Suzanne and Alan share this latest sailing news. Ed
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) will welcome expressions of interest for the IRC European Championships incorporating Commodores’ Cup 2018 event, when online entries open next week on Monday 8th January.
As announced earlier, the Cowes-based championship will be held from 8-16th June and will follow the successful Commodores’ Cup race format, with a variety of different courses ranging from inshore, coastal and offshore – 10 races in all using the Spinlock IRC rating system.
A new format
The RORC has instigated a new format to include the Commodores’ Cup, a Corinthian team-based event within an IRC fleet racing championship which is open to amateurs and professionals.
New for 2018 are the following:
- Competitors wishing to enter the Commodores’ Cup are invited to create teams of three boats with a rating between 0.995 and 1.270 with a maximum DLR of 210.
- Teams can represent a club, a region or a nation. For national representation, authorisation may be required from the appropriate MNA.
- The Commodores’ Cup maintains its Corinthian ethos with only one professional sailor allowed on each boat.
- Boats that race with two females or two crew under 25, or one female and one under 25, are allowed an extra crew member.
- There is no crew weight limit, only the crew number limit on their IRC rating certificate.
Up to 100 individual entries expected
Most active and competitive IRC racing boats fall into the rating band 1.00 to 1.27. This fleet has had its own European Championship held at various racing venues. In 2016 it was held in Cork, Ireland and in July 2017 in Marseille, France.
For 2018 the IRC European Championship will take place in Cowes, and incorporate the Commodores’ Cup. It is expected to attract up to 100 individual entries over the nine-day period (8-16 June 2018).
The Commodores’ Cup
The Commodores’ Cup is a national three boat team event that started in 1992 as the Corinthian version of the Admirals Cup.
In its early years it attracted teams from all over the world but in recent years teams from Northern Europe have contested a regatta that has a strong mix of inshore and offshore racing.
The fact that it has continued for 13 editions spanning 26 years and thrived whilst all other international team events have died is testament to its highly Corinthian ethos.
Winning Teams over the last three Commodores’ Cup events:
2016 – France Blue
2014 – Ireland
2012 – GBR Red
Image: © Suzanne Whitewood
