RORC News

Sunrise stars at the RORC Oscars

2021 RORC Season's Points Championship winners: Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise. The team received a huge haul of prizes including the Jazz Trophy for winning IRC Overall and the Somerset Memorial Trophy for RORC Yacht of the Year © Rich Bowen Photography
2021 RORC Season's Points Championship winners: Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise. The team received a huge haul of prizes including the Jazz Trophy for winning IRC Overall and the Somerset Memorial Trophy for RORC Yacht of the Year © Rich Bowen Photography

The 2021 Royal Ocean Racing Club Annual Dinner and Prize Giving was held to celebrate a spectacular season of racing.

Dubbed the RORC Oscars, over 300 attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception and a three-course gourmet dinner. A glittering array of prestigious prizes were presented to the season’s winners in The Ballroom of the 5-Star InterContinental London Park Lane.

View all images from the prize giving in the RORC Photo Gallery HERE

More than 4,000 sailors from around the world, racing in a dazzling variety of 400 boats, took part in the 2021 RORC Season's Points Championship. The world's largest offshore racing series comprised 11 testing races, each with its own coveted prizes.

During dinner, the main stage lit up for the awards ceremony and RORC CEO Jeremy Wilton introduced guest speaker and RORC member Pip Hare to the stage. Pip’s IMOCA 60 Medallia was also one of the winners, being awarded the Dennis P Miller Memorial Trophy for the best British Overseas Yacht. A magnificent result in the 2020-2021 Vendée Globe, saw Pip become the first British skipper to finish the premier solo round the world race. Pip’s 20-minute presentation was warmly received by the RORC members and guests.

“Getting to the start line of the Vendée Globe is the most difficult goal of all and I have many people in this Club to say a big ‘thank you’ for getting me there,” commented Hare.

RORC member and guests speaker Pip Hare was awarded the Dennis P Miller Memorial Trophy for the best British Overseas Yacht for her magnificent result in the Vendée Globe on IMOCA 60 Medallia © Rich Bowen PhotographyRORC member and guests speaker Pip Hare was awarded the Dennis P Miller Memorial Trophy for the best British Overseas Yacht for her magnificent result in the Vendée Globe on IMOCA 60 Medallia © Rich Bowen Photography

RORC Admiral Mike Greville presented a special award to Eddie Warden Owen, marking the finale of 12 years at the helm of the Royal Ocean Racing Club as Chief Executive Officer. Eddie was awarded life membership of the Club and a gift of a special dossier of his articles produced for Seahorse Magazine.

Sunrise win IRC Overall + Yacht of the Year 2021

RORC Commodore James Neville, assisted by RORC Racing Manager Chris Stone, welcomed the trophy winners to the stage; each one receiving tumultuous applause from theaudience. There was a standing ovation for the overall winner of the 2021 RORC Season's Points Championship, Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise. The team received a huge haul of prizes including the Jazz Trophy for winning IRC Overall and the Somerset Memorial Trophy for RORC Yacht of the Year.

Sunrise’s victorious season is unprecedented in the 21-year history of the Championship. Winning the RORC Season’s Points Championship by 133 points, including overall wins under IRC in the East Coast Race and the Morgan Cup. The zenith of Sunrise’s success came when Tom Kneen became the first British skipper to win the Rolex Fastnet Race since 2003.

“This really is unbelievable,” commented Kneen. “The Sunrise team is a very unique group of people that has done something quite astonishing. Collecting all this silverware in front of this special crowd makes you start to comprehend what we have achieved. The reality is that this will not sink in for a while. This season is beyond our dreams; everything went really well for us and you have to be lucky as well as good. I think we have proven that you don’t need to be wealthy as we are a fairly small budget boat with a young crew. This achievement is through hard work and commitment. Our biggest challenge right now is to keep it going and it is very hard to imagine what next. We can do amazing things with this team and the platform we have created.”

