Admiral's Cup vs. Rolex Fastnet Interclub Trophy (Martin Illingworth Trophy)
by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia 12 Jun 03:12 BST
The CYCA teams take on the Rolex Fastnet © Rolex | Kurt Arrigo
What's the difference, How do they work and Meet the CYCA Team
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is proud to be competing in two prestigious interclub competitions — the revived Admiral's Cup and the Martin Illingworth Trophy — as part of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race.
What's the Difference
While both are interclub team trophies, they follow distinct formats
- Admiral's Cup: revived for 2025, brings together leading yacht clubs from around the world in a multi-race format. Teams of two yachts compete in both inshore races, offshore races and the Rolex Fastnet Race, with points accumulated across all events. It's a showcase of consistency, versatility and team cohesion, and returns as one of sailing's most revered international titles.
- Martin Illingworth Trophy: focuses solely on the Rolex Fastnet Race and teams consist of three boats, elected by a yacht club. The trophy is awarded to the club team with the lowest combined corrected time under IRC, it's a pure test of offshore performance. All three yachts must finish and remain free of scoring penalties (excluding one- and two-turn penalties).
Meet the CYCA Team
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia has nominated formidable offshore yachts for both the Admiral's Cup & the Martin Illingworth Trophy. Back 2 Black and Zen will represent both the CYCA and Australia in the Admiral's Cup, while they are joined by Whisper to complete the Club's three-boat team contesting the Martin Illingworth Trophy.
- Back 2 Black: Owned and Skippered by Sean Langman, this GP42 is undergoing modifications and structural improvements for the challenge ahead.
- Zen: Gordon Ketelbey's well-campaigned TP52, is a consistent contender on the IRC circuit. The yacht recently received a large amount of TLC, refinishing the bottom of the boat.
- Whisper: David Griffith's high-performance Reichel/Pugh 62 is a proven offshore IRC champion. The yacht is bolstered by a crew of capable offshore sailors, including several graduates of the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy.
Take a look at the Admiral's Cup Entries.