Irish Half Tonner 2Farr Wins IRC Four at RORC Easter Challenge

21st April 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Irish yacht 2Farr clinches victory in the IRC Four class at the RORC Easter Challenge Credit: Paul Wyeth

Irish half tonner 2Farr, co-skippered by Patrick Boardman, Dave Kelly and Robert O'Leary, emerged victorious in the IRC Four class at the RORC Easter Challenge. The event concluded on Easter Sunday in the Solent.

The regatta featured six races, with all class winners determined on the final day. 2Farr's performance included consistent results that secured their top position.

“Winning this regatta boosts our confidence for the season,” said crew member Patrick Boardman. The team demonstrated strong sailing skills over the weekend, learning valuable lessons in a range of wind conditions.

2 Farr’s Rob O’Leary has been competing at the Easter Challenge since he was a teenager, often alongside his father Anthony and brothers Peter and Nicholas O’Leary. However, for much of the 2 Farr crew from Rush SC, including co-owners Boardman and Kelly, this was a new experience.

“The Easter Challenge is always a good shakedown; good racing at an early stage of the season,” commented Rob O’Leary. “Also, we have a new kite, and it was good to get that up against good competition, but you are always learning and trying to get stronger. This year, the fleet was more competitive with an increase in numbers. It’s good to see IRC racing so strong in the early part of the season.

The event was marked by a strong coaching focus, helping competitors refine their skills. Changes in strategy led to improved performances for several teams across the four IRC classes.

Peter Harrison’s Jolt 3 (with Galway Bay's Ronan Grealish on the strength) took first place in IRC One, while Per Roman’s Garm won IRC Two. Runner-up in IRC Two was Dave Cullen’s Irish First 50 Checkmate XX, with Shirley Robertson driving. Alain Waha and Matt Waite’s J/99 Further West dominated in IRC Three.

Full results here

Published in RORC, Half Tonners

Published in RORC

Tagged under

RORC
2Farr

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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)