#rorc – The RORC Season's Points Championship continues this weekend with the Myth of Malham Race. The 230-mile race, around the Eddystone Lighthouse is one of the longest races in the RORC calendar. It is a test of endurance and concentration and is extremely tactical, especially with regards to the strong tides that flow along the south west coast of England. Usually, a tough beat to the famous Eddystone Lighthouse is rewarded with a downwind return leg back to the Solent. The race also carries a weighted points factor of 1.2, making it even more important for the RORC Season's Points Championship.

In IRC One Jens Kuehne's RP48, Sjambok, is the scratch boat and will be giving away a considerable time handicap to Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum III, and Chaz Ivill's Grand Soleil 54, Trustmarque John B, the next highest rated boats in the class. It will be a race that the German team on Sjambok will remember well! Here is a video from on board last year's wicked downhill sleigh ride back to the Solent from the Eddystone Lighthouse.

Also in IRC One Mark Emerson's Rodman 42, Phosphorus, has been scoring well in the RORC Season's Points Championship, including a class win in the North Sea Race. A good result in the Myth of Malham will move Phosphorus up to first place for the season in class and possibly pole position for the whole championship. However, the current class leaders; Piet Vroon's Tonnerre de Breskens and second place Nick Martin's J/105, Diablo J, are both in Ireland for the Round Ireland Race with a 1.5 weighted points factor.

America's Cup and Olympic helmsman Andy Beadsworth will be racing on board Magnum III, which won class in last week's IRC National Championship. "Our goal for the Myth of Malham will be to sail well and execute the job as well as we can, get the boat around the track in one piece and be tactically astute. This will be my first offshore with the team and we hope to get the most out of the group and to learn more about how to sail the boat, there is nothing as useful as time on the water. Personally I am looking forward to driving the boat in a race for the first time but it is only 230 miles, so Andrew (Pearce) will probably drive the boat the whole way around!" laughed Beadsworth.

In IRC Three Todd Wells will be competing in only his second race with his new J/109, Je Vante. Todd has been racing for many years before deciding to buy his own boat for racing. "Je Vante is new to us this year and we are really looking long term at a Rolex Fastnet campaign for 2013 before I get too old. The Myth of Malham will certainly be good practice for that as it follows much the same route to Eddystone," commented Wells. "The Portland tidal gate will be the first big issue but it is a tactical beat with other issues such as St. Alban's Head and after rounding the lighthouse you have to get home as well! Seriously, for a long race like this, fitness is important and so is the correct sailing kit. As far as food on board, we will be taking two precooked dinners "à la Wells" and lots of fruit too."

Ten yachts will be racing Two-Handed including three Figaro yachts. The Artemis Offshore Sailing Academy's Artemis 43 with Liz Foreman and Robin Elsey on board should have a close battle with Katie Miller's Hot Socks and Ian Hoddle's Rare which will be easy to spot on the start line as it is bright pink!

"This will only be my second double handed race and the first for Robin," commented Liz Foreman. "We will need to make sure we don't wear ourselves out too early on but the biggest thing is getting on well with the other person; as there are only two of you on the boat with no escape apart from jumping in! It helps if you're out-going, excitable and don't mind getting wet and cold. We are planning to eat fried rice most of the time, as it's very tasty and requires no cooking! If it gets too hairy we don't want to be pouring hot water all over the place down below. As for sleep we are planning to get into a watch system so that each of us can get enough rest to keep the boat going at its maximum. I just finished university last week after four years, so going offshore is perhaps not how most students would be celebrating! Robin's glad it's going to be windy this weekend as he is a bit hyperactive and needs to do some running around!"

Ian Hoddle has been racing Rare since the end of 2010 and will be racing with co-skipper Ollie Wyatt.

"I am a great believer in open discussion on board, having an open relationship is critical in my view, as it can overcome highly charged emotions, bad weather and tiredness. Also having a co-skipper with a sense of humour is a must, especially as Rare is pink! Ollie is only 21, but he has comprehensive experience offshore and inshore and is a professional rigger, which is invaluable for running repairs. He is also very fit and dexterous which makes him ideal for hanging off the bow during sail changes!

"The current forecast, with a likely beat all the way to Eddystone in 20+ knots and heavy swell, will make life onboard for two of us very demanding and tiring for the first half of the race. We will be looking forward to reaching the turn and opening her up off the wind on her favoured point of sail. We expect to be awake for most of the race and we will predominately be both on deck for the whole time. Cooking on our single burner hob is possible although likely we will not do this until perhaps the return depending on conditions - so it is pasties and crisps upwind for us. It always brings major food envy when we read of crews having hot bacon sandwiches! Having other Figaro IIs to race this weekend will be excellent and will drive another level of competition for us to benchmark our performance."

#rorc – For the second year running Anthony O'Leary's Ker 39, Antix, has finished runner up at the IRC British Nationals in Cowes. Royal Cork's O'Leary sailed consistently well all weekend and were desperately close to winning but the IRC One title went to Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum III, beating Antix by a single point in the seven race series.

