Races
Races
Offshore racing, regattas, records, fleets and results from the events Old Sea Dogs follow.
Old Sea Dogs follows racing from club evening series to grand prix circuits. Permanent event hubs cover Cowes Week, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Round the Island Race and SailGP, with Solent, Poole and Chichester harbour guides for race-week berthing and watching.
474 storiesOld Sea Dogs races artwork© Michael Hodges
Races
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© SailGPSailGP Season Nears Its Grand Finale
CÁDIZ, SPAIN — In a masterclass of precision, patience, and pure nerve, Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team stormed to victory in the Rolex SailGP Championship 2025 stop on Cádiz Bay, extending their lead at the top of the season standings and tightening their grip on the Grand Final berth.5 min read
© © Lloyd Images / The Ocean Race Europe 2025Biotherm Crowned in Boka Bay
The Boka Bay Coastal Race, sailed against the dramatic backdrop of Montenegro’s mountains and calm turquoise waters, was the perfect finale to this summer’s edition of The Ocean Race Europe 2025. It had everything: close-quarters duels, tactical brilliance, and one last show of dominance from Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm, who sealed overall victory with yet another flawless performance.4 min read
© Vincent CurutchetBiotherm Clinches Final Leg in Montenegro to Seal Dominant Victory in The Ocean Race Europe 2025
Paul Meilhat’s French-flagged IMOCA Biotherm has crowned a masterclass campaign with victory in the fifth and final leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025, securing an emphatic overall championship win in the five-week, 4,500-nautical-mile sprint around Europe.4 min read
© IMOCAMateusz Kusznierewicz, Bruno Prada and a Star-Filled Fleet Highlight a Day of Tactical Mastery at the 2025 Star World Championship in Croatia.
Day 2 of the 2025 Star World Championship in Split, Croatia unraveled a canvas of tactical acumen, courage, and relentless triumph on the unpredictable Adriatic waters.2 min read
© Tim TappingOffshore Glory and a New Champion Crowned
Last weekend, the storied waters off the Isle of Wight roared to life as the GoGPS Cowes International Powerboat Festival delivered another adrenaline-fuelled weekend of offshore excitement. Against a backdrop of choppy seas, fierce competition, and crowds lining the coast, seven boats battled across the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes course, delivering drama in every wave. When the smoke cleared, Good Boy Vodka emerged victori3 min read
© ILCA European Championship
© Thom TouwMarstrand 2025: New Champions, Fresh Legends, and History Rewritten at the ILCA Europeans
The 2025 ILCA Senior European Championships & Open European Trophy closed in Marstrand after six days of shifting breezes, rising swells, and fierce racing. When the spray settled, Europe’s best had been crowned in the ILCA 7, ILCA 6 Women, and ILCA 6 Men fleets. This year’s results didn’t just decide medals – they carved fresh names into the ILCA Hall of Fame and rewrote the historical record.3 min read
© Pierre Bouras / The Ocean RaceSleepless Hours Ahead as Porto’s Scoring Gate Looms Large
Two days into Leg 2 of The Ocean Race Europe, and the Bay of Biscay is dishing out exactly what everyone feared — flat seas, fickle breeze, and a fleet so tight you can throw a net over the top five. With Cape Finisterre closing fast, the sailors are staring down a long, sleepless night where one bad sail trim could cost everything.2 min read
© Michael HodgesCowes–Torquay–Cowes Powerboat Race Roars into Life
It’s that time of year again—Sunday dawned on Cowes with a roar of engines, a flash of sun on horsepower, and a hum that made even Cowes Castle wake from slumber. The legendary Cowes–Torquay–Cowes powerboat race, the world’s longest continuous offshore powerboat contest, thundered back onto the water as part of the Cowes Powerboat Festival, organised by the British Powerboat Racing Club (BPRC). For weeks, the bay has3 min read
© The Ocean Race Jean-Louis CarliFleet storms away from the Solent as Ocean Race Europe Leg 2
