120 boats competed in the 2021 Cowes Dinard St Malo Race. The historic race which dates back to 1906, was won overall by RORC Commodore James Neville’s HH42 Ino XXX. Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader was second and Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift was third. In the modern era, James Neville is the first RORC Commodore in office to win the King Edward VII Cup.

“Some amazing sailors have been Commodore of the RORC, so this is a proud achievement,” commented James. “We got a fantastic start and held onto Teasing Machine up the Solent. It was a challenging race for the navigator Coriolan (Rousselle), especially to judge how far west we could go to hedge our bets with the tide. Then when the wind went very unstable, we stuck to our plan and cracked off for speed. The tactic worked as we were lifted to get ahead of Redshift. We are really happy about our performance because light winds beating is not really our best conditions, it is not what we are set up for, but we really played our hand very well.”

Line Honours for the MOCRA Class was taken by Francis Joyon’s IDEC. Line Honours for monohulls ,and winner of IRC Zero, was Eric de Turckheim’s NMYD54 Teasing Machine. Congratulations to all the class winners: Nicolas Jossier’s Class40 La Manche #EvidenceNautique, Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader, Louis-Marie Dussere’s JPK 1080 Raging-Bee², and Elizabeth Wallis’ Albin Express, Expressly Forbidden.

Full Results here

By the morning of the race, 40 French and Dutch boats had sailed to Cowes to compete. On receiving YB Trackers delivered by RORC RIB, all of the overseas teams were delighted by the warm RORC welcome. The club was equally delighted that so many overseas sailors teams had made the effort in these unusual times.

The 150 nautical mile race started off the Squadron Line in brilliant sunshine and light airs. Race fans enjoyed a spectacular view from Cowes, as the majority of the fleet started on the island shore as the tide began to turn favourably to the west. A building south-westerly breeze arced up the boats in the Western Solent for an impressive send-off past The Needles and into the English Channel. Conditions offshore were extremely unstable, the prevailing wind was a light southerly, but the fleet experienced significant changes in wind strength and direction, which coupled with strong tide provided a complex conundrum. Managing the changing conditions was rewarded with a top performance.

 Francis Joyon’s IDEC and Yves Le Blevec’s Ultim Actual, sailed by Ronan Dehayes Photo: Paul Wyeth/RORC

MOCRA Class

Francis Joyon’s IDEC and Yves Le Blevec’s Ultim Actual, sailed by Ronan Dehayes, had an extraordinary dial up for the start of the race. The two giant trimarans circled each other match racing for position. Actual seemed to win the start, racing to windward of IDEC in a controlling position. IDEC was just ahead of Actual at The Needles and eventually pulled away. A westerly breeze kicked in as IDEC rounded the Casquets, ramping up the trimaran to over 20 knots of boat speed. IDEC took Multihull Line Honours and the win in the MOCRA Class. Andrew Fennell’s Morpheus was the third to finish and second in the MOCRA Class. James Holder’s Dazcat 1295 Slinky Malinki completed the MOCRA podium.

Eric de Turckheim’s NMYD54 Teasing Machine and Ultim Actual Photo: Paul Wyeth/RORC

 IRC One Start at the RYS Line Cowes Photo: Paul Wyeth

IRC One

RORC Commodore James Neville’s HH42 Ino XXX and Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift had yet another close battle in IRC One. Ino XXX eventually winning the class by approximately five minutes after time correction. David Cummins’ Ker 39 Rumbleflurg was the early leader but finished third in class, just ahead after time correction of Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II.

For the RORC Season’s Points Championship, Michael O'Donnell’s J/121 Darkwood retains the class lead from Redshift. Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra is third.

Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader. © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC Two

Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader was the winner, scoring an impressive victory over Thomas Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise by nearly two hours after time correction. Dawn Treader was very close to winning the race overall, just over two minutes behind Ino XXX after time correction. Christopher Daniel’s J/122e was third in IRC Three.

For the RORC Season’s Points Championship, Sunrise is still the overall and IRC Two Class leader. Dawn Treader is second in both overall and class.

Louis-Marie Dussere’s JPK 1080 Raging-Bee². © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC Three

Louis-Marie Dussere’s JPK 1080 Raging-Bee² was the first boat in class to finish and was the winner in IRC Three after time correction. Mike Yates’ J/109 JAGO, racing Two-Handed with Eivind Bøymo-Malm, was second and Noel Racine’s JPK 1030 Foggy Dew was third.

“I have always wanted to win class in the St Malo Race, but this is the first time I have achieved that,” smiled Louis-Marie Dussere. “We know that Raging-Bee² is a good boat for upwind but so is the J/109 JAGO. Noel Racine (Foggy Dew) is a good friend ashore but a fantastic enemy offshore. So, we are really happy with this win, and it has been wonderful to race with the RORC again. At Les Hanois, I think we were about fifth, but the wind disappeared, and we had a re-start. Raging-Bee² put in a really good finish, and to be honest the wind stopped again just after we crossed the line. This was a great race against really good opposition.”