In Class four another Cork Harbour helmsman George Kenefick (Afloat's sailor the year for 2011) on the tiller of Michael Kershaw's Chimp finished third beating Nigel Bigg's Checkmate XV, the recent winner of the BMW ICRA Class two championships in Howth.

Glorious sunshine and a moderate south-westerly breeze was a welcome change after two days of kite shredding conditions at the RORC IRC National Championship.

The RORC Race Committee snapped off three tight windward leeward races in the eastern and central Solent, stress levels were high with several general recalls adding to the drama. The closely bunched fleet caused a heavy traffic zone, where small errors meant leaking precious points towards the championship.

In IRC Three with a perfect seven wins, David Franks' JPK 1010, Strait Dealer, won class and was declared the overall champion for the RORC IRC National Championship: "It really hasn't sunk in yet," admitted Franks. "I understand that we are the smallest yacht ever to win this prestigious trophy and I will get to keep it for a whole year! It might seem like this was an easy win but far from it, we just made fewer mistakes than any one else. This has been a highly competitive and thoroughly enjoyable event and one that I will savour for years to come, but I am delighted for the whole team, which has sailed so well every race to pull off such a great win."

There was heartache for some in IRC One with a massive swing on the leaderboard. The overnight leader, Tonnerre de Breskens, had a torrid time, scoring a 9th and a 13th in the first two races. Tonnerre came back to win the last race of the day but the damage was done and the Dutch yacht dropped from 1st to 5th in Class. François Goubau's First 47.7, Moana, came right into the running with a win in the first race of the day but the Belgian team was early at the pin end of the last race and failed to return, scoring an OCS when class victory was in sight. Anthony O'Leary's Irish Ker 39, Antix, has sailed consistently well all weekend and were desperately close to winning the big boat class, but for the second year running Antix was runner up. The IRC One title went to Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum III, beating Antix by a single point in the seven race series.

'Fantastic, just elated!" exclaimed Andrew Pearce. "We have put in six months of dedication and hard work to improve the team's ability and to become national champions is such a joy. In the team brief this morning, our tactician Andy Beadsworth said not to worry about the points but to just sail as best as we could. Today wasn't perfect but we sailed so much better today. It is a great feeling to win, I can safely say this is the biggest win I have ever had in the sport."

In IRC Two Jim Macgregor's Elan 410, Premier Flair, scored two seconds and a third today to wrap off the division title. Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse, is in the same team as Premier Flair for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup and had a very good day on the water with three podium places, including a win in Race 6 to take second in Class. Sailing Logic's Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma skippered by Tim Thubron, were pushing hard today, but had to settle for third in a very competitive class.

"I think that the results speak for themselves, we have had three days of incredibly close racing," commented Premier Flair's skipper, Jim Macgregor. "I have to take my hat off to the RORC for organising such a well organised and enjoyable regatta under difficult conditions. It was great to see La Réponse scoring so well, which bodes well for our chances in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup."

In IRC Four Grant Gordon's J/97, Fever, scored three bullets today to stamp their authority on the class to win overall by a significant margin from Mike and Jamie Holmes' J/97, Jika Jika. Michael Kershaw's Chimp defeated Nigel Biggs' Checkmate XV in all three races today to win the battle of the Half Tonners.

At the official Prizegiving, RORC Commodore Mike Greville, who has been racing all weekend on Ker 39, Erivale III, thanked the Race Committee and all of the volunteers who have given up their time to put on the event and especially thanked all of the competitors who came from overseas (Ireland, France, Belgium, and Holland) for the event.

RESULTS:

RORC IRC National Championship Winner (Jackdaw Trophy)

Strait Dealer, JPK 1010, David Franks  (+ Winner of IRC Three)

IRC One

1. Magnum III, Ker 40, Andrew Pearce (GBR)

2. Antix, Ker 39, Anthony O'Leary (IRL)

3. Moana, First 47.7, François Goubau (BEL)

IRC Two

1. Premier Flair, Elan 410, Jim Macgregor (GBR)

2. La Réponse , First 40, Andrew McIrvine (GBR)

3. Visit Malta Puma, Reflex 38, Sailing Logic, Tim Thubron (GBR)

IRC Three

1. Strait Dealer, JPK 1010, David Franks (GBR)

2. Elaine, Elan 37, Mike Bridges (GBR)

3. Salvo, Corby 33, Peter Morton (GBR)

IRC Four

1. Fever, J/97, Grant Gordon (GBR)

2. Jika Jika, J/97, Mike and Jamie Holmes (GBR)

3. Chimp, Half Tonner, Michael Kershaw (GBR)

#rorc – Strong winds gusting up to 25 knots in the Eastern Solent made for an exhilarating second day of the RORC IRC National Championship. With 25 knots of wind gusting up to a full gale, pulses were racing, the conditions were such that many yachts chose not to hoist spinnakers downwind and storm sails and lifejackets were deployed in the lively conditions.

