Irish Offshore Sailing News. Training Courses, Lessons, & Race Results
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee received a family and diplomatic send-off in Saint-Malo early on Sunday morning (1 November) as she prepared for the start of the Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race aboard her DFDS-backed Class40 yacht EmpowHer. Lee…
Boris Herrmann's Route du Rhum May Take IMOCA Fleet Near Ireland
30th October 2026 La Route du Rhum Race
German offshore sailor Boris Herrmann is preparing for his first solo race aboard the new IMOCA Malizia 4 in Sunday's Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, as an unusual Atlantic weather pattern could push the fleet south of Ireland and Fastnet Rock. The…
All eight of the world's giant 32-metre Ultim trimarans will gather off Saint-Malo on Sunday, 1 November, to start the Route du Rhum offshore sailing contest, setting up an intriguing battle between established champions, ambitious challengers, and some of the most advanced ocean-racing machines…
Route du Rhum 2026: 49 Class40 Skippers Ready to Race Including Ireland's Pamela Lee
26th October 2026 La Route du Rhum Race
Wicklow offshore sailor Pamela Lee faces a formidable challenge in the Class40 fleet at the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, with 49 solo skippers preparing to start off Saint-Malo on Sunday, 1st November. Lee, sailing EmpowHer, is preparing to become the first…
When Annalise Murphy of the National Yacht Club won the Dinghy Division of Sailing’s Championship of the Champions in Ireland last Sunday (October 4th) after two days of racing in Melges 15s at the Royal St George Yacht Club in…
World Sailing is to launch a global consultation with offshore sailors and yacht owners over the growing influence of technology on racing, confirming a move towards wider consultation highlighted by Afloat. World Sailing is to seek the views of offshore…
World Sailing's offshore rules could be heading for further scrutiny as increasingly sophisticated autopilots, sensors and computer-controlled systems raise questions over where electronic assistance ends and human endeavour begins. The rapidly expanding role of technology aboard offshore racing yachts is…
France’s Thomas André and Colombe Julia have won the 2026 Offshore Double Handed World Championship after taking a closely fought 190-nautical-mile final off Marseille. The French pair, racing FRA01, emerged from a four-boat battle in light and shifting winds to…
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee will be the focus of a special Dún Laoghaire gathering next Tuesday (October 6) as she prepares for her historic solo challenge in November’s Route du Rhum. As first reported by Afloat last month, Lee…
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee is among 118 skippers now entering the final countdown to the 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, with just over a month remaining before the solo transatlantic fleet leaves Saint-Malo. As previously reported by Afloat,…
Orient Express VI has completed a remarkable comeback to win the 25th anniversary Bosphorus Cup as 47 yachts raced through the heart of Istanbul on one of international sailing's most distinctive racecourses. The Turkish Farr 55, owned and skippered by…
ABB has joined Ferrari Hypersail as its Electrification Partner, bringing its Direct Current (DC) and marine power expertise to the development of Ferrari’s 100-foot oceanic full-foiling monohull yacht. Ferrari Hypersail is powered by renewable energy and is designed to combine…
Pamela Lee to Become First Irishwoman to Race Route du Rhum
12th September 2026 La Route du Rhum Race
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee will make history as the first Irishwoman to compete in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe when she lines up in the race’s largest division, the 49-boat Class40 fleet, this November. The 38-year-old will race…
Six IMOCA teams have started The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, setting off on a 3,200-nautical-mile transatlantic sprint from waters off New York to Lorient, France. The international fleet crossed the offshore start line at 1400 UTC on Wednesday (September 2),…
Irish solo sailor Pat Lawless has received his official Green Card for the 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race, clearing one of the final hurdles before Sunday’s start of the 30,000-nautical-mile solo, non-stop circumnavigation. Lawless was the second of the 16 skippers…
Three major offshore titles will be decided when the Royal Ocean Racing Club fleet sets out on the Nautical Cloud Cherbourg Race on Friday, 4 September. The traditional 75-nautical-mile sprint from Cowes to Cherbourg is the final event of the…
