Please select your home edition
Edition
Armstrong 728x90 - Wing FG Board Range - TOP

2025 IRC National Championships set to ignite in the Solent

by Louay Habib / RORC 10 Jun 06:52 PDT 13-15 June 2025
Caro & Jolt © Paul Wyeth / RORC

The 2025 IRC National Championship, part of the Royal Thames Yacht Club's 250th Anniversary Regatta, will bring together over 50 IRC-rated boats for three days of competitive inshore racing in the Solent.

With 21 of the 30 yachts entered in the 2025 Admiral's Cup expected to compete, this year's IRC Nationals has teams racing from all over the world, bristling with elite sailors from the Olympics, America's Cup and round the world races. The fleet will include a broad range of designs racing in four IRC Classes—from Quarter Tonners to grand-prix One Designs and IRC-optimized custom builds. The 2025 IRC National Championships highlight the depth and diversity of modern IRC racing.

The Solent's shifting tides and tight racecourses are known to reward precision and teamwork. Among the larger boats, competition will be particularly strong in IRC Zero, with a phenomenal mix of boats and world class sailors. Black Pearl, Gladiator, Beau Geste, Rán 8, Jolt 3, Caro, and Red Bandit among those expected to contend for IRC Zero alongside Final Final, Privateer, ROST Van Uden, and Ino Noir.

IRC One is probably the most diverse class at the regatta. Eight Admiral's Cuppers will be racing: AMP-lifi, Baraka GP, Beau Ideal, Callisto, Ginkgo, Jolt 6, Nola and X-Day.

The class also includes four Cape 31s; Flying Jenny, Fargo, Khumbu, and Swift Half. Two Spirit Yachts from the design board of Sean McMillan, will be in action; Gwenhyfar II and Oui Fling, as well as the Swan 62 Coco de Mer.

Smaller boats continue to play a significant role on the podium at the IRC Nationals. Historically, the majority of overall champions have come from the 30-40ft range, and that pattern could continue in 2025. Past winners returning this year include Adam Gosling's JPK 1080 Yes!, a three-time overall champion and David Franks' J/112 Leon, class winner in 2020.

At the other end of the spectrum, vintage entries such as Peter Rutter's Half Tonner Quokka 9 and Jaimie McWilliam's BB10 Pelikanen continue to show that older designs can still be highly competitive under IRC.

With a fleet that spans everything from high-performance carbon racers to classic designs, such as Richard Hargreaves' Aeolus, the 2025 IRC National Championship is set to be a fantastic showcase of the best in IRC racing. Success is determined by tactical skill, boat handling, and teamwork, those are the keys to unlocking a national title.

View entry list

For more information about the Royal Thames Yacht Club's 250th Anniversary Regatta including the social programme: Visit the Official Notice Board.

Related Articles

Luna shines bright in 2025 Morgan Cup Race
This was a truly international fleet with the majority of the teams from the UK and France The start of the Morgan Cup Race was a spectacular sight with over 100 boats beating to windward into the Western Solent for the fourth race of the Cowes Offshore Racing Series and the 11th race of the 2025 RORC Season's Points Championship. Posted on 30 Jun
Summer Series at Royal Temple YC race 3
RORC and EAORA fleets converge on Ramsgate in the Cannon Ball race The combined RORC and 14 boat EAORA East Coast Race fleets converged on Ramsgate in the Cannon Ball race from Ostend on a Fastnet qualifier race on Saturday 28th June. Posted on 30 Jun
Introduction to the Admiral's Cup/Fastnet 2025
After a 22 year abscence, the renowned Admiral's Cup is back. After a break of 22 years, the renowned Admiral's Cup is returning to the international yacht racing scene in July 2025. One short ocean race, three days of inshore racing, and then the fabled Fastnet to finish Posted on 29 Jun
Key Yachting Mid-Summer Regatta 2025
65 boats took part at the Royal Southern Yacht Club Last weekend, the Royal Southern Yacht Club hosted the second event in our flagship Summer Series for 2025 - the Key Yachting Mid-Summer Regatta. Posted on 28 Jun
Rolex Fastnet Race at 100 – the making of a giant
At present 469 yachts have entered this special edition - a far cry from its humble origins in 1925 One month remains until the 26 July start of the Rolex Fastnet Race, this year celebrating both its centenary as well as that of the club it spawned: the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Posted on 27 Jun
2025 Marion to Bermuda Race concludes
Celebrating the remarkable seamanship and sportsmanship of every team After days of strategic sailing, shifting winds, and open-ocean challenges, the results are in—and we're proud to celebrate the remarkable seamanship and sportsmanship of every team that took part. Posted on 27 Jun
Tschüss 2 - Transatlantic Titans
Line Honours for Christian Zugel's Volvo 70 in the Transatlantic Race 2025 Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and co-skippered by Johnny Mordaunt, has taken Line Honours in the West to East Transatlantic Race 2025 in an elapsed time of 07 Day 15 Hrs 29 Mins and 10 Secs. Posted on 26 Jun
GBR IRC Championship continue into Autumn & beyond
Attention now turns to the second half of the season With the first half of the GBR IRC Championships successfully complete, attention now turns to the second half of the season, running from July to the end of the year, with events spanning the East Coast, South West, Channel Islands, and inland waters. Posted on 26 Jun
Summer Series at Royal Temple YC race 2
Perfect blue water sailing on the day after midsummer The fleet had perfect blue water sailing on the day after midsummer in a North-going neap tide. Peter Jackson set a course for Class 1, at 19 miles a little longer than recent habit. Posted on 26 Jun
Hamilton Island Race Week Olympic sailing showcase
40th anniversary celebrations are hotting up Hamilton Island Race Week's 40th anniversary celebrations are hotting up, with more than 160 entries confirmed for the annual sailing regatta to be contested from 16-23 August in the glorious Whitsunday Islands. Posted on 26 Jun
Armstrong 728x90 - Performance Mast Range - BOTTOMMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMHyde Sails 2024 - One Design