Mike Bartholomew's King 40, Tokoloshe, corrected out to win today's race in IRC One. Tokoloshe handled the conditions better than most, making a big gain on the first beat by using the lift off the island shore. After a textbook kite hoist, the South African boat handled the feisty conditions with some ease until a vicious gust knocked them into a spin, tearing their spinnaker in half. "Great racing, just fantastic!" exclaimed Mike Bartholomew. "We knew we had done pretty well at the finish but it could have been a really expensive day, as we lost most of the spinnaker over the side. However, to my delight, Eddie Warden Owen and Nick Elliott from the RORC were out following the racing in a RIB, to my surprise they picked it up and returned it to the boat after the finish, which really capped off a fine win."

Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, was second today, retaining the lead in the big boat class for the series. As Tonnerre came round the top mark, the Dutch flier hoisted their spinnaker, pulling the trigger downwind at over 20 knots. The sleigh ride did not last too long, after burying the bow Tonnerre went 'down the mine' for a spectacular wipe-out.

François Goubau's First 47.7, Moana, was one of the few yachts to reef their mainsail today and showed impressive upwind performance to take third place in IRC One from Anthony O'Leary's Antix by just 13 seconds.

In IRC Two Sailing Logic's Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma, corrected out to win today's race and move up to first in class after four races. The sailing school yacht chose not to use a spinnaker and the decision seemed to pay off. "I actually wanted to put the kite up," admitted Visit Malta Puma's Skipper Tim Thubron. "The crew made me change my mind, which was probably a good thing having witnessed some of the big broaches out there today. On the short course we would have not gained significant time on the run with a kite up, I was absolutely delighted with the win today and especially the performance of the crew."

Marc de Saint Denis's MC34, Courrier Vintage, with the highly experienced Géry Trentesaux at the wheel was a rocket ship downwind, scoring a second in the race to move the French team within a point of the class leader. Jim Macgregor's Elan 410, Premier Flair, put in a great performance today, only to be called OCS but at the time of this report is seeking redress. Even so, Premier Flair remains third in class on their strong performances.

In IRC Three David Franks' JPK 1010, Strait Dealer, scored their fourth win in a row but only just. Defending class champion, Mike Bridges' Elan 37, Elaine, was only 10 seconds behind on corrected time, with Peter Morton's Corby 33, Salvo, claiming third today and in class after four races.

"We certainly learnt a lot about the boat today," commented Strait Dealer's skipper, David Franks. "This weekend is the first time we have taken the boat out in big breeze and it has been a real eye-opener. I like to race offshore as well as inshore and out in the ocean you have to be able to race in any conditions, so today was a very valuable lesson."

In IRC Four Grant Gordon's J/97, Fever, won the day and now leads the class from Mike and Jamie Holmes' J/97, Jika Jika. "We had a bad start but the crew did a great job upwind. We led at the top mark and from there we could cover Jika Jika," commented Grant Gordon. "I have to say, it is a shame to be back on the dock, that was some of the best sailing I have done in the boat but on balance it was a good call to get us out there for a race but also to pull as back in early. On the way back to Cowes we saw a couple of gusts close to 40 knots. I thought the race management today was first class."

Tomorrow is the last day of racing at the RORC IRC National Championship and all classes are still wide open. The weather forecast is for a more moderate breeze of between 10-15 knots, which should provide more of a tactical test after a two day masterclass in the black art of heavy weather sailing.

#rorc – Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary's Ker 39, Antix is second in class after three races at the IRC British National Championships in a breezy Cowes. Under grey skies with big breeze and frequent rain squalls, the fleet had a harsh introduction to the RORC IRC National Championship yesterday.

"We kept the sails above the boat today and to be honest I was too pre-occupied with that to notice those who didn't manage it. In those conditions, you keep your eyes on the road!" O'Leary said on coming ashore.

Shortly after the first start, the international fleet got a taste of the wicked conditions, as an angry 35-knot gust ripped through the racecourse. Thankfully, it was the biggest blast of the day but the wind rarely dropped below 20 knots and rain peppered the competitors throughout the three races. Spotting the huge gusts and nailing manoeuvres were vital to success. Some passed the test with flying colours, others returned to shore with shredded sails and dented pride.

In IRC One, Round Ireland race defender Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens started the series with a disappointing tenth, but came back firing on all cylinders to win the next two races and lead class one overnight. After racing, Piet Vroon commented: "It is a simple rule but he who makes the fewest mistakes usually gets the best results. We didn't break anything today, not even a sail batten and that is all down to the crew being careful and handling the boat well. I was especially happy with our results today, as on short courses we do not have a lot of time to make up our time handicap on other boats, it was great effort by the crew today, it really is all down to them."
 
Jan Persoons sailing Grand Soleil 43, Il Corvo had a consistent day to claim third overall in the big boat class. Mark Devereux's Swan 42, Brevity, started well but the crew will probably remember the day best for their über-Chinese gybe, caught on camera by Paul Wyeth.
 
