Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

Royal Ocean Racing Club cancels Cervantes Trophy, North Sea Race and Vice Admiral's Cup

by Trish Jenkins 27 Mar 2020 12:51 GMT
RORC racing © Rick Tomlinson / www.rick-tomlinson.com

In line with the continued COVID-19 Government guidance, as well as advice from many of the host finishing clubs in Europe, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has, with regret, had to cancel or change a number of its key events.

The Cervantes Trophy race from Cowes, Isle of Wight to Le Havre, France scheduled for the 8th May has been cancelled. Le Havre port remains closed and is unlikely to re-open until later in May or early June. Members of the SRH (Société des Régates du Havre) and volunteers for this race have turned their attention to weekly Virtual Regatta inshore racing and drinks over their racing WhatsApp group - (Thursday nights for anyone interested).

RORC's North Sea Race which starts from Royal Harwich Yacht Club and sails to the Dutch port of Scheveningen has also been cancelled. The race - which was due to start on 22nd May - has traditionally joined forces with Scheveningen Yacht Club's North Sea Regatta (the Vuurschepen Offshore Race) which was to celebrate its 75th regatta anniversary. Dutch authorities have currently closed the port, the Club, and limited recreation activities until 1st June.

RORC has also elected to cancel the Vice Admiral's Cup Regatta, scheduled for 15th-17th May. In recent years, this inshore regatta has enjoyed considerable growth and has become a 'must-do' event for one-design and specialist classes. With competitors needing to confirm details for the regatta, and with the RORC Cowes Club House being closed in line with Government guidelines, it was felt prudent and in the interest of all parties to cancel the event early.

The RORC is especially sympathetic to the Royal Cork Yacht Club concerning their Tricentenary Celebrations in July. The Cork Week Regatta, the IRC European Championships, and many other activities have all been cancelled. The oldest yacht club in the world announced today that they took this difficult decision in conjunction with their partners to safeguard the health of sailors, visitors, volunteers and the community at large, and to give certainty to those participants and visitors who had scheduled to come to Cork in July.

RORC's Morgan Cup race, scheduled for 8th July was to act as a feeder race for the Cork Tricentenary Celebrations, however due to the cancellation, the course will no longer head to Ireland. At this stage there is no planned replacement course, but it likely to finish in the vicinity of the Solent.

RORC Racing Manager Chris Stone commented: "We are in extraordinary times and making these decisions, whilst unavoidable due to the Coronavirus pandemic, has still been very hard at the beginning of an exciting season of races. There is a huge amount of planning that goes into every race we run, so we can sympathise with the Royal Cork Yacht Club who have been in the planning process for many years. We will continue to monitor the pandemic and keep those who race with us fully informed in good time about the next races in the RORC Season's Point Championship."

For further information, please contact the RORC Race Team: E: , T: +44 (0)1983 295144. W: www.rorc.org

Related Articles

Rolex Fastnet Race IRC Three preview
This has produced the overall winner of two of the last six editions IRC Three may consist of smaller, slower and in some cases older boats than those that will garner headlines in the first couple of days of the Rolex Fastnet Race. Posted today at 4:12 pm
Rolex Fastnet Race: IRC Two Preview
With 73 entries in IRC Two, the Rolex Fastnet Race is set to deliver a striking display. Could two new JPK 1050s upset the apple cart in IRC Two? Jean-Pierre Kelbert has a habit of breaking the mould in IRC racing, and his new 34-footer may well be a game changer in this competitive division with 73 entries. Posted today at 10:36 am
Admiral's Cup AC2 Class
Offshore legends, small boats, big test In the 2025 Admiral's Cup, AC2 features smaller boats than their AC1 team mates but the challenge is every bit as tough, if not tougher. This is where elite skill meets raw offshore endurance. Posted on 9 Jul
Django Team to represent Italy at Admiral's Cup
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda launches two-boat campaign in historic return of the elite offshore race After a 20-year hiatus, the Admiral's Cup is back - and Italy is ready to make a bold return to one of offshore sailing's most legendary stages. Posted on 9 Jul
Meet the CYCA's Admiral's Cup Team
Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique. Posted on 9 Jul
Sailing's Glitterati prepare for the Admiral's Cup
The depth and quality of talent is truly breathtaking. The 2025 Admiral's Cup is shaping up to be one of the most compelling editions in the event's storied history, featuring a glittering constellation of the sport's elite. Posted on 8 Jul
2025 Cowes Dinard St Malo Race Preview
The thirteenth race of the RORC Season's Points Championship The Cowes Dinard St Malo Race is the thirteenth race of the RORC Season's Points Championship—the world's largest offshore racing series. Posted on 7 Jul
A dream realised for Litchfield's Hound
The Nielsen 59 Hound finished the Transatlantic Race 2025 on July 5 Dan Litchfield's classic Nielsen 59 Hound, co-skippered by Tom Stark, finished the Transatlantic Race 2025 on July 5 in an elapsed time of 16 Days, 08 Hours, 49 Mins and 22 Secs. Posted on 7 Jul
Peter Burling shows new sailing direction
Peter Burling chases new race record with French 105ft foiling trimaran Three times America's Cup winnning skipper Peter Burling will join the crew of the Ultim SVR-Lazartigue for the upcoming Rolex Fastnet Race. Posted on 6 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC One preview
Beyond the French legends there is plenty of international talent with podium potential With 17 editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race to his name, including five class victories along the way and an outright victory in 2015, could anyone bet against Géry Trentesaux doing it again? Posted on 4 Jul