The 2012 North Sea Race will start from Harwich on the 18^th May at 1030. The 63 strong IRC and ORC Club fleet is predominantly made up of Dutch boats having raced across in the Vuurschepen Race, part of the ever popular Delta Lloyd North Sea Regatta.

The Vuurschepen Race proved challenging with winds in excess of 30 knots at times and large seas to contend with. The fleet will be pleased to see the conditions have mellowed somewhat for the race home.

Baraka GP, Piet de Graaf's Club Swan 42, enjoyed a great start to the regatta winning IRC 1 in the Vuurschepen Race and will be hoping to continue their winning ways. However joining the fleet for the North Sea Race is the ever successful Piet Vroon on his Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens. Carlo Vroon, skippering the boat in his father's absence, will be looking for a repeat of their win in the last 2 editions of the North Sea Race. Challenging them for IRC One will be the winners of IRC Two last year, Angus Bates with his J/133, Assarain IV.

Cosmic Dancer, Russell Walker's Baltic 37, will be a strong contender in IRC Four, and Overall looking for a repeat of their 2009 results.

The Two-Handed Class for the North Sea Race will be swelled by the successful south coast boats of Nick Martin and Katie Miller. Nick in his J/105, Diablo J, has previously won the Cherbourg Race in 2010 eventually finishing 3^rd Overall in the Two-Handed Class. Katie is bringing her Figaro II, Hot Socks, and will be hoping to get season underway following having to pull out of the recent Morgan Cup Race due to technical difficulties.

All competitors will carry Yellowbrick Trackers for the race and the player can be viewed via the link the following links

Yellowbrick North Sea Race Player

Yellowbrick North Sea Race Links to Light Download files

Having finished fifth on their first attempt in 2008 and second to the run-away Irish two years ago, the Hong Kong team is set to be one of the strongest entries in this year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup, to be held on the Solent over 22-28^th July.

Competing in an event like this when you are based on the opposite side of the world has its logistical challenges so for this year's event the Hong Kong team has chartered two well known British boats for their three boat line-up.

Erivale, the familiar Ker 39 of the RORC's Commodore Mike Greville, has been chartered to Nick Burns, who campaigned his own Mills 40 EFG Bank Mandrake in 2010. Former RORC Commodore Peter Rutter has chartered his 2011 IRC Nationals-winning Grand Soleil 43, Quokka 8, to leading Hong Kong-based Etchells sailor Ante Razmilovic, who will be both skipper and helmsman for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup.

"We managed to get two good boats, so we feel pretty comfortable," says Team Co-ordinator Laurence Mead, who will be helming Erivale in what will be his fifth Commodores' Cup. "The Hong Kong guys really love the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup. It is good fun, it is easy to do, it is not that time consuming and the balance between the Corinthian element and the competiveness is just right. It's a very competitive event which is both hard to win and well worth it!"

Read the complete article on the Event Minisite

Stephen Park OBE presents: "An Inside Look into Britain's world-beating Sailing Team"

DATE: Tuesday 22^nd May 2012
TIME: 1900
VENUE: RORC London Clubhouse; 20 St. James's Place, London, SW1A 1NN
*In a change to previous advertisements this event will now take place at the RORC London Clubhouse.

Stephen Park is the RYA's Olympic Manager, and manages Skandia Team GBR, the British Sailing Team in the Olympic and Paralympic Classes. He will be giving a presentation for the Royal Ocean Racing Club at our London Clubhouse.

Tickets for Members: £20 including Supper (£10 ticket only)
Tickets for non-Members: £25 including Supper (£15 ticket only)
* In a change to previous advertisements, tickets will now include supper at the RORC London Clubhouse

To book your place please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 0207 493 2248.

The Morgan Cup Race started on the early morning of Saturday 5^th May in a cold, north-easterly wind. The RORC, having been given permission by the RYA to trial new rules, could set a course that uses virtual marks for the offshore course. This exciting new development offers the Club a new versatility in course setting and was being used for the first time in this race.

Under a greyish, overcast morning sky the first boats away were IRC 3 & 4. The tide was beginning to run west, favouring the Royal Yacht Squadron end of the line. Although most boats were slightly line-shy, Mike West's A35, Eaujet, being sailed by Paul Worswick, positioned perfectly and had a great start, quickly hoisting the kite and leading the fleet down the Solent.