It's tight at the top of IRC Two with just one point separating the top four yachts after three races. Jim Macgregor's Elan 410, Premier Flair, was in fine form today and they needed to be - a badly shredded kite threatened to put them out of contention in Race 2 but the team showed great tenacity to claw their way back to claim a second place finish in the race. Jim's daughter, Lucy Macgregor, was calling tactics, grinning from ear to ear and obviously enjoying a break from her build up to representing Great Britain at the upcoming Olympic Games. Past RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse, finished the day in fine style taking the gun in Race 3 by a substantial margin to claim second in class. However, La Réponse is tied on points with Marc de Saint Denis & Géry Trentesaux's MC34, Courrier Vintage and Sailing Logic's Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma.
 
Today's outstanding performance came from IRC Three. David Franks' JPK1010, Strait Dealer scored three bullets by some margin, exhibiting terrific boat handling, one of the smallest yachts at the regatta was fully under control in the feisty conditions. "I have to say that it was easier in our class to read the shifts because we had two starts in front of us to observe" admitted Strait Dealer's tactician, Graham Sunderland. "We concentrated on tactics upwind today and more on the boat handling downwind, which I think paid off. I was absolutely delighted for David (Franks), his Etchells racing has massively improved his driving skills, and he was top of his game today. Also I would like to add that the RORC race management team did a great job snapping off three races today in quick succession."
 
IRC Four had a different winner in each race today, Grant Gordon's J/97, Fever won the first rubber but rival J/97, Jika Jika, sailed by Mike and Jamie Holmes, fought back to take Race Two. Michael Kershaw's Chimp, was the last boat to finish in Race 3 but on corrected time the vintage Half Tonner enjoyed their first bullet of the regatta. Racing at the RORC IRC National Championship continues tomorrow with three races scheduled. However, it may be too early to put away the wet weather gear - the weather forecast is suggesting fresh to frightening conditions for the second day of the regatta.

#rorc –Fresh from success at last month's ICRA Nationals at Howth YC both the Irish Class zero and class two champions head for Cowes this weekend for the Royal Ocean Racing Club's (RORC) British IRC Championships writes Louay Habib.

Anthony O'Leary's Zero champion, the Ker 39 Antix and the Class two champion Nigel Bigg's Checkmate IV will be looking for a British title too when well over 400 sailors from all over Europe gather in Cowes this weekend for the annual three day event on tight Solent courses. Close encounters are expected for four classes under tight rating bands.

Since the first edition in 2000, the annual RORC inshore championship has always attracted a highly competitive fleet and this year is no exception.

Also competing in Cowes is Round Ireland champion Piet Vroon from Holland who is heading back to defend his offshore crown in Wicklow in two weeks time.

The sizeable fleet boasts close to 20 yachts that are past or present competitors for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup. Winning class at the RORC IRC National Championship is extremely tough and class victors will savour that moment for years to come.

IRC One has produced one of the most impressive fleets for many years. Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, should be the fastest boat around the track but there will be four Ker 40s nipping at the Dutch flyer's heels. Nigel Passmore's Apollo will be highly motivated to take a national title back to Plymouth. Whilst Andrew Pearce's Magnum III and Harmen de Graaf's Baraka GP will be racing each other for the first time, prior to representing Benelux and Great Britain in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup. However, the depth of talent in this class is quite remarkable, including some notable proven winners: O'Leary's Ker 39, Antix, Michael Bartholomew's King 40, Tokoloshe, Andrew Williams' Mills 39, Dignity, and RORC Commodore, Mike Greville's Ker 39, Erivale III.

"We expect some very challenging racing, which is exactly what is required if we are to continue to improve our performance," commentedMagnum III skipper, Andrew Pearce. "The championship will have some of the best competition from the South Coast and beyond, it will be a thorough test for all of us."

In IRC Two the UNCL President, Marc de Saint Denis, will be racing MC34 Courrier Vintage in good company. No doubt, former RORC Commodore, Andrew McIrvine, will give the Frenchman a warm welcome to Cowes but no quarter once they are out on the racecourse. McIrvine has been in fine form offshore this season but the class has many well-honed adversaries. Kirsty and David Apthorp's J/111 J-Dream came within a whisker of winning Spi Ouest this Easter and Nicolas Gaumont-Prat's First 40.7, Philosophie IV, and Jim Macgregor's Elan 410, Premier Flair, will both be representing Great Britain in next month's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup. Philosophie IV was runner up in IRC Two last year and will be looking to go one better in 2012.

In IRC Three, Mike Bridges' Elan 37, Elaine, is back to defend their title but the class also boasts two teams representing Britain in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup: Peter Morton's Corby 33, Salvo, and the British Keelboat Academy's J/109, Yeoman of Wight, will both be looking to impress. From overseas, Philippe Bourgeois' A35, Dunkerque Plaisance is in fine form, having won their class earlier this month at Normandy Sailing Week and Dutch J/109, Captain Jack, skippered by Round the World racer Bert Visser, is relishing the event. "We cannot get this standard of competition in Holland," admits Visser. "It is well worth the effort to come over for the championship. It is an important event for us and we expect some very good racing."

