Starting from Cowes on Sunday 9th August 2026, the Round Britain & Ireland Race will mark the return of one of the World’s most challenging and prestigious offshore events.
Organised by the RORC and first run in 1976, the Round Britain & Ireland Race takes competitors on an 1,805-nautical mile circumnavigation of the British Isles. Starting and finishing in Cowes, the course demands relentless endurance, navigating notorious headlands such as Land’s End, St Kilda, and Fair Isle, with tidal gates, shifting weather systems, manmade obstructions and exposed offshore stretches testing crews to the limit.
2026 marks the 50th anniversary edition of the race, a true modern classic that has seen some of sailing’s most celebrated campaigns from record-breaking trimarans to Corinthian double-handers.
In 2014, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s VO65 Azzam, skippered by Ian Walker, set the monohull race record for the Race – 4 days, 13 hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds. Ian Walker went on to lead Azzam to victory in the 2014–15 Volvo Ocean Race.
Whilst in 2022 overall winner, under IRC, was Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada racing 2-handed with Rupert Holmes. Rupert was a regular visitor to Cowes, for many years writing the Cowes Week Daily Sailing reports on behalf of Cowes Combined Clubs/Cowes Week Ltd.
RORC Racing Manager, Steve Cole, commented:
“The Round Britain & Ireland Race is one of the ultimate tests in offshore sailing. Its mix of coastal challenges and exposed ocean passages makes it both unpredictable and unforgettable. With the Notice of Race now published, we’re looking forward to welcoming an exceptional fleet in 2026.”
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