“This really is unbelievable,” commented Tom Kneen after collecting all the silverware at the RORC Annual Dinner and prizegiving for the the winners in the 2021 RORC Season's Points Championship. “Sunrise is a very unique group of people that has done something quite astonishing. © Paul Wyeth“This really is unbelievable,” commented Tom Kneen after collecting all the silverware at the RORC Annual Dinner and prizegiving for the the winners in the 2021 RORC Season's Points Championship. “Sunrise is a very unique group of people that has done something quite astonishing. © Paul Wyeth

The zenith of Sunrise’s success came when Tom Kneen became the first British skipper since 2003 to win the Rolex Fastnet Race © Paul WyethThe zenith of Sunrise’s success came when Tom Kneen became the first British skipper since 2003 to win the Rolex Fastnet Race © Paul Wyeth

Tala win IRC Zero Overall

Retaining the Europeans Cup for the best yacht in IRC Zero was David Collins’ Botin IRC 52 Tala. A fantastic season included winning IRC Zero for the Rolex Fastnet Race. Tala left the UK at the start of November and sailed to Puerto Calero, Lanzarote for the start of the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race. The 3,000 nautical mile race across the Atlantic Ocean to Camper and Nicholsons’ Port Louis Marina, Grenada starts on 8th January 2022 with a record entry of world-class boats.

“We have been improving Tala after every race; she is now a lot dryer than she was!” commented Collins. “Tala has the capability to win races, sending this boat is huge fun and we hope to get that opportunity. When it gets really gnarly, we know we will need to preserve the boat. Nobody in the team is under any illusions, we are taking a racing car rallying. I have never raced across the Atlantic before and if we get the trade winds and all goes well we should finish in under 10 days.”

A fantastic season for David Collins' team onboard his Botin IRC 52, Tala, winning the Europeans Cup for IRC Zero overall in the Season’s Points Championship and taking home two Assuage Tankards for their performance in the Myth of Malham and Castle Rock Race © Rich Bowen PhotographyA fantastic season for David Collins' team onboard his Botin IRC 52, Tala, winning the Europeans Cup for IRC Zero overall in the Season’s Points Championship and taking home two Assuage Tankards for their performance in the Myth of Malham and Castle Rock Race © Rich Bowen Photography

Bellino win IRC Two-Handed & IRC Three Overall

2021 was a victorious year for Rob Craigie racing his Sun Fast 3600 Bellino with Deb Fish. Bellino won IRC Three with 93 entries, as well as IRC Two-Handed with 80 entries.

“I love sailing with Deb and it is really good to win this year, especially as we couldn’t sail last year with the pandemic. We have been building on what we have done for many years and this is the first time we have won IRC Three. Given the quality of the fleet this year, that is very special,” commented Craigie.

Deb Fish added that many younger teams are coming into the IRC Two-Handed Class: “Many of the younger sailors come from a dinghy background and that is scary for us because they can get to a good standard very quickly. They have the advantage of youth where they don’t get as tired doing 60 tacks. Once they get the experience, they become a very potent force."

Rob Craigie racing his Sun Fast 3600 Bellino with Deb Fish won IRC Three with 93 entries, as well as IRC Two-Handed with 80 entries © Rich Bowen PhotographyRob Craigie racing his Sun Fast 3600 Bellino with Deb Fish won IRC Three with 93 entries, as well as IRC Two-Handed with 80 entries © Rich Bowen Photography

RORC Admiral Mike Greville also presented a special award to Eddie Warden Owen, marking the finale of 12 years at the helm of the Royal Ocean Racing Club as Chief Executive Officer. Eddie was awarded life membership of the Club and a gift of a special dossier of his articles produced for Seahorse Magazine.

Eddie Warden Owen - Awarded lifetime membership of the RORC for his work over 12 years at the helm of the Royal Ocean Racing Club as Chief Executive Officer © Rich Bowen Photography Eddie Warden Owen - Awarded lifetime membership of the RORC for his work over 12 years at the helm of the Royal Ocean Racing Club as Chief Executive Officer © Rich Bowen Photography

After the prize giving, guests partied to a live set from rock and pop cover band 4 to the Floor. The 2021 Royal Ocean Racing Club Annual Dinner and Prize Giving was generously supported by Louis Roederer Champagne and William Grant & Sons Distillers.

Racing for the 2022 RORC Season's Points Championship continues on January 8th with the RORC Transatlantic Race. The exciting RORC Season, which started with the Rolex Middle Sea Race, includes the RORC Caribbean 600, the Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race, and the inaugural Baltic Sea Race. 

