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Royal Ocean Racing Club with strong Cowes links celebrating centenary in 2025

Action from the RORC Fastnet Race 2023, which started in Cowes. <i>(Image: Paul Wyeth)</i>
Action from the RORC Fastnet Race 2023, which started in Cowes. (Image: Paul Wyeth)

THE Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) with strong Isle of Wight links is set to celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.

The centenary will be marked with international events and more than 10,000 miles of ocean racing, with some top events starting from Cowes.

RORC commodore, Deb Fish, said: "The 2025 season promises not only exhilarating racing, but also exceptional social events at our beautifully transformed RORC Cowes clubhouse on the Isle of Wight.

Read more: Historic win for Jangada in RORC Transatlantic Race

"We invite everyone to join us to enjoy this amazing season — a fitting tribute to a century of excellence in offshore racing."

The 2025 racing season will include prestigious events across three continents.

Next month, the 3,000-mile RORC Transatlantic Race sets the season in motion, from Lanzarote to Grenada.

It is a race famously won by Islanders Richard Palmer and Jeremy Waitt in Jangada in 2019.

February's RORC Caribbean 600 will also test sailors, with a fast-paced circuit around 11 Caribbean islands.

Read more: Fifty Island sailors set to tackle the 50th Rolex Fastnet Race

From April onward, the 16-race RORC Season's Points Championship, the world's largest offshore racing series, will continue.

The centenary celebrations will extend beyond the UK, with formal dinners organised by yacht clubs and RORC members across four continents.

This includes the RORC Cowes clubhouse, a long-standing associated yacht club.

The RORC, known for its commitment to innovation and passion for sailing, was founded in 1925 and has played a significant role in the development of yachting and offshore racing over the last century, with Cowes very much at its heart.