Round Britain & Ireland Race

Date: 9 August 2026

Location: Cowes, United Kingdom

Organizer: Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC)

The RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race is one of offshore racing's genuinely hard tests: a 1,805-nautical-mile non-stop circumnavigation of the British Isles, leaving all islands and rocks to starboard, including Muckle Flugga at the northern tip of Shetland. First run in 1976 and held every four years, the race starts from Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The 2026 edition begins on Sunday 9 August and marks the 50th anniversary of the event. Crews get everything the course can produce: tidal gates in the Channel and Irish Sea, Atlantic weather on the west coasts, and the long cold leg across the top of Scotland. Entries race under IRC for the overall win, alongside multihulls, IMOCA and one-design classes such as the Class40. Sevenstar Yacht Transport has backed the race repeatedly since 2006. Records matter here, but for most crews simply finishing is the point.

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