For the RORC Season’s Points Championship in IRC Three and IRC Two Handed, Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing with Deb Fish, is the new leader. James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing with Dee Caffari, is second, and Gavin Howe’s Sun Fast 3600 Tigris, racing with Maggie Adamson, is third.

IRC Three start at the RYS Line Cowes. © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC Two Handed

31 teams started the race in IRC Two Handed Elizabeth Wallis racing her Albin Express Expressly Forbidden with Bryn Phillips, revelled in the light upwind conditions to win by approximately seven minutes after IRC time correction from Mike Yates’ J/109 JAGO. Tim Goodhew & Kelvin Matthews, racing Sun Fast 3200 Cora was third. Elizabeth Wallis and Bryn Phillips are both under thirty and taking part in their first RORC race of the season. Expressly Forbidden, with an overall length of 25ft was the smallest boat in the race.

120 boats compete in the Cowes-Dinard-St Malo Race. © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC Four

Expressly Forbidden was the winner with Cora second. Jonathan Rolls' Swan 38 Xara had an excellent race following on from the overall win for the De Guingand Bowl. Xara was third in class for the St Malo Race. The classic yawl Amokura, sailed by Paul Moxon & Steve Jones, was the last boat to finish the race. With great tenacity, the team did not waiver from their goal to finish the race, taking nearly two and a half days to complete the course.

For the RORC Season’s Points Championship, Cora leads IRC Four by just over five points from Stuart Greenfield’s S&S 34 Morning After with Xara third. 

The Royal Ocean Racing Club Season’s Points Championship continues with The Channel Race, scheduled to start on Saturday 24th July. 

The Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's Points Championship continues this weekend with a spectacular fleet of over 130 boats of all shapes and sizes, racing from Cowes to St Malo. The 151 nautical mile race is steeped in history, pre-dating the Royal Ocean Racing Club by almost 20 years. The overall winner under IRC will be awarded the magnificent King Edward VII Cup, presented by the British Monarch in 1906. Two of the world’s fastest multihulls will be racing in the MOCRA Class, Francis Joyon’s IDEC and Yves Le Blevec’s Actual Ultim 3. The race will feature a fleet of Class40s racing with the RORC under class rules.

Francis Joyon’s IDEC is the reigning Jules Verne Trophy holder. © IDEC SPORT / ALEA

MOCRA Class

Francis Joyon’s IDEC is the reigning Jules Verne Trophy holder, having circumnavigated the world with his crew in 40 days 23 hours 30 minutes 30 seconds. Racing solo, Joyon has held all of the major offshore sailing records, including the fastest single-handed sailing circumnavigation from 2008 to 2016. Bernard Stamm will be on IDEC for the race - the Swiss sailor has recorded four round the world records and race wins. IDEC’s immediate competition for the race to St Malo will come from Yves Le Blevec’s Actual, which was sailed by François Gabart as Macif, setting the current world record for solo around the world. Whilst IDEC and Actual will be odds-on to take Multihull Line Honours, a total of five multihulls are entered for the Yachts and Yachting Cauldron for the best corrected time under the MOCRA rule.

Eric de Turkheim’s French NMYD54 Teasing Machine. © Rick Tomlinson/RORC

IRC ZERO

The big boat division will race for the Lloyds of London Salver and will be favourites for the Sandison Memorial Salver for the first Monohull Yacht Home. After third in class for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, Eric de Turkheim’s French NMYD54 Teasing Machine will be in action for the second race of the championship. Volvo 70 Telefonica Black, Open 50 Pegasus of Northumberland, and the Mylius 60 Lady First 3, will be hoping for strong downwind conditions for the race.

Michael O'Donnell J/121 Darkwood. © Paul Wyeth/RORC

Didier Gaudoux’s JND 39 Lann Ael 2. © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC ONE

Seventeen teams, racing 17 different kinds of boat, will be looking to score the best corrected time under IRC for the Noryema Trophy. RORC Commodore James Neville, racing his HH42 Ino XXX is the top rated boat in class and was second overall in 2017. Ino’s immediate rival will be Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift. Four French teams will be racing in IRC One including Didier Gaudoux’s JND 39 Lann Ael 2, overall winner of the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race, and Jacques Pelletier’s Milon 41 L'Ange De Milon, winner of IRC One for the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race. Irish owner/skipper Michael O'Donnell will be racing to retain the class lead for the 2021 season with J/121 Darkwood.

Ross Applebey's Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster. © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC TWO

Twenty-five teams will be racing for the Yeoman Bowl including the current holder of the King Edward VII Trophy, Ross Applebey's Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster, which won the race overall in 2019. Six French teams will be racing including Pierre Sallenave’s X-442 Ster Wenn 5, the overall winner in 2018, and Francois Lognone’s MC34 Nutmeg Solidaire En Peloton, the overall winner in 2015. Eight Beneteau First 40s will enjoy a battle within the class, the majority will be crewed by paying guests under the guidance of professional charter skippers.