Portsmouth turned on the sunshine this evening as seven IMOCAs thundered off the Royal Yacht Squadron line at 17:00, launching the second leg of The Ocean Race Europe 2025. Ahead lies 1,400 nautical miles of hard running to Cartagena, Spain, with a midweek fly-by off Matosinhos-Porto to keep things lively.2 min read
Sailing Enthusiasts Compete in Championship Races at Hythe and Weecher Sailing Clubs, Displaying Exceptional Skill and Sportsmanship
Sailing enthusiasts recently rendezvoused at Hythe and Weecher Sailing Clubs, participating in spectacular championship races, showcasing their exceptional navigation skills and sportsmanship.1 min read
© © Gauthier LebecTacks, Traffic, and Tired Eyes: The Final Push to Portsmouth
The opening chapter of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 has already been a thriller — Kiel’s coastal hustle, the straight-line sprint across the North Sea — but the final act is shaping up to be pure endurance theatre. Less than 100 miles to go, and the finish promises a marathon of light winds, tight lanes, and endless, back-breaking manoeuvres.2 min read
© Michael Hodges
© Michael HodgesRum, Race, and Glory: Ninety-Nine Years of the Bacardi Cup
There aren’t many sailing events that can claim near-century status with their class, culture, and charisma still fully intact. The Bacardi Cup does it all with a wink and a wedge of lime. Now entering its 99th year, the Bacardi Cup is one of the most iconic, enduring regattas in the world—and one of the very few where the drinks sponsor has been onboard since the start.4 min read
© Paul Wyeth/RORCJolt, Van Uden, and the Youthful Dutch Storm the Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet Finish Line
CHERBOURG, July 2025 — The rain eased and the rum bottles emptied as dawn broke over Port Chantereyne, Cherbourg. The tension, the tides, and the spinnakers finally settled after one of the closest Admiral’s Cup battles in decades, with Peter Harrison and Monaco’s own Pierre Casiraghi leading Team Jolt to a dramatic win aboard their TP52 Jolt 3 and the Carkeek 40 Jolt 6. Ten points clear of Karl Kwok’s ever-formidabl5 min read
© ROLEX/Carlo BorlenghiBlack Pearl First to the Rock as the Rolex Admiral’s Cup Teams Power into the Celtic Sea
The Rolex Admiral’s Cup fleet spent a wild second night offshore, taking on the long, punishing beat through the Celtic Sea. The wind wasn’t ferocious, but the sea state was—big Atlantic swell, relentless chop, and a hard-earned haul towards one of offshore racing’s most iconic landmarks: the Fastnet Rock. Standing 54 metres tall, forged from Cornish granite, the lighthouse marks more than just a turning point in the2 min read
© RORCDutch Grit and Gybes: ROST Van Uden Take Command in AC1
Rolex Fastnet Race | Admiral’s Cup Dispatch – July 2025 There’s a new name at the top—and it’s flying the Dutch tricolour. The young guns aboard ROST Van Uden (RMYC) have clawed their way into the AC1 lead on corrected time, and they’ve done it with nerve, timing, and a whole lot of boat speed. With 150nm to go, they’re three hours ahead after IRC correction and showing no sign of blinking.2 min read
Youthful Triumphs and Disappointments Mark the Governor's Cup International Match Racing Championship's Second and Third Days
The world's most prestigious youth match racing championship, the Governor's Cup, had two days full of riveting competitions, champions rising, and favorites faltering.2 min read
© Lloyd ImagesNorthwesterly to the Rock — but no headbanger, finally
Its started on Saturday 26 July 2025 Veterans of the last two Rolex Fastnet Races are checking the weather with cautious optimism. After two editions that opened with 30-knot headwinds and a battering Channel slog, the long-range forecast for this centenary running looks — dare we say it — gentle.4 min read
© James TomlinsonExplosive Start to the Rolex Fastnet Race for Admiral’s Cup Fleet
After the cannon roared, the fleet scattered like gulls in a gale. Black Pearl (YCCS), skippered by Stefan Jentzch, wasted no time — tacking straight toward the mainland shore. She sniffed out a lift and took it like a thief in the night, gaining ground fast. But out near the island side, Jolt 3 (YCM) helmed by Peter Harrison, was all business — early leader on the water and staying sticky to the fleet like barnacles3 min read
