Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

The Royal Ocean Racing Club celebrating 100 years

by RORC 9 Dec 2024 07:02 PST
The Rolex Fastnet Race will be the pinnacle of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's centenary racing season in 2025 © Arthur Daniel / RORC

In 2025, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) proudly marks its centenary, celebrating 100 years of passion, innovation, and commitment to yachting and offshore racing.

The RORC Centenary events are a vibrant programme of first-class racing and superb social occasions. An exclusive range of merchandise has also been specially designed to mark this historic milestone.

"The 2025 season promises not only exhilarating racing, but also exceptional social events at our elegant RORC St James's Clubhouse in London, and the beautifully transformed RORC Cowes Clubhouse on the Isle of Wight," said RORC Commodore Deb Fish. "We invite everyone to join us to enjoy this amazing season - a fitting tribute to a century of excellence in offshore racing."

A landmark season of RORC Racing

The 2025 racing season promises to be an extraordinary celebration with over 10,000 miles of ocean racing, featuring prestigious events across three continents:

  • January: The 3,000-mile RORC Transatlantic Race launches the season from Lanzarote, bound for the spice island of Grenada.

  • February: The electrifying RORC Caribbean 600 challenges sailors with a high-speed dash around 11 stunning Caribbean islands.

  • April and onwards: The RORC European offshore calendar begins with the continuation of the 16-race RORC Season's Points Championship, the world's largest offshore racing series.

  • June: The historic West-East Transatlantic Race, with origins dating back to the 19th century, embarks from the New York Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island, destined for Cowes.

  • July: The Rolex Fastnet Race, celebrating its 100th anniversary, will captivate the sailing world, serving as the pinnacle of the season and the dramatic finale for the highly anticipated return of the Admiral's Cup.

  • September: The RORC season of racing out of Cowes concludes with the Salcombe Gin RORC Centenary Race and the Offshore Double Handed World Championship. Outstanding events, cementing 2025 as a year memorable year.

Global celebrations and exclusive keepsakes

With RORC Members worldwide, the Royal Ocean Racing Club is organising centenary celebrations internationally. The Royal Ocean Racing Club will also be unveiling an exclusive collection of merchandise and keepsakes to collect and commemorate the RORC Centenary.

  • Global Celebrations: Hosted by long-standing associated yacht clubs and RORC Members, formal dinners to celebrate the centenary are organised across four continents. Locations include the RORC Cowes Clubhouse, The New York Yacht Club, the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the Yacht Club de France, Amsterdam, Hamburg, The Box Plymouth, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the Royal Malta Yacht Club, and the CYC of Australia.

  • RORC Centenary Book: An expert account of the evolution of the Club, exploring significant milestones over the past 25 years, and will follow on from Ian Dear's book which covered in detail the history of the Club up to 2000.

  • Photographic Exhibition: Featuring important documents and rare photographs depicting the evolution of the Club over 10 decades.

  • Centenary Merchandise: Featuring a range of RORC Centenary keepsakes.

For more information, please visit the Royal Ocean Racing Club Centenary page: rorc.org/rorccentenary

Related Articles

The perfect launchpad for RORC Transatlantic Race
Since 2014, Marina Lanzarote has consistently welcomed the fleet as the chosen departure point The RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France, will start from Marina Lanzarote on 11th January 2026. Posted on 31 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 Delivers Spectacular Racing
199th event completed in fine style The 199th Cowes Week annual regatta was completed in fine style with over 400 boats finishing the last race off the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line under multi coloured spinnakers. Posted on 19 Aug
Contessa 32 class at Cowes Week 2025
49th year of class racing at Cowes sees fleet secure several trophies The 199th year of Cowes Week is fast slipping astern as the Contessa fleet spreads its summer wings for cruising in and beyond the Solent before returning in September for more closely contested one design class racing. Posted on 18 Aug
A+T Wind Sensors lead Admiral's Cup results
The top four teams were using A+T wind sensors and parts The top four teams in the Admiral's Cup were using A+T wind sensors and parts. Together with victory in this year's Vendée Globe on Macif, this is proving A+T's reputation as the toughest and the best wind sensor available. Posted on 11 Aug
Double Down
Rahan, Léon, and Toucan - all great efforts, all winners, and all oceans apart Still blown away by the incredible efforts of Rahan in the Transpac, and now there is Léon in the Fastnet, and here in Australia, Toucan scores int he Sydney to Gold Coast race Posted on 10 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 overall
Fabulous, flying finish With the spectacle of many of the fleets finishing in the sunshine, downwind under spinnaker, this year's Cowes Week concluded in style. Posted on 8 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 day 6
Breeze and competition ramps up The penultimate day of Cowes Week 2025 delivered great winds with some fruity gusts and choppy seas to challenge competitors as the competition for the top prizes heats up. Posted on 7 Aug
Youth Day at Cowes Week gallery from Ingrid Abery
Photos from Wednesday's racing in the Solent We have a great gallery of gratuitous transom shots from Ingrid Abery, who was working tirelessly on the Solent on Wednesday to record the action. Posted on 7 Aug
Amarris crowned IRC Two-Handed European Champion
Combined results from RORC Cowes Dinard St Malo and the Rolex Fastnet Race After a season of adversity and determination, French sailor Achille Nebout has claimed the 2025 IRC Two-Handed European Championship, rounding off an extraordinary campaign racing with two teammates; Gildas Mahé and Tanguy Bouroullec. Posted on 7 Aug
Cowes Week 2025 day 5
Flying Jenny wins the Britannia Cup The biggest boats in Class Zero today were joined today by Tony Langley's Gladiator, which will be racing for the rest of the week. The battle for the Britannia Cup was between these giants, IRC1 and the Cape 31s. Posted on 6 Aug
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast