Saturday's (May 18th) RORC 160 nautical mile De Guingand Bowl Race will start off the Royal Yacht Squadron line.

Almost uniquely in the RORC series, the De Guingand Bowl Race starts and finishes in The Solent. This allows the RORC Race team to devise a course that is both tactical and strategic without the influence of a pre-determined route. The racetrack will be decided just 24 hours from the start, depending on weather conditions.

Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews racing Sun Fast 3200 Cora Photo: Paul Wyeth

Nineteen teams will be competing for Race One of the 2024 IRC Two Handed National Championship. Tim Goodhew & Kelvin Matthews racing Sun Fast 3200 Cora (GB) are the reigning champions, having won both races for the championship last year. Tough British opposition to Cora includes Rob Craigie & RORC Commodore Deb Fish racing Sun Fast 3600 Bellino and Ian Hoddle’s Sun Fast 3300 Game On, racing with Ollie Wyatt. Top overseas competition includes Astrid de Vin & Roeland Franssens with JPK 1030 Il Corvo (NED) and two French Sun Fast 3200s: Philippe Benaben’s Platypus and Oliver Hays Kia Ora. Hamish Pimm’s pocket-rocket Dehler 30 Black Betty (GBR) is the highest rated double-handed entry, all be it the smallest boat in the race.

Eric de Turckheim’s NMD 54 Teasing Machine (FRA) Photo: Paul Wyeth

The fastest boat on rating for this year’s De Guingand Bowl Race is Eric de Turckheim’s NMD 54 Teasing Machine (FRA) which was second overall for the 2023 RORC Season’s Points Championship.

Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorous II (GBR) Photo: James Mitchell

Competition in IRC Zero will come from Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorous II (GBR) which is the current leader for IRC Zero for 2024. The De Graaf family’s Ker 43 Barak GP (NED) will be taking part in their second race of the season.

 Derek Shakespeare’s J/122 Bulldog Photo: Paul Wyeth

In IRC One, Sport Nautique Club’s Xp44 Orange Mecanix 2 (FRA) will be once again skippered by Maxime de Mareuil. Two J/122s will do battle with RORC Treasurer Derek Shakespeare’s Bulldog (GBR) up against Tim Tolcher’s Raging Bull 4 (GBR).

Racing fully-crewed in IRC Two are three highly successful RORC regulars: Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep (GBR), overall winner of the Cervantes Trophy Race. Multiple season class champion, Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) and the Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier (GBR). The oldest boat in the race is the 1973 Admiral’s Cupper, Nicholson 55 Quailo III, owned by Andrew Tseng.

Andrew Tseng's Nicholson 55 Quailo III Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Three Sun Fast 30 One Designs will have their own personal battle in IRC Two. Kevin Armstrong’s Cap Altair will be racing Two-Handed with Joza Cic. Their one design opposition will be two Sun Fast 30s chartered to the RORC and fully-crewed by the Griffin Youth Squad. Charlie Muldoon skippers Cap Polaris and Matt Beecher skippers Cap Sela.

Sun Fast 30 ODs Cap Sela & Cap Polaris Photo: Paul Wyeth

IRC Three has eleven entries with Sun Fast 3200 Cora as one of the favourites. Rob Cotterill’s J/109 Mojo Risin (GBR) pushed Cora all the way last year, claiming runner-up on IRC corrected time and third overall by just under seven minutes. Two J/99s will also be in the mix: Jean-Lin Flipo’s Yalla! (FRA) and Mark Kendall’s Jiro (GBR).

Rob Cotterill’s J/109 Mojo Risin' Photo: Paul Wyeth

As with all RORC Offshore races, the overall winner will be decided by the best elapsed time after IRC time correction. The De Guingand Bowl is the prize, named after E.P. Buster de Guingand. A RORC Vice Commodore in the 1960s, Buster played an integral part in steering the American CCA and RORC rules into a combined IOR rule in 1969.

