he 2022 inshore race scene was remarkable for a class that swept the IRC Nationals taking the top four spots in IRC2; then, a few weeks later, the top three in IRC2 along with Boat of the Week at Les Voiles de Saint Tropez. At the same time, back on the Solent, the same class was dominating the headlines with a 21-boat turn out for its own national championship – just 18 months on since its one-design race circuit was first established in the UK.
The boat in question is, of course, the eye-catching Cape 31, which has seen a meteoric rise since David Bartholomew and his father Mike introduced the Mark Mills one-design to the UK from South Africa in 2019. Having been wowed by seeing the first 10 boats in action in Cape Town, they imported the first UK boat,, then, together with Dave Swete, set up 31 North, the official Cape 31 sales agent. Dave describes their initial impetus as simply “wanting to make racing cool again on the Solent”, and says the Cape 31 fitted the bill perfectly.
