IRC NATIONALS DEBRIEF
Arriving in Cowes, Uk on Tuesday morning, I was well aware it was going to be a mammoth week. With 3 days of training and then 3 days of racing at one of the biggest regattas run out of Cowes this year. The 2025 IRC National Championships.
With Admirals Cup just around the corner, this weeks sailing was incredibly important as it would be one of the final opportunities for us to hone in our skills on board the boat. With most teams entered in the Admirals Cup competing in this regatta, it would be a good indicator to see how we lined up against the other boats. We spent the first 3 days leading up to the event heading out to the race course area and testing some sail combinations and gathering critical data that would define how we sail the boat. By the time race day 1 came around we were ready to go.
DAY 1
Motoring out to the course on Friday morning, the sun was shining and light air’s were forecasted. The race committee sent us out to western solent to try get a race in the morning. Arriving to the race area there was 3-6 knots of westerly breeze with an incoming tide rushing through the solent. We sailed around in what little breeze there was until it completely vanished and ultimately the race committee decided to abandon the days racing. Motoring back to Cowes we managed to find some wind and was able to utilise the afternoon and lined up with some other fast 40 boats.
Day 2
With a completely different forecast to the previous day, for day 2 we were sailing in 17-20 knots of wind which made for some intense races. First on the agenda was 2 inshore races, races where we struggled to get around the course without mistakes. However the mistakes being minimal, we managed to finish 5th and 3rd on the inshore races. The around the cans race was a course made up of channel markers around the Solent. In order to win we had to use our sail package available at the correct time and get around the course without any mistakes. Racing against Callisto and Beau Ideal was a challenge in itself as these boats had incredibly talented sailors on board, and the boats also being very fast. Beau ideal walking away at the end of the day winning all 3 races on day 2, this was the team to beat. We finished our around the cans race in 2nd place. A tough end to the day as it was windy and wet around the whole course and we knew we had to improve our score card to be anywhere near winning the regatta.
Day 3
The final day of racing of the 2025 IRC National Champs was shaping up to be a beautiful day on the Solent. With a light wind forecast in the morning set to build throughout the day, we started our first race in 10 knots of breeze and after a heavy debrief following the previous days racing we were determined to sail better. We sailed around the course being the fastest boat and finished with our first race win. Staying in the zone we managed to replicate race 1 finishing with another 1st. The last race on the agenda was another around the cans race to finish the day, however by this point the wind and built to 17 - 20 knots. We started well and kept in the hunt for the win most of the way around the course, unfortunately some bad manoeuvres costed us some time and put us behind Callisto and Beau Ideal. Callisto winning the race in the end and our final result of the day being 4th place.
Results
The 2025 IRC National Championships saw it all. From no wind on day 1 to strong winds on day 2 and then a full range of conditions on day 3. We completed some fantastic racing on day 1 and 2 and took some important and valuable learnings to move forward ahead of the Admirals Cup. Down to seconds in the end we scraped in to take 2nd place of the regatta with Beau Ideal taking the top spot. However, due to certification requirements, Beau Ideal was unable to officially win the regatta. Therefore Jolt 6 was crowned the champions of IRC 1 class.
A win is a win however its not the win we are searching for. With winning Admirals Cup being the big goal in a months time, as a team we would like to be sure we can be at the top of the scorecard. Its not long before the anticipated Admirals Cup comes around so we have some key points to work on and improve. As a result from this regatta we know we can win races and whats required to do so, and with a few extra trainings before the big event we will be coming out guns blazing.