Hong Kong Show Well in First Admiral's Cup Race, Fluctuating Fortunes for Royal Irish Team

20th July 2025

WM Nixon

The Royal Irish's Cookson 50 Privateer pictured in the RORC Channel Race – first race of the Admiral's Cup 2025 Credit: Rick Tomlinson

01:00 Sunday – After two hours delay in anticipation of the wind settling down after the overnight and early morning weather disturbances with thunderstorms overland, the fleet in the RORC Channel Race – first race of the Admiral's Cup 2025 – set off eastward yesterday (Saturday) out of the Solent towards No Mans Land Fort , then west to a buoy off the east coast of the Isle of Wight, then east of south across Channel to a turn well east of the Cherbourg Peninsula before heading back to the Solent on a 160 mile course.

The Royal Irish's JPK 1180 Sunrise IV pictured in the RORC Channel Race – first race of the Admiral's Cup 2025 Photo: Rick Tomlinson

As Afloat reported earlier, at first laying the cross-channel course, it then became a beat and the Royal Hong Kong YC duo – Botin TP52 Beau Geste and Botin 41 Beau Ideal, both owned by Karl Kwok - showed best of the teams, with Beau Geste leading on the water and overall after rounding the south turn at midnight.

The Royal Irish YC team of the Cookson 50 Privateer and the JPK 1180 Sunrise IV have had fluctuating fortunes, but as of 01:00 Sunday Privateer was 12th in AC Class 1 (25th overall) while Sunrise was a close 6th in AC Class 2, and 14th overall.

Published in Admiral’s Cup

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Admiral's Cup

About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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At a Glance - Admiral's Cup 2027

The 2027 Admiral’s Cup will take place from 13–28 July 2027, based at Cowes Yacht Haven. Teams will contest a Short Offshore Race, a series of Solent Inshore Races, and the Rolex Fastnet Race to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.

Entries open: 1 July 2026
Standard entry deadline: 28 February 2027
Late entries: accepted until 1 March 2027 (subject to approval)
Registration & inspection: 13–15 July 2027
Racing period: 16–28 July 2027
Prizegiving: 28 July 2027 in Cherbourg

The Notice of Race confirms a two-boat team format:

Admiral’s Cup 1 – IRC TCC 1.292–1.440 (13.41–17.10 m LOA, max draft 3.9 m)

Admiral’s Cup 2 – IRC TCC 1.125–1.282 (11.50–13.40 m LOA, max draft 3.4 m)