The 32 boats competing in the 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, crewed by 182 sailors from five continents, have set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes.
Ahead lies a 1,805-nautical-mile course around some of the most exposed waters in northern Europe.
From the tidal headlands of the English Channel to the west coast of Ireland, St Kilda and the Shetland Islands, plus the complexity of the North Sea, this race will test boats and crews to their limits.
The 2026 edition marks the 50th anniversary of the RORC Round Britain & Ireland Race. The youngest crew member is 18 years while the oldest crew member is 79 and competing boats range from 9.99m to 21.5m in length.
The fleet includes yachts built between 1970 and 2025, highlighting the diversity of designs competing vessels.
RORC Commodore Deb Fish navigated Incisor of Wight to overall victory in 2000 and returned in 2022, racing double-handed with Rob Craigie on Bellinoto finish second overall by just seven minutes after IRC time correction.
For 2026, Fish and Craigie are back on Bellino, this time racing four-handed with Griffin graduates Nicole Hemeryck and Joe Griffiths.
Fish comments: “The Round Britain and Ireland Race is the most challenging race in the RORC calendar, without a doubt. It is 1,800 miles of headlands, rocky shores, tidal races, traffic separation schemes, sandbanks, wind farms and everything else that this extraordinary coastline can throw at you.
“What makes it so important to the RORC is that it represents what offshore racing is really about. Logistically it is hard, physically it is hard and mentally it is hard. Offshore racing is full of highs and lows, but when you overcome difficult moments together, whether there are two of you or 20, it brings you together as a crew. This race does that more than any other.
“It is also fantastic to see so many young sailors in the fleet, including sailors who have come through the Griffin programme. That is enormously important for the future of the sport. Fifty years after the first race, the Round Britain and Ireland Race remains a very special challenge and a very important part of what the Royal Ocean Racing Club stands for.”
How to track the Round Britain and Ireland Race 2026
Readers can track the the fleet on the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race website. https://roundbritainandireland.rorc.org/
See the entry list online and watch the live rankings and results.
The post RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race underway: how to track the fleet appeared first on Marine Industry News.
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