Offshore racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club continues on the 13 May with the De Guingand Bowl Race, the fifth race of the RORC Season’s Points Championship, the world’s largest offshore racing series.
Close to 100 boats are expected, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes. A course of 110-160nm will be set close to the start with a target time of approximately 24 hours.
The De Guingand Bowl will be awarded to the boat with the best corrected time under the IRC Rating Rule. An impressive RORC fleet is expected with race crew from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
Cowes resident Peter Morton is back racing offshore after decades of huge success inshore. In IRC Super Zero, Morton’s Mills 72 Notorious is the scratch boat for the De Guingand Bowl Race. ‘Morty’ intends to race Notorious in the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race, twenty years after winning the Fastnet Challenge Cup on Charles Dunstone’s Enigma. A staunch supporter of yacht racing in Cowes, Peter Morton’s star-studded team has a number of world class sailors from the Isle of Wight including Jules Salter, Brett Aarons, Tom Dawson, Sam Haines, Dominic James, and Kelvin Rawlings plus some of the finest sailors on the South Coast of England including Ian Walker, Ben Saxton, Gerry Mitchell, Jason Carrington, Tom McWilliam, and Nick Hutton.
Racing in IRC One is Michael O’Donnell’s Darkwood, Michael learnt to sail in Ireland and has raced with numerous big boat campaigns as a Corinthian. O’Donnell first campaigned the J/121 in 2019, and races with family and friends. Darkwood has won IRC One for the RORC season in 2021 and came runner up last year. While Peter Morton’s Mill 72 Notorious is quicker at every point of sail than Darkwood. Under the IRC Rating System, assuming a 24 hour race, Darkwood can beat Notorious by crossing the finish line 7 hours and 24 minutes after Notorious.
“Darkwood regularly lines up against some of the best funded offshore racing boats in the world, sailed by a host of legendary professionals. It is one of the great attractions of our sport and almost unique,” commented O’Donnell. “On paper we should never beat them. The cynics will say that for these upsets the weather gods play a part, but in the Channel it happens regularly; a well sailed lower- profile local boat can grasp their opportunity and have its day in the sun. After four seasons with a regular crew, we have a better understanding of how to raise our game.”
IRC Zero & IRC One
The Dutch Ker 43 Baraka GP, sailed by the De Graaf family, has the highest IRC Rating in IRC Zero. Baraka GP won the class in the Cervantes Trophy Race and placed second overall. Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II is the lowest rated boat in the class. Lars Olof Elfversson’s Ker 40 Swee will be making its season debut skippered by Nick Jones. Bridge Sailing’s Owen Clark Class40 Rock ‘n’ Roll will also be in action.
Jonathan Butler’s Swan 62 Coco de Mer is once again the scratch boat in IRC One. The lowest rated are a trio of First 40s Mitchel Fowler’s Jazz, Giles Bancroft’s Tango, and Neil O’Leary’s Zada. RORC Treasurer Derek Shakespeare’s J/122 Bulldog, overall class winner for 2022 will be in action, as will last year’s class runner up Michael O’Donnell’s Darkwood. Ed Bell’s much travelled JPK 1180 Dawn Treader returns to the RORC Offshore arena. From France, Jaques Pelletier’s Milon 41 L’Ange de Milon and Sport Nautique Club’s xP44 Orange Mecanix II are both proven winners.
IRC Two-Handed
Over a third of the entries for the RORC De Guingand Bowl Race will be racing in IRC Two-Handed. Simon Harris’ J/112 J’Ouvert is the highest rated under IRC. Henry & Edward Clay’s Contessa 38 Flycatcher of Yar is among the lowest rated under IRC. Class winner of the Cervantes Trophy Race, Sun Fast 3600 Diablo will be back in action sailed by Nick Martin & Cal Finlayson, as will second place for the Cervantes Trophy: Rob Craigie & Deb Fish with Sun Fast 3600 Bellino. 2022 RORC Yacht of the Year and overall IRC champion, Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada, returns to RORC racing.
IRC Two
With over 30 entries expected, IRC Two is the largest class and contains the majority of the IRC Two-Handed entries. The holder of the De Guingand Bowl is the Sun Fast 3300 Atomic which will be raced this year by a full crew skippered by Christopher Agace. Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster was class winner for the Cervantes Trophy and will be racing this weekend, as will third in class last time out; the Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier, skippered by Henry Foster. Classic yachts Quailo III skippered by Andrew Tseng and Lulotte skippered by Ben Morris will continue their friendly rivalry. The Swan 55 Yawl Lulotte won the last encounter with Nicholson 55 Quailo III.
IRC Three & IRC Four
Over 30 teams are expected to be racing in IRC Three and Four, in at least 16 different designs of performance cruisers. The top three rated boats under IRC are Stephen Thomas’ C&C 115 Azora, Mike Moxley’s HOD35 Malice and Calum McKie’s Grand Soleil 37 Boracic. Five Sun Fast 3200s are entered including Tim Goodhew & Kelvin Matthews on Cora. Four J/109s will be in action including Mike Yates’ JAGO racing with Mike Stannard. Christoph Friedrich’s X-332 Felix is the scratch boat in IRC Four. George Beevor’s Sagita 35 Ugly Duckling and Chris Choules’ Sigma 38 With Alacrity are also racing in IRC Four.
A warm welcome awaits all competitors and their families at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse with a crew supper available on Friday 12th May from 1900 to 2130. Booking is recommended that you book on +44 1983 293581 or eventscowes@rorc.org
The silver De Guingand Bowl trophy was presented to the RORC in 1964 by E.P. de Guingand and his wife. Affectionally known as ‘Buster’, he raced in the 1960s and 70s and was known as an expert navigator. Vice Commodore of the RORC from 1957-59, Buster had great influence over the Club at the time. Having raced in America, he played a big part in the amalgamation of the CCA and the RORC rules, which formed the basis of the IOR in 1969.
The RORC De Guingand Bowl Race is part of the 2023 RORC Season’s Points Championship, the ten-month series comprises of 15 testing offshore races. Over 600 international teams are expected to compete this year. Every race had its own famous prize for the overall winner after IRC time correction with more coveted trophies for class honours.
For more information about the Royal Ocean Racing Club: www.rorc.org
RYS Cowes – via marks (110-160nm)
Start: Saturday 13 May 2023 1100 BST
Report: Louay Habib/RORC
