2024 RORC Season’s Points Championship – Class winners announced
by Louay Habib / RORC 18 Sep 11:01 PDT
2024 Salcombe Gin Morgan Cup Race – IRC 2H Nationals Race 2 © Rick Tomlinson / RORC
The 2024 RORC Season’s Points Championship drew nearly 400 boats and around 5000 sailors from six continents.
The overall IRC winner is determined by the total points accumulated throughout the season. Seven IRC Class winners are based on their best five results from the 16 races. Multihulls compete under the MOCRA Rule, while Class40s race level-rating according to their own regulations.
The overall champion of the 2024 RORC Season’s Points Championship, retaining the Jazz Trophy from 2023, is Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino (GBR), racing Two-Handed with RORC Commodore Deb Fish. Second place went to Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR), with Nick Martin’s Sun Fast 3600 Diablo (GBR) finishing third, racing double-handed with Cal Finlayson.
The MOCRA Class title was claimed by Didier Bouillard’s Dazcat 1295 Minor Swing (FRA), while Alexia Barrier’s MOD70 Limosa (FRA) took second, and Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) came in third. In the Class40 Division, Greg Leonard’s Swift (USA) won, followed by Alexandre Le Gallais’ Trim Control (FRA) in second, and Guillaume Pirouelle’s Sogestran Seafrigo (FRA) in third.
Trophy winners of the 2024 RORC Season’s Points Championship will receive enthusiastic applause at the RORC Annual Dinner & Prize Giving, taking place at The Church House, Dean’s Yard, London, on Saturday, November 23rd. Tickets for the ‘RORC Oscars’ are available through the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The RORC Yacht of the Year for the Somerset Memorial Trophy will be revealed at this formal awards ceremony.
Full results here
Rolex Middle Sea Race
The 2024 RORC Season’s Points Championship began with the 44th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The 606-mile offshore event concluded with a nail-biting fight for the overall victory. After IRC time correction, the 93ft Maxi Bullitt (ITA) triumphed by a mere 24 seconds over the 33ft double-hander Red Ruby (USA).
Bullitt’s crew included notable figures from the America’s Cup and round-the-world racing. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Bullitt’s owner Andrea Recordati invited Red Ruby’s Christina and Justin Wolfe to join him on stage to hold the Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy, acknowledging the intense competition in this David Vs Goliath showdown.
RORC Transatlantic Race
The overall IRC winner of the 10th anniversary edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race was PAC52 Warrior Won (USA), marking the first American vessel to win The RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. Owner Chris Sheehan expressed his joy after the race: “This race has been on the calendar for five years, and my crew asked me for our objective. I usually say winning our class, but after reviewing the forecast, I boldly declared that I wanted overall victory, and we achieved that, which is incredible!”
Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) claimed Multihull Line Honours in the 2024 RORC Transatlantic Race, finishing in 6 Days, 10 Hours, 34 Minutes, and 30 Seconds. “Experiencing such speed on the water is incredibly thrilling,” said Jason Carroll. “Sailing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic like this is an exhilarating experience constantly. Once you’re up on the foils, it’s all about how long you can maintain that pace.”
RORC Caribbean 600
The overall IRC winner of the 2024 RORC Caribbean 600 was Farr 100 Leopard 3 (MON), skippered by Joost Schuijff. Leopard 3 was among the founding entries of the RORC Caribbean 600, yet this year marked the first time in nine attempts that Leopard 3 claimed overall victory under IRC. Though 17 years old, Leopard 3 is faster than ever thanks to a significant refit by its new owners.
“It is a fantastic experience and a truly special feeling,” remarked Joost Schuijff. “Looking at the Trophy, I see countless names of esteemed boats. I am thrilled for our team that the name Leopard 3 will now be engraved there too. It’s all about the people involved, from the race crew to the permanent crew and even the build team.”
Cervantes Trophy Race
The Cervantes Trophy Race kicked off the European section of the RORC Season’s Points Championship with a 110-mile race to Le Havre. Excellent conditions at the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes led to a vibrant spinnaker start, followed by exhilarating close finishes across the IRC Classes in Le Havre. Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep (GBR) was declared the overall winner of the RORC Cervantes Trophy Race after IRC time correction.
Myth of Malham Race
The overall winner of the Myth of Malham Race, following IRC time correction, was Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino (GBR), racing Two-Handed with RORC Commodore Deb Fish. This 235-mile race commenced from the RYS Line in Cowes, circled the Eddystone Lighthouse, and returned, mirroring the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race.
Bellino reached Eddystone simultaneously with a weather front, where wind speeds soared to 18 knots. The shift meant the return leg was a reach, predominantly under Code 0 rather than a beat. “We anticipated a slow wind shift that would allow us to sail to the lay line,” explains Fish, “but then we saw a flock of boats converging from the south with a different wind angle. It was a race that required keen observation of both the AIS and the surrounding waters, and it was quite fascinating.”
Roschier Baltic Sea Race
The second iteration of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, starting and finishing in Helsinki, Finland, was clinched by Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and skippered by Johnny Mordaunt. The stereotype of the Baltic Sea having calm summer weather was shattered as competitors dealt with near gale-force conditions and significant sea states. Tschüss 2 set a new Outright Race Record for the 635-mile race at 2 Days, 5 Hours, 6 Minutes, and 41 Seconds.
“The Roschier Baltic Sea Race demonstrates RORC’s intent to diversify its offerings, and I believe this race is an outstanding addition; I encourage everyone to come and participate,” stated Christian Zugel. “The warm welcome from Helsinki, alongside the Mayor’s Reception and the Marina Bay setup, has been truly exceptional. The Tschüss 2 team is beyond satisfied. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in the city. It’s an incredible sailing base, and we look forward to many more races in the future.”
Lewmar Cherbourg Race
The 2024 RORC Season’s Points reached its conclusion with the Lewmar Cherbourg Race, which involved JOG and showcased a remarkable fleet of 71 boats starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line. The overall winner after IRC time correction was Sun Fast 3200 Cora (GBR), raced Two-Handed by Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews. However, the Cherbourg race did not begin smoothly for Cora, as Tim explains.
“We were called over the line at the start,” confirmed Tim Goodhew. “We quickly returned to restart and lost only about eight boat lengths during the 75-mile race. For the next six hours, we focused on catching up to our main competitor in IRC Three, the J/99 Yalla!. The wind conditions were highly variable, necessitating swift decision-making. Our goal was to optimize our speed towards Cherbourg to the south while the forecast indicated that heading west was the best option for an anticipated shift. We didn’t go as far west as Yalla!, which ultimately benefitted us greatly.”
2025 Royal Ocean Race Club centenary
Since the 1940s, the Royal Ocean Racing Club has organized a series of races and established the first RORC Season’s Points Championship in 2000, utilizing the IRC Rating System used by nearly all premier global offshore races. This series quickly became the largest racing series in the offshore sailing realm and continues to hold that title.
The 2025 RORC Season’s Points Championship will coincide with the centenary year of the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The 13-race series includes the 51st edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the world’s largest offshore race.
For more information, visit www.rorc.org
