Sunfast 3200 Cora Wins RORC IRC Double-Handed UK Nationals

12th September 2023

Louay Habib

Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews in the Sun Fast 3200, Cora Credit: Rick Tomlinson

It's been quite a year for Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews racing Sun Fast 3200 Cora. After winning IRC Two-Handed and IRC Three for the 2023 RORC Season's Points Championship, Cora has become the Royal Ocean Racing Club's 2023 IRC Double-Handed National Champions.

Cora won the Salcombe Gin Castle Rock Race at the beginning of the month and scored a double-win on Saturday, 09 September, in the final race. Cora took line honours and the win after IRC time correction for Race Two.

Last year's championship winner, Mike Yates' J/109 JAGO, racing with Will Holland, was second to Cora by narrow margins in both races. Rob Craigie's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino was third for the championship. In Race Two, Kathy Claydon's Arcona 370 Arcsine, racing with Phil Kirk, finished third after IRC time correction.

The next race organised by RORC will be the 15th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race. The 3000-mile race across the Atlantic starts from Marina Lanzarote on 7th January.

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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)