Swan 55 yawl Lulotte, skippered by Ben Morris. © Rick Tomlinson/RORC

IRC THREE

Forty-two teams will be racing for the Yacht Club de Dinard Trophy. About half of the boats racing in IRC Three will be racing Two-Handed. Fully crewed entries include seven J/109s having their own private battle. Seasoned competition includes Richard Oswald’s much travelled Elan 450 Emily of Cowes and the overall winner of the 2019 RORC Season's Points Championship, Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep, skippered by Jake Carter. Top French opposition includes Louis-Marie Dussere’s JPK 1080 Raging-bee² and Noel Racine’s JPK 1030 Foggy Dew. The beautiful classic Swan 55 yawl Lulotte, skippered by Ben Morris, will also be racing.

Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada, racing with Jeremy Waitt. © Rick Tomlinson/RORC

IRC TWO-HANDED

Forty-one teams have entered racing in IRC Two-Handed, the majority racing in IRC Three and Four. The largest short-handed fleet racing with the RORC since the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race. Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada, racing with Jeremy Waitt, is on for a hat trick of class victories, following triumphs in the Morgan Cup and De Guingand Bowl. However, competition in the class is so intense that Jangada is only third for the season. James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing with Dee Caffari, and Rob Craigie’s Bellino, racing with Deb Fish, are the two leading boats. Over a dozen teams from France will be racing, many making their RORC debuts of the season. Francois Moriceau was the Two-Handed champion for the race in 2019 and is back with a new JPK 1030 Mary-3. IRC Two Handed will be a fascinating encounter for this famous race.

J/109 Just So, sailed Two-Handed by William McGough & Christian Jeffery. © Rick Tomlinson/RORC

IRC FOUR

34 teams have entered, racing for the IR Trophy. Jonathan Rolls’ Swan 38 Xara, overall winner of last month’s De Guingand Bowl Race, is one of a number of classic yachts competing. Six Sun Fast 3200 will be competing, as will the class leader for the season J/109 Just So, sailed Two-Handed by William McGough & Christian Jeffery. Eleven French teams have entered, including Emmanuel Pinteaux’s JPK 1010 Gioia, second in class for the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race. The oldest boat among the impressive RORC fleet is Amokura, the 50ft yawl built by Moodys in 1939.

An optional return course has been organised by the RORC, especially for teams looking to gain additional race miles towards qualification for the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race. Details can be found in the Sailing Instructions for the Cowes - Dinard - St Malo Race. All boats taking part in the race will gather off Cowes Parade from around 0900 on Friday 9th July.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s (RORC) De Guingand Bowl Race started in light conditions, with the wind speed increasing later in the race to about 15 knots and veering south.

The top three boats overall were all racing in IRC Four. The overall winner was Jonathan Rolls’ classic S&S Swan 38 Xara.

Second overall was Chris Choules Sigma 38 With Alacrity. French JPK 10.10 Gioia, sailed by Etienne Pinteaux, was third.

In IRC Zero, David Collins Botin IRC 52 Tala took Line Honours for the race. 

Jonathan Rolls’ classic S&S Swan 38 Xara © Paul Wyeth

“It was a funny old race, and I am sure the crew are very pleased, I think we are a bit lucky really,” commented Xara’s Jonathan Rolls. “We didn’t do anything particularly special to be honest. It was good fun, we are a bit knackered, but it seems that the conditions really suited Xara. I suspect we surprised one or two of the better boats. We are old fashioned amateurs, very definitely not professional, The crew are all family and friends, Tom (Rolls) is the navigator, and very good at it.”

Xara has a long history in the Fastnet Race, including surviving the tragic 1979 edition. In recent years, under the ownership of Jonathan Rolls, Xara has achieved the distinction of achieving Best Swan Overall in the 2017 and 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race.

“We intend to race with the RORC to St. Malo this July, and then the Fastnet this August. I am an ancient gentleman, but the crew look after the old man. For this race, I think that luck played its part, giving us fair winds and following seas.”

A light north easterly breeze freshened as the fleet passed Portsmouth Photo: Paul Wyeth

The 114nm race started off the Squadron Line to the east on a favourable tide. A light north easterly breeze freshened as the fleet passed Portsmouth. Teams eased sails as they bore away south into the English Channel, where a cross-tide came into the strategy. Once past a virtual line of latitude, the RORC fleet hardened up for a 30 mile beat to Shoreham Outfall. A downwind leg back towards the Solent, following the setting sun, was followed by a manoeuvre-testing chicane, before finishing in the Solent at Mother Bank.