Winners 2021 RORC Season’s Points Championship:

Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180 (GBR) - 2021 RORC Season’s Championship – Overall Winner

Jazz Trophy for winning the Season’s Points Championship - IRC Overall
Somerset Memorial Trophy for the Yacht of the Year

Sunrise: overall wins under IRC in: East Coast Race, the Morgan Cup and the first British skipper to win the Rolex Fastnet Race since 2003, winning the RORC Season's Points Championship by 133 points and taking the biggest haul of prizes ever in the 21-year history of the world's largest offshore championship! WSV Breskens Trophy – for winning IRC Two in the East Coast Race; Bob Stewart Memorial Trophy - 1st Overall in the East Coast Race; The Assuage Trophy for RORC Members and accompanying Assuage Tankard for Morgan Cup; Serendip Trophy for Best Series produced yacht; Emily Verger Plate for winning first place in IRC Two and the Peter Harrison Youth Trophy for IRC yacht with a minimum of 33% of the crew under the age of 25.

2021 RORC IRC Overall:
1st - Sunrise, JPK 1180, Thomas Kneen
2nd - Dawn Treader, JPK 1180, Ed Bell
3rd - Scarlet Oyster, Oyster 48, Ross Applebey
4th - Bellino, Sun Fast 3600, Rob Craigie
5th - Pata Negra, Lombard 46, Andrew Hall

IRC Zero:
1st - Tala, David Collins' team onboard their Botin IRC 52 (Europeans Cup)
(Winning the competitive IRC Zero for the Rolex Fastnet Race. Winning Assuage Tankards for their performance in both the Myth of Malham Race and also 1st in Castle Rock Race)
2nd - Venomous, Adrian Collins’ Farr 60
3rd - Teasing Machine, Eric de Turckheim’s NMYD 54
4th – Lady First 3, Jean Pierre Dreau’s Mylius 60
5th - Pegasus of Northumberland, Ross Hobson’s Open 50

IRC One:
1st - Michael O'Donnell's J/121 Darkwood (Trenchemer Cup)
(+ class winner for the Morgan Cup and Channel Race)
2nd – Pata Negra, Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 (+ 5th Place in IRC Overall)
3rd - Phosphorus II, Mark Emerson’s A13
4th – Redshift, Ed Fishwick’s Farr Gp42
5th – Rumbleflurg, David Cummins’ Ker 39

IRC Two:
1st – Sunrise, Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180
2nd – Dawn Treader, Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 (+ 2nd Overall in the Season’s Points Championship)
3rd – Scarlet Oyster, Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48
4th – Juno, Christopher Daniel’s J/122e
5th – R&W, Andy Theobold’s J/122e

IRC Three:
1st – Bellino, Rob Craigie and Deb Fish on Sun Fast 3600
2nd - Gentoo, Dee Caffari and James Harayda aboard his Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo
3rd - Fujitsu British Soldier, Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600
4th – Diablo, Nick Martin’s Sun Fast 3600
5th – Swell, Henry Bomby’s Sun Fast 3300

IRC Two-Handed:
1st - Bellino - Rob Craigie and Deb Fish, Sun Fast 3600 - Psipsina Trophy (+ 4th overall in the Season’s Points Championship). Between them they have competed in the Rolex Fastnet Race 20 times. This year they retained the IRC Two-Handed Class for the RORC Season's Points Championship in a bumper fleet of over 80 teams.
2nd – Cora - Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews racing Nigel Goodhew’s Sun Fast 3200.
3rd – Jangada, Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010, racing with Jeremy Waitt
4th – Gentoo - Dee Caffari, and James Harayda aboard his Sun Fast 3300
5th – Just So – William McGough and Christian Jeffery racing David McGough’s J/109

IRC Four:
1st - Cora, Nigel Goodhew’s Sun Fast 3200 (Cowland Trophy)
2nd – Just So, David McGough’s J109
3rd - Shortgood, Renaud Courbon’s First Class 10
4th – Jangada, Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010
5th - Morning After, Stuart Greenfield’s S&S 34

Class40:
1st - Kite, Sam Manuard’s Mach 40.3 sailed by Greg Leonard and his son Hannes raced all season, inc. the 35 strong Class40 fleet in the Rolex Fastnet Race - Concise Trophy
2nd - Sensation Class40, owned by Marc Lepesqueux
3rd - La Manche #EvidenceNautique, Nicolas Jossier
4th - Palanad 3, Olivier and Antoine Magre

