The tactical battle at Land's End is beginning to define the second day of the 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, with the leading boats choosing contrasting routes towards the Isles of Scilly.
Twenty-four hours after the start, Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace continued to lead on the water while favouring an inshore approach towards Land's End. Behind, Jens Kellinghusen's Ker 56 Varuna 6 and Antoine Magre's Mach 50 Palanad 4 have opted for a more offshore route and appear to have reduced the deficit.
Race Leader: Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace leads the fleet on the water as the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race reaches its second day, with key tactical decisions around Land's End and the Isles of Scilly set to shape the next phase of the race. Photo: James Tomlinson
The next strategic challenge centres on the Traffic Separation Scheme exclusion zones around the Isles of Scilly before the fleet rounds Bishop Rock. At the time of writing, Pace appeared to be positioning to pass through the separation zones, while Varuna 6 and Palanad 4 looked more likely to head south of them.
On board Palanad 4, Joss Cresswell said conditions had improved dramatically after a difficult opening.
"The first six hours of VMG upwind and short tacking in short choppy sea state was not ideal for the 'big spoon' we call home," he said. As the wind veered overnight, the boat accelerated. "Suddenly we were doing 13 knots in 14 knots of windspeed. A big morale boost having done a wobbly six or seven knots for hours."
Western Push: Antoine Magre's Mach 50 Palanad 4 powers west along the English Channel after recovering from a slow start, joining the battle with Pace and Varuna 6 for the best route into the Celtic Sea. Photo: James Tomlinson
Cresswell believes all three leading boats are facing the same tactical dilemma. "All three boats are grappling with how to best transit the incoming wind hole before getting to more consistent breeze in the Celtic Sea."
Further back, the Class40 fleet remained tightly packed as Penfret, Swift and Gambit headed towards The Lizard. Graeme Lewis's Maxi Venomous and the Volvo 60 Challenge Ocean were also part of the closely matched group.
Pata Negra Leads IRC One
ISORA's Sam and Andrew Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra led IRC One both on the water and on estimated corrected time after opening an early advantage. Stickleback occupied second on corrected time, while Espresso Martini Too remained firmly in contention.
Reporting from Espresso Martini Too, Cameron Davis described high spirits aboard the Farr 40. "Passing Salcombe and Prawle Point... it's a beautiful day at sea. We've already seen dolphins, the rig and sails are looking great, and spirits are high."
Bellino Heads IRC Two
Rob Craigie's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, with Irish crew Hemeryck and Griffiths, held the provisional lead in IRC Two on estimated corrected time.
Light-Air Test: Rob Craigie's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino holds the provisional lead in IRC Two on estimated corrected time as the fleet negotiates increasingly lighter conditions off the south-west coast of England. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
RORC Commodore Deb Fish reported increasingly difficult conditions. "Nicole is currently doing a great job on the helm keeping the boat moving while I ponder whether we sail what we see or head north in search of a sea breeze," she said.
Double-Handed Contest Remains Close
Benjamin Grosman and Klaus Rasmussen's JPK 1080 Ronin topped the IRC Two-Handed standings on both the water and on estimated corrected time.
Mzungu!, sailed by Sam White and Nathan Steffenoni, was second, with Ian Hoddle and Willow Bland aboard Sky Business – Game On remaining within striking distance after recovering from an early wind hole.
White warned against reading too much into the early standings. "At this stage you can have a massive lead, and it can count for nothing," he said. "We're focusing on the big picture, sailing our own race and making sure we're right there when it really starts to count."
Jetpack Sets the Pace in IRC Three
Mark Brown's JPK 1010 Jetpack led IRC Three after covering about 135 nautical miles during the opening 24 hours. The Gosport crew headed both the on-the-water standings and estimated corrected time, ahead of the double-handed entries Zanzibar and Mojo.
Fast Start: Mark Brown's JPK 1010 Jetpack has made an impressive opening to the race, leading IRC Three after the first 24 hours while building an early advantage on both the water and estimated corrected time. Photo: Rick Tomlinson
Meanwhile, Fujitsu British Soldier continued to recover after an early tiller repair. Skipper Will Naylor said the crew had regained ground overnight. "A massive push was made through the night," he said, adding that after extensive searching, "the skipper found the tea bags as well."
With more than 1,600 nautical miles still to sail, the race remains in its early stages. However, the tactical decisions made around Land's End and the Isles of Scilly could prove pivotal before the fleet reaches the steadier winds of the Celtic Sea.
