2026 Round Britain and Ireland Race | Returning for the Marathon
The 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race starts on 09 August. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club every four years, the marathon challenge takes sailors on a circumnavigation of Britain and Ireland - starting and finishing in Cowes, IOW.
The 2026 edition marks the 50th anniversary of the race, which has always rewarded experience. At 1,805 nautical miles, non-stop, around some of the most demanding waters in northern Europe, it is not simply a test of speed. It is a test of preparation, mental and physical strength, seamanship and resilience.
Among the 2026 fleet are numerous boats and sailors with previous history in the race, including some returning to settle unfinished business and others coming back because the challenge is too powerful to resist.
British Soldier during the 2022 Round Britain and Ireland Race © Army Sailing Association
For the Army Sailing Association, the 2026 race is another major campaign in a long association with the race. In 2010, the team raced the A40 British Soldier, returned in 2014 with a J/111 and in 2018 with an X-41. Returning as Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier in 2022, the Army Sailing Association team completed their fourth race. This year, with the same boat, will be their fifth. The 2026 British Soldier Skipper is Will Naylor, aiming for his fifth completed race, probably unmatched in terms of participation, in the 50-year history of the Round Britain and Ireland Race.
On board British Soldier - Will Naylor far left © Army Sailing Association
“The Round Britain and Ireland Race has become a big part of my sailing life,” commented Will Naylor. “ I first did it 16 years ago and, in that time, it has given me some of the hardest, most rewarding and most memorable moments I have had in the sport. Every race has been different. I have gone round twice each way now, so in a way I have unwound myself, but the weather, the competition and the challenges are never the same.
What brings me back is that it is such a complete test. You need seamanship, teamwork, endurance and trust, but you also need humility because the race is bigger than any one person. You can prepare as well as possible, but once you are ten days in, tired and cold, you really find out about the team around you.
For the Army Sailing Association, that is hugely valuable. Offshore racing develops the same qualities we look for in military life: leadership, discipline, resilience and trust. It pushes people into that stretch zone where they learn a lot about themselves and each other.
J/111 British Soldier, Will Naylor 4th from left, with Jeff Johnstone in 2014 © Patrick Eden/RORC
Every time I finish, I say never again. Then the years pass, the hard parts fade a little, the good memories become stronger, and you start to feel that pull again. For me, this race is not just another event on the calendar. It is an adventure that has shaped friendships, tested crews and created stories we still talk about years later. To come back for a fifth time, with British Soldier and a new generation of sailors on board, feels very special.”
Sun Fast 3600 Marco Polo © Paul Wyeth/RORC
The race also has a strong thread of unfinished business. Steve Berry’s Welsh Sun Fast 3600 Marco Polo did not finish in the light airs of the 2022 edition, but returns in 2026 for another attempt, once again racing double handed, this time with Barney Proctor. For many crews, a DNF in the results sheet for a race of this scale becomes part of the story rather than the end of it. Coming back means applying the lessons learnt and taking on the marathon with renewed determination.
Gavin Howe & Maggie Adamson finish 2022 Sun Fast 3600 Tigris © James Tomlinson/RORC
There is proven double handed form elsewhere in the fleet. Gavin Howe’s Tigris returns for a third Round Britain and Ireland Race, racing double handed with Maggie Adamson, as they did in 2022. Tigris completed the 2022 race in under 15 days and also featured in the 2018 edition, making the team one of the most experienced returning combinations in the current fleet. In a race where fatigue management, boat preservation and decision making over many days can be just as important as raw pace, that accumulated knowledge is valuable and this will be Gavin Howe’s fourth race dating back to 1978.
Sun Fast 3600 Bellino © Rick Tomlinson/RORCThe 2022 edition also provides important form lines for 2026. Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino, racing double handed with the now RORC Commodore Deb Fish, was second overall and second in IRC Double Handed, while Sam White and Sam North racing JPK 1080 Mzungu! double handed was third overall and third in IRC Double Handed, underlining the strength of the two handed fleet in recent editions. Both boats showed how disciplined short-handed campaigns can challenge for the overall IRC podium in a race of this length.
Corby 45 Incisor of Wight © Rick Tomlinson/RORC
The history in the Round Britain and Ireland Race stretches further back even further for the RORC Commodore. In 2000, Deb Fish was part of the winning crew on Derek Saunders’ Corby 45 Incisor of Wight. Craigie and Fish bring detailed knowledge of the Round Britain and Ireland Race on board one of the most competitive boats in the fleet.
Two Tonner Snifix Dry © James Tomlinson/RORCAlso completing the 2022 race were Dirk Lahmann’s 1978 Two Tonner Snifix Dry, finishing in 17 days, and Kuba Szymanski’s First 40.7 Polished Manx II, finishing in 18 days. Both of are among the 2026 entries and determined to complete the challenge again.
Kuba Szymanski celebrates in 2022 © James Tomlinson/RORCSome of the strongest race history in the 2026 fleet is carried by individual sailors rather than the boats themselves. On Volvo 70 Pace, Luke Molloy brings winning experience from 2014, when he was part of the Ker 56 Varuna team that won overall under IRC. Also on Volvo 70 Pace is Neal McDonald, who raced the 2014 edition on Volvo 70 Azzam. That year, Azzam set the monohull outright record of 4 days, 13 hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds, a benchmark that still stands today. Pace with Johnny Vincent at the helm, brings both speed and deep Round Britain and Ireland experience to the 2026 line-up.
Lombard 46 Pata Negra © Tim Wright/RORCAnother important link to the race’s recent history comes through Pata Negra, winner overall in 2018 with Giles Redpath at the helm. The Lombard 46 returns, allegedly designed for the race and now owned by Andrew and Sam Hall. Antoine Magré was on board Pata Negra for the 2018 victory and returns as skipper of his own project, the scow-bow Mach 50 Palanad 4. Magre brings direct experience of what it takes to win the race on IRC corrected time.
Ian Hoddle's Rare at the start of the 2014 race © Rick Tomlinson/RORC
Ian Hoddle raced Figaro II Rare in 2014 and Sun Fast 3600 Game On in 2018. Hoddle takes on the race for the third time double handed with newbie Willow Bland on Sun Fast 3300 Sky Business-GameOn. Those returning sailors add depth to the 2026 fleet because they know how quickly the race can change from tactical coastal racing to survival mode and from light airs frustration to high speed offshore work.
The returning sailors and boats give the 2026 Round Britain and Ireland Race a sense of continuity. Once again the fleet includes record setters, past winners, passionate amateurs, service teams, double handed specialists and crews coming back after disappointment.
The question is why does the history of the Round Britain and Ireland Race repeat itself?
The answer may lie in the nature of the event itself: rare, relentless and totally unforgettable.
Sun Fast 3600 British Soldier © Paul Wyeth/RORC