In IRC Four, Nigel Biggs is a veteran of the championship and will be looking to come out on top with the beautifully prepared vintage Half Tonner, Checkmate XV. The small boat class also has a number of well-sailed modern bowsprit boats. Father and son team, Mike and Jamie Holmes racing J/97 Jika Jika, entered months ago, having identified the championship as a key event of their season.

'It will be a testing event for us," predicted Jamie Holmes. "We are expecting some extremely close racing, I think that key reasons for the popularity of the event are that there is usually a good range of conditions and the races are always well run, which attracts impressive opposition. The IRC National Championship is an excellent event to hone our skills for the J/97 UK Nationals in Guernsey this summer."

#COMMODORE'S CUP – As doubt continues over Ireland's ability to field a team to defend the Commodore's Cup won in 2010, it appears Hong Kong is gearing up for a serious assault on the 2012  Royal Ocean Racing Club event in two months time.

Having finished fifth on their first attempt in 2008 and second to the run-away Irish two years ago, the Hong Kong team is set to be one of the strongest entries in this year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup, to be held on the Solent over 22-28th July.

Competing in an event like this when you are based on the opposite side of the world has its logistical challenges so for this year's event the Hong Kong team has chartered two well known British boats for their three boat line-up.

Erivale, the familiar Ker 39 of the RORC's Commodore Mike Greville, has been chartered to Nick Burns, who campaigned his own Mills 40 EFG Bank Mandrake in 2010. Former RORC Commodore Peter Rutter has chartered his 2011 IRC Nationals-winning Grand Soleil 43, Quokka 8, to leading Hong Kong-based Etchells sailor Ante Razmilovic, who will be both skipper and helmsman for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup.

"We managed to get two good boats, so we feel pretty comfortable," says Team Co-ordinator Laurence Mead, who will be helming Erivale in what will be his fifth Commodores' Cup. "The Hong Kong guys really love the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup. It is good fun, it is easy to do, it is not that time consuming and the balance between the Corinthian element and the competiveness is just right. It's a very competitive event which is both hard to win and well worth it!"

With two chartered boats the Hong Kong team is also shipping one from their home base, the hot new Ker 40 Peninsula Signal 8, acquired last year by a syndicate of five owners. Among them are Jamie McWilliam, of the Irish sail making dynasty, who sailed on board Blondie IV two years ago and is Peninsula Signal 8's skipper. Another co-owner is Australian Keith Jacobs, who is familiar with the Solent having campaigned Bimblegumbie in numerous Admiral's Cups for both Australia and Hong Kong over the 1980s and 90s. A third is former pro-sailor and sailmaker Patrick Pender, who will be Signal 8's helmsman for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup.

The two pros on board are Hamble-based McWilliam brother, Tom, and Sam Haines from the UK Halsey loft in Melbourne, while Chris Frost returns as navigator having competed on Blondie two years ago.

The new Ker 40's unusual name is a reference to the typhoon warnings in Hong Kong, Signal 8 being 'gale or storm force winds'.

"Our big advantage this time is that we are supported and sponsored by The Peninsula Hotels," says Jamie McWilliam. "We are delighted to be associated with such a Hong Kong icon and I hope that they enjoy it as much as we will. They have helped us do it and it has helped us complete the Hong Kong team."

Signal 8 could be one of four Ker 40s competing at the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup if Magnum III and Keronimo are selected for the British team with a fourth believed to be part of the Dutch team.

Peninsula Signal 8 - Credit: Guy Nowell Photography www.guynowell.com

Coming all the way from Hong Kong to take part in the event, training time on board their two charter boats will be limited, but Peninsula Signal 8 has been sailing in Hong Kong since they acquired their boat in the autumn, although Jamie McWilliam says that training companions have been few in Hong Kong over the winter thanks to the increasing success of the Asian circuit. They also plan to use Cork Week as a warm-up.

Although they have charter boats and the team will be largely flying in from Hong Kong for the event, Laurence Mead says that this won't necessarily be a handicap. "We have got quite solid teams, crews who sail together in Hong Kong and who will stick together when they come and do the Commodore's Cup. I think that improves our chances quite a bit." On board Quokka 8 for example will be Joachim Isler and Andrew Taylor, co-owners of the Hong Kong-based Mills 41 Ambush and who competed last time aboard Rockall III.

Also the boats they have chartered are well sorted and they aim to have some Solent experts for the regatta such as career tactician David Bedford who sailed with the Hong Kong team in the last event.

In terms of choosing their boats, the Hong Kong team has erred towards the faster end of the permitted rating band due to the introduction for this year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup of the single mass starts in all races, whereas previously each of the three classes started separately.