Full Results here

IRC ONE
Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift took line honours and the class win from Rob Bottomley’s Mat 12 Sailplane. David Cummins’ Ker 39 Rumbleflurg, sailed by Harry Bradley, was just 77 seconds behind Sailplane after IRC time correction.

IRC TWO
Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster was the class winner by just over three minutes after IRC time correction. The current overall leader for the RORC Season’s Points Championship, Thomas Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise, was second in class. Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader was third in class for the race. Capstan Sailing’s Skylander, skippered by Yuri Fadeev, won the battle of the First 40s, and placed fourth in class.

IRC THREE
James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing Two-Handed with Dee Caffari, was the class winner. Second was the full crew of the Army Sailing Association, racing Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier and skippered by Henry Foster. Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing Two-Handed with Deb Fish, was third.

IRC TWO-HANDED
20 teams entered racing in IRC Two-Handed, the majority racing in IRC Three and Four. Richard Palmer’s JPK 10.10 Jangada chalked up another narrow victory. Sailing with Jeremy Waitt, Jangada beat Gentoo by 83 seconds after IRC time correction. Bellino was third. All three of these teams have now completed three races in the RORC Season’s Points Championship, with less than 19 points separating them.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club Season’s Points Championship continues with the De Guingand Bowl Race, which will start on Saturday June 26th from the RYS Line, Cowes. The course will be 110-160 nautical miles around marks with a finish in the Solent or adjacent waters. 75 boats have entered the sixth race of the RORC Season’s Points Championship, racing under IRC and Class40 Rules.

Favourites for Line Honours include David Collins Botin IRC 52 Tala, VME Racing’s CM60 Venomous, skippered by James Gair, and Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift. Class40s in action include Marc Lepesqueux’s Sensation, sailed by Eric Bredeka with and all French team and Greg Leonard’s all-American Kite, which will be crewed by the Leonard family.

Ed Fishwick’s GP42 Redshift © Rick Tomlinson/RORC

IRC ONE

Redshift is the scratch boat in a 12-strong class. Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II will be defending their class win in 2019. Proven race winners in IRC One include: Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra, Rob Bottomley’s Mat 12 Sailplane, and David Cummins’ Ker 39 Rumbleflurg as well as Michael O’Donnell’s J/121 Darkwood which leads IRC One for the 2021 RORC Season’s Points Championship.

Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II © Paul Wyeth/RORC

Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC TWO

14 are entered, including a number of teams from yacht charter companies. Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster, overall winner of the De Guingand Bowl Race in 2019, will be racing. Six Beneteau First 40s will be in action including Ronan Banim’s Galahad Of Cowes, Capstan Sailing’s Skylander and three entries from Hamble based race training school, Sailing Logic: Lancelot II, Merlin and Arthur. Thomas Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise is the overall leader for the 2021 RORC Season’s Points Championship and will continue their duel with Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader.

Sailing Logic's First 40 Arthur © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC THREE

23 teams are expected to be racing in IRC Three, including many teams racing Two-Handed. Fully crewed entries include Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep, skippered by Jake Carter. Six J/109s will be racing fully crewed, including the current leading J/109 for the season, Kevin Armstrong’s Jazzy Jellyfish. Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing with Deb Fish, was the class winner for the race in 2019.

Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep © Paul Wyeth/RORC

Nigel Goodhew’s Sun Fast 3200 Cora © Rick Tomlinson/RORC

IRC TWO-HANDED

20 teams are entered racing Two-Handed, the majority racing in IRC Three and Four. The top two teams for the season so far will be in action. James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing with Dee Caffari, and Rob Craigie’s Bellino. IRC Four season leader, Nigel Goodhew’s Sun Fast 3200 Cora will be racing with Mark Heuchan. Cora won IRC Four for the De Guingand Bowl in 2019. The current runner-up in IRC Four, William McGough & Christian Jeffery, will be racing J/109 Just So. Class winner for the Morgan Cup, Richard Palmer’s JPK 10.10 Jangada, will be in the action racing with Jeremy Waitt.

IRC FOUR CLASSICS

22 teams are entered in IRC Four, including a number of classic yachts: Mike Greville’s Bowman 44 Skadi, Giovanni Mazzocchi’s Swan 44 Ithaka, Stephen Brookson’s Swan 411 Kiswala, Jonathan Rolls’ Swan 38 Xara, and Stuart Greenfield’s S&S 34 Morning After. Three Contessa 32s will have their own private battle. Rob Windsor & Stephen Davies racing Colemere, Roger Shapland & Mark Himsworth racing ATV and Christophe Declercq racing Lecas.
Yachts taking part in the De Guingand Bowl Race will start to gather off Cowes Parade from around 0700 on Saturday 26th June. The full entry list and AIS tracking link can be found at https://yb.tl/dgbr2021 and also via smartphones with the YB App. Results will be available with live updates at www.rorc.org

Time and tide wait for no man - with the faint zephyrs of wind failing to stabilise, there was no racing on the final day of the Royal Ocean Racing Club UK IRC National Championship. The IRC Class leaders after six races remain unchanged.

