RORC North Sea Race Set for Offshore Challenge

(Cowes, England)- The world’s largest offshore racing series, the RORC Season’s Points Championship, continues on 15 May. First raced in 1931, the RORC North Sea Race is one of the Club’s longest-standing offshore races, linking the UK and the Netherlands. Starting from outside the Royal Harwich Yacht Club across a demanding 165.0nm North Sea course, the race finishes off Scheveningen, Netherlands.

The North Sea Race is a serious offshore test with strong tides, sandbanks, commercial traffic, wind farms, and shifting North Sea weather all playing their part. Crews must balance tidal strategy, VMG/VMC, and boat speed while negotiating restricted areas and shipping lanes. Key decision points include the sandbanks near the start, the approach to Smith’s Knoll, and the complexity of the finish off the Dutch coast.

The entry list features a strong fleet of approximately 50 boats with Dutch, British, German, and Belgian crews set for the overnight race across the North Sea. Among the fully crewed boats to watch are past overall and class winners under IRC, including Frans van Cappelle & Michelle Witsenburg’s J/122 MOANA. Other leading teams include Uneco de Meester & Zachary Windibank’s J/122 OTRA VEZ, Frederic de Visser’s J/121 SPITFIRE, and Jan Scholtes’s J/99 WARP 5.

The IRC Doublehanded entries boast strong competition from Great Britain & the Netherlands, including Schram & van Marle’s J/110 LITTLE MAV, which brings deep Dutch doublehanded experience to the fleet.

For more RORC North Sea Race sailing information
http://www.rorc.org