Online entry for The Royal Ocean Racing Club's 2014 season is now open and Ian Walker's Volvo Ocean 65 Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing was quick off the mark to confirm its participation with Azzam (Determination) in the RORC's toughest race of the year - The Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.

The 1802nm course, starting on Sunday 10^th August, is the ultimate test of endurance for sailors and has been supported by leading Dutch specialist yacht transport company Sevenstar since 2006. Starting and finishing in Cowes, Isle of Wight, the race takes competitors non-stop around the breathtaking coastline of Britain and Ireland. Memorable landmarks include the most northerly lighthouse - Muckle Flugga, a small rocky island north of Unst in the Shetland Islands, Scotland.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing First to Sign Up

Britain's twice Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker will skipper the Volvo Ocean 65, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racingin the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race prior to their second successive Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015:

"This will be my first Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race and I can't wait to take part in our new Volvo 65. It will be an excellent training run just before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race which starts in October. Racing is always more demanding closer to land with headlands, tidal issues, wind effects and all the resulting sail changes. This will be a tough test for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing at just the right time," comments Skipper, Ian Walker.

The organisers of Volvo Ocean Race confirmed that the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is part of their pre-race programme. This will give all teams the chance to compete for the first time against each other, offering valuable crew training and boat preparation before the start of their round the world race from Alicante, Spain in October 2014.

Read the complete article on the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race Minisite

The 6^th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 is proving irresistible to yacht racing teams from all over the world. An international fleet of over 40 yachts has now entered the race and around 50 are expected on the start line on Monday 24^th February.

The northern hemisphere is currently experiencing some of the worst winter weather on record but well over 500 sailors are rubbing their hands together, relishing the prospect of racing around 11 Caribbean islands against highly competitive opposition.

The Caribbean is, without doubt, one of yacht racing's most exhilarating playgrounds as warm trade winds and Caribbean swell provide superb sailing conditions. The RORC Caribbean 600 course, starting and finishing in Antigua, is designed to provide a challenging, high speed racetrack and its popularity has grown, year on year, since 2009.

Read the complete article on the RORC Caribbean 600 Minisite

Happy New Year!

The RORC is pleased to announce that REMUS will be open for entries for the 2014 season from midday Monday 13th January 2014.

2014 is set to be a very busy year's racing with the RORC. The calendar contains a full roster of domestic races alongside our inshore events, the RORC Easter Challenge and IRC National Championship. For the intrepid sailor there will be two 1800nm+ offshore races, including the test of endurance that is the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race and the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race.

You can view the full RORC schedule here.

Notice of Race

You can start planning your season now as Parts 1 and 2 of the 2014 Notice of Race are available to download here.

ISAF Special Regulations will be added in due course, but you can also find these on the ISAF website here.

RORC Caribbean 600

With 43 entries and counting, there is still time to enter the RORC Caribbean 600 which starts on Monday 24th February 2014. Enter before the Closing Date to secure a place without a late entry fee!

Organised by the Royal Cape Yacht Club
Start: January 4th 2014
Course: Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro - 3300nm
ISAF Offshore regulations Category 1
IRC, IRC Double Handed and Multihull Fleets.

The Cape to Rio Race sponsored by Xtra-Link and organised by the Royal Cape Yacht Club is one of the world's oldest, longest and toughest ocean races.

36 yachts will cast off from Cape Town on January 4th with crew from all over the world. A variety of yachts will be flying the flags of eight different countries; Angola, Australia, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy and South Africa.

The rhum line is 3300 miles across the Southern Atlantic, the vast expanse of desolate ocean is notorious for high winds and big seas and tactically there are many strategic decisions right from the start. Leaving Table Bay, the shallow waters of the African continental shelf and the wind shadow from Table Mountain can create a mogul field of confused Atlantic swell. About 200 miles into the race, the fleet must negotiate the South Atlantic High. Deep into the South Atlantic, mountainous seas can rear up, propelled by ocean currents and storm force winds are a common.

The finish in Rio de Janeiro can be tense, land effects can cause sudden changes in the wind and waves. A shifty light breeze with a confused sea state is a likely scenario to conclude a long and arduous race. Many of the yachts will spend over two weeks at sea, the Cape to Rio Race is a true test of seamanship, perseverance and determination.

Sydney plastic surgeon Darryl Hodgkinson's 50-foot Cookson/Farr design yacht Victoire is the overall winner of the 69th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Martyn Mackrill, a renowned marine artists based on the Isle of Wight, has painted the "Homeward - The Jolie Brise" exclusively for the Royal Ocean Racing Club.

This original painting was sold for £9000 at the Royal Ocean Racing Club Annual Dinner & Prize Giving auction which raised £35000 for the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation.

