Down to the Wire: Cora Clinches IRC Two-Handed Championship After 30-Hour Showdown

2025 IRC Two-Handed Nationals © Paul Wyeth/RORC

The 2025 RORC IRC Two-Handed National Championship delivered a jaw-dropping finale in the form of the 235-mile Myth of Malham Race—an offshore epic that tested endurance, precision, and sheer determination.

Heading into the deciding race, all eyes were on Cora, the Sun Fast 3200 co-skippered by Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews. With one race win already in hand, they were in pole position for the national title. But Muzungu!, the JPK 1080 raced by Sam White and Sam North, had other plans. From the outset, the duo delivered a standout performance, setting the stage for an electrifying duel for championship glory.

The race began with a punishing 100-mile upwind slog into 20-knot southwesterlies and a heaving sea state—conditions that demanded relentless tacking and ironclad focus. Both teams hugged the coastline on the long beat to the Eddystone Lighthouse, grinding their way south in a brutal battle of attrition.

JPK 1080 Muzungu! © Paul Wyeth/RORC

After 22 hours at sea, Muzungu! rounded Eddystone first among the double-handed boats, having stretched out a 12-mile lead on the water over Cora. At that stage, the leaderboard under IRC told an even grimmer story for Goodhew and Matthews: Cora was running fourth on corrected time, trailing behind Game On (Ian Hoddle & Nikki Curwen) and Bellino (Rob Craigie & RORC Commodore Deb Fish).

As the fleet turned east for the downwind charge home, the fight was far from over. With the spinnakers flying and the wind still howling, Cora launched a furious comeback. She surged past Game On and closed in on Bellino, hunting down the time she needed to stay in contention for the title. But the drama didn’t stop there—Simon Bamford’s Kestrel had made a bold offshore move and was suddenly in the mix.

After more than 30 hours of exhausting racing, Muzungu! crossed the line first in the double-handed fleet, sealing a well-earned win for the Myth of Malham Race. Cora finished just 13 minutes ahead of Bellino on corrected time, and crucially—30 minutes ahead of Kestrel.

When the points were tallied and the dust settled, the national championship was too close to call. A re-check of the scores confirmed what had seemed impossible after Eddystone: Cora had done just enough. By the slimmest of margins, Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews were crowned the 2025 IRC Two-Handed National Champions.

Sam White and Sam North on Muzungu! took a well-fought second overall, with Kestrel rounding out the podium after a bold and impressive showing.

2025 IRC Two-Handed Nationals - Full Results