While this should prevent them being gassed in the starts, Jamie McWilliam says that going for larger boats doesn't make it a 'slam dunk' for the Hong Kong team. "Theoretically I think the rule for any regatta that involves offshore sailing is that a good big one beats a good little'un. Certainly in 2008 and 2010, big boats were good, but in 2006 that was very much not the case, when the French team won with boats that were pretty much at the bottom of the three bands. But that was the last time it was held earlier in the season."

As to the competition Laurence Mead reckons the English teams will be the hardest to beat, benefitting from local knowledge of the Solent's complex geography, its tides and winds. "The level will be at least as good as it was last time and last time around it was a very competitive regatta. I think it will be a difficult event to win."

Jamie McWilliam concludes: "We have less visibility on the potential outcome this year than previously. Last time we had three boats that we knew very well, but we ran into a colossal campaign from the Irish. In 2008 it was our first time as Hong Kong and to be honest it was a big thing for us to be there, so we weren't that focussed on the result. This time we know a little more about it, although we lack the experience people get regularly racing in the Solent and in seriously competitive IRC fleets in breeze, but at least we are a little more experienced than before."

#COMMODORE'S CUP – Although not an official trial for those wishing to compete for places in the teams to represent England in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup this summer, Warsash Sailing Club created a class in their Spring Championship weekend series especially for the England team triallists. And what perfect training conditions the competitors enjoyed.

Three races on Saturday in 10-18 knots of wind and two races on Sunday starting in 12 knots and increasing to 22 were sailed on perfect windward-leeward courses. The Commodores' Cup fleet were split into two classes, but started together to replicate what they would experience in this years Brewin Dolphin Commodore's Cup with all boats on one start line, whereas in previous years the classes have been split into three with separate starts.

Winner of the CC2 fleet and the most consistent of all the triallists was Jim Macgregor in his Elan 410, Premier Flair. "It was a great weekend's practice and a good opportunity to test our speed against our opposition in the upcoming Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup trials," said Jim who is father to Lucy and Kate Macgregor, part of Team GBR's Women's Match Racing team going to the London Olympics.  "Congratulations must go to Warsash Sailing Club for this initiative. We had great competition from Mike West in Eaujet and Nicholas Gaumont-Prat in Philosophie IV and it was good to start with the big Ker 40s, Keronimo and Magnum".

The two Ker 40s came out on top in CC1 with Jonathan Goring in Keronimo first ahead of Andrew Pearce's Magnum III. It was windy enough for the Ker 40 to get up and plane downwind and these two speed machines had a great match race all weekend.

On Saturday, the CC1 and CC2 classes were started together and raced the same course and also scored together to give the teams an indication of the overall result. Mike West's Eaujet was the best with a 1, 2, 6 just 1½ points ahead of Neil Kipling's J/122 Joopster with a 2.5, 5, 3 and Keronimo third with an 8, 3, 2.

The Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup trials officially start with the RORC's Morgan Cup offshore race on the 5th May followed by the Vice Admiral's Cup on the 18th to 20th May.

#RORC – The Morgan Cup is the first race of the 2012 RORC Season's Points Championship to take place in The English Channel. RORC racing appeals to a wide variety of yachts from cutting edge custom racers to traditional cruising yachts and boats from all over Europe will be competing for class prizes and overall honours. The race starts and finishes in the Solent and exemplifies the variety of courses in this year's RORC Season's Points Championship.

The Morgan Cup takes on particular significance for teams aspiring to represent their country in this year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup. The Morgan Cup has been confirmed as a trial event for RYA Team GBR and several teams with high hopes of selection are amongst the early entries.

In IRC One two Ker 40s will go head to head for the first time offshore, Andrew Pearce's Magnum III and Jonathan Goring's Keronimo.

Andrew Pearce's Magnum III was delivered just before Christmas and the team has been in training during for several months. "After sea trials in January, the team has been out every weekend taking coaching sessions with top racing coach, Jim Saltonstall. Our goal is a place on the England team for Commodores Cup 2012," commented Andrew Pearce.

In IRC Zero Julian Metherell's Class40, MAXVMG, skippered by Mark Denton, is looking forward to a full season of racing. "The Morgan Cup is the start of our preparation for our big goal of the season, The Round Ireland Race, in June. So we are going to be working everything up and doing some sail testing as well as getting the crew back into race mode."

IRC Two is expected to be popular with production yachts of around 40 feet and early entries include Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma, crewed by Sailing Logic. "The Morgan Cup is the first race for our Round Ireland team and they have only been together a short while, so it will be a relatively new experience for them," commented Allie Smith. "The yacht is in great shape after a winter refit including a new loo! Our goals are to win the David Fayle Memorial Trophy for the 8th consecutive year and also to aim as high as we can in Class Two and the overall championship."

In IRC Four veteran Dutch skipper Harry Heijst will race his S&S 41, Winsome, which has been well prepared for the season, as Harry explains. "During the winter, we made some changes, painted her and bought some new sails. We trained at the RORC Easter Challenge and I have to say that the timing of the Morgan Cup, as well as the course, is ideal for us. Do not forget we have to travel for each race from Holland and go back again so for races which end in France, we first have to cruise or motor back to Cowes and then take the return flight from Southampton. A race which is not only starting on the Solent but also ending there, is ideal for us Dutchmen!"

