RORC De Guingand Bowl Race Set for Tactical Solent Test

29th May 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Start Line – The S&S 41 Winsome powers through Solent chop during RORC offshore racing ahead of the 2026 De Guingand Bowl Race from Cowes Credit: Paul Wyeth

The RORC De Guingand Bowl Race returns on Saturday 30 May with a competitive fleet expected on the start line in Cowes.

The race marks the seventh round of the 2026 RORC Season’s Points Championship and the third event in the RORC Cowes Offshore Series. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Royal Yacht Squadron, the race will start at 1100 BST from Cowes. The course, expected to cover between 110 and 160 nautical miles, will be confirmed the day before racing. Organisers say the flexible format allows the race team to respond to the weather forecast and create a tactically demanding course.

French entry Palanad 4 heads the IRC Zero fleet after a strong start to the season. Antoine Magre’s Manuard 50 claimed overall victory in the RORC Transatlantic Race and also won class honours in the RORC Caribbean 600.

Black Sail Charge – Antoine Magre’s Manuard 50 Palanad 4 returns to RORC competition after an impressive early offshore season including Transatlantic Race success. Photo: RORC

In IRC One, Trevor Middleton’s JPK 1180 Black Sheep and Nick and Jacquetta Edmonds’ J/45 Stickleback continue preparations for the Round Britain and Ireland Race later this season.

The largest fleet is IRC Three with 19 entries. Double-handed specialists Bellino, sailed by Rob Craigie and RORC Commodore Deb Fish, arrived after winning last weekend’s Myth of Malham Race.

The RORC Griffin youth programme will also compete with Sun Fast 3600 RORC Griffin, skippered by Patrick Whelan and Will Jarman, ahead of next month’s Round Ireland Race.

Colour Run – The Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, raced double-handed by Rob Craigie and RORC Commodore Deb Fish, lines up among a competitive IRC Three fleet in the Solent. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Fifteen teams are entered in the IRC Two-Handed competition across the classes. They include Richard Palmer racing Jangada with his daughter Sophie following his recent Globe40 campaign.

IRC Four combines modern and classic offshore yachts, including Harry Heijst’s S&S 41 Winsome and Rob Cotterill’s J/109 Mojo Risin’, which took class honours in the Myth of Malham.

Competitors and supporters will gather at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse throughout the weekend as the offshore season continues in the Solent.

Published in RORC, Offshore, Round Ireland

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)