THE IRC CALENDAR

Following last year’s stunning summer, 2019 promises to be another bumper season for IRC rated yachts. JOG’s mix of coastal or offshore races, with a fun party at the destination, is a clear example of a type of racing for which there’s growing enthusiasm. The opening event of the 2019 season, the Nab Tower Race, for example, attracted a record 80 entries. Easter weekend sees the fleet racing to Cherbourg on the Friday and back to the Solent on the Sunday.

Equally, enthusiasm for the Rolex Fastnet Race remains as high as ever. While the large contingent of IMOCA 60s, the 25 Class 40s, giant Ultime multihulls and monohulls in search of line honours such as Scallywag 100, skippered by David Witt, George David’s Rambler 88, and Ludde Ingvall’s 100ft CQS will fill many of the headlines, the most prestigious prize, the Fastnet Challenge Cup, goes to the overall IRC winner.

This season will also see a boost to