The Morgan Cup is part of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's Points Championship, consisting of a testing series of races, which attracts an international and varied fleet. For the serious offshore sailor, trying to win the Season's Points Championship is a real challenge. The Season's Points Championship this year includes the RORC Caribbean 600, the North Sea Race and the Round Ireland Race.

#OFFSHORE – Solent winds finally came good for the last day of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's (RORC's) Easter Sailing Challenge on Easter Sunday with Irish boats from Royal Cork YC , Howth YC and Royal Irish YC, Dun Laoghaire finishing second third and fourth in class respectively.

Anthony O'Leary was second in IRC one sailing Antix with 15 entries, Dave Cullen's Half Tonner King One was third sailing in IRC IV class B with seven entries and Niall Dowling's brand new J111 Jazzband was fourth sailing in Class II with 10 entries.

With the wind backing into the south and building to double figures. To make up for yesterday's lack of wind, three races were held for all classes.

Runaway winner in IRC One was South African Michael Bartholomew and his well honed crew on the Hamble-based King 40 Tokoloshe. A 5-1-5 scoreline today saw them conclude the regatta with a nine point lead over Irishman Anthony O'Leary's 2010 Commodores' Cup-winning Ker 39, Antix. Tokoloshe is touted as a Cork Week front runner this July so there will be at least one rematch for the Antix crew on home waters this season.

Simon Henning's Farr 45 Alice was doing well, but was let down by a 13th place in today's second race  causing them to drop to third overall, just two points ahead of the British Keelboat Academy on their Niklas Zennstrom-owned sistership Kolga. The Ker 40 dust-up was close with Jonathan Goring's Keronimo finishing two and half points ahead of Andrew Pearce's newer Magnum III.

Despite a strong final push by Jackie Dobson and the crew of the J/133 Jeronimo winning today's two final races, Jim Macgregor and his Poole-based Elan 410 Premier Flair maintained their lead in IRC Two to win by three points. Andrew McIrvine, ex-Commodore of the RORC, came into his own today with his First 40 La Réponse finishing third in each race today.

"It was nice to have the breeze, although we didn't change gears that well," admitted Macgregor. "In the light wind this morning - we had that sussed and we got a win. We had not a bad second race, but we weren't properly set up for the third. There were lots of boats going around corners at the same time, but everyone was well behaved. It was a very enjoyable event and we are very grateful to the RORC and Eddie Warden Owen."

Of Jeronimo's late charge, Macgregor said: "She is going really well. It was tough when she ran aground on Friday. The plateau there did seem to be getting shallower. Perhaps it's the high pressure."

In IRC Three competition was tight. The outstanding performance today was that of David Franks and his new JPK 1010 Strait Dealer, which posted three bullets in as many races. Unfortunately after a slow start to the regatta this was not enough for them to catch David Aisher's British Keelboat Academy crewed J/109 Yeoman of Wight, which was top of the seven J/109s but one point shy of Peter Morton's MAT 1010 in the overall points.

"We loved it, we had a really good time. It was really nice to be back on the water," said MAT 1010's Louise Morton, making her return to competitive yachting for the first time since breaking her leg last June. On MAT 1010, today's races were steered by ex-British Keelboat Academy members Colette Blair and Mark Lees, the competitive juices flowing to ensure they finished ahead of their former colleagues on Yeoman of Wight.

After today's three races there was a leader change in IRC4A with father and son, Mike and Jamie Holmes and their J/97 Jika Jika overhauling sistership, Grant Gordon's Fever, to win by just two points.

"It was our first time out this season, so it took a while for us to blow away the cobwebs," admitted Jamie Holmes. "We led Fever during the race the day before a couple of times, but we threw it away through kedging badly!" Of today's race management on their course despite the powerful spring tide, Holmes added: "They did really well to get three fair races off, particularly after yesterday being so challenging. The tide was more of an issue yesterday, going backwards, than it was today."

According to Mike Holmes, their win came as a surprise as they hadn't expected three races to be held today - one more than scheduled.

IRC 4B was dominated by the Half Tonners, but by one in particular - the 1985 vintage MG30 Checkmate XV, skippered by Nigel Biggs - which completed the RORC Easter Challengewith a perfect scoreline.

"It was beginner's luck," said Biggs. "We only bought the boat a couple of months ago and it has had a massive refit at Corby's. We were working all hours over the last month to get it built. In fact on Friday morning it was a good job there was a postponement, because we were still drilling through the deck to put the deck gear on..."

"We have had some people with us," said Biggs of how they had done so well. "David Howlett [Ben Ainslie's coach] has been helping us a lot and John Corby and Mark Mills has done some design work on the boat. So a lot of thought has gone into it and as a group our Checkmate sailing team has been together for 15 years."