2024 De Guingand Bowl Race entries are here 

The fifth race of the RORC Season’s Points Championship is the De Guingand Bowl Race, scheduled to start at 09:30 BST on Saturday 14th May to the west, from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, Cowes. The course for the overnight race of 110-160nm will be announced prior to the start. 57 teams have entered, racing under IRC, MOCRA and Class40 rules.

Crew come from at least nine different countries including: Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States.

Antoine Magre’s French Class40 Palanad 3 © Carlo Borlenghi

Four teams can be counted as favourites for Monohull Race Line Honours, the highest rated boat under IRC is Ross Hobson & Adrian Banks’ British Open 50 Pegasus of Northumberland . Antoine Magre’s French Class40 Palanad 3, winner of the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race, will also be racing. Both teams have entered the 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race. In contention to be the first monohull to finish the De Guingand Bowl Race is RORC Commodore James Neville with British HH42 INO XXX, which took the gun and the overall win for the 2022 Cervantes Trophy Race. New to RORC Racing will be Michael Møllmann’s all-composite Danish Elliott 35SS Palby Marine, sailed by Sofus Pedersen. Ultimate Sailing’s British Multi50 Spirit of Poole, sailed by Robert Langford-Wood, is currently the sole entry in MOCRA and will be taking part in its first race since undergoing a four-month refit.

Michael O’Donnell's J/121 Darkwood Photo: RORC

Thirteen teams are entered for IRC One including Ireland’s Michael O’Donnell racing his J/121 Darkwood, which was second overall for the Cervantes Trophy Race. The class contains a number of charter boats with passionate amateur crew including six First 40s: Skylander skippered by Jordan Billiald, Galahad of Cowes skippered by Ronan Banim, Lancelot II skippered by David Thomson, Arthur skippered by Jim Bennett. Two teams from the London Corinthian Sailing Club, will be starting their 2023 Rolex Fastnet Campaign racing Tango and Jazz. Overseas teams in the class include Benedikt Clauberg’s Swiss Ocean Racing Club with First 47.7 Kai and Laurent Charmy’s French J/111 SL Energies_Groupe Fastwave.

IRC Two-Handed is the largest class for the De Guingand Bowl Race with 30 expected to be racing. The two leading teams for the 2022 season will be in action. Richard Palmer will be racing his JPK 1010 Jangada with Rupert Holmes and Sunfast 3200 Cora will be raced by Tim Goodhew & Kelvin Matthews. Twelve Sun Fast 3300s will be racing in IRC Two-Handed, including a RORC debut for Red Ruby sailed by partners Christina & Justin Wolfe from Washington USA. Wayne Palmer will also be racing his J/99 Jam for the first time, racing in IRC Two-Handed with Mark Emons. Stuart Greenfield will be racing his S&S 34 Morning After with Louise Clayton.

Twenty entries have been received by teams racing in IRC 2, the majority of which will be racing in IRC Two-Handed. Fully crewed entries in IRC Two include the well-sailed Sun Fast 3600, the Army Sailing Association’s Fujitsu British Soldier, skippered by Philip Caswell, which was class winner for the Cervantes Trophy Race. Freya Anderson & Adam Leddy will be racing Gavin Howe’s 1987 Julian Everitt designed 35ft sloop Wavetrain.

Harry Heijst’s S&S 41 Winsome Photo: RORC

In IRC Three, the Royal Navy Sailing Association’s J/109 Jolly Jack Tar, skippered by Henry Wilson, the Royal Air Force Sailing Association’s J/109 Red Arrow, skippered by Gillian Burgess. Harry Heijst’s S&S 41 Winsome is entered with a majority Dutch crew. French Franck Ribot’s JPK 1010 Whisper returns to RORC racing with an all-French team. In IRC Four, Christophe Declercq will be racing Contessa 32 Lecas with a team from Belgium.