Multihull:
1st - Slinky Malinki, Dazcat, James Holder
2nd – Rayon Vert, Oren Nataf’s Pulsar 50
3rd – Morpheus, Andrew Fennell’s Trimaran
4th – Allegra, Fast Cat Ltd, sailed by Adrian Keller
5th - Banzai, Vincent Willemart’s TS42

Oldland Watts Aquadanca Trophy for Sigma 38 Highest Season’s Points – With Alacrity

J/109 RORC Trophy for J/109 with highest score in best five races including Rolex Fastnet Race – Just So

Special Awards & Trophies:

Duncan Munro Kerr Youth Challenge Trophy
George Kennedy, onboard both Tala and Sunrise - For youth crew member completing the most miles in top three of class. Kennedy, 21 from Poole, raced with Sunrise and Tala, described winning the Rolex Fastnet Race on Sunrise as a "dream come true".

Keith Ludlow Trophy - Awarded to the navigator of the yacht winning IRC Overall
Dynamic duo Suzy Peters and Tom Cheney for their performance on Sunrise (Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180)

Best Sailing School (David Fayle Memorial Cup):
Sailing Logic’s First 40 Arthur
This is the 14th time a Sailing Logic boat has won the Best Sailing School category. This crew put together a superb campaign this season, with six races including finishing the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race after retiring in 2019.

Best Overseas Yacht:
Sailed by the French team of Renaud Courbon & Emmanuel Winsback, Shortgood (First Class 10), was one of the smallest boats to race this year. This boat competed in six races, an outstanding effort especially with travel restriction issues. Winning the Stradivarius Trophy for Best Overseas Yacht and coming 3rd Place in IRC Four in the Season’s Points Championship.

Alan Paul Trophy for Consistent High Performance:
Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48, Scarlet Oyster
Applebey's team came top 5 in class for all 8 races with the RORC including class wins in the De Guingand Bowl, Channel Race and Castle Rock Race – and 2nd place for the Rolex Fastnet Race in IRC Two. Scarlet Oyster took 3rd Place in IRC Two and 3rd Overall in the Season’s Points Championship and is therefore awarded the trophy for consistent high performance.

Dillon Perpetual Ladies Trophy:
For top crew containing 30% females - Peter Hopps’ Sigma 38 – Sam

Beken Trophy for Concours d’Elegance for a brilliantly turned out classic:
Stormvogel, Stadt 74 Custom - Greenwater Marine Ltd
This cold moulded, wooden yacht - the Rambler of its day - in 60th anniversary of her original race - the1961 Fastnet, taking Line Honours Transpac, Sydney Hobart, South China Sea Race, Middle Sea Race and the Fastnet - no other yacht has done that!

Dennis P Miller Memorial Trophy, awarded for Best British Yacht Overseas:
Pip Hare on her IMOCA 60, Medallia
Pip has sailed thousands of miles, including two Mini-Transats and one Transat Jacques Vabre - but a huge result in the Vendee Globe saw her become the first British sailor to finish - and in one of the oldest boats in the race.

Best Swan:
Arambalza Swan Cup for best Swan - Jonathan Roll’s Swan 38 S/R, Xara
(Racing with family and friends, winning for the second year in a row, Johnathan Rolls classic Swan 38 won the De Guingand Bowl Race overall)

The Freddie Morgan Trophy for Best Classic Yacht in IRC:
Morning After, Stuart Greenfield’s S&S 34
Sistership of British PM Ted Heath’s ‘Morning Cloud’, lovingly restored by her new guardian, this boat competed in seven races this year. Also winning 5th place in IRC Four

Cowes Dinard St Malo Race - 1st - Ino XXX, James’s Neville’s HH42 - Assuage Tankard

Haylock Cup for Best British Service Yacht – Fujitsu British Soldier

Highwayman Cup - Awarded for the best elapsed time of an IRC yacht in the Morgan Cup, Cowes Dinard St Malo and Castle Rock races – Orange Mecanix 2

Full 2021 RORC Season's Points Results: http://www.rorc.org/racing/race-results/2021-results



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