Easter Challenge Entry Opens for First UK Regatta of the Royal Ocean Racing Club 2023

6th March 2023

Louay Habib

Coaching and post race briefings. Sign up now for the RORC Easter Challenge - supported by North Sails: 7th to 9th April 2023 Credit: Paul Wyeth

Entry is open for the RORC Easter Challenge supported by North Sails. From 7th-9th April, the first UK regatta of the Royal Ocean Racing Club 2023 season has up to three inshore races per day scheduled over the Easter Bank Holiday. Complimentary on-the-water coaching is led by RYA Keelboat Coach Mason King and his team. Racing is followed by comprehensive video debriefs at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse. With vital pre-season training and fine-tuning, the RORC Easter Challenge is ideal for any team to kick-start their campaign.

“Race starts are always important, so before the first warning signal on Friday, we will run numerous practice starts,” confirmed RORC Racing Manager Steve Cole. “The RORC Easter Challenge will have a mixture of windward-leeward and round the cans races. A selection of courses and wind angles presents a perfect opportunity to improve your racing. The regatta is suitable for teams with an offshore programme and inshore. The racing will be competitive, but the real goal here is to tune up for the coming season. The courses will be designed to hone boat handling, tactics and navigation. All competitors will get a warm welcome at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse.”

RORC Easter Challenge - Up to three inshore races per day in the first UK regatta of the RORC 2023 season Photo: Paul Wyeth

RORC Easter Challenge - Coaching on and off the water Photo: Paul Wyeth

With the relaxation of RRS41, the highlight of the event is the availability of experienced coaches on the water to assist teams with getting back up to speed. Mason King’s team will be supplemented by North Sails experts and a drone pilot in a support RIB. Many of the teams will be racing with North Sails experts, including Ian Atkins’ GP42 Dark ‘N’ Stormy which will have North Sails UK General Manager Ian Walker calling tactics.

"The RORC Easter Challenge is the perfect way to get the season started," commented Ian Walker. "The North Sails team will be out on the water in force and on hand ashore to help with the debriefing. We look forward to helping everyone to blow away the cobwebs, learn some new tricks and get their season up and running in the best possible way."

The RORC Easter Challenge is an open regatta and the RORC Clubhouse debriefs are a great way to rub shoulders with the competition. The RORC Restaurant and Bar will be open to all competitors. Prizes for the RORC Easter Challenge are Easter Eggs, but the real success for every team will be improving performance for the season ahead.

For more information about the RORC Easter Challenge and entries click here

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RORC

About The Author

Louay Habib

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Louay Habib is a Maritime Journalist & Broadcaster based in Hamble, United Kingdom

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THE RORC:

Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) became famous for the biennial Fastnet Race and the international team event, the Admiral's Cup. It organises an annual series of domestic offshore races from its base in Cowes as well as inshore regattas including the RORC Easter Challenge and the IRC European Championship (includes the Commodores' Cup) in the Solent
The RORC works with other yacht clubs to promote their offshore races and provides marketing and organisational support. The RORC Caribbean 600, based in Antigua and the first offshore race in the Caribbean, has been an instant success. The 10th edition took place in February 2018. The RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada, the first of which was in November 2014
The club is based in St James' Place, London, but after a merger with The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes now boasts a superb clubhouse facility at the entrance to Cowes Harbour and a membership of over 4,000

At A Glance – RORC

RORC Race Enquiries:

Royal Ocean Racing Club T: +44 (0) 1983 295144 E: [email protected] W: http://www.rorc.org/

Royal Ocean Racing Club:

20 St James's Place, London SW1A 1NN, Tel: 020 7493 2248 E: [email protected]

2026 RORC Key dates

Key RORC 2026 dates extracted from the programme:

January–February 2026
• 11 January – RORC Transatlantic Race (Lanzarote to Antigua)
• February (dates vary) – Nelson’s Cup, Antigua
• 23 February – RORC Caribbean 600

May 2026
• 2 May – Cervantes Trophy Race (Cowes to Le Havre)
• 15 May – North Sea Race
• 22–25 May – IRC European Championships, International Poole Regatta
• 23 May – Myth of Malham Race
• 30 May – De Guingand Bowl Race

June 2026
• 12 June – Morgan Cup (Cowes to Dartmouth)
• 20 June – Round Ireland Race (Wicklow)

July 2026
• 3 July – Cowes–Dinard–Saint Malo Race
• 25 July – Channel Race

August 2026
• 8 August – Baltic Sea Race (Helsinki)
• 9 August – Round Britain and Ireland Race (Cowes)
• 26–29 August – IRC National Championship (Dartmouth)

September 2026
• 4 September – Cherbourg Race

October 2026
• 17 October – Rolex Middle Sea Race (counts towards 2027 championship)