RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race 2026 - Day 2
by Louay Habib / RORC 10 Aug 18:15 UTC
From 9 August 2026
Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace currently leads on the water on the second day of the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race © James Tomlinson / RORC
Twenty-four hours into the 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, the fleet is stretched along the English Channel and approaching the next major strategic test to round Land's End and the Isles of Scilly.
Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace leads on the water, racing at around eight knots and taking a more inshore line towards Land's End. Behind, Jens Kellinghusen's Ker 56 Varuna 6 and Antoine Magre's Mach 50 Palanad 4 have taken a more offshore route and appear to have made gains as the leading trio close on the south-west tip of England.
The next major decision concerns the Traffic Separation Scheme exclusion zones around the Isles of Scilly. After that, Bishop Rock must be left to starboard, and Pace appears to be positioning for the route through the separation zones, while Varuna VI and Palanad 4 currently look more likely to head south of them. With Pace still around 20 miles from decision time at the time of this report, the tactical picture remains open.
Behind the leaders, the Class40 fleet is tightly grouped. Penfret, Swift and Gambit are making similar speeds and are expected to round The Lizard in the coming hours. Graeme Lewis's Maxi Venomous is also locked into the same battle, while the Volvo 60 Challenge Ocean continues to make strong progress close behind.
On board Palanad 4, the first night brought a significant change of fortunes after a difficult opening phase. "We're 24h in and everyone has settled into the watch system nicely," reported Joss Cresswell. "The first six hours of VMG upwind and short tacking in short choppy sea state was not ideal for the 'big spoon' we call home. As darkness fell the wind veered and we were able to ease sheets and put up a Code Zero. Suddenly we were doing 13 knots in 14 knots of windspeed. A big morale boost having done a wobbly six or seven knots for hours."
With Pace taking a line further towards the Cornish coast, while Varuna 6 and Palanad 4 continue west, Cresswell believes all three are wrestling with the same problem.
"What is clear is that all three boats are grappling with how to best transit the incoming wind hole before getting to more consistent breeze in the Celtic Sea."
Life on board remains good, although the snack strategy may already need revision. "We've seen dolphins, which is nice. And we've seen off at least half of the flapjacks within the first night. A grim omen for the frosty watches around Muckle Flugga where we're going to have to try and survive off the healthy snacks nobody wanted to eat."
Pata Negra strong in IRC One
Around 90 miles from Bishop Rock, Sam and Andrew Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra leads IRC One both on the water and the class on estimated IRC corrected time.
At this early stage the tracker calculation gives Pata Negra a substantial estimated advantage, while Stickleback and Espresso Martini Too are engaged in a much closer contest behind. Stickleback is currently ranked second on corrected time.
Cameron Davis reported an upbeat mood from Espresso Martini Too as the Farr 40 passed Salcombe.
"Passing Salcombe and Prawle Point on Espresso Martini, it's a beautiful day at sea. We've already seen dolphins, the rig and sails are looking great, and spirits are high even if the big boats in the fleet are out of sight. Cruise ships, fishing boats, and a whole lot of life on the water surround us. On watch with me are Gemma, Toby on his first rodeo, and Greg giving a thumbs up. Everyone loving the journey."
Bellino sets the pace in IRC Two
In IRC Two, Rob Craigie's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino is currently leading on estimated corrected time, although RORC Commodore Deb Fish was quick to stress that there is a very long way to go.
Bellino lies only a few miles behind Moana and Ronin on the water, and Fish reported increasingly light conditions as the crew considered whether to stay with the breeze they could see or head north in search of a forecast sea breeze.
"All well aboard Bellino. Nicole currently doing a great job on the helm keeping the boat moving while I ponder whether we sail what we see or head north in search of a sea breeze as all the forecasts suggest," said Fish.
"Things are complicated by my having a cold and I've lost my voice, so am having to resort to hand signals, writing notes on the computer at watch changes, and whispering at the top of my voice! Beautiful sailing but the wind is going light, so better go and sail!"
IRC Double-Handed battle tightens
Of the 11 teams racing in IRC Two-Handed, Benjamin Grosman and Klaus Rasmussen's JPK 1080 Ronin is currently ranked first on estimated corrected time and also leads the division on the water.
JPK 180 Mzungu! sailed by Sam White and Nathan Steffenoni is ranked second, with Ian Hoddle and Willow Bland on Sun Fast 3300 Sky Business - Game On close behind.
White knows from experience that early gains can quickly disappear in a race of this length.
"I learned from the last race that at this stage you can have a massive lead and it can count for nothing. In 2022 we got away at the front with a really good route down the Channel, then sailed into a couple of holes and the whole fleet compressed. So right now it's all about staying in contention with the lead group.
"The first day was hard work, a huge number of tacks up the southside of the Isle of Wight, which is always tougher when you're double-handed and others have full crews. But we were determined to stay in the game and keep our nose up with the other boats.
"The real danger is one boat breaking free into different conditions. That's why we're focusing on the big picture, not chasing tiny forecast wrinkles, sailing our own race, playing to our strengths, and making sure we're right there when it really starts to count."
From Sam White, on board Mzungu! Day 2 of the Round Britain and Ireland Race:
Sky Business - Game On has also fought hard to recover from an early setback. "Twenty hours after the start and we are just passing below Salcombe," reported Ian Hoddle. "As we left the Solent yesterday we managed to sail into a windless hole and watched a bunch put two or three miles on us. Overnight we have been working hard to get back up into the fleet and now much, much happier with our position.
"Mzungu is the boat just under us and we are currently glued to them. A few hours of sleep each, fed and watered. All is good on Game On currently."
Jetpack leads IRC Three
Mark Brown's JPK 1010 Jetpack has made an impressive opening 24 hours, covering approximately 135 miles in light to moderate wind and leading the class both on the water and on estimated IRC corrected time.
The fully crewed Gosport team is currently ahead of the Sun Fast 3200 Zanzibar, with the J/105 Mojo third. Zanzibar and Mojo are both racing double-handed.
Fujitsu British Soldier has also been working its way back into the race after completing a temporary repair to the tiller. "With the first 24 hours now behind us, Fujitsu British Soldier has made a huge push in catching the fleet back up after having to do a temporary repair to the tiller," reported skipper Will Naylor.
"A massive push was made through the night and the crew reached Portland Bill in the early hours of the morning and are currently approaching the Eddystone Lighthouse. After much searching, the skipper found the tea bags as well, to lubricate his voice from shouting 'tack now' about 120 times."
The leaders are now approaching the first major geographical turning point of the race. Decisions made around Land's End and the Isles of Scilly could shape who first reaches the more consistent breeze in the Celtic Sea.
But with more than 1,600 nautical miles still to race, positions remain provisional and the first day has already demonstrated one of the enduring truths of the Round Britain and Ireland Race: fortunes can change very quickly.
Track the fleet in the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race and witness life in the challenge via RORC media channels: roundbritainandireland.rorc.org