IRC 1
Niklas Zennstrom's FAST40+ Rán won IRC One by a single point from Peter Morton's GP42 Jean Genie. Hamilton & Gillon's GP42 Khumbu was third, just a point behind Jean Genie. Ed Fishwick's GP42 Redshift finished the regatta in fourth. Rán retains the class win from 2020, and this is the fourth occasion that Rán Racing has won at the RORC IRC National Championship.

Niklas Zennström’s FAST40+ Rán Photo: Paul Wyeth

IRC 2
Stuart Sawyer's J/122 Black Dog was the winner ahead of Rob Bottomley's Mat 12 Sailplane. Russell Peters' Cape 31 Squirt finished the regatta in third place for the class. The 16-strong class was very competitive with six boats scoring race-podium finishes including, Michael Blair's King 40 Cobra, Mills 39 Zero II sailed by James Gair, and Lance Adams' Cape 31 Katabatic.

Adam Gosling JPK 1080 Yes! with RORC Commodore, James Neville. Photo: Paul Wyeth

IRC 3
Adam Gosling's JPK 1080 Yes! scored four race wins to become the IRC National Champion for IRC Three. Gosling has won class at the IRC Championship a record five times. Howell & Newell's A35 Arcus, reigning IRC Overall National Champion, was class runner up this year. McNamara & Lowe's First 40.7 Incognito was third in class. John Cooper's J/112E Jooped missed the podium by just half a point! The 12-strong class saw seven boats score race-podium finishes including, John Allen's X 302 Antix, Bruce Huber's J/112E Xanaboo, and Toby Gorman's Sigma 33 Stan The Boat.

Detailed Results here

Racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club continues offshore with the RORC Season's Points Championship. The De Guingand Bowl Race is scheduled to start on Saturday 26th June from the RYS Line in Cowes.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s IRC National Championship is underway in the Solent. Two windward-leeward races, followed by a reaching start for a two-hour round the cans finale, gave the RORC fleet a variety of racing. A fresh northerly breeze of 15-20 knots, with pulses of rain showers, produced difficult conditions. Crew work, tactics and strategy were all in the mix for a top performance. The IRC Class leaders after three races: Niklas Zennström’s FAST40+ Rán, Stuart Sawyer’s J/121 Black Dog, and Adam Gosling’s JPK 1080 Yes!

Detailed Results here 

IRC ONE

Niklas Zennström’s FAST40+ Rán scored a 1-2-1 today to lead the high performance IRC Class. Peter Morton’s GP42 Jean Genie won Race 2 to finish the day in second place but only on countback. Hamilton & Gillon’s GP42 Khumbu is tied on points with Jean Genie, only missing out win in Race One, by 24 seconds after IRC time correction. “Khumbu is going really well after some upgrades, we were very close to winning the first race but Ran hit the ‘turbo button’ to stay ahead.” Commented Khumbu’s Guy Gillon.

RORC Commodore James Neville is racing his HH42 Ino XXX in IRC One, their main focus this year is the Rolex Fastnet Race. However, racing at the IRC National Championship is very much part of the programme. “Inshore and offshore racing are very different disciplines but racing against the top inshore boats in the Solent really sharpens up our performance, and that fine tuning of our boat trim and sail handling works very well offshore.”

Stuart Sawyer’s J/122 Black Dog, overall winner in 2019 © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC TWO

Stuart Sawyer’s J/121 Black Dog came out fighting hard for the opening day of the championship, scoring straight bullets to take a five point lead from Rob Bottomley’s Mills 41 Sailplane. Mills 39 Zero II, skippered by James Gair is lying third in class. Blair & Beckett’s King 40 Cobra came close to spoiling Black Dog’s perfect score, just 14 seconds behind in Race Three after time correction.

Adam Gosling’s JPK 1080 Yes! © Paul Wyeth/RORC

IRC THREE

Adam Gosling’s JPK 1080 Yes! scored a hat trick of wins today to lead the class. However, it was far from an easy day for Yes!, each race was won by about a minute after IRC time correction. Bruce Huber’s J/112E Xanaboo is second, three points ahead of McNamara & Lowe’s First 40.7 Incognito. 

Racing at the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s IRC National Championship continues Saturday 19th June. 

The first edition of the RORC IRC National Championship was held in 1999 and for over 20 years a huge variety of yachts have enjoyed success winning the right to be named national champions.

For the 2021 regatta, over 40 teams will be competing for three days of thrilling racing in the Solent. Up to eight races will be fiercely contested with the fleet split into three IRC Classes.

The overall winner will be awarded the RORC IRC National Championship Trophy and together with IRC Class winners, they will celebrate at the RORC Clubhouse in Cowes.

