Title Sponsor
2010 Race Updates
Change of Course: Amendment to the Sailing Instructions
1700: Cowes, Isle of Wight: At today's Skipper's Briefing for the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) announced a dramatic change to the race.
Due to a severe weather forecast for the west coast of Ireland for Thursday 26th August, the RORC have decided to reverse the course so that the fleet will race anti-clockwise around Britain and Ireland. The start remains unchanged from the Royal Yacht Squadron line to the east at 14.00. This should give the fleet a fast running start towards the forts in the Solent.
Andrew McIrvine, Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club explains why the club took the decision:
"The reason for changing the course is consideration for all the competitors. We have been monitoring the weather models for the last few days and they are all in agreement that a deep depression will be arriving to the west of Ireland at the same time as most of the fleet will be there. The RORC weather advisor Mike Broughton, believes that this will bring wind speeds of at least 40 knots, possibly as much as 50 knots on the nose. Worse than that, as the wind direction changes over 180° as the low passes through the sea state becomes very confused. Although the boats are very well prepared, these conditions could cause damage and retirements and the west coast of Ireland has very few places offering shelter. By going east about, the boats will avoid the worst of the depression and the confused sea state and will have far more shelter opportunities as there will be several ports that the boats can go into should they decide to do so."
The Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race starts tomorrow at 1400 from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, Cowes, Isle of Wight, England.
Amendment Number 1 to the Sailing Instructions 29.53 Kb 22/08/2010
News Update: Light Start predicted
First 24 Hour Outlook - Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race
Tactical weather expert, Mike Broughton, will be giving a full weather briefing on Sunday, prior to the start of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. Mike has competed in the race himself as well as over a dozen Fastnet races and just about every blue ribbon yacht race in the world.
"On Monday morning, the light northwesterly should back to the southwest, just before the race start, bringing brighter weather. The fleet will be running on mainly a starboard gybe towards the Forts, as they head east out of the Solent," predicts Broughton.
"Outside the Solent, the fleet turn west and should be beating into about 15 knots. This southwesterly breeze should be stable, in speed and direction through Monday evening. Tuesday morning, the wind should veer northwest and decrease to about 8-12 knots with leading boats around Land's End. By Tuesday afternoon, a ridge of high pressure from the southwest will bring lighter westerly, then northwesterly winds."
"For the moment, we look like completing the race in about seven days," commented ICAP Leopard boat captain, Chris Sherlock, which would be outside the race record. "But if we get 24 hours of running conditions, that can dramatically change the overall picture. We certainly think that there is still every chance we can break the record, everything is still to play for."
News Update 20 August 2010
South African Class 40 Phesheya-Racing hoping for a record
Having recently completed the two-handed Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race in the South African Racing Team's Class 40 Phesheya-Racing, Nick Leggatt has signed up as a last minute entry to the RORC's fully crewed, non-stop Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race starting on Monday 23rd. Nick also holds the Round Britain and Ireland race record on Playstation with Steve Fossett and will be attempting to break the world record for 40 footers set in 2004 by Michel Kleinjans on Roaring Forty of 11 days 12hrs 26mins and 48 seconds.
In June Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire took 11 days and 3 hours to complete the course, but did not qualify as a record as the race included four compulsory stops. This South African entry now brings the number of countries represented in the race to ten!
7 Day Countdown: Record Fleet for Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland
One week to go – Start: Cowes, Monday 23rd August
The Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is one of the most challenging races in the world and for the 2010 edition, more competitors than ever will be racing around Britain, Ireland and all of the outlying islands. The non-stop race has 28 entries and has attracted a diverse range of ocean-going yachts, with world-class professional teams rubbing shoulders with corinthian crews. They all have one thing in common: to take on this iconic race and everything that mother nature can throw at them.
Nine Nations Compete
Yachts flying the ensigns of Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden will cross the Royal Yacht Squadron start line off Cowes, Isle of Wight on Monday 23rd August. The course takes them through a myriad of different conditions and crews will have to cope with a huge number of elements which make this race just so compelling.
RORC CEO, Eddie Warden Owen explains: "Crews will face the vagaries of the tides and unpredictable weather; dodging oil rigs and container ships as well as relying on tactical and navigational decisions and great seamanship to get them round the course! Most sailors agree that this race is one of the toughest tests as it is nearly as long as an Atlantic crossing, but the changes of direction at headlands will mean constant breaks in the watch system for sail changes and sail trim."
Read more: 7 Day Countdown: Record Fleet for Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland
Less than two weeks to go!
An international fleet of 30 yachts will line up for the start of the non-stop Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race on Monday 23rd August 2010:
- Non-stop course 1,802nm around Britain and Ireland
- Most competitors are taking part for the challenge but some, like ICAP Leopard, will be out to break another record
- Follow the fleet via the online tracker and play the Virtual Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race Game
- 30 yachts representing 7 nations (Spain, France, Sweden, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Great Britain) to date. Crews from many more...
