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The Royal Ocean Racing Club celebrating 100 years

by RORC 9 Dec 15:02 GMT
The Rolex Fastnet Race will be the pinnacle of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's centenary racing season in 2025 © Arthur Daniel / RORC

In 2025, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) proudly marks its centenary, celebrating 100 years of passion, innovation, and commitment to yachting and offshore racing.

The RORC Centenary events are a vibrant programme of first-class racing and superb social occasions. An exclusive range of merchandise has also been specially designed to mark this historic milestone.

"The 2025 season promises not only exhilarating racing, but also exceptional social events at our elegant RORC St James's Clubhouse in London, and the beautifully transformed RORC Cowes Clubhouse on the Isle of Wight," said RORC Commodore Deb Fish. "We invite everyone to join us to enjoy this amazing season - a fitting tribute to a century of excellence in offshore racing."

The Royal Ocean Racing Club will be marking its centenary in 2025. The London Clubhouse - photo © Matt Dickens / Imagecomms
The Royal Ocean Racing Club will be marking its centenary in 2025. The London Clubhouse - photo © Matt Dickens / Imagecomms

A landmark season of RORC Racing

The 2025 racing season promises to be an extraordinary celebration with over 10,000 miles of ocean racing, featuring prestigious events across three continents:

  • January: The 3,000-mile RORC Transatlantic Race launches the season from Lanzarote, bound for the spice island of Grenada.

  • February: The electrifying RORC Caribbean 600 challenges sailors with a high-speed dash around 11 stunning Caribbean islands.

  • April and onwards: The RORC European offshore calendar begins with the continuation of the 16-race RORC Season's Points Championship, the world's largest offshore racing series.

  • June: The historic West-East Transatlantic Race, with origins dating back to the 19th century, embarks from the New York Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island, destined for Cowes.

  • July: The Rolex Fastnet Race, celebrating its 100th anniversary, will captivate the sailing world, serving as the pinnacle of the season and the dramatic finale for the highly anticipated return of the Admiral's Cup.

  • September: The RORC season of racing out of Cowes concludes with the Salcombe Gin RORC Centenary Race and the Offshore Double Handed World Championship. Outstanding events, cementing 2025 as a year memorable year.

The 2025 RORC racing season features events across three continents - photo © Paul Wyeth / pwpictures.com
The 2025 RORC racing season features events across three continents - photo © Paul Wyeth / pwpictures.com

Global celebrations and exclusive keepsakes

With RORC Members worldwide, the Royal Ocean Racing Club is organising centenary celebrations internationally. The Royal Ocean Racing Club will also be unveiling an exclusive collection of merchandise and keepsakes to collect and commemorate the RORC Centenary.

  • Global Celebrations: Hosted by long-standing associated yacht clubs and RORC Members, formal dinners to celebrate the centenary are organised across four continents. Locations include the RORC Cowes Clubhouse, The New York Yacht Club, the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the Yacht Club de France, Amsterdam, Hamburg, The Box Plymouth, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the Royal Malta Yacht Club, and the CYC of Australia.

  • RORC Centenary Book: An expert account of the evolution of the Club, exploring significant milestones over the past 25 years, and will follow on from Ian Dear's book which covered in detail the history of the Club up to 2000.

  • Photographic Exhibition: Featuring important documents and rare photographs depicting the evolution of the Club over 10 decades.

  • Centenary Merchandise: Featuring a range of RORC Centenary keepsakes.

For more information, please visit the Royal Ocean Racing Club Centenary page: rorc.org/rorccentenary

Dinners to celebrate the RORC centenary will be held around the world - photo © Rich Bowen / RORC
Dinners to celebrate the RORC centenary will be held around the world - photo © Rich Bowen / RORC
A centenary book and photo exhibition will feature such yachts as the classic yacht Dorade - photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster
A centenary book and photo exhibition will feature such yachts as the classic yacht Dorade - photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster
The RORC Cowes Clubhouse will host centenary celebrations - photo © Paul Wyeth / pwpictures.com
The RORC Cowes Clubhouse will host centenary celebrations - photo © Paul Wyeth / pwpictures.com

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