As we draw the offshore season to a close for 2023, we now turn our focus to 2024 and a very busy year once again in the RWYC offshore/ oceanic calendar. Sunday 5th May 2024 sees the 17th edition of t...
Sunday 19th May 2024
| Boat | Type | Hull | Skipper | Co-skipper / Fully crewed | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pegasus | Open 50 | mono | Ross Hobson | Adrian Banks to Lerwick Chris Briggs From Lerwick | RORC |
| Hissy Fit | Dazcat 46 | multi | Simon Baker | Dan Fellows | RWYC Saltash Sailing Club |
| Olbia | Aquafibre | mono | Christian Chalandre | Pascal Body | Atlantic Yacht Club |
| Kahu | TS 42 | multi | Michal Kleinjans | Ian Wittevrongel | TBC |
| Orbit | Sunfast 3300 | mono | Dominic Bowns | Ian Munslow | RWYC |
| Easy Tiger | Dazcat D995 | multi | Neil Boughton | Julian Weyer Brown | RWYC |
| Pipedream 2 | Beneteau 345 | mono | Alan Charlton | Paul Mead | Colchester |
| surf | Sunfast 3300 | mono | Adrian Dyball | Richard Mathews | Thames Sailing Club |
| Chione | Grand Soliel 43 | mono | Bill Farrant | Josh Hall | Royal Malta Yacht Club |
| Carrick | Rustler 42 | mono | Simon Hutchinson | Gary Deakin | Army Sailing Association |
| Suenos | Dazcat | Multi | Rupert Kidd | Alan Mitchell | RWYC |
| Morpheus | shuttleworth | Multi | Andrew Fennell | Paddy Hutchings | West Mersea YC |
| Mea | Vertue 25 | mono | Matteo Richardi | Alexandra Robasto / Amanda Richardi / Violetta Richardi | Yachting Kroton Club YKR |
| Polished Manx | Beneteau 40.7 | mono | Kuba Szymanski | Ian Davidson | Douglas Bay Yacht Club (RWYC) |
| Nemo | Newark 38 | Multi | Matt Theobald | Enora Pichon | Torpoint mosquito sailing club |
| AJ Wanderlust | Jeanneau 43 | Mono | Charlene Howard | Robby Drummond | Douglas Bay Yacht Club (RWYC) |
| Enigma | Sigma 35 | mono | Bob Wallace | Tim Goodwill | RYYC |
| Belladonna | Dazcat 10 - SC1 | Multi | Dominic Gooding | Brendan Seward | Restronguet SC |
| White Knight | Contessa 32 | Mono | Lou Boorman | Elin Jones | Wales TBC |
The 16th edition of the iconic two-handed Round Britain and Ireland Yacht Race is due to begin on Sunday 19th May 2024.
The race is a combination of competitive sailing and enjoyable social gatherings. The course, around all the islands of Britain and Ireland except the Channel Islands and Rockall, can be a severe test of navigation and seamanship in the heavy weather that is often experienced. By contrast the hospitality shown by the host Yacht Clubs and communities in the three stopover ports, in which the competitors must spend at least 48 hours, can be much more enjoyable and often just as exhausting.
Alongside the 2handed race we will once again we will be offering a crewed race. This will allow crew changes in Galway and on the East Coast in Blyth. This is a great opportunity to be part of a team racing around Britain and Ireland without the huge time commitment but with all the challenges of one of the toughest offshores in the racing calender.
Following the success of the first two OSTARs, Blondie Hasler proposed to the Royal Western Yacht Club that there should be a two-handed race around the British Isles. No doubt he considered a single-handed race, but the weather conditions and proximity to land necessitated two crew.
The Club considered the proposal and agreed to organise the first Round Britain and Ireland race in 1966. The course, of about 2000 miles, would be split into five legs separated by compulsory stop-overs of 48 hours each at Crosshaven in Ireland, Castle Bay, Barra in the Outer Hebrides, Lerwick in Shetland, and Harwich on the East Coast. It would circumnavigate Britain and Ireland and, with the exception of the Channel Islands and Rockall, all islands and rocks would be left to starboard.
The first race was a great success and the RB&I was established on a four year cycle (two years off the OSTAR cycle). Lowestoft replaced Harwich as the east coast port from the second race on. Except for 1993 in which Hartlepool was the east coast port, the course remained the same until Kinsale replaced Crosshaven in 2006.
The RB&I grew rapidly to a multinational entry of many boat sizes and types. In 1982 the 85 starters included an 80ft monohull, a 70ft catamaran, several 60 and 65ft trimarans, down to a 25ft monohull, and represented over a dozen nationalities.
The following race was sailed in 1985, since 1986 was given over to the second TWOSTAR so it could run two years apart from the OSTAR. The four year cycle continued with races in 1989 and 1993, but reverted to its original schedule in 1998 and has continued to the present.
For the history of the race go to RB&I Yacht Race History