Niklas Zennström’s FAST40+ Rán

IRC One

Niklas Zennström’s FAST40+ Rán, will be defending their class win in 2020, Zennström’s team also won the class with TP52 Rán in 2008 and 2009. Peter Morton will be racing his GP42 Jean Genie. Morton has helmed three boats to class victory of the years: IC45 Yes (2001), Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble (2014) and FAST40+ Girls on Film (2019). IRC One will also feature the first encounter between two IC37s in the Solent with Ian Atkins’ Icy and Bertie Bicket’s Fargo going toe-to-toe.

Stuart Sawyer’s J/122 Black Dog, overall winner in 2019 Photo: Paul Wyeth

IRC Two

Five Cape31s are expected for the IRC Championship, the first time that the Mark Mills designed pocket rockets have been racing at the event. Stuart Sawyer’s J/122 Black Dog, overall winner in 2019, will be racing with his West Country team. A past winner under new ownership is the Mills 39 Zero II, skippered by James Gair.

IRC Three

The 2020 overall IRC National Champion is back to defend the title. Howell and Newell’s A35 Arcus posted a perfect scoreline to win the championship. Adam Gosling’s JPK 1080 Yes! is the scratch boat for the class. Statistically, Gosling is the most successful skipper in the history of the event, having won class four times in various boats, all called Yes! (2009, 2011, 2016, 2017). In 2016, Adam Gosling’s Yes! had the unusual distinction of a tie for the overall win with Dunkerque - Les Dunes de Flandre. Giovanni Belgrano’s one-off classic Whooper will also be racing this year, hoping to emulate their overall win in 2017.

Giovanni Belgrano’s one-off classic Whooper Photo: Paul Wyeth

One hundred and twenty five boats started the 230 nautical-mile RORC Myth of Malham, held over the Bank Holiday Weekend. High pressure at the start of the race, delivered light to moderate conditions with brilliant sunshine for a magnificent spinnaker run down the South Coast of England. On the morning of Day Two, as the majority of the fleet were rounding the Eddystone Lighthouse, the wind speed increased to over 20 knots from the northeast. A feisty beat in confused seas lasted for about seven hours. The wind faltered later in the race creating calm seas, which combined with a strong unfavourable tide, to slow the progress of the smaller boats.

David Collins’ Botin IRC 52 Tala. Photo: Paul Wyeth

David Collins’ Botin IRC52 Tala took Line Honours and the Myth of Malham Cup for the best corrected time under IRC. Congratulations to all of the class winners including Orange Mecanix2 skippered by Maxime de Mareuil, Gilles Fournier & Corinne Migraine’s Pintia, Louis-Marie Dussere’s Raging-bee², Tim Goodhew & Kelvin Matthews racing Cora, James Harayda & Dee Caffari racing Gentoo, Charles Emmett’s Virgin Media Business, and James Holder’s Slinky Malinki.

Full Results

“It’s been a long time and great to be back, the last distance race I did was the Fastnet 2019,” commented Tala’s navigator Campbell Field. “Thankfully the South Coast turned on some beautiful weather with a little bit of bash and crash on the way back to the finish. Tala is not putting much emphasis from this result towards the Fastnet in August. If the Myth of Malham had been run seven days earlier, the systems coming through would have created a different story. It was nice to sharpen our act a little, get the team together for some beautiful sailing, and we have found a few things to improve our performance.”

James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing with Dee Caffari. Photo: Paul Wyeth/RORC  

IRC Two-Handed

Thirty-Eight Two-Handed teams competed in the race, James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, racing with Dee Caffari, was the winner of the Ville D’Hyeres Trophy. Kelvin Rawlings’ Sun Fast 3300 Aries, racing with Stuart Childerley, was second. Henry Bomby & Shirley Robertson racing their Sun Fast 3300 were third. The first IRC Two-Handed team to finish the race was Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing with Deb Fish. Bellino was fourth after IRC time correction.

Tired but elated, James Harayda and Dee Caffari spoke dockside: “The race was delayed by about 30 minutes because of a ship coming through the Solent, which threw off our plans for the tidal gates. We got a good start and there was a big transition at The Needles but the big boats in front of us gave a good indication of what was to come.” After tight racing all the way down the South Coast, there was little separating the leaders. “It was literally a traffic jam as we rounded the Eddystone Lighthouse. We made sure we got our manoeuvres right and then the fun really started. After a wonderful ride downwind, we had a really messy sea state and 20 knots of wind as we beat back. Approaching Portland, we stayed offshore a little, hoping for more breeze which worked. It is never over until you cross the finish line, anything can happen, and at the end of a long race you can get tired and make a mistake, we had to race-clever all the way to the end.”

