie Warden Owen.

"I won't forget the hair-raising sight as I watched the 2010 race explode into action under grey leaden skies and big breeze. It was a magnificent start, 25 knots from the southwest with gusts of up to 30 knots coming out of the Medina River. All the yachts made an impressive sight as they charged down the Solent! This race is much more challenging than an Atlantic crossing because the crews will face the vagaries of the tides and unpredictable weather; dodging oil rigs and container ships and constant sail changing as the course alters at each major headland."

Testing Conditions on tactical course

The 1,802nm course will take competitors around some of the busiest and most tactically challenging sailing waters in the world. It attracts a diverse range of yachts and crew, most of which are enticed by the challenge it offers as well as the diversity and beauty of the route around Britain and Ireland with spectacular scenery and wildlife. Most sailors agree that this race is one of the toughest tests as it is nearly as long as an Atlantic crossing, but the changes of direction at headlands will mean constant breaks in the watch system for sail changes and sail trim.

Diverse fleet and entry

The race attracts a diverse fleet including multihull, IMOCA Open 60 and Class40, but the overall winner will a yacht racing under the IRC rating system which is expected to attract top professional teams as well as seasoned RORC members and the less experienced offshore sailors. The last edition included world champions, racing 'rock stars' as well as newcomers to the sport.

Support from Volvo Ocean Race  Two Volvo Open 70s used the Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race in 2010 as a trial before the start of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race. It was the first time the Volvo 70s Telefonica (ESP) and Groupama (FRA) had raced against each other.

Today, Volvo Ocean Race CEO, Knut Frostad confirmed their support for the 2014 edition which starts two months before the Volvo Ocean Race in Alicante:

"The Volvo Ocean Race wholeheartedly support the 2014 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race as it's an ideal race for our teams to use as a warm up with the new one design VO65 fleet. The testing conditions round Britain and Ireland are perfect for an extreme shakedown and also offers the chance for teams to race up against each other for the first time before they head for Alicante and the start of the 2014 Volvo Ocean Race."

Completing the course: a feat for all yachts

Jonny Malbon's IMOCA 60, Artemis Ocean Racing, crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron Line to set a new course record for an IMOCA 60 and overall victory in the 2010 race. Artemis Ocean Racing was also declared as the overall winner under IRC:

"I hope that we will be able to return in 2014 to defend our title once again. It's such a fantastic race, very demanding with lots of corners and opportunities to make both gains and losses. It is a course we have very much enjoyed over the years with Artemis and the team and I hope the fleet will be as diverse and exciting next time as it was in 2010. Thanks to both RORC and Sevenstar for organising and sponsoring such a special race," commented winning skipper Malbon.

The last boat to finish the race in 2010 was Adrian Lower's Swan 44, Selene from the Royal Burnham Yacht Club who took two weeks to complete the course compared with only six days for the biggest boats. Twice as long in a boat half the size, what a feat; the very essence of Corinthian RORC racing.

#rorc – The RORC Rating Office acting as the GBR IRC Rule Authority will be introducing a new initiative in GBR in 2013. Owners who only enter one or two IRC races a year will be able to apply for an IRC Limited Validity (LV) TCC at a reduced price.

At the end of 2011 the Rating Office undertook an online survey primarily aimed at owners and clubs that do not currently use IRC. One finding of the survey was that a potentially considerable number of boats do only a single event each year and are deterred by applying for an IRC certificate because of the cost. Mike Urwin, RORC Technical Director, explains the idea behind the initiative:

"The Limited Validity TCC is aimed at encouraging these boats to try IRC with the hope that they will then upgrade to a full certificate in the future. It will be offered on a trial basis in GBR only for 2013, with a view to extending it to other IRC countries if the trial is successful. It will be a loss leader for the Rating Office since producing an LV TCC will involve the same amount as work as a standard certificate, but this is all about encouraging people into IRC racing".

The LV TCC is not available to boats that hold a current valid certificate, and is defined as "an IRC TCC issued by the IRC Rating Authority for use by a boat for a race or regatta (or part of) comprising races run over not more than 9 consecutive days including any lay days". Boats will be limited to holding two separate LV TCCs per year. The TCC will be compatible with standard IRC ratings so that Clubs can incorporate boats into their IRC classes with no changes other than some extra words in the Notice of Race. However, no certificate will be issued and the boat will not appear on the online IRC listings; clubs and events that have been approved to accept LV TCCs will receive a list of the ratings specific to their event. Clubs are encouraged to consider LVs for their main events and contact the Rating Office in good time if they want to participate.

The cost of an LV TCC in 2013 will be £1.50 per metre LH plus £5.00 per day of validity. An example cost comparison for a 10 metre boat entering a single 4-day event would be: Standard IRC certificate £101.50 (online fee), LV TCC £35.00. In addition, if an owner subsequently wishes to upgrade to a full IRC certificate a discount will be applied to the application fee.

