RORC centenary history book unveiled: The Royal Ocean Racing Club - 2000-2025 – The Next 25 years
by RORC 4 Feb 06:37 PST
The Royal Ocean Racing Club - 2000-2025 – The Next 25 years © RORC
The Royal Ocean Racing Club concluded its 2025 centenary celebrations with the publication of a new book covering its history.
Following Ian Dear's history of its first 75 years published in 2000, the new book, The Royal Ocean Racing Club - 2000-2025 - The Next 25 Years charts the beginnings of ocean racing on both sides of the Atlantic, the initial controversy surrounding the first 'Ocean Race' (today's Rolex Fastnet Race) and the formation of the Ocean Racing Club. It recounts how, despite the near demise of the Fastnet Race in the early 1930s, its reputation grew internationally and the club would go on to expand its programme, culminating with the Admiral's Cup becoming the pinnacle of grand prix yacht racing over the 1970 to 1990s.
The new book principally focuses on the club's most recent history from 2000 to 2025. It encompasses the decline of the Admiral's Cup in the late 1990s and early 2000s, countered by the welcome arrival of Rolex, first in its support of the Commodores' Cup and then the Fastnet Race. During this era the Rolex Fastnet Race grew to become the largest offshore race in the world but in doing so outgrew its traditional finish port of Plymouth moving across the Channel to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.
The book recounts how in recent years the club's programme has expanded overseas with the RORC Caribbean 600, the RORC Transatlantic Race and the Roschier Baltic Sea Race and finishes in the centenary year with the club's well received reintroduction of the Admiral's Cup.
Events ashore were no less significant over the last quarter century, most notably the historic merger with the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes which, in addition to its main clubhouse in St James in central London, gave the club a second permanent residence, this time in the UK's sailing capital.
The club introduced a new pair of rules in IR2000 and the book recounts how IRC quickly eclipsed IRM. IRC has since evolved into the dominant rating rule used by major yacht races throughout the world and the book explores its growth, impact upon the design and gear of yachts that raced under it and explains how the rule has survived by being secret while keeping up with the latest innovation. It also examines how the style of offshore racing has changed, most notably the steady growth of doublehanding and the increased participation of women.
This is all bolstered by accounts from the club's flag officers and main players of the period.
The new book has been written by James Boyd: A yachting journalist with more than 40 years' experience covering offshore racing across the globe, having started as a correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and numerous international yachting magazines. He was Assistant Editor at Yachting World for 12 years before becoming owner and editor of thedailysail.com. He has long worked closely with the RORC and has edited its yearbooks for more than a decade. He also works for the International Maxi Association and the RC44 class.
Whilst a free copy of the book has been made available to each RORC member since its recent publication, the book is now available to non-members for a retail price of £45.
It can be purchased online through the RORC shop here