Seven Champions Crowned in the 2026 RORC Cowes Offshore Series Seven category champions have been crowned after the 2026 RORC Cowes Offshore Series brought nearly 150 boats together for a season of accessible, high-quality offshore racing from Cowes. Venomous, L’Ange de Milon, Bulldog, Bellino and Zanzibar claimed the five IRC class titles, while Slinky Malinki won the Multihull division under MOCRA and Swift topped Class40. Running from 2 May – 6 September, the Series combined seven established RORC races: the Cervantes Trophy, Myth of Malham, De Guingand Bowl, Salcombe Gin Morgan Cup, Cowes Dinard St Malo Race, Channel Race and Nautical Cloud Cherbourg Race. The best five results counted towards each boat’s final score. The fleet ranged from a Contessa 32 to a Volvo 70, bringing Grand Prix campaigns, experienced offshore teams, youth crews and Corinthian sailors into the same programme. With most races starting on Saturday morning and finishing in time for crews to return home on Sunday, the format delivered serious offshore competition without demanding a full week away from work and plenty of fun both afloat and at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse. Graeme Lewis’ Carroll Marine 60 Venomous won IRC Zero, ahead of James Neville’s Botin 52 Ino Veritas and Guy Gillon’s Botin 56 Khumbu. IRC One produced a close contest. Jacques Pelletier’s French prototype L’Ange de Milon finished just 16.7 points ahead of Trevor Middleton’s JPK 1180 Black Sheep. Nick and Jacquetta Edmonds’ J/45 Stickleback completed the class podium. RORC Vice Commodore Derek Shakespeare, racing his J/122 Bulldog was the clear winner in IRC Two. Jean-Eudes Renier’s Pogo RC Midnight Blues was second, with Richard Powell’s First 40 Rogan Josh third. Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, raced with RORC Commodore Deb Fish, won a deep IRC Three. Ian Hoddle’s Sun Fast 3300 Game On was second and Fujitsu British Soldier, campaigned by the Army Sailing Association, placed third. In IRC Four, Inka Luhrs and Richard Bretherton’s Sun Fast 3200 Zanzibar scored won by 25 points from Mark Brown’s JPK 1010 Jetpack. Rob Cotterill’s J/109 Mojo Risin completed the top three. The closest title fight came in the Multihull division. Peter Coote’s Dazcat 1295 Slinky Malinki defeated Didier Bouillard’s Minor Swing, another Dazcat 1295, by just 6.3 points. Dave Summers’ Dazcat 1495 DMS Vinyl was third. Greg Leonard’s Swift won Class 40, ahead of Nicolas Lemarchand’s Weeecycling. For several teams, the Series formed the opening part of a two-year campaign towards the 2027 Rolex Fastnet Race. It also gave the RORC Griffin Pathway’s under-30 crew responsibility for planning, preparing and racing its own campaign, building skills on and off the water. Multiple Griffin teams raced the club’s Sun Fast 3600 RORC Griffin, giving an extended squad valuable experience. RORC Commodore Deb Fish said the racing and the atmosphere ashore were equally important: “The more you put in, the more you get out. The more you come to the post-race parties, the more you chat with your competitors, the more you learn, the faster you go and the more likely you are to win next year. We’ve had a great time!” Visit www.rorc.org for more information about RORC racing. Film and photography 🎥 Corinna Haines—@hainesfilms 🎥 Drone— Paul Wyeth - pwpictures.com #RORC #IRC #CowesOffshoreSeries #OffshoreRacing #Sailing #YachtRacing #Cowes #RORCRacing