The 2012 season, consisting of 10 offshore races, was host to unpredictable conditions ranging from the lightest of breezes to the roughest of seas. Many boats were pushed to their limits, particularly in the Myth of Malham Race when only 3 boats, one Two-Handed, held their nerve to finish. Father and daughter team, Simon and Nikki Curwen on Voador, won the race overall, beating the two other fully crewed finishers.

Two of the cross channel races had particular significance this year. The Cervantes Trophy Race was combined with the 50th Anniversary of the Deauville Race and attracted over 100 entrants from the five organising yacht clubs. The anniversary celebrations were rounded off with a gala dinner hosted in Deauville. In addition the competitors in the Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race were treated to Bastille Day fireworks, well worth the sleepless night at sea.

The following Season's Points winners have truly earned their triumph through their determination and commitment to the RORC season. They have travelled around the country, from across the North Sea to taking on the Irish Sea in the Round Ireland Race, facing fierce competition and challenging weathers.

Diablo-J (GBR)

Somerset Memorial Trophy - Yacht of the Year

Grenade Goblet - IRC Three

Psipsina Trophy - Two-Handed Class

2012 was Nick Martin's year. The RORC member has raced his J/105, Diablo-J, Two-Handed through many RORC seasons, consistently finishing at the top end of the leader board. Shorthanded racing has a growing number of devotees who take pleasure from the physical and mental demands of racing. Snatching mere moments sleep and going through manoeuvres other boats do fully crewed means that racing competitively against the main fleet requires stamina, grit and determination. Diablo-J's achievement cannot be underestimated: to win the Two Handed class is impressive, and to win IRC Three extraordinary, but to then place 3rd in IRC Overall is outstanding.

Diablo-J's 1st place in IRC Three follows a 4th placing in 2011 and they came through to beat the previous two time winner, Foggy Dew, into 2nd place. Foggy Dew, the JPK 10.10 raced by Noel Racine, raced to victory in class in the 50th Deauville Race/Cervantes Trophy but finished 27.2 points behind Diablo-J in season's points.

Inis Mor (FRA)

Jazz Trophy - IRC Overall

Trenchemer Cup - IRC One

Stradivarius Trophy - Best Overseas Yacht

Serendip Trophy - Best Series produced Yacht

Bernard Gouy's Ker 39, Inis Mor, finished Tonnerre de Breskens 3's quest for a third consecutive win of IRC Overall, taking the lead by a mere 2.4 points. Father and son, Bernard and Laurent Gouy, matched their IRC Overall win of the Round Ireland Race with a consistent performance throughout the season that sees them also win the Stradivarius Trophy for Best Overseas Yacht and the Serendip Trophy for Best Series-Produced Yacht.

In a repeat of the duel for IRC Overall, Inis Mor seized the Trenchemer Cup for IRC One from 2nd place boat, Tonnerre de Breskens owned by Piet Vroon. Both yachts had completed the Round Ireland Race with its 1.5 points factor, propelling them into a head to head battle at the top of the class leader board. However, Inis Mor's three IRC One wins, including the 50th Deauville/Cervantes Trophy Race and the Channel Race gave them the edge by another narrow margin of 9.8 points.

The highly competitive IRC One saw a similar duel for 3rd place with Mark Emerson's Rodman 42, Phosphorus, taking it by only 4 points from RORC Commodore Michael Greville's Ker 39, Erivale III.

Tonnerre de Breskens 3 (NED)

Alan Paul Trophy - Consistent High Performance

Duncan Munro Kerr Youth Challenge Trophy - Jackson Bouttell

The Alan Paul Trophy is awarded to the yacht which demonstrates a consistent, high performance in IRC Overall and Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens 3, is a worthy winner. Dedicated to the RORC season, Tonnerre raced in 6 races with 3 top 3 results including the IRC Overall win in the Cherbourg Race.

Tonnerre regularly races with youth crew members, in particular this year was 21 year old Jackson Bouttell who competed in 6 RORC races this year, with a total course distance of 1382 nautical miles. This is the highest mileage completed by a youth crew member this year and Jackson is awarded the Duncan Munro Kerr Youth Challenge Trophy for 2012.

Pleomax (NED)

Europeans Trophy - IRC Zero

The Europeans Trophy for IRC Zero is won by Pleomax, the Volvo 60 owned by Harm Prins. In winning their Class in three races out of four, they dominated the elite group with Jonny Vincent's TP 52, Pace coming second. Pleomax had planned to do the Myth of Malham and East Coast Races as well to complete their season but sadly damage incurred in the high winds just before the start of the Myth of Malham Race meant that the boat had to take a few weeks off to be repaired.