© Paul Wyeth/RORCHard Gains and Narrow Escapes – Admiral’s Cup Fleet Charges West
As the Admiral’s Cup fleet thundered west toward Start Point, the gloves were off and the tactics got real. The leaders split north of the rhumb line—Black Pearl taking the high road, while Eric de Turckheim’s Teasing Machine dug in low and fast to the south. Black Pearl rounded Start Point with a boat length to spare over Jolt 3, both storming along at nine knots. Slightly offshore, Rán and Teasing Machine were push3 min read
© Sharon GreenTRANSPAC 2025: The Winners, The Legends, and the Long Blue Road
Hawaiian sunshine, stories in the rigging, and rum in hand — the final Transpac 2025 prize-giving brought down the curtain in style on one of the world’s great ocean races. Held Saturday, July 19 at Kaneohe Yacht Club, the last of three awards ceremonies gave crews, skippers, and families a chance to celebrate not just the winners, but the sheer feat of making it across 2,225 miles of the Pacific Ocean.3 min read
© Carlo BorlenghiRecord MOCRA Turnout for the Fastnet Centenary
The 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race marks 100 years of hard offshore truth — and the multihull fleet has shown up in force. A record 20 boats are racing in the MOCRA class, all gunning for the coveted Crystal Trophy, a prize that’s older than some of the hulls — and certainly a few of the crews.3 min read
© James Tomlinson/RORCBaptism by Spray: Admiral’s Cup Opens With a Brutal Channel Test
The Admiral’s Cup roared to life with a deceptively light start — and then reminded everyone why it’s earned its legend. The 160nm Channel Race looked tame leaving the Solent, but by sunrise the next day, the fleet limped back soaked to the skin, eyes red and salt-blasted. A confused sea, building pressure topping 25 knots, and a foaming downwind leg back from France — it was a full-pelt Atlantic slap in the face. Th3 min read
© Ricardo Pinto for SailGPBlack Foils Swipe Portsmouth Glory from Home Team in High-Stakes SailGP Clash
They came, they foiled, they snatched it. Peter Burling’s Black Foils pulled off a slick, late-game heist in Portsmouth to steal a home win from Dylan Fletcher and the Emirates GBR crew — putting New Zealand on top of the 2025 SailGP leaderboard in the process.3 min read
A Strong Rebound in Innovation: The New Zealand 18 Footer Skiff Community Reactivates After a Pandemic Pause
Following a Covid-induced hiatus, New Zealand's 18 footer skiff racing community readies another action-packed season, replicating the island's long history of nautical innovation and excellence.2 min read
© The Crew of the WesterlyTranspac 2025 - Full Moon and Full Throttle
With just under a week left to run, the 2025 Transpac fleet is officially past halfway, surfing westward across the Pacific towards Honolulu’s Diamond Head. After setting off in staggered starts on July 1, 3, and 5, 53 yachts of every style and strategy—ranging from 35 to 88 feet—have now picked up the trades, leaving behind fickle calms and early retirements (four boats have dropped out). The leaderboard is starting3 min read
© Tracey BeerUKOPRA Offshore Powerboat Championships
Under blazing skies and with the Solent simmering in summer heat, the UKOPRA Offshore Powerboat Championships roared back into action on Saturday with the third round of the series: the legendary “Solent 80.” Eighteen boats took on the demanding clockwise circuit around the Isle of Wight, delivering drama, mechanical heartbreak, and spectacular performances—classic offshore racing in all its noisy, unpredictable glor2 min read
© The crew of Santa Cruz 52 Heroic HeartWho Nailed the Breeze Call in the 2025 Transpac?
The 2025 Transpac is full steam ahead, and the fleet is chewing through the miles toward that sweet slice of volcanic paradise: the Diamond Head finish line off Honolulu. It’s the 53rd running of this epic 2,225-mile dash across the Pacific — and it hasn’t disappointed. A race born in 1906, Transpac is part marathon, part chess match, part saltwater soap opera. This year’s show kicked off with staggered starts over f4 min read