RORC Myth of Malham Race Preview

Course: RYS Cowes – Eddystone – Solent (235nm)

First Start: Saturday 04 May 2024 0900 BST

This early May Bank Holiday weekend is the date for one of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s most celebrated races. An impressive RORC fleet will gather off Cowes, IOW for the Myth of Malham Race with multiple starts from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line from 9 a.m. on Saturday 04 May. The first 100 miles of the race mirrors the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race and spectators can watch the action unfold from Cowes Parade and along the shore of the Western Solent.

The 235-mile race is one of the most gruelling, but also most popular races in the RORC calendar. After starting off the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, the course takes the boats along the strategically challenging headlines of the South Coast of England. The fleet head for the Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth. After rounding the lighthouse, the fleet turn back for a finish at North Head buoy, just outside the Solent. Typically, the race is a windward leeward with a tough beat out and a rapid downwind leg to the finish.

A huge variety of sailors and boats will be competing for IRC Class Trophies as well as overall victory for the Myth of Malham Cup.

Myth of Malham Race Entry List

NMD54 Teasing Machine © Tim Wright/RORC

The holder of the Myth of Malham Cup is Eric de Turckheim’s French NMD54 Teasing Machine, which is defending as the highest rated boat in IRC Zero. An international fleet is entered for the big boat class including the De Graaf Family’s Dutch Ker 43 Baraka GP, Sascha Schmid’s German Open 45 Atlantix Express, and Mark Emerson’s British A13 Phosphorus II.

Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster © Paul Wyeth/RORC

Class winners from the 2023 RORC Season’s Points Championship will be returning to RORC Racing for the Myth of Malham Race. Notably IRC Two champion, Ross Applebey’s Scarlet Oyster, and Tim Goodhew’s Sun Fast 3200 Cora, racing with Kelvin Matthews, who are IRC Three and Two-Handed Champions from last year.

Sun Fast 3200 Cora © Paul Wyeth/RORC

The reigning overall RORC Season’s Points Champion Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino will be racing two-handed with RORC Commodore Deb Fish.

Sun Fast 3600 Bellino © Paul Wyeth/RORC

At least 21 teams will be competing in the Myth of Malham Race in IRC Two-Handed including last year’s class winner Sam White’s JPK 1080 Mzungu! , which will once again be racing with Sam North. Like many of the teams in the race, Mzungu! is a corinthian entry. Sam White is an airline pilot from the Isle of Wight and Sam North is an events and conference organiser in London.

Sam White describes the lure of the Myth of Malham Race: “With six tidal gates and early season unstable weather conditions, the race offers a great challenge,” explained Sam. “Early season the difference between the sea temperature and the land is quite marked, so day and night effects can have quite an impact on the gradient wind. Working out a happy balance between wind strategy and tidal strategy can prove tricky but is key to success.

As a double handed boat one of the challenges of this race is managing rest. The race isn’t long enough to be able to settle into a watch routine and yet it isn’t short enough to ‘push on through’ despite the temptation. Being tired and cold are a certainly in this race but with Sam North catering, being hungry is definitely not on the cards!

Many people never understand the appeal of spending a long weekend in the English Channel pushing yourself to the limit, getting through emotional highs and lows and having to perform when you are at your lowest ebb. But after the race, when you are back at work, you are totally consumed with the desire to be back out there, doing it again!”

The Myth of Malham Race is named after one of the Club’s most celebrated yachts and sailors. Former RORC Commodore John Illingworth’s Myth of Malham won the Fastnet Race twice in succession (1947 and 1949) and was part of the victorious British Admiral’s Cup Team in 1957.

This year’s Myth of Malham Race will feature two of RORC’s Griffin Youth Teams making their debut race on RORC chartered Sun Fast 30 ODs. Rosie Hill will skipper Cap Sela and Charlie Muldoon will skipper Cap Polaris.

For online entry go to SailRaceHQ