Visit Malta Puma (GBR)

Emily Verger Plate - IRC Two

David Fayle Memorial Cup - Best Sailing School

After missing out in 2011, Sailing Logic came into 2012 determined to win the hotly contested Emily Verger Plate for IRC Two. The Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma, crewed by students of Sailing Logic sailing school, entered a series of strong performances that beat Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse, by 12 points. British Soldier, the A 40 owned by the Army Sailing Association and sailed by serving and past members of the British Army, came third after their season was cut prematurely short due to technical failures after the Round Ireland Race.

In addition to winning Class Two, Visit Puma Malta have also won for another year the David Fayle Memorial Cup for Best Sailing School Yacht.

Winsome (NED)

Cowland Trophy - IRC Four

Freddie Morgan Trophy - Classic Yacht in IRC

Winning the Cowland Trophy for IRC Four is Winsome, Harry Heijst's S&S 41, a seasoned RORC member. Whilst they led 2011 trophy winner, Jean Yves Chateau's Nicholson 33, Iromiguy, by a resounding 46 points, the gap between 2nd and 3rd was much closer with Pyxis, the X 332 owned by Kirsteen Donaldson, only 2.5 points behind.

IRC Four is the most numerous with over 80 yachts competing over the course of the year and this year's conditions were far from ideal for the lowest IRC band. Yet Winsome, one of the three yachts to finish the Myth of Malham Race, also topped their Class in the Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race and the Channel Race. They are also awarded the Freddie Morgan Trophy for a classic yacht in IRC - Winsome's Sparkman and Stephen's design dates back to 1972.

Foggy Dew (FRA)

Assuage Trophy for RORC Members

Freddie Morgan Trophy - Classic Yacht in IRC

Despite losing out to Diablo-J in IRC Three, Noel Racine's Foggy Dew had a consistent season, and is awarded the Assuage Trophy which is given to a RORC member with the best results in the Cherbourg and a choice of 3 other races from the Cervantes Trophy, Myth of Malham, Cowes-Dinard-St Malo and Channel races. This trophy demonstrates the time and dedication required to bring a boat and crew over from France for the races starting in the Solent.

Financial Crisis (GBR)

Dennis P Miller Trophy - British Yacht Overseas

When Marco Nannini was dismasted within a couple of hours of starting the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011, it must have seemed like yet another hurdle among many threatening his dreams of competing Two-Handed in the Global Ocean Race 2011-12. Even having completed the emergency repairs, Nannini had already quit his job in investment banking and rented his London flat when he found that his title sponsor had dropped out less than 5 days to the start. His was already a 75% self funded campaign, garnering his Class 40 Akilaria RC1 its name: Financial Crisis.

Yet Nannini showed calm resilience and was on the start line alongside 5 other boats for the 5 leg odyssey in which competitors must race a total of 30,000 miles across some of the roughest waters on the planet. With severe budget constraints, Nannini was aware that any serious damage would end his circumnavigation and he planned to sail a smart race rather than push the boat to the edge. Despite their trepidation he and his various co-skippers clocked up a series of impressive results: 3rd in Leg 1, followed by 4th, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd in the remaining Legs to claim 2nd place overall. Nannini has proven that any offshore racer can overcome seemingly immense obstacles if they approach them with enough grit, determination and gusto.

Conrad Colman, Cessna Citation (NZL)

Seamanship Trophy - Outstanding Act of Seamanship

Last presented in 2005 to Berrimilla, the Seamanship Trophy is not annually awarded but earned by those who perform outstanding acts of seamanship. This year the winner is one who stood up and faced the situation that nightmares are made of. A Two-Handed entry in the Global Ocean Race, Cessna Citation was leading the fleet in Leg Two when Sam Goodchild went forward to complete a sail change in rapidly deteriorating conditions, unclipped to save time. By the time he saw the wave coming it was too late for him to do anything to save himself and in seconds he was swept into the water. To make the crisis yet more critical Sam was also not wearing a lifejacket and his layers of foul weather gear and boots started to fill with sea water, dragging him down.

It is for moments like this, when the worst happens, that comprehensive training can save lives. Conrad Colman had been at the helm at the time of the accident and saw his co-skipper swept off the bow. Following protocol, Conrad crash tacked, threw the heaving line and then, when Sam missed it, lay a waypoint and pressed the MOB button. The MOB had been mid sail change and before he could successfully sail and tack the boat back to his co-skipper, Conrad had to re-reeve the windward sheet of the headsail. Time was of the essence as Sam had to shed his waterlogged clothing, leaving him vulnerable to the coldness of the water and Conrad had to move quickly and assuredly. In 32 knot gusts and poor visibility he searched the spray, tacking and reaching until he spotted Sam, throwing him the dan-buoy and pulling him back to safety.

Conrad Colman receives the Seamanship Trophy for his calm and clear reactions in crisis, saving the life of Sam Goodchild and illustrating the importance of safety at sea and emergency management.

All trophies and prizes will be awarded at the RORC Annual Dinner on Saturday 10th November 2012