Phosphorus II wins RORC Cherbourg Race

Prize Giving presentation by RORC Vice Commodore Nick Martin. Phosphorus II (L-R) : Oliver Hill, David Paul, Andrew James, Tom Barker, Matt Bird, Alex Curtis, Campbell Manzoni, Josh Dawson, Mark Emerson, Ian Emerson. Photo © Merlene Emerson

Mark Emerson's A13 Phosphorus II is the overall winner of the 2019 RORC Cherbourg Race, having scored the best corrected time under IRC.

Preview RORC Cherbourg Race

Rob Craigie & Deb Fish racing Sun Fast 3600 Bellino © RORC/Paul Wyeth

The penultimate race of the 2019 RORC Season's Points Championship will start from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line this weekend bound for Cherbourg.

Wizard spells end of French Rolex Fastnet Race winning streak

Rounding the Fastnet Rock in the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race © Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Wind direction as much as strength defined the 48th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Rolex Fastnet Race. A rare southeasterly for start day, which held through most of the first night, saw competitors sailing a straight line down the western Solent and out into the Channel.

Rolex Fastnet Race - Offshore racing's most successful class

Luke Berry's Sam Manuard-designed Mach 40.3 Lamotte - Module Création will be one of 22 Class40s competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race this year © Pierre Bouras

In the 15 years since the Class40 box rule was unveiled, an unprecedented 169 examples from early racer cruisers, to fully wicked-up grand prix race boats have been built, making it the most successful 40 foot racing yacht of all time.

Darkwood Triumph in RORC Channel Race

77 boats competed in the 2019 Royal Ocean Racing Club Channel Race. The international fleet experienced a variety of conditions and wind angles, testing boat handling and tactical skills.

Rolex Fastnet Race: Passion and power

Marc Alperovitch's JPK 10.80 Timeline © Rick Tomlinson

Louay Habib reviews IRC Three and Four in the build up to the race

International Cast for RORC Channel Race

VO65 Team Brunel, Cookson 50 Kuka 3, NMYD54 Teasing Machine, Maxi72 Sorcha.

Teams from all over the world will be racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club this weekend in the RORC Channel Race, the 11th race of the RORC Season's Points Championship, which precedes next month's Rolex Fastnet Race.

Rolex Fastnet Race: Hot prospects in the big boat divisions

The Rolex Fastnet Race's largest monohull yachts at the start of the 2017 race © Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Andy Rice reviews the competition in classes IRC Zero, One and Two

Rolex Fastnet Race: Doublehanders on the rise

In 2013, Alexis Loison and his father Pascal were the first doublehanded team to win the Rolex Fastnet Race. This year, Alexis will race on the JPK 10.30 Léon © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com

Perhaps it is because people are becoming increasingly time poor, or because it neatly side-steps the problem of keeping a large crew together, but one area of offshore racing undeniably gaining popularity is doublehanding.