Biggs added that today was the first time they have sailed with the boat fully loaded up. "We were looking around to see what was going to blow up, but nothing did."

A worthy third was David Cullen's Irish team on King One, Paul Elvstrom's Half Ton Cup winner from 1980. "We got two 4s and a 3. That's two 4 o'clock in the mornings and a 3 o'clock...and our results reflected that," quipped Cullen, whose boat has remained in Cowes since the Half Ton Classics Cup last year when she broke her rig.

With a near perfect scoreline was Robert Larke in the J/80 one design class, dropping yesterday's one race to the Rachel Woods-steered Jumblesail. While Larke posted three bullets in today's races in the Northern Solent, so consistently second was William Goldsmith's Slam-sponsored team on Exess.

"Yesterday was frustrating to say the least," said Goldsmith. "Today it was a day of no mistakes or fewer mistakes. We struggled with starting earlier on in the week, but finished with a very good start and rather than J2X being off on their own, today we were keeping up with them and it was us and them and the rest of the fleet behind."

Goldsmith is with the British Keelboat Academy and is gunning with his team - average age 20 - for a good position in the J/80 Worlds to be held in Dartmouth later this year. "They will be huge and we want to try and stay up with the top of the fleet there. With the Worlds coming up its in our best interest to have all the British boats work together and that is part of the RORC Easter Challenge to get everyone coached."

At the prizegiving held in the Cowes Yacht Haven Events Centre, Commodore of the RORC Mike Greville thanked the race officials before Easter eggs were handed out as prizes to all of the winners.

62 boats are entered with the fleet split into IRC classes 1-4 with a separate class for the J/80s.

The forecast shows the wind mostly to be under 10 knots for duration of the event, but gusty and with significant shifts occurring over the three days: the wind easterly, but backing into the NNW tomorrow, returning to the east on Saturday before backing into the northwest again and dropping on Sunday.

This being the RORC's UK season opener, so all eyes will be on the new boats out on the race course. Among these is a boat expected to deliver a significant punch in IRC Three: David Franks' latest Strait Dealer. Based in Malta and for many years a regular in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, Franks moved back to the UK last year, selling his J/125. Over the winter he acquired a JPK 1010. This French 33 footer is the first of its kind in the UK, but left a lasting impression when sisterships Foggy Dew and Wasabi demolished the opposition in IRC Three of the Rolex Fastnet Race last year. The new Strait Dealer's first outing was two weeks ago when they won their class in the Warsash Spring Series.

So the RORC Easter Challenge will be a good warm-up for the Strait Dealer crew: "We are in class 3 and we are pretty much the lowest rated boat in that class, which isn't a good thing," says Graham Sunderland, who runs the campaign for David Franks. "But as Rob Greenhalgh, once said: 'This is a practice event, so let's practice winning!'"

Unfortunately the forecast isn't ideal for Strait Dealer. "All these boats have their zones and the weak spot for our boat is sub-10 knots," admits Sunderland. "But equally, so was the Spring Series and we nailed that. So we'll see how we go."

In IRC One, a full-on match race is expected between the two Ker 40s, Jonathan Goring's Keromino and Andrew Pearce's Magnum III, the latter brand new.

Andrew Pearce says the significant coaching aspect of the RORC Easter Challenge will be an extension of the Magnum team's training program. "I have always used Jim Saltonstall as our own personal trainer and mentor anyway," says Pearce. "Whenever we do a Commodores' Cup campaign - which was 2004 and 2008, and now 2012 - I bring Jim on to the team, so we have been training with him for some weeks and the RORC Easter Regatta is like a continuation of that."

Jim Saltonstall, the regular coach at the RORC Easter Challenge, is away on holiday at present, so the coaching at the RORC Easter Challenge is being run by the highly experienced Barry Dunning.

Having carried out some two boat testing against Keronimo, Pearce is also looking forward to lining up against the rest of the IRC One opposition, including the King 40s Tokoloshe and Cobra.

Cobra (ex-Argie Bargie) was acquired just before Christmas by father and son Mike and Seb Blair, who previously campaigned the Ker 11.3, Skipjack. Like many of the boats taking part at the RORC Easter Challenge, the Cobra crew is using the event as a warm-up for the British trials for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup.

"Even though this isn't our trials selection it is almost our Commodores' Cup crew," says Freddie Hall, who runs the campaign for the Blairs. Helmsman on board is Hall's father-in-law, Chris Warnsley.

Looking forward to this weekend's regatta, Hall says: "It is a very challenging fleet. There are no bad boats there. It is going to be a chance for us to see where we are against the competition. The competition at the Easter regatta is going to be as hot as other regattas this season, especially with two new Ker 40s."

A unique feature of the RORC Easter Challenge is the on the water and shore-based coaching and Hall agrees that they will find this useful to ensure they have the set-up correct on their new boat. "The team has sailed together for many years now, so hopefully we have a running start on manoeuvres."

Racing is due to get underway at 1300 tomorrow, but before this, from 1100, lines will be set allowing teams to try some practice starts.