Next to get away were IRC Zero, 1 & 2 - much less afraid to get close to the line before the start - and with the tidal flow increasing, two yachts found themselves being carried over the line early. Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse, and Neil Kipling's, J122, Joopster, had to return in order to start correctly. Jim MacGregor's Elan 410, Premier Flair, and Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum III, got cracking starts.

The course for the 2012 Morgan Cup Race has been published, along with Amendment No. 1 to the Sailing Instructions. Please see the attached document for details:

2012 Morgan Cup Race - Course Instructions and SI Amendment No. 1 71 Kb 04/05/2012

Mike Greville became the Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club in November 2011.

Greville grew up in West Mersea, crewing on his father's yacht and for other owners and also raced a variety of dinghies. Mike has been RORC racing since 1973. Away from sailing, Greville is a solicitor and managing partner of the City headquartered international law firm, Watson, Farley & Williams LLP.

Although not an official trial for those wishing to compete for places in the teams to represent England in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup this summer, Warsash Sailing Club created a class in their Spring Championship weekend series especially for the England team triallists. And what perfect training conditions the competitors enjoyed.

Three races on Saturday in 10-18 knots of wind and two races on Sunday starting in 12 knots and increasing to 22 were sailed on perfect windward-leeward courses. The Commodores' Cup fleet were split into two classes, but started together to replicate what they would experience in this year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup with all boats on one start line, whereas in previous years the classes have been split into three with separate starts.

Read the complete article on the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup Minisite

The Morgan Cup is the first race of the 2012 RORC Season's Points Championship to take place in The English Channel. RORC racing appeals to a wide variety of yachts from cutting edge custom racers to traditional cruising yachts and boats from all over Europe will be competing for class prizes and overall honours. The race starts and finishes in the Solent and exemplifies the variety of courses in this year's RORC Season's Points Championship.

The Morgan Cup takes on particular significance for teams aspiring to represent their country in this year's Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup. The Morgan Cup has been confirmed as a trial event for RYA Team GBR and several teams with high hopes of selection are amongst the early entries.

Conditions finally came good for the last day of the RORC Easter Challenge with the wind backing into the south and building to double figures. To make up for yesterday's lack of wind, three races were held for all classes.

Runaway winner in IRC One was South African Michael Bartholomew and his well honed crew on the Hamble-based King 40 Tokoloshe. A 5-1-5 scoreline today saw them conclude the regatta with a nine point lead over Irishman Anthony O'Leary's 2010 Commodores' Cup-winning Ker 39, Antix. Simon Henning's Farr 45 Alice was doing well, but was let down by a 13^th place in today's second race causing them to drop to third overall, just two points ahead of the British Keelboat Academy on their Niklas Zennstrom-owned sistership Kolga. The Ker 40 dust-up was close with Jonathan Goring's Keronimo finishing two and half points ahead of Andrew Pearce's newer Magnum III.

Despite a strong final push by Jackie Dobson and the crew of the J/133 Jeronimo winning today's two final races, Jim Macgregor and his Poole-based Elan 410 Premier Flair maintained their lead in IRC Two to win by three points. Andrew McIrvine, ex-Commodore of the RORC, came into his own today with his First 40 La Réponse finishing third in each race today.

"It was nice to have the breeze, although we didn't change gears that well," admitted Macgregor. "In the light wind this morning - we had that sussed and we got a win. We had not a bad second race, but we weren't properly set up for the third. There were lots of boats going around corners at the same time, but everyone was well behaved. It was a very enjoyable event and we are very grateful to the RORC and Eddie Warden Owen."

Today proved a difficult one for both competitors and race officials alike at the RORC Easter Challenge. Under a grey overcast sky, race three of the series got underway on time in light breeze, but on the second beat the wind turned inside out, causing the race to be shortened, finishing at the end of that leg. After this the wind resolutely failed to return, causing today's final two races to be cancelled.

In IRC One, 2010 Commodores' Cup winner Anthony O'Leary and his silver Ker 39 Antix won today's race. "We had a good start at the pin," the Irishman described it. "We got a little jump on our group of boats, we just rounded the top mark ahead of them. It just came and went all the way down the run and as we came around the bottom mark, the breeze had swung more to the west which hurt the guys ahead of us, while we were well ahead of our group anyway."