Image: Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino (GBR), racing Two-Handed with RORC Commodore Deb Fish © Paul Wyeth/RORC
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025, a milestone marking a century of dedication to ocean racing and yachting excellence.
Since the 1930s, the RORC has organised a full season of offshore races. In 2000, the Club introduced the first RORC Season’s Points Championship, scored under the internationally recognised IRC Rating System — the same rule used in nearly all of the world’s premier offshore races. A quarter of a century on, the RORC Season’s Points Championship has become the largest and most prestigious offshore racing series in the world. The 2025 edition attracted over 600 boats and over 7000 sailors representing six continents.
The overall winner under IRC is determined by the highest cumulative score across the season, while six IRC class titles are awarded based on each yacht’s best five results from a possible 16 races. Multihulls compete under the MOCRA Rule, and Class40s race in a dedicated level-rating division.
The overall winner of the 2025 RORC Season’s Points Championship, retaining the Jazz Trophy for an unprecedented third year in a row, is Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino (GBR), racing Two-Handed with RORC Commodore Deb Fish. Second is Géry Trentesaux’s Ker 43 Long Courrier and third is Simon Toms’ Sun Fast 3300 Zephyr (GBR).
The Class40 Division champion, for the second year in a row, is Greg Leonard’s Swift (USA). Daniel Jones’ Gambit (GBR) is runner up with Axel Trehin’s Faites un don sur SNSM (FRA) in third place.
The RORC Centenary Dinner and Prize Giving will be held on November 15th at the elegant Sheraton Grand Hotel on Picadilly. The evening will honour 100 years of RORC history while celebrating the prize winners of the 2025 season, bringing together past and present champions of the sport. The RORC Yacht of the Year for the Somerset Memorial Trophy will be announced, as well as special awards.
With a glamorous black tie/1920s style theme, guests at the RORC Centenary Dinner and Prize Giving will step back in time to the era of RORC’s founding, an evening of fine dining, celebration, and camaraderie.