Please select your home edition
Edition
CompareBoatInsurance Leaderboard

J/121 wins IRC 1 in RORC Channel Race

by J/Boats 31 Jul 2021 19:32 BST 24-25 July 2021
Michael O'Donnell's J/121 Darkwood - RORC Channel Race © Rick Tomlinson / RORC

The penultimate race to take place before the famous RORC Rolex Fastnet Race was the Channel Race this past weekend. The race is often seen as the final test and "practice race" for crews fine-tuning their boatspeed, sail choices, and boat-handling skills prior to the "new" Fastnet Race that starts in the Solent, goes west out and around Fastnet Rock Lighthouse, but then heads back east across the English Channel to finish in Cherbourg, France!

With great anticipation, a number of top J/Teams were hoping their season long focus on improving offshore performance was beginning to pay dividends in their continual process of improvement. One team could not have been happier with the outcome of their efforts this offshore season. Winning IRC 1 Division was Mike O'Donnell's J/121 Darkwood. They have been leading IRC 1 Division overall for the season and the win simply added to their series lead.

In the IRC 2 Division, having one of their strongest races to date in the RORC offshore series, was Andy Theobald's J/122 R&W, taking fourth place.

Mike Yates' J/109 Jago also had one of their best outings offshore, taking the silver in arguably one of the toughest divisions in the RORC summer series- IRC 3 Division. What is remarkable about their performance on a 20-year-old design? They missed winning the top spot on the podium by 26 seconds by a brand-new Sun Fast 3300 design! Similarly, just 14 minutes back was Maxime Mesnil's J/99 Axe Sail finishing in fourth place. J/109 teams sailed very well in this race, with Fiona Cook's Jolly Jack Tar taking 7th and Kevin Armstrong's Jazzy Jellyfish placing 9th.

In the relatively large IRC 4 Division, J/109s continued to show their mettle for being a two-decade old design. David McGough's Just So missed winning the race by a mere 12 minutes. And, missed taking the silver by just 4 minutes...or third place by a scant 17 Seconds! Ugh! You can hear the groan when you can quantify where you lost that 17 seconds! Not that far off the pace was Rob Cotterill's J/109 Mojo Risin', finishing 9th.

In the IRC Doublehanded Division, amateur J/Boats owners as a group crushed it...as Corinthians racing against Professional teams on Sunfast boats. McGough's J/109 Just So finished 4th, Mike Yates' J/109 Jago 6th, and Maxime Mesnil's J/99 Axe Sail 9th.

More RORC Channel Race sailing information here...

Related Articles

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 today at 6:43 pm
Unforgettable Transatlantic Race 2025 finish
First to arrive was Ocean Fifty Calamity, co-skippered by Timo Tavio and Kimo Nordström. It was rush hour in Cowes on Day 15 of the west-to-east Transatlantic Race 2025, as boats crossed the finish line in Cowes within minutes of each other after an epic 3,000-mile battle for top honors in IRC 1. Posted on 3 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race: Offshore classics set to race
IRC Zero has a rich seam of ocean-going history running through it IRC Zero has a rich seam of ocean-going history running through it. While French round the world race legend Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (aka VDH) isn't competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race, two of his former steeds will be on the IRC Zero start line. Posted on 2 Jul
An evening with the Scaramouche Sailing Trust
Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy (GCA). But they've shown it can be accessible to everyone, with amazing results. Posted on 2 Jul
Admiral's Cup 2025 | Interview with the CYCA Team
A highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta from July 17 The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is fielding a highly experienced team for the revived Admiral's Cup regatta that will be run from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the UK, from 17th July 2025. Posted on 1 Jul
Luna shines bright in 2025 Morgan Cup Race
This was a truly international fleet with the majority of the teams from the UK and France The start of the Morgan Cup Race was a spectacular sight with over 100 boats beating to windward into the Western Solent for the fourth race of the Cowes Offshore Racing Series and the 11th race of the 2025 RORC Season's Points Championship. Posted on 30 Jun
Introduction to the Admiral's Cup/Fastnet 2025
After a 22 year abscence, the renowned Admiral's Cup is back. After a break of 22 years, the renowned Admiral's Cup is returning to the international yacht racing scene in July 2025. One short ocean race, three days of inshore racing, and then the fabled Fastnet to finish Posted on 29 Jun
Rolex Fastnet Race at 100 – the making of a giant
At present 469 yachts have entered this special edition - a far cry from its humble origins in 1925 One month remains until the 26 July start of the Rolex Fastnet Race, this year celebrating both its centenary as well as that of the club it spawned: the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Posted on 27 Jun
Tschüss 2 - Transatlantic Titans
Line Honours for Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 in the Transatlantic Race 2025 Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has taken Line Honours in the West to East Transatlantic Race 2025 in an elapsed time of 07 Day 15 Hrs 29 Mins and 10 Secs. Posted on 26 Jun
GBR IRC Championship continue into Autumn & beyond
Attention now turns to the second half of the season With the first half of the GBR IRC Championships successfully complete, attention now turns to the second half of the season, running from July to the end of the year, with events spanning the East Coast, South West, Channel Islands, and inland waters. Posted on 26 Jun