Highlights from the 50th-anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race 2026—1,805 nautical miles around Britain and Ireland and one of offshore sailing’s greatest challenges. Featuring spectacular onboard footage, drone images from the start in Cowes, interviews with competitors before and after the race, and the story of overall winner Pace, this film captures the winners, the survivors and some of the extraordinary moments from the 2026 race. 32 boats. 182 sailors from five continents. 1,805 nautical miles. One epic race, held every four years. For more than two weeks, the fleet raced around one of offshore sailing’s most demanding courses: Land’s End, the wild west coast of Ireland, St Kilda and Muckle Flugga, before turning south into the navigational challenge of the North Sea and English Channel. The competitors faced Atlantic lows, wind holes, big seas and glassy calms. Boats surfed at more than 25 knots and, at other times, crews were forced to kedge at anchor against the tide. Sails were repaired, a boom shattered and sailors were pushed mentally and physically by fatigue. There were also unforgettable encounters with wildlife—including an owl that became one of the unexpected stars of the race. From Monohull Line Honours and the overall IRC victory for Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace, to battles throughout the IRC classes and extraordinary stories from across the fleet, this is a taste of what it takes to race non-stop around Britain and Ireland. Follow RORC for more offshore racing films, race reports, interviews and stories from the world of ocean racing. Race website:www.roundbritainandireland.rorc.org Film and photography 🎥 Corinna Haines—@hainesfilms🎥 Drone—James Tomlinson—@jamestomlinsonphotography Onboard footage Many thanks to the sailors and teams who contributed footage from around the racecourse: RORC Griffin Pathway-Eimer, Fujitsu British Soldier, Bellino—Joe Griffiths, Palanad 4—Antoine Magre, Pace—Anthony Haines, Pete Cumming, Mzungu!—Sam White,Tigris—Maggie Adamson, Snifix Dry, Astrid—Paddy Moriarty, Jetpack, Mojo—Emma Breese, Sky Business – Game On, Varuna 6—Mike Broughton, Espresso Martini Too—Rich Corbin, Xantho, Pata Negra—Sam Hall, Kestrel—Simon Bamford and Zeb Fellows, Frida, Polished Manx—Maciek, Venomous Racing—Lewis Agate, Challenge Ocean #RORC #RoundBritainAndIrelandRace #RBIR #OffshoreRacing #YachtRacing #Sailing #IRC #Cowes #RoyalOceanRacingClub #OceanRacing #Volvo70 #Pace #GriffinPathway #Adventure

Caister Lifeboat team, an independent lifeboat organisation comes to rescue and the crew of the British Army Sailing Association's Fujitsu British Soldier carefully hand over the bird that they have been caring for for 24 hours during the 1800nm race run by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The 50th anniversary Round Britain and Ireland Race.

Four Chapters, One Great Adventure Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace completed the 50th anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, winning IRC Overall, Line Honours and IRC Zero after a race that combined raw speed, complex navigation and a deeply personal offshore journey for the owner. Pace crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in Cowes at 04:17:31 BST on Sunday 16 August, taking Monohull Line Honours in an elapsed time for the 1,805-nautical-mile course was 6 days, 14 hours, 47 minutes and 31 seconds. The YB tracker recorded 2,113 nautical miles sailed, close to the shortest route, save two deviations after Black Rock and in the northern North Sea. The great acceleration came off the west coast of Ireland and towards Muckle Flugga where the Juan Kouyoumdjian design exploited the conditions that suited her. Vincent recalled a 486-nautical-mile run in 24 hours and boat speeds of 26 and 27 knots. The final miles were an entirely different contest. Pace sailed VMG downwind past Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, Sussex and Hampshire, negotiating a maze of traffic separation schemes, oil and gas infrastructure, wind farms and exclusion zones. The crew completed an intense series of never-ending gybes in the pitch black of night before a favourable tide helped carry Pace through the Solent and home to Cowes. Pace crew: Johnny Vincent, Al Fraser, Anthony Haines, Antonio Cuervas-Mons, Ed Myers, Jim Carroll, Jules Salter, Luke Molloy, Mark Bartlett, Neal McDonald, Pete Cumming, Stu Bannatyne, Tom McWilliam and Trystan Seal. Interviews with Johnny Vincent , Jules Salter etc and a taste of the adventure. Follow RORC for more offshore racing stories, race reports and sailor interviews. Race website: www.roundbritainandireland.rorc.org 🎥 Corinna Haines - @hainesfilms 🎥 Drone - James Tomlinson - @jamestomlinsonphotography 🎥 Onboards - Anthony Haines & Pete Cumming Many thanks to all the sailors who contributed on board video selects. #RORC #OffshoreRacing #YachtRacing #Sailing #IRC #Cowes #RoyalOceanRacingClub #SailRacing #volvo #RORC #jpk #Volvo70 #juanyachtdesign #yachtdesign #pace

Richard and Emma Breese on J105 Mojo approaching Muckle Flugga in the 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race.

Rounded Muckle Flugga at midnight and

Friday evening and navigator Mike Broughton checks in from on board Jens Kellinghusen's Ker 46 Varuna 6.

43 miles away from Black Rock on Thursday night in the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race. Sailing double-handed with her father,

Pace owner Johnny Vincent at the helm of Volvo 70 pace in the 2026 Round Britain and Ireland Race Shot by Anthony Haines

In French & English Antoine Magre's The radical scow-bow design has already proved its credentials on the international offshore circuit. Following an impressive debut in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, Palanad 4 claimed overall IRC victory in the 3,000-mile RORC Transatlantic Race before adding the IRC Zero title in the 2026 RORC Caribbean 600. Pablo Santurde del Arco: "We are just north of Ireland now and we had a very quick night. A bit brutal but good to get the boat in the air. and we are getting back into Varuna. Pace has just got away but they are a bigger boat. We should hopefully have another couple of good days up to Muckle Flugga. Probably won't see much of the sun but that's OK."

