2025 RORC Easter Challenge - Preview
by Louay Habib / RORC 14 Apr 2025 19:14 BST
18-20 April 2025
Downwind start for IRC Three © Paul Wyeth / RORC
With just a few days to go, anticipation is building for the RORC Easter Challenge, taking place over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
This year's edition is shaping up to be a thrilling opener to the RORC's Cowes based racing season, featuring a varied fleet of over 40 boats across three IRC classes. As a training regatta with PRO Stuart Childerley, the coaching is led on the water by Mason King supported by hand-picked coaches and a North Sails team of experts led by Ian Walker.
RORC Easter Challenge Entry List HERE
Crews will get three days of intense training for the season ahead with invaluable video debriefs after racing action on Friday and Saturday. Easter Eggs are the prizes for the RORC Easter Regatta, but the real winners are the teams that improve their performance for the season ahead.
IRC One: Admiral's Cup contenders assemble
IRC One promises to deliver some of the most intense action, with several top-tier teams using the regatta as a proving ground for the 2025 Admiral's Cup. The spotlight is on the two Yacht Club de Monaco entries: TP52 Jolt 3 skippered by Peter Harrison, and Jolt 6, the Carkeek 40+ formerly known as Rebellion. They'll be going head-to-head with two Dutch hopefuls: the De Graaf family's Ker 43 Baraka GP and the Rotterdam Offshore Sailing Team's Ker 46 Van Uden, skippered by Gerd-Jan Poortman.
Also returning to Cowes is Max Clink's Rolex Fastnet winner Botin 52 Caro, which will be representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron for the Admiral's Cup. This will be Caro's first race appearance in the Solent since that impressive 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race victory. Taking on the Admiral's Cup hopefuls is TP52 Braveheart, skippered by Laurence Meade. With so much talent on the line, this class is set to showcase high-performance competition.
IRC Two: Speed build and racing pedigree
Eighteen boats will be competing in IRC Two, including strong representation from the London School of Sailing. Their Reflex 38s "Cougar" and "Panther" offer an exciting match-racing prospect between two near-identical training vessels. The class also features military entries, such as the Army Sailing Association's Fujitsu British Soldier, led by Lieutenant Colonel Will Naylor. The class includes an impressive lineup of J/Boats: David Franks' J/112 Leon has a proven winning track record winning at the IRC Nationals and Cowes Week. IRC One Class winner for the 2024 season J/122 Bulldog will have RORC Vice Commodore Derek Shakespeare at the helm. Dunlop & Cox's Welsh J/122 Mojito is just back from a very successful RORC Caribbean 600.
Three Cape 31s will be using the training regatta to get up to speed for the season: Simon Perry's Jiraffe, Hewat & Stone's Narwhal and Ben Pritchard with Akheilos. The largest boats in IRC Two are Dave Cullen with his First 50 Checkmate XX from Howth YC, Hugo Gommers' Landmark 43 Olympix with a young Dutch team and past RORC Admiral Andrew McIrvine with Ker 39 La Reponse.
IRC Three: Tradition meets tenacity on the Easter Egg hunt
18 boats are expected for IRC Three including four J/109s in the mix: Rob Cotterill's Mojo Risin' Stephen Davis' Jeroboam, Neville-Jones & Hardy's Jamira, and Olly and Sam Love's Frank 4. Three J/99s will also be on the racetrack: Brian Denney's Jalapeno 3, Charles Balmain's Snapshot and Alain Waha's Further West. Among the more unique entries is Arrow, a West Solent One Design built to a 1920s HG May design. Skippered by Led Pritchard, this newly assembled team is diving straight into the regatta as a season opener. Also racing is the Etchells Ziggy, sailed by Kevin Down and Tim Eles on behalf of the Cowes Keelboat Youth Charity.
Classics abound in IRC Three with two equally matched boats from the design board of Sparkman & Stephens: Harry Heijst's Winsome and Ramona-Ann Gale's Firebrand. Two Half Tonners will have close racing: Rob O'Leary's Irish 2 Farr and Former RORC Commodore Peter Rutter with Quokka 9. Rounding out the class is the Royal Navy's Sun Fast 3600 Sovereign, skippered by Kat Jay, which will be looking to score a better Easter Egg haul than the Army!
With everything from Admiral's Cup contenders to grassroots training teams and classic yacht campaigns, the 2025 RORC Easter Challenge is more than just a regatta. It's a celebration of the start of the RORC Season. Based at the newly renovated RORC Cowes Clubhouse, the atmosphere will be fizzing with banter from the competitors.
For more information and late on-line entry go to: www.sailracehq.com