IRC One

The French xP44 Orange Mecanix2 skippered by Maxime de Mareuil, has won the Loujaine Cup. Orange Mecanix2 pulled off a tremendous finish to win IRC One from Michael O'Donnell’s J/121 Darkwood. Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra made a big gain going into Lyme Bay on the return leg, finishing third after IRC time correction. Class Line Honours went to Ed Fishwick’s Farr 42 Redshift, after a close battle with RORC Commodore James Neville racing HH42 Ino XXX.

Gilles Fournier & Corinne Migraine’s French J/133 Pintia. Photo: Paul Wyeth/RORC  

IRC Two

Gilles Fournier & Corinne Migraine’s French J/133 Pintia won the class winning the Jamarella Trophy and placed second overall for the fleet. Thomas Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise took Class Line Honours, was second in IRC Two, and third overall. Christopher Daniel’s J/122E Juno was third in class. IRC Two produced the most competitive contest for the podium with less than 20 minutes separating the Pintia, Sunrise and Juno, after 36 hours of racing.

“We are very pleased to race the Myth of Malham, our first race since Cherbourg in 2019,” commented Pintia’s Gilles Fournier. “We were very eager to come to England in spite of the pandemic. Even with all the safety measures in place, we received a good welcome in Cowes. For the race, we had friendly and well-sailed competitors, and Pintia is delighted to have won our class. On the way back, Portland Bill was tough with a lot of tide, and we were overtaken by our competitors, but we got back, which was so nice. Thank you to the RORC for a great race!”

IRC Three

French boats filled the class podium with Louis-Marie Dussere’s JPK 1180 Raging-bee² winning the taking Class Line Honours and the win after IRC time correction from the legendary Noel Racine racing his new JPK 1030 Foggy Dew. Maxime Mesnil’s J/99 Axe Sail, taking part in their debut race, was third by just 19 seconds. Raging-bee² wins the Maid of Malham Cup.

IRC Four

Tim Goodhew & Kelvin Matthews won a tight finish racing Two-Handed on Sun Fast 3200 Cora to win the Ernest Moore Plate. Emmanuel Pinteaux’s fully crewed French JPK 10.10 Gioia was second. The Two-Handed team of William McGough & Christian Jeffery, racing J/109 Just So was third, only three minutes behind after time correction. 

Myth of Malham Trophies and Medallions will be presented on Saturday 11th September at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse at 1930 hrs. All skippers and crews are most welcome.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club 2021 Season’s Points Championship continues with the East Coast Race, starting on Saturday 5th June. The race starting and finishing in Harwich, will pitch the RORC fleet in the North Sea on a course of approximately 125nm.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club offshore programme is in full race mode this weekend with 127 boats expected on the Royal Yacht Squadron Line for the 230nm race around the Eddystone Lighthouse. The Myth of Malham Race is always an important event in a Rolex Fastnet Race Year, as it mirrors the start of the world-famous yacht race that will start from Cowes in August. Even more, importance is attached to the Myth of Malham Race for 2021.

Among the Irish sailors competing is Greystones, County Wicklow yachtswoman Pamela Lee on board Gilles Fournier and Corinne Migraine's J133, Pintia.

This will be the largest RORC fleet to set sail since the start of the pandemic. The forecast fair weather will make for an impressive spinnaker start off Cowes Parade.

Conditions at the start of the race may suit teams racing light displacement boats, especially those that can clear the tidal gate at Portland Bill. Among the favourites for Monohull Line Honours in IRC Zero are David Collins' Botin IRC52 Tala and CM60 Venomous skippered by James Gair. In IRC One the fastest boats will also challenge to be the first to finish, especially RORC Commodore James Neville's HH42 Ino XXX and Ed Fishwick's Farr 42 Redshift. James Holder's Dazcat 1295 Slinky Malinki is currently the only team racing for Multihull Line Honours. For overall victory under IRC for the Myth of Malham Trophy and victory in the six IRC Classes, the form book is wide open, especially as the wind is forecast to increase in speed for the slower boats.

Yachts taking part in the RORC Myth of Malham Race will start to gather off Cowes Parade from around midday on Saturday 29th May. The full entry list and AIS tracking link can be found here.

Additional reporting by the Afloat team

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Vice Admiral’s Cup came to a conclusion on Sunday 23rd May after two days of racing in fresh to feisty conditions in the Solent. The final day of racing produced more challenging conditions for the high performance classes racing under IRC and One-design Class Rules. A gentle south-westerly wind with clear skies was soon replaced by a significant rain squall with over 20 knots of breeze, gusting over 25 on occasions.

Congratulations to the eight class winners: Niklas Zennström’s Rán, Rob Bottomley’s Sailplane 3, Glyn Locke’s Toucan, Sam Laidlaw’s BLT, Tony Mack’s McFly, David Richards’ Jumping Jellyfish, Russell Peters’ Squirt and Stephen Procter’s Xcellent.

FAST40+ Class

Niklas Zennström’s Rán won four out of six races to dominate the FAST40+ Class. Christian Hamilton & Guy Gillon’s Fast40+ Khumbu was second, just a point ahead of Peter Morton’s Jean Genie.