- Largest entry from one country: 16 x GBR, 4 from The Netherlands
- 3 x Volvo Open 70s
- 1 x IMOCA Open 60 (2006 Race Line Honours Artemis Ocean Racing)
- 2 x Class 40s
- Competitors ranging from world champions, racing ‘rock stars’ to newcomers to the sport
- Crews include veteran RORC offshore racers with 25 Fastnet Races under their belt to groups of friends and family
- Young talent – Class 40 Concise, British Keelboat Academy’s TP 52, John Merricks II and the team on Relentless on Incisor
- Largest: record breaker – Mike Slade’s 100ft Maxi – ICAP Leopard (GBR) with Sam Davies racing on board
- Smallest: J 109 Arethusa (NED), Ostar 35, In Direzione Ostinata e Contraria (ITA)
Two-Handed Division Opened Up for Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) announced today the introduction of a Two-Handed Division in the non-stop race around Britain and Ireland, sponsored by Sevenstar starting on Monday 23rd August from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes.
RORC Racing Manager Ian Loffhagen commented: "We have been receiving a lot of interest and enquiries from competitors who wanted to race double handed in this non-stop challenge, so have made the decision to open it up to enable them to race alongside the fully crewed boats. They will race for the Rebel Maid Trophy."
"Originally we did not have a Two–Handed Division in the race out of deference to the Royal Western Yacht Club's two handed (stopping) Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race. However when they reached their entry limit the RWYC kindly told us that they were happy for us to open our race to two handed boats."
"The Sevenstar RBI will be the most challenging race of the RORC season for the two handed fleet and we are hoping that it will appeal to the Class 40 fleet in particular. However because of the timing of this announcement the race will not be part of the Season's Points Championship for the Two–Handed Division. It is a stand alone challenge and it will be a big one at that!"
Read more: Two-Handed Division Opened Up for Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race
Record Breakers Line Up for Sevenstar Challenge
94 days and counting: It's 14 weeks until the start of the fully-crewed non-stop 1760nm Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race - organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and 22 yachts have confirmed their participation with a number focused on the opportunity of breaking both the fully-crewed race record set by the IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing in the 2006 race (7 days 4 hours, 29mins) and the course record set by Dee Caffari and Sam Davies on Aviva in 2009 (6 days 11 hours and 30mins).
Leading the charge is Mike Slade's 100' super maxi ICAP Leopard: "There is no doubt that this race is one of the toughest on our sailing calendar," said Mike Slade as he waited for a weather window to launch an assault on the west to east monohull Transatlantic sailing record. "August can throw up all sorts of weather and if a high pressure system descends upon the UK, all bets are off for a record breaking run, even though the 100' Leopard is potentially much faster than the IMOCA 60 in which Jonny Malbon (Artemis Ocean Racing) and Dee and Sam set their records."
Pushing Leopard hard will be a number of Volvo Open 70's: From Spain, Telefónica Blue, a competitor in the 2008/09 Volvo Ocean Race will be skippered by Olympic Gold and Silver medallist Iker Martinez: "We are really happy to be taking part in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, a challenge with a history that spans over 30 years and to be competing with Telefónica Blue. There's no doubt that it is going to be wonderful to race with boats from other classes, sailing a new course for our boat and for most of the crew. To sum up, it's a great honour for us to join in this great celebration of British and Irish sailing."
Sevenstar Sponsor The Round Britain And Ireland Race 2010
The Royal Ocean Racing Club is pleased to announce Sevenstar as the title sponsor of the non-stop race around Britain and Ireland to be called the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. The race will start on Monday 23rd August 2010.
Sevenstar the specialist yacht and motorboat shipping company sponsored the race in 2006. Managing Director Richard Klabbers, one of the competitors in the race, is delighted that RORC are running the race in 2010. "The 2006 race was one of the toughest tests I have experienced in my sailing career and also one of the most fulfilling," said Richard.
The fully crewed non-stop race covers 1760 miles and is open to IRC, IMOCA 60s, Class 40s and Multihulls who will race clockwise around Britain and Ireland, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The diverse international fleet will attract seasoned RORC members as well as less experienced sailors. The race is a "must do race” for serious offshore sailors and will be a real challenge.
RORC Chief Executive Eddie Warden Owen is delighted with the initial interest in the event. "Even at this early stage interest has been received from Mike Slade with his 100 foot super maxi, ‘ICAP Leopard’, Karl Kwok from Hong Kong with his Farr 80 ‘Beau Geste’, and from the USA, Jens Kuehne in the Reichel Pugh 48 'Sjambock'. The 2006 winner 'Chieftain'. the Cookson 50, will also be competing. The boat is now called ‘Lee Overlay Partners’ and the new owner Adrian Lee has already had success in winning the inaugural RORC Caribbean 600.” The last race attracted 25 entries but the RORC anticipates a bigger entry in 2010.
Enquiries are open for the race starting on Monday 23rd August 2010 via the Royal Ocean Racing Club: www.rorc.org
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