To continue this good support the owner is offering you the chance to purchase a quality print of this spectacular painting signed by the artist.

Signed prints (14" x 18") are available at £100 each, plus postage and packing, with proceeds going to the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation.

To place your order please complete and return the order form to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 01983 856 333.

There are a limited number available so take advantage this is a fantastic opportunity to own a copy of this beautiful and unique painting which was only completed in November 2013.

Click here to read this article in French

Hoping to bridge an almost 30 year gap in Canadian Offshore racing, Sail Canada has announced its intention to lodge a challenge for the 2014 Commodores' Cup by forming a three boat team of Canadian sailors.

"The likely make up of the team will draw on sailors from right across the country, with serious interest being expressed by Halifax, Toronto and Vancouver sailors," confirms Paddy Boyd, Executive Director/Directeur Général, Sail Canada/Voile Canada.

"Canada's last foray into offshore team racing was at the 1985 Admiral's Cup, where the three boat team of Pachena, Amazing Grace and Impetus crossed the Atlantic to race against 17 other countries. Since then, offshore team racing and Canadian involvement in such events has waned, but recently, there has been an upsurge of interest. IRC, the rating system used in the Commodores' Cup has a strong following in Lake Ontario and there are plenty of competitive IRC rated boats available for charter on the South Coast of England, reducing the cost to compete quite considerably," continues Boyd.

Read the complete article on the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup Minisite

The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has announced the introduction of a new Transatlantic Race starting in November 2014.

The RORC Transatlantic Race will set off from Lanzarote, Canary Islands and finish in the Caribbean, at a destination to be confirmed. The 2,800 nm east to west race will act as a feeder for yachts participating in the 2015 RORC Caribbean 600, held annually in February from Antigua.

The RORC racing calendar attracts sailors from all over the world to compete during the season in over 20 races and comprises a series of highly competitive inshore and offshore IRC Rated events throughout the year. The new RORC Transatlantic Race will be the longest and final race in 2014, making it another busy year for the London-based Club. It follows a season of regular RORC races as well as the international Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race and Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup.

"In the past the club has been involved with the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) who have a racing division, but with increasing interest in the RORC Caribbean 600 every February, the number and quality of serious race boats making the crossing has required a specialist RORC event all of its own," explains RORC Commodore, Mike Greville. "We're delighted to be working with such keen racers as the Calero family and using the fabulous marina facility they have in Lanzarote and we look forward to a long and happy relationship."

Review of the 2013 RORC Season's Points Championship

The RORC Season's Points Championship is a series of offshore races run by, or in association with, the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The season starts in the Caribbean in February with the RORC Caribbean 600 and ends with the Rolex Middle Sea Race in Malta in October, with the domestic season on the south and east coasts of the UK in between. In 2013 the season included the Rolex Fastnet Race; this classic 600 mile race is considered to be "the world's greatest offshore race" and this year's fleet of 337 starters was a record in its 88 year history. In total just under 500 different yachts competed in the 2013 RORC Season's Points Championship indicating the strength of offshore racing throughout the UK, Europe and Worldwide with almost half of the boats coming from overseas to race with the RORC.

IRC Division Start: 0700 GMT Sunday 3 November 2013

Under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the Dubai to Muscat Yacht Race is part of the RORC racing calendar. RORC members have been taking part in the race since 1992.

The 360-mile race is the longest offshore yacht race in the region and is organised by The United Arab Emirates Sailing and Rowing Federation in association with the Ministry of Sports Affairs, the Sultanate of Oman.

Starting outside the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, the first 100 miles of the race course is in the shallow waters of the Arabian Gulf. The significant local land effects caused by the colossal skyscrapers of Dubai and thermal effects emanating from thousands of miles of desert make for an interesting start. The desert wind from the north is called The Shamal, which can rapidly accelerate as it reaches the waters of the Arabian Gulf, sand and thunderstorms are not uncommon. The first part of the race can often be a fast reach until sunset.

As the fleet progress up the Arabian Gulf, the land to the east becomes more mountainous and hauntingly beautiful. As night falls, colder air flows down these high slopes and the thermal breeze dissipates. Shifty, lighter conditions can develop as the sun sets. The yachts often reach the Strait of Hormuz at night, it is the busiest shipping channel in the world and narrows to less than 30 miles, there are also significant ocean currents to contend with and rain squalls are common.

The Strait of Hormuz is the gateway to the Indian Ocean and as the fleet passes through the strait, the shallow depths of the Arabian Gulf are replaced with blue ocean and fresh winds, often from the south east. The depth can plummet to 2000 metres causing a significant sea state. The last 200 miles of the race can often be a tough beat to the finish with significant wind shifts, created by the mountains rising up to 3000 metres on the Omani coast.