Entry Now Open for IRC Welsh Nationals to Kick Off First Irish Sea Nations Cup

2nd April 2025

Afloat.ie Team

The Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event Centre, Plas Heli will welcome the IRC Welsh Nationals on the weekend of 2-4 May

Entries are now open for the IRC Welsh Nationals, the first event of the inaugural Irish Sea Nations Cup.

The open event will be co-hosted by Royal Dee Yacht Club and Pwllheli Sailing Club at the Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event Centre, Plas Heli from 2-4 May.

Racing will take place in the two IRC classes, with the Sonata class welcomed for IRC 2 — those who hold IRC ratings will compete for both the IRC title and the Sonata Welsh Championship.

The event will also incorporate the IRC J70 Welsh Nationals, while a cruiser racer class will race under the YTC system and a windsurfing event is also being hosted at Plas Heli, making for an action-packed weekend.

Organisers promise three days of great racing, daily prize-givings and shoreside entertainment.

The Notice of Race and online entry form are now available. Visiting yachts will be allocated a berth, if requested on the entry form.

If any help is required, please contact any of the event team by emailing [email protected] and for more details see ircwelshchamps.com.

Published in RORC, Irish Sea Nations Cup

Published in RORC

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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)