More competitors than ever will be racing in 2010

Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is one of the most challenging races in the world and for the 2010 edition, more competitors than ever will be racing around Great Britain, Ireland and all of the outlying islands.

The non-stop race has 29 entries and has attracted a diverse range of ocean-going yachts, with world-class professional teams rubbing shoulders with Corinthian crews. They all have one thing in common: to take on this iconic race and everything that Mother Nature can throw at them.

Nine Nations Compete

Yachts flying the ensigns of Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden will cross the Royal Yacht Squadron start line off Cowes, Isle of Wight on Monday 23rd August. The course takes them through a myriad of different conditions and crews will have to cope with a huge number of elements which make this race just so compelling.

RORC CEO, Eddie Warden Owen explains: ‘Crews will face the vagaries of the tides and unpredictable weather; dodging oil rigs and container ships as well as relying on tactical and navigational decisions and great seamanship to get them round the course! Most sailors agree that this race is one of the toughest tests as it is nearly as long as an Atlantic crossing, but the changes of direction at headlands will mean constant breaks in the watch system for sail changes and sail trim.”

Course record breaker on ICAP Leopard

The out and out favourite for line honours and perhaps a course record, is Mike Slade’s 100ft Maxi, ICAP Leopard who will also have previous course record holder, Sam Davies on board. Slade is sure to have a set of numbers duct-taped to the navigation station: 06:11:30:53 – the current course record which was set in 2009 by Sam Davies and Dee Caffari in Dee’s Open 60, Aviva.

Round the World Sailors Volvo 70 duel

It has been over a year since the finish of the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race and the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race sees the return of two canting keel Volvo 70s to the racing arena. There is the mouth-watering prospect of Groupama locking horns with Telefonica Azul for a duel, which could well go to the wire. Both teams will be racing around the world in October 2011 and this is the first time the two teams have done battle together. Jules Verne winner, Frank Cammas, skippers Groupama. His opposite number on Telefonica Azul is Iker Martinez and the crew on both boats reads like a ‘who’s who’ of round the world sailors, including Neal MacDonald, who will be racing on Telefonica Azul:

“I have very fond memories of the race,” commented Neal MacDonald who first competed on Sticky Fingers in 1994. “I had a fantastic time, great sailing on a good boat with a fun crew. The race course is shorter than say an Atlantic crossing, but can be a lot tougher and often far more complex. The main reason it is so much harder is that there are so many corners to go round, each one normally associated with a change of weather conditions.”

“Lots of tacks and gybes, lots of sail changes and a massive variety of weather conditions. For the entire race, it is impossible to get into a proper routine or watch system. It is a rewarding but very tiring race. It is always a pleasure to sail in home waters but to sail round your home country is fantastic, a real experience. I’m very much looking forward to it. It will also be a proper race with some great competition. All in all it has the makings of a terrific race.”

Corinthian Entries

Whilst the bigger boats may be crewed by seasoned professionals, there are many corinthian entries in the race. Adrian Lower is a gynaecologist and father of three and will be racing the Swan 44 Selene under the burgee of the Royal Burnham Yacht Club: “I have put together a great team of East Coast sailors and we look forward to the challenge. Our sights are set particularly on Winsome, another Sparkman and Stephens design from the 1970’s.”

She is extremely well sailed and their team has sailed together for a number of years. Winsome has been our benchmark in the 2009 Rolex Fastnet and North Sea Race this year.

For more information visit www.sevenstar.rorc.org

If you fancy trying your luck against the fleet, you can race from the comfort of your armchair! Simply visit www.virtualregatta.com for more details. You can also enter the Yachting World Virtual Class, and be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes.