Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

RORC Castle Rock Race preview

by Louay Habib 8 Sep 2021 08:30 BST 10-11 September 2021
RORC racing from the RYS Line - RORC Castle Rock Race © Paul Wyeth / RORC

The Royal Ocean Racing Club Season's Points Championship concludes this weekend with the Castle Rock Race, the grand finale for the RORC season. The eleventh and final race for 2021 will decide the class winners for the world's largest offshore racing series. Over 400 teams will have competed in the championship over the twelve month series. To celebrate the conclusion of racing, the RORC Cowes Clubhouse will host a race prize-giving and BBQ on Saturday 11th September.

Tom Kneen's JPK 1180 Sunrise secured the overall championship win in last month's Rolex Fastnet Race. However, the overall runner up for the season will be decided after the Castle Rock Race. Ed Bell's JPK 1180 Dawn Treader is currently second, but three teams are very much in contention: Andrew Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra, Ross Applebey's Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster, and Michael O'Donnell's J/121 Darkwood.

In IRC Zero, VME Racing's CM60 Venomous is in pole position but David Collins' Botin IRC52 Tala is favourite to retain the IRC Zero title by completing the final race. Eric de Turckheim's NYMD 54 Teasing Machine is currently third but a good result by Ross Hobson and Adrian Banks' Pegasus of Northumberland will see them overtake Teasing Machine for third.

IRC One will have a new champion for the series, as neither of the top contenders have won the class before. Michael O'Donnell's Darkwood has a five-point lead over Andrew Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra with both boats unlikely to be able to better their current scores.. Mark Emerson's A13 Phosphorus II had a superb Rolex Fastnet Race and is odds on to claim the final podium position, ahead of Ed Fishwick's GP42 Redshift.

In IRC Two Tom Kneen's Sunrise is virtually unbeatable. However, Ross Applebey's Scarlet Oyster is looking strong for runner-up in the class with Ed Bell's Dawn Treader assured of at least third place for the season.

A record 83 IRC Two-handed teams have been racing in the RORC Season's Points Championship and the class winner will be decided in the Castle Rock Race. Rob Craigie's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing with Deb Fish, leads the class for the season by just over seven points from Nigel Goodhew's Sun Fast 3200 Cora, raced by son Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews. Bellino was the champion in 2019, Cora was second.

In IRC Three, there are four Sun Fast 3600 battling for the podium. Bellino looks set to win the class, having been runner-up in 2019 by less than two points. Bellino is only four points ahead of James Harayda's Gentoo, racing Two-Handed with Dee Caffari. However, Gentoo has not entered this weekend's race. Battling for the final podium position are the Army Sailing Association's Fujitsu British Soldier and Nick Martin's Diablo.

In IRC Four, the podium for the season looks to be decided prior to the Castle Rock Race. Cora has an unassailable lead and will win IRC Four for the first time. Renaud Courbon & Emmanuel Winsback, racing First Class 10 Shortgood, is in second place. Richard Palmer's JPK 1010 Jangada, racing with Jeremy Waitt, is less than two points behind in third, but Jangada is en route to the Rolex Middle Sea Race and will not be competing in the Castle Rock Race.

37 Class40 teams have competed in the championship. Greg Leonard's Kite is entered for the Castle Rock Race for somewhat of a lap of honour having won class for the season. Sam Goodchild's Multi 50 Leyton will be making a RORC debut, with plans to compete in next year's RORC Caribbean 600.

Yachts taking part in the Castle Rock Race will start to gather off Cowes Parade from around 1800 on Friday 10th September. The full entry list and AIS tracking link can be found at here and also via smartphones with the YB App. Results will be available with live updates at www.rorc.org

Once back in Cowes competitors will experience the warm welcome by the RORC Cowes Clubhouse where the prize-giving will extend to an evening of partying, with competitors and their guests enjoying all that the Clubhouse has to offer.

Prize giving is scheduled for 18:00 Saturday 11th September and will be followed by a BBQ. Tickets for the BBQ are priced at £25.00 and should be booked through the Cowes Clubhouse on 01983 293581 /

Related Articles

RORC Transatlantic Race 2026 preview
3000 miles, one epic challenge The RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France will start from Marina Lanzarote on 11th January 2026. Posted today at 7:32 am
Salcombe Gin Centenary Race - A fitting finale
RORC Cowes clubhouse was buzzing The Salcombe Gin Centenary Race brought the curtain down on the RORC's Centenary season — for everyone except the sailors still to compete in next week's Offshore Double Handed World Championships. Posted on 21 Sep
Entry criteria announced for Sardinia Cup 2026
Iconic Yacht Club Costa Smeralda regatta to mirror Admiral's Cup rating bands The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) is pleased to announce that the next edition of the Sardinia Cup, taking place from 31 May to 7 June 2026, will adopt the IRC Rating Bands applied by the Royal Ocean Racing Club for the Admiral's Cup. Posted on 17 Sep
Salcombe Gin Centenary Race & RORC Clubhouse Party
A celebration to conclude the racing programme in the Solent As part of the RORC centenary, alongside the headline events the Rolex Fastnet Race and the revived Admiral's Cup, the Centenary Race has been designed as a celebration to conclude the racing programme in the Solent. Posted on 16 Sep
IRC Rating Rule unites Admirals Cup & Sardinia Cup
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) has announced the return of the Sardinia Cup The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has confirmed that the Admiral's Cup will return in 2027, building on the spectacular success of its 2025 comeback after a 22-year hiatus. Posted on 15 Sep
Six Continents, One World Title
22 Teams Set for Offshore Double Handed Worlds The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), in collaboration with Cap-Regatta and supported by LGL and Jeanneau, is proud to host the 2025 Offshore Double Handed World Championships from 22nd September to 1st October from Cowes, Isle of Wight. Posted on 14 Sep
2025 RORC Cowes Offshore Racing Series wrap-up
The series delivered everything it promised... and more The Royal Ocean Racing Club's inaugural Cowes Offshore Racing Series has signed off in style after seven thrilling, hard-fought races, marking the start of a bold new chapter for Solent-based offshore competition. Posted on 11 Sep
The perfect launchpad for RORC Transatlantic Race
Since 2014, Marina Lanzarote has consistently welcomed the fleet as the chosen departure point The RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France, will start from Marina Lanzarote on 11th January 2026. Posted on 31 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 Delivers Spectacular Racing
199th event completed in fine style The 199th Cowes Week annual regatta was completed in fine style with over 400 boats finishing the last race off the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line under multi coloured spinnakers. Posted on 19 Aug
Contessa 32 class at Cowes Week 2025
49th year of class racing at Cowes sees fleet secure several trophies The 199th year of Cowes Week is fast slipping astern as the Contessa fleet spreads its summer wings for cruising in and beyond the Solent before returning in September for more closely contested one design class racing. Posted on 18 Aug