Royal Cork YC's Paul Gibbons, racing Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge, who was the winner of the inaugural IRC European Champion Trophy last July, will be travelling to France this summer to defend his Euro title and the hope is other Irish IRC campaigners will make the journey to Marseille too.
After its inaugural outing at Cork Week 2016, Marseille is the venue for the 2017 IRC European Championship. The RORC championships will be organised by the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large (UNCL), the Cercle Nautique et Touristique du Lacydon (CNTL), the Societe Nautique de Marseille (SNM) and the Union Nautique Marseillaise (UNM), from the 5th to the 9th July 2017 in Marseille. A date that clashes unfortunately with Ireland's biggest regatta in Dun Laoghaire.
The French event was officially launched at the UNCL stand at Paris Boat Show, in the presence of the Presidents of the four organising clubs.
It will be the second edition of this international competition, after a first and successful one held in Cork Harbour in July 2016.
All the IRC rated boats, with a TCC equal or more than 0.900, are invited to participate to the Marseille 2017 IRC European Championship.
Crews from Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom, among others, have already announced their intention to participate in this new challenge, with Ireland's Gibbons declaring his intention to defend immediately on lifting the antique silver cup in Crosshaven.