Anthony Haines reports in 320 miles from Muckle Flugga on Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace - leading on the water.

Day 2 and we were having a few problems with AIS and we can't seem to receive any signals, but people are seeing us. I was concerned its a problem with the connection up at the top of the mast so as it's a nice, lovely day I thought I'd send Sam up the top! Our polars are back to 100% so I might leave him up there... says co-skipper Nathan Steffenoni.

Emma and Richard Breese report in from on board Mojo on the third morning of the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race.

Paddy Moriarty is racing his1972 Swan 44 Astrid with a young crew.

The Offshore Marathon has Begun The 50th Anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race started with cannon fire from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes, marking the start of one of offshore sailing’s greatest challenges. In bright sunshine, the 32 competing boats, crewed by 182 sailors from five continents, made a clean start, beating to windward in a light easterly breeze. The line was all clear and the fleet was soon racing east out of the Solent. Ahead lies a 1,805-nautical-mile course around some of the most exposed waters in northern Europe, and undoubtedly plenty of twists and turns along the way. From the tidal headlands of the English Channel to the west coast of Ireland, St Kilda and the Shetland Islands, plus the complexity of the North Sea, this race will test boats and crews to their limits. RORC Commodore Deb Fish knows the Round Britain and Ireland Race exceptionally well. She navigated Incisor of Wight to overall victory in 2000 and returned in 2022, racing double-handed with Rob Craigie on Bellino tofinish second overall by just seven minutes after IRC time correction. Pre-start interviews with competitors, start footage, including on the water and drone shots. Follow RORC for more offshore racing stories, race reports and sailor interviews. Find out more and get involved: www.roundbritainandireland.rorc.org 🎥 Corinna Haines - @hainesfilms 🎥 James Tomlinson - @jamestomlinsonphotography Many thanks to all the sailors who contributed on board video selects. #RORC #OffshoreRacing #YachtRacing #Sailing #IRC #Cowes #RoyalOceanRacingClub #SailRacing #volvo #RORC #jpk

Glorious sunshine and a building breeze set the stage for a spectacular start to the RORC Cowes Dinard St Malo Race, as the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s largest offshore fleet of the season charged west down the Solent. With 79 boats on the start line, the international line-up delivered a formidable and diverse mix of talent, from fully crewed high performance boats to double-handed teams and classic yachts racing under IRC, as well as multihulls racing under MOCRA. Featured sailors: Jean André Hebel and Romain Gibon - JPK , Abracadabra ² Marc Lepesqueux - Class 40 Jumbo, Sensation Class 40 Johnny Vincent - Volvo 70 , Pace Katie Rota - Reflex 38 , Cougar The 2026 race was about much more than the results. It was about the people on board, the decisions made through day and night, and the commitment required to keep racing when every mile matters. Follow RORC for more offshore racing stories, race reports and sailor interviews. Find out more and get involved: www.rorc.org 🎥 Corinna Haines - @hainesfilms Many thanks to all the sailors who contributed on board video selects. #RORC #cowesstmalo #OffshoreRacing #YachtRacing #Sailing #IRC #Cowes #RoyalOceanRacingClub #SailRacing #volvo #stmalo #jpk

Sailors’ Stories from the Fleet The RORC Myth of Malham Race is one of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s classic offshore tests. Starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes, the race sends the fleet west along the English Channel to round the Eddystone Lighthouse before returning to the Solent. The Myth of Malham is the second race of the RORC Cowes Offshore Series designed to give sailors of all abilities and backgrounds easy access to an offshore series of races, all starting from Cowes, IOW. This video is not about the winners it tells the story of the race through the sailors who took part. From concentration in light airs to close battles across the fleet, the Myth of Malham Race once again delivered a demanding offshore challenge where patience, teamwork and tactical decisions made the difference. Featured sailors: Ben Owens & Luke Lawrence, JPK 1010 Leonard Nuala Sellwood, Albert Barber, Ollie Baddeley, Abby Hire, Sun Fast 3600 RORC Griffin RORC Vice Commodore Derek Shakespeare, J/122 Bulldog Jon McColl, Shuttleworth 34 Shockwave James Holder, Grainger 36 Uno The 2026 race was about much more than the results. It was about the people on board, the decisions made through day and night, and the commitment required to keep racing when every mile matters. Follow RORC for more offshore racing stories, race reports and sailor interviews. Find out more and get involved: www.rorc.org 🎥 Corinna Haines - @hainesfilms Many thanks to all the sailors who contributed on board video selects. #RORC #MythOfMalhamRace #OffshoreRacing #YachtRacing #Sailing #IRC #Cowes #Eddystone #RoyalOceanRacingClub #SailRacing