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Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) News and Results
Island Chase — Rival crews power downwind through the crystal waters of the La Maddalena archipelago during the opening coastal race of the revived Range Rover Sardinia Cup off Porto Cervo.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and host club Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) share the lead after the opening day of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup in Porto Cervo. The prestigious offshore team regatta returned to the calendar on…
Winning Formula: National YC's Will Byrne and Baltimore SC's Harry Durcan were part of the Final Final crew that won overall IRC honours at Italy's 151 Miglia race. Photo: Studio Taccola Fabio
The Irish offshore sailing season received another boost over the Bank Holiday weekend when National Yacht Club bowman Will Byrne from Dublin Bay and West Cork's Baltimore Sailing Club helmsman Harry Durcan helped the TP52 Final Final secure overall IRC…
Offshore Ambition — Eimer McMorrow-Moriarty races aboard the RORC Griffin Sun Fast 3600 as part of the youth development programme preparing sailors for major offshore events, including the Round Britain and Ireland Race.
At 22, Eimer McMorrow-Moriarty is exactly the kind of young offshore sailor the RORC Griffin Offshore Pathway was created to support. Lifeboat Roots: Fenit RNLI volunteer Eimer McMorrow-Moriarty with her father and uncles at Fenit Lifeboat Station. Growing up in…
Vintage Victory — Harry Heijst’s S&S 41 Winsome powers through the Solent on her way to overall IRC victory in the 2026 RORC De Guingand Bowl Race, proving experience and teamwork still win offshore races.
Harry Heijst’s classic S&S 41 Winsome claimed overall honours in the 2026 RORC De Guingand Bowl Race after a closely fought offshore contest in the Solent and English Channel. The Royal Ocean Racing Club event delivered tactical racing, tight finishes…
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.
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…
Channel Charge — The 2026 RORC Myth of Malham Race fleet powers out of the Solent from Cowes with colourful spinnakers flying on the 235-nautical-mile offshore test to Eddystone Lighthouse.
The RORC Myth of Malham Race returns on Saturday 23 May with a strong offshore fleet set for the 235-nautical-mile challenge from Cowes to the Eddystone Lighthouse and back. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the…
Flying Dutchman — Diederik Forma’s Dutch JPK 1030 Jetpack powers downwind during the 2026 RORC North Sea Race before securing overall IRC victory into Scheveningen.
Diederik Forma’s Dutch JPK 1030 Jetpack claimed overall victory in the 2026 RORC North Sea Race after a tightly fought finish to Scheveningen. Racing double-handed with Martijn Graafmans, Jetpack secured the IRC overall win by 22 minutes and 37 seconds…
“North
The 2026 RORC North Sea Race starts on Friday 15th of May with an international fleet set for the 165-nautical mile crossing from Harwich to Scheveningen in the Netherlands. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club with Royal Harwich Yacht Club,…
“Island
Sardinia Cup will return this summer after a 14-year absence, with 20 boats already entered for the revived regatta in Porto Cervo. The event, hosted by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, will take place from 31 May to 7 June. Ten…
“Battle
Royal Ocean Racing Club has released a webinar offering competitors practical guidance ahead of the 50th anniversary Round Britain and Ireland Race. The race starts on 9 August, with the webinar held to mark 100 days to go before the…
Spray day — Class40 Swift charges through the Solent as Venomous finishes the RORC Cervantes Trophy Race.
The 2026 RORC Cervantes Trophy Race was decided by just 13 seconds after more than 20 hours of racing from Cowes to Le Havre. Nicolas Dezeustre’s Sun Fast 3600 Princesse Gotionude II secured overall victory under IRC, narrowly beating Nick…
Solent Charge: RORC fleet races through the Western Solent approaching The Needles during offshore series action, with tight formations and steady breeze shaping the contest.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has confirmed details of its 2026 Cowes Offshore Series, featuring seven races from the Solent. The series offers a mix of accessible offshore racing and established classics, with the best five results to count…
Classic Contender – Andrew Tseng’s Nicholson 55 Quailo III powers through the Solent swell, bringing classic design and offshore pedigree to the RORC Cervantes Trophy Race.
Offshore racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) returns with the Cervantes Trophy Race on Saturday, 2 May. The early-season fixture starts from Cowes on the Isle of Wight and sends the fleet west before finishing in Le Havre,…
Spring Sprint — IRC fleets power through Solent sunshine at the RORC Easter Challenge, where Standfast, Leon and Jukebox secured class wins after seven competitive races
The Royal Ocean Racing Club Easter Challenge concluded on Easter Sunday after three days of racing in the Solent. Two final races were held in bright sunshine, with a 15-knot westerly breeze easing and shifting north during the day. Seven…
Duel Downwind — Jukebox and Frank 4 power under spinnakers in a tight Solent battle, with Irish sailors Mark Mansfield & Rumo Best on Jukebox during the RORC Easter Challenge.
Irish sailors featured prominently on Day Two of the RORC Easter Challenge, as Cork Harbour’s Mark Mansfield called tactics aboard Jukebox. Wicklow’s Rumo Best was also part of the winning crew and is currently working with North Sails in Gosport.…
Sharp Smart: John Smart's J/109 Juke Box drives hard through Solent chop during day one of the RORC Easter Challenge in Cowes, with the crew hiking in strong breeze and testing conditions
Cowes, Isle of Wight — The RORC Easter Challenge opened in brisk south-westerly winds on Friday, delivering testing conditions for more than 200 sailors. Winds of 15 knots, gusting to 30, created a demanding Solent racecourse for the Royal Ocean…

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)

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