Dozens of IRC boats are expected in Cowes mid-June for the first IRC European Championship ever to be held on the Solent. This year this championship will also incorporate the Commodores’ Cup.
The Solent represents the spiritual home of IRC, the rating rule which the Royal Ocean Racing Club runs jointly with its French counterpart, the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large.
Historically significant
These waters are also historically significant – Cowes Week was first held here in 1826 and the first America’s Cup (as it would become) in 1851.
The Round the Island Race, today one of the largest participation events in sailing, starts from Cowes as does the RORC’s own Rolex Fastnet Race, first held in 1925, and now the World’s largest offshore race.
Most prestigious title
Running over 10-16th June, the IRC Europeans, the most prestigious title to win under the RORC/UNCL’s rating rule, will mark a new chapter in Solent yacht racing history.
British and French boats are traditionally strongest competitors under IRC: A British boat has won the RORC Seasons Point Championship for the last two years, but in 2015 France owned the entire podium. French boats have won the last three Rolex Fastnet Races and are the present holders of the Commodores’ Cup, which a British team last won in 2012.
Hottest new boat
There will be no let-up in Anglo-French competition this season with both sides campaigning examples of IRC’s hottest new boat – the 1180.
This boat comes from JPK Composites with their 1080 winning the 2015 Rolex Fastnet Race and their 1010 claiming it in 2013 – both campaigned by top French crews. Another Jacques Valer design, the 1180 has more volume forward and a more pronounced chine.
Trentesaux: “I like to sail in Cowes”
Campaigning JPK 1180 #1 is French legend Géry Trentesaux, the 2015 Fastnet winner who led the French Commodores’ Cup team to victory in 2006.
Trentesaux said,
“I like to sail in Cowes and I am a member of the RORC, so it is a good idea to come and race against all my English friends.”
Commodores’ Cup format
This year’s IRC Europeans schedule follows the same well-refined format as the Commodores’ Cup with eight inshore races (windward-leewards, round the cans, some reaching starts), an Around the Isle of Wight (1.5x coefficient) and a 150 mile/30-36 hour offshore (2x coefficient).
Trentesaux says,
“The offshore races are not so big, and Cowes in June is wonderful – I am very happy to come back. But we have a new boat.
“At present she is okay in strong and light weather, but not in medium downwind – we don’t have enough spinnaker area. Otherwise she is very nice.”
Report by Suzanne and Alan Whitewood. Ed