The overall winner of the race after IRC time correction will be presented with the De Guingand Bowl, which was presented to the Royal Ocean Racing Club by E.P. de Guingand, affectionally known as ‘Buster’ (Vice Commodore 1957-1959). The best vantage points of the start will be along Cowes Green and Egypt Esplanade. Competing boats can be tracked using AIS data, when in range, via the YB tracker player here 

All competitors, family and friends are welcome to the RORC Cowes Clubhouse. Photo: RORC/Paul Wyeth

The De Guingand Bowl Race is part of the 2022 RORC Season’s Points Championship, the world's largest offshore racing series comprising of 16 testing races. Every race had its own coveted prize for the overall winner and famous trophies for IRC class honours.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s (RORC) De Guingand Bowl Race started in light conditions, with the wind speed increasing later in the race to about 15 knots and veering south.

The top three boats overall were all racing in IRC Four. The overall winner was Jonathan Rolls’ classic S&S Swan 38 Xara.

Second overall was Chris Choules Sigma 38 With Alacrity. French JPK 10.10 Gioia, sailed by Etienne Pinteaux, was third.

In IRC Zero, David Collins Botin IRC 52 Tala took Line Honours for the race. 

Jonathan Rolls’ classic S&S Swan 38 Xara © Paul Wyeth

“It was a funny old race, and I am sure the crew are very pleased, I think we are a bit lucky really,” commented Xara’s Jonathan Rolls. “We didn’t do anything particularly special to be honest. It was good fun, we are a bit knackered, but it seems that the conditions really suited Xara. I suspect we surprised one or two of the better boats. We are old fashioned amateurs, very definitely not professional, The crew are all family and friends, Tom (Rolls) is the navigator, and very good at it.”

Xara has a long history in the Fastnet Race, including surviving the tragic 1979 edition. In recent years, under the ownership of Jonathan Rolls, Xara has achieved the distinction of achieving Best Swan Overall in the 2017 and 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race.

“We intend to race with the RORC to St. Malo this July, and then the Fastnet this August. I am an ancient gentleman, but the crew look after the old man. For this race, I think that luck played its part, giving us fair winds and following seas.”

A light north easterly breeze freshened as the fleet passed Portsmouth Photo: Paul Wyeth

The 114nm race started off the Squadron Line to the east on a favourable tide. A light north easterly breeze freshened as the fleet passed Portsmouth. Teams eased sails as they bore away south into the English Channel, where a cross-tide came into the strategy. Once past a virtual line of latitude, the RORC fleet hardened up for a 30 mile beat to Shoreham Outfall. A downwind leg back towards the Solent, following the setting sun, was followed by a manoeuvre-testing chicane, before finishing in the Solent at Mother Bank.

Full Results here

IRC ONE
Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift took line honours and the class win from Rob Bottomley’s Mat 12 Sailplane. David Cummins’ Ker 39 Rumbleflurg, sailed by Harry Bradley, was just 77 seconds behind Sailplane after IRC time correction.

IRC TWO
Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster was the class winner by just over three minutes after IRC time correction. The current overall leader for the RORC Season’s Points Championship, Thomas Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise, was second in class. Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader was third in class for the race. Capstan Sailing’s Skylander, skippered by Yuri Fadeev, won the battle of the First 40s, and placed fourth in class.

IRC THREE
James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing Two-Handed with Dee Caffari, was the class winner. Second was the full crew of the Army Sailing Association, racing Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier and skippered by Henry Foster. Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing Two-Handed with Deb Fish, was third.

IRC TWO-HANDED
20 teams entered racing in IRC Two-Handed, the majority racing in IRC Three and Four. Richard Palmer’s JPK 10.10 Jangada chalked up another narrow victory. Sailing with Jeremy Waitt, Jangada beat Gentoo by 83 seconds after IRC time correction. Bellino was third. All three of these teams have now completed three races in the RORC Season’s Points Championship, with less than 19 points separating them.