ORC Worlds Inshore Racing Opens With Tight Battles

12th May 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Gulf Clash — Black-sailed TP52s press hard in close company as the ORC World Championship 2026 inshore series opens off Sorrento Credit: Studio Borlenghi

The ORC World Championship 2026 moved into its inshore phase on Monday with demanding racing conditions in the Gulf of Naples. Following the offshore Regata dei Tre Golfi, crews faced unstable winds and tactical pressure on the opening day off Sorrento and Meta di Sorrento.

The championship is organised by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia with the Yacht Club Italiano and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, in conjunction with the Offshore Racing Congress.

TP52 rivals trade places during the ORC Worlds inshore opener. Photo: Studio Borlenghi

Classes 0 and A raced on a windward-leeward course south-west of Sorrento, with fluctuating breeze testing crews throughout the day.

In Class 0, Andrew Berdon’s TP52 Summer Storm secured victory to extend its overall lead after two races. Australia’s Vudu, owned by Mauro Gestri, finished second again, while Jon Desmond’s American Pac52 Final Final placed third.

“It was a very tricky race, with unstable wind and a lot of changes,” said Vudu tactician Michele Regolo. “All the boats were very similar in performance, so every decision made a difference,” he added.

In Class A, the British Carkeek 40+ Ran, owned by Niklas Zennström, claimed the race win ahead of Sweden’s Garm 24 and Interlodge 44.

“It was a positive day for us,” said Ran sailor Alberto Bolzan. “Conditions were tricky, but the Race Committee did a good job managing the course,” he said.

Racing proved more difficult for Classes B and C. The first Class B race was abandoned before the Class C start sequence began. Later in the afternoon, the Race Committee, chaired by Stuart Childerley, sent the larger fleets ashore and completed racing for the smaller boats.

Class B and C crews line up tightly in the Gulf of Naples. Photo: Studio Borlenghi

Mascalzone Latino won Class B ahead of Sideracordis and To Be, which now leads overall after two races.

In Class C, Chisum took victory ahead of Asociación Deportiva Canaleta and Robe da Mat.

Organisers hope to complete up to three races on Tuesday before Wednesday’s scheduled coastal race around Capri.

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About the ORC Handicap System and Its Use in Ireland

The ORC (Offshore Racing Congress) handicap system is a measurement-based rating rule used to create fair competition between sailing yachts of different designs. Rather than relying on performance data alone, ORC ratings are calculated from detailed measurements of each yacht’s hull shape, rig, sails and stability. These measurements generate a Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) model, which estimates how fast the boat should sail in various wind strengths and angles. Race results are then corrected using one of several scoring options, such as Time-on-Time or Time-on-Distance, aiming to reward crew performance rather than inherent design advantages.

In recent years, there has been exploration in Ireland toward broader adoption of the ORC system, particularly ORC International (ORCi) and ORC Club certificates.

Clubs on both east and south coasts have explored ORC as an alternative or complement to the IRC rating rule, which has traditionally dominated Irish handicap racing. In 2025, events such as the D2D Race and Calves Week trialled ORC scoring or dual-scoring with IRC to ease the transition.

The move is driven by a desire for transparency, international alignment and access to the robust technical framework that ORC offers. Some Irish sailors are asking for consistency with European events where ORC is already well established.