The world’s largest offshore racing series concludes next weekend with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Cherbourg Race, starting from Cowes on Friday, 2nd September at 1800 BST. 81 teams are entered for the dash across The English Channel, the largest entry for the race in over 20 years.

After a hiatus in 2021, the RORC Season’s Points Championship has come back with a bang. Over 400 teams from more than 30 different countries have competed in the 11-month series. Racing under the IRC and MOCRA Ratings plus the Class40 Rule, over 100 different boat designs have been in action. The RORC Season’s Points Championship includes highly prized races from the UK to France, the Netherlands and Belgium plus international races with venues set in Malta, Lanzarote, Grenada, Antigua, Ireland, and Finland. The Cherbourg Race is the sixteenth and final race of the series.

An entry List is downloadable below. 

36 teams entered in IRC Two-Handed Photo: Paul Wyeth/RORC

36 teams entered in IRC Two-Handed

Over 80 double-handed teams have competed with the RORC this year racing in IRC Two-Handed, most of the top teams will be among the 36 double-handed teams racing to Cherbourg. Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada has had a tremendous season, securing victory for IRC Overall and IRC Two-Handed with a race to spare. Richard Palmer will be racing to Cherbourg with Jeremy Waitt, and this is far from just a victory lap (see IRC Three). Fighting it out for runner-up for IRC Overall and IRC Two-Handed are Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino with Deb Fish and Nick Martin’s Sun Fast 3600 Diablo with Cal Finlayson.

The Cherbourg Race is also Race One of the 2022 IRC Double Handed Nationals, Race Two will take place 10-11 September from Cowes. The top three skippers from the 2021 IRC Double Handed Nationals will be racing to Cherbourg: James Harayda’s Sun Fast 3300 Surf, Mike Yates’ J/109 JAGO, and Ellie Driver with Sun Fast 3300 Chilli Pepper.

INO XXX Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Pegasus of Northumberland Photo: Paul Wyeth

Palanad 3 Photo: Rick Tomlinson

High Performance boats set for Cherbourg

Lance Shepherd’s Volvo 70 Telefonica Black will be taking part in its seventh RORC race of the season. No doubt the team of mainly Corinthian sailors will be celebrating in Cherbourg as Telefonica Black has already secured the IRC Super Zero series win. RORC Commodore James Neville will be racing his HH42 INO XXX to Cherbourg. INO XXX is currently third for the season in IRC Zero but a good result in the last race could propel the team to first in class for the year. High Performance IRC boats set for The Cherbourg Race include Ross Hobson’s Open 50 Pegasus of Northumberland, Antoine Magre’s Class40 Palanad 3 and Lloyd Yacht Club’s X-55 Lutine, skippered by James Close.

French skipper Antoine Magre will race Palanad 3 against two Class40s under class rules for the popular box rule design. James Stableford will skipper Mussulo 40 with a team from the Isle of Wight, and Ari Kaensaekoski will race Fuji with a team from Finland.

The winner of IRC One for the series will be decided in The Cherbourg Race. Photo: Rick Tomlinson/RORC

Bulldog stands guard in IRC One

The winner of IRC One for the series will be decided in The Cherbourg Race. Derek Shakespeare’s J/122 Bulldog will be in action and is the current class leader for 2022. Michael O’Donnell’s J/121 Darkwood has an outside chance of beating Bulldog, but a good result will definitely move Darkwood onto the class podium for the season. Also, in with a chance of making the podium are Thomas Scott’s X-50 Itma, sailed by Simon Lambert, Jean-Eudes Renier & Rob Bottomley racing MAT 12 Sailplane, and Sailing Logic’s First 40 Arthur, skippered by David Thomson.

A three-way battle for IRC Two winner will be decided in the race to Cherbourg. Photo: Paul Wyeth/RORC

All to play for in IRC Two

A three-way battle for IRC Two winner will be decided in the race to Cherbourg. Nick Martin’s Diablo leads for the season, but Rob Craigie’s Bellino and Jim & Ellie Driver’s Chilli Pepper are within striking distance of victory. The Army Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier and Peter Bacon’s Sun Fast 3300 Sea Bear will be racing to Cherbourg with the chance of making the season’s class podium.

Pressure on Jangada in IRC Three. Photo: Tim Wright/RORC

Pressure on Jangada in IRC Three

Richard Palmer’s Jangada leads IRC Three, but the class win is far from achieved. Realistically a top three finish for the race will secure the class for Jangada However, depending on other results, a race win for Mike Yates’ JAGO or Tim Goodhew racing Sun Fast 3200 Cora will give those respective teams class victory. Rob Cotterill racing J/109 Mojo Risin’ is currently third for the season but will need to at least beat Katherine Cope’s Sun Fast 3200 Purple Mist, to retain that podium position.

Kirsteen Donaldson X-332 Pyxis Photo: Rick Tomlinson/RORC

Podium hopefuls in IRC Four

In IRC Four, Stuart Greenfield’s S&S 34 Morning After has secured the class for the season with an heroic performance in last month’s Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race. Morning After is not racing to Cherbourg but three teams will be hoping to get enough points to make the class podium for the season: Kirsteen Donaldson X-332 Pyxis racing with Juan Moreno, Cooper & England’s Dehler 38 Longue Pierre, and Gavin Doyle’s Corby 25 Duff Lite.