“Winning the first round of the FAST40+ circuit was our aim towards our goal of winning the season,” confirmed Rán’s Tim Powell. “We have a number of youth sailors, both female and male and it was especially pleasing today to have well-executed crew work in difficult conditions. The FAST40+ Class is very much about boats that are built to withstand heavy weather, but perfecting those manoeuvres is so important towards the performance. I think the competition in the fleet is getting closer. Khumbu has most definitely found another gear and the twin rudder set up on Ino XXX makes the team very quick at certain angles. Morty’s Jean Genie has had a number of modifications and I am sure after some fine tuning the boat will be very hard to beat.”

Performance 40 Class

Rob Bottomley’s Mills 42 Sailplane 3 continued their impressive form winning the Performance 40 Class with a race to spare. Michael Blair & Stevie Beckett’s King 40 Cobra finished off a highly consistent performance by winning the last race of the regatta to take second place for the class. David Cummins’ Ker 39 Rumbleflurg completed the podium just a point ahead of VME Racing’s Mills 39 Zero II.

“Sailplane is very much a team effort and we are delighted with our first win of the season against good opposition in the Performance 40 Class. I have to single out Nick Jones who has done an outstanding job in putting the programme together,” commented Sailplane’s Rob Bottomley. “Our next race will be the Myth of Malham and we have created a boat which is a good all-rounder for inshore and offshore racing. The two disciplines do help each other and we hope to put in a good start to the offshore race, buoyed by the confidence from this win in the Vice Admiral’s Cup.”

A lively day on the water for the Quarter Tonners, with Sam Laidlaw’s BLT winning the class © Rick Tomlinson

Quarter Tonner Class

Sam Laidlaw’s BLT won the last race of the regatta to win the class. Held in over 20 knots of wind, the last race was full-on for the Quarter Tonners. Olivia Dowling’s Catch finished the regatta in second place with Julian Metherell’s Bullit third.

Sam Laidlaw was quick to mention that the biggest factor in BLT’s win was teamwork. “We have been racing together for about 10 years,” said Sam. “When you race these quirky boats in big breeze it requires a lot of know-how and understanding and when you get it right it is very thrilling! The Quarter Ton Class has a lot of well sailed boats that excel in different types of conditions so you really have to be at the top of your game. Many thanks to the RORC Race Team for providing great racing, especially on the first day. The fast race sequence allowed us to get four races in, which should be applauded.”

HP30 Class

Glyn Locke’s Farr 280 Toucan was the winner of the HP30 Class, retaining the title won in 2019. Toucan was pushed to the maximum by Jerry Hill & Richard Faulkner’s Farr 280 Moral Compass which finished the regatta just a point behind their rivals. Jonathan Powell’s Farr 280 Peggy scored a third place in the final race to claim third, just a point ahead of Jamie Rankin’s Farr 280 Pandemonium

Glyn Locke races Toucan with his two sons, Alex who drives and Anthony who trims upwind and downwind. The Locke family hails from Yarmouth IOW, giving a home victory to the team: “It was pretty full-on, fast and furious and we had a few scary moments and it was very, very wet!” commented Alex. “It’s an absolute blast,” smiled Glyn Locke. “The chit-chat and banter from the whole crew is so much fun.”

J/111 Class

In the J/111 Class, Tony Mack’s McFly held off a strong challenge to win the J/111 Class. Chris Jones & Louise Makin’s Journeymaker II won the last race to finish the regatta in second place ahead of Cornel Riklin’s Jitterbug.

J/109 Class

David Richards’ Jumping Jellyfish won the J/109 Class scoring three race wins including a full-blooded final race battle with Christopher Burleigh’s Jybe Talkin'. Mike Yates’ Jago was third.

J/109 winners: David Richards’ Jumping Jellyfish © Rick Tomlinson

Cape31 Class

Russell Peters’ Squirt has stamped their authority on the newly formed Cape 31 UK Class, winning five straight races to clinch the class win - the first round of the Cape 31 circuit. Lance Adams’ Katabatic was runner-up for the class and Simon Perry’s Jiraffe had a great final day at the Vice Admiral’s Cup, winning the last race to take third place for the class.

SB20 Class

Conditions were right on the edge for the SB20 Class with Stephen Procter’s Xcellent scoring their fourth win of the regatta to take the title by a handsome margin. Tom Neilson’s team was second, and an impressive final race for Lizzie Farrington’s Boomerang lifted the team to third, just one point ahead of Richard McAdam’s Breaking Bod.

Stephen Procter’s SB20 Class Xcellent

Racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club continues next weekend with the 230nm offshore Myth of Malham Race. The first major offshore race of the year mirrors the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race. Well over one hundred boats are expected, which will be an impressive sight, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line on Saturday 29th May.

Full results here