RORC - CHANNEL RACE

Name: RORC - CHANNEL RACE
Start: 2027-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2027-07-17T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble

RORC Channel Race — round-trip Channel race from Cowes, part of the Cowes Offshore Series

Sat, 17 Jul 2027·07:00 start

Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble

Dates

17 Jul 2027

Duration

1.3 days

Location

Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble

About

Round-trip Channel race — part of the 2026 RORC Cowes Offshore Series.

The Channel Race is a round-trip RORC offshore from Cowes — out into the Channel and back to a Solent finish, with no foreign port. Per the RORC 2026 NoR programme, it's part of the 2026 Cowes Offshore Series.

Same-weekend race: brief and start, overnight at sea with watches, return to the Solent finish. A solid step up for crew with prior offshore experience, and a useful Fastnet qualifier.

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Race programme

Friday brief · Saturday race start · overnight in Channel · Sunday finish in Solent.

Friday — pre-race brief & dock-out
16:00 onwards
Crew arrive Mercury Yacht Harbour. Skipper brief, kit check, safety brief. Light dinner before dock-out.
Saturday — race start
see RORC SI
Race start off Cowes. Course out into the Channel.
Saturday night — at sea
Overnight Channel passage with two-watch rotation.
Sunday — finish in Solent
Return to Solent finish. Recovery, sail back to Mercury Yacht Harbour.

Good to know

Meeting point

Mercury Yacht Harbour, Satchell Lane, Hamble-le-Rice, SO31 4HQ. We meet on the pontoon by your assigned berth — your skipper will share the berth number and a location pin in the crew WhatsApp group the week before.

Arrival

Arrive by the start time shown on this event page.
Subject to availability you can arrive the night before, arrange with the team

Parking

Free at Mercury, except Round the Island Race weekend.

Crew WhatsApp

Set up by the Wednesday before. Confirms timings, weather, destination berth.

Before you arrive

Emergency contact, medical info and waiver in your dashboard profile.
International races: upload passport details.

Essential

Waterproof sailing jacket + salopettes
Sailing boots (deck shoes only OK for inshore day races)
Warm base layers (no cotton) + mid-layer fleece
Hat and sailing gloves
Sun hat, sunglasses with retainer, sun cream
Head torch with red-light mode (any night sailing or offshore)
Personal medication
Sea-sickness remedy (taken 30 mins before the start)
Water bottle and snacks for the day
Soft holdall or dry bag — no hard suitcases

Overnight

3-4 season sleeping bag (no bedding provided)
Toiletries, change of clothes, quick-dry towel

Offshore / double-handed

Notebook for debrief
Passport for cross channel races

Provided

Life jackets and safety kit
Charts, AIS, VHF (+ satcom offshore)
Galley kit, water, tea, coffee
Homebase Mooring fees
Insurance (Security and damage deposit held for Bareboat Charters)

Not provided

Food and snacks aboard — bring your own, or shared crew food order on overnight / offshore (cost shared, leftovers taken home).

Leave behind

Hard suitcases, hair dryers, excess alcohol.

Who can join

Intermediate — prior race yacht training
Minimum age: 18

Organised by

Royal Ocean Racing Club

The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is recognised as the premier organiser of racing for offshore yachts around the world and is a leading authority on safety at sea. Established in 1925, the Club's Fastnet Race has become the world's largest offshore race by number of entries. Supported by Rolex since 2001, the Rolex Fastnet Race attracts over 400 boats from around the world. The RORC organises races in British and European locations, as well as Antigua, Grenada, Lanzarote, and Helsinki. The Club has approximately 4000 members across the globe

Visit Royal Ocean Racing Club

Questions

What's on the boat vs what I bring?

On board: lifejackets and safety kit, galley kit, water/tea/coffee. You bring: personal kit, layers, sleeping bag (if overnight) plus food and snacks.

What if the weather is bad?

We still run something — theory, manoeuvres in the lee of land, sheltered routes. Seriously weather-affected weekends rerun at a discount where reasonable.

I'm sea-sick prone — can I still come?

Yes. Take your remedy 30 mins before the start, not after. Tell your skipper in the safety brief.

I don't have a partner — can I still book?

Yes. We pair crew via the WhatsApp before each event. You won't be the odd one out.

Can I arrive the night before?

Usually possible, subject to availability. Arrange with the skipper in the crew WhatsApp.