The 2025 RAYC Offshore Regatta will take place in Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, over the weekend 5-7 September. The regatta is an organised weekend of offshore racing and includes a 3-course prize-giving dinner in the Royal Solent Yacht Club on Saturday, 6th September.
Racing is open to all yachts, and crews are invited to arrive in Yarmouth on Friday 5th with an informal evening reception in a local pub. Racing will start at 1000hrs on Saturday, 6th September, with a dinner at the Royal Solent Yacht Club from 1830hrs. The traditional passage race to Gilkicker Point will be run on the morning of Sunday, 7th September.
FINAL RACE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SKIPPERS
Racing on Saturday 6th September will start at 10.00 for the Bantry Cup and at 1005 for Bhopal Cup. Please click the following link to read the full Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions.
All Skippers or boat owners/leads MUST complete the online Royal Solent Yacht Club Condition of Entry form: RSYC 2025 Condition of Entry
If you have silverware from last or previous years’ regattas, then please bring it or have it brought in time for the pre-dinner prize-giving at the RSYC on Sat 6 Sep.
For the evening, please gather in the RSYC clubhouse at 1830 with Prize Giving at 1900 and dinner at 1930.
Dress for dinner is minimum planters – ie trousers (not jeans) and a collared shirt/knee-length dress or skirt and blouse/top. It is understood that most male attendees will wear jacket and tie; but if any of your crews are without a jacket, then that’s fine.
A reminder to apply for a temporary membership for any of your crew who are not RAYC members. This can be done at www.gunnersailing.com and costs £10.
A skippers’ WhatsApp Group has been created for the regatta. To join the group, please contact the Rear Commodore Offshore via email, or send him a text on 07748649354.
Please scroll down for more details about the regatta and key contact details.
Click on this link to book your entries and to make your bookings for the prize-giving dinner.
Entry Fee
Units and individuals are encouraged to enter the regatta. The entry fee is £45 per yacht, with £5 for yachts taking part in the Sunday passage race. Please click the following link to read the full Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions.
Yachts
The Admiral will provide a crew on Bombardier III and the Vice Commodore and some committee members will be entering St Barbara V. Other service sailing clubs and associations may have yachts available to charter.
Berthing
Skippers are responsible for finding and paying for their own berths. As in previous years, unfortunately, no advance bookings are available. We recommend boats arrive early on Friday, 5th September, to secure a good mooring. The harbour masters are aware of our regatta and generally aim to moor the RAYC boats together.
Regatta Dinner and Prize-Giving
All members and their guests are strongly encouraged to attend the prize-giving dinner in the RSYC on Saturday 6th September 25. The annual dinner has become a tradition of the weekend and is highly enjoyable with all crews attending. Tickets are £40 per head for three courses; drinks should be bought by individuals/crews separately, and are not included in the meal price. Dress will be planters or equivalent – the spirit is to get as many of the fleet as possible to attend. Those who opt not to attend dinner or are unable to do so because of ticket availability are still encouraged to attend the RSYC for the prize-giving beforehand. Any special requests (Veg / GF etc) should be made when purchasing the tickets online, or va email to the RC(O) no later than the 26th August.
Trophies
The Bantry, Bhopal, Morgan and Nawabzada Cup races will be sailed on Sat 6 Sep 25, details of which will be in the Notice of Race. The Golden Jubilee Trophy may be awarded at the discretion of the committee to yachts competing within the Bhopal or Bantry fleets for special endeavours that are deemed deserving of special recognition. The Challenger Trophy may be awarded at the discretion of the committee to yachts entered by a Regiment or RA establishment team in the STW for best act of seamanship, special endeavour or any such act deemed appropriate. Full rules will be issued in the Notice of Race.
Bantry and Bhopal Cups – The committee will adjust the entries as necessary to form two roughly equal-sized fleets competing for the BANTRY and BHOPAL Cups. Faster yachts will be entered for the BANTRY CUP. If there are sufficient yachts with a wide range of TCF then it may be possible to create three classes, details will be confirmed in the Race Instructions.
Challenger and Jubilee Trophies – These will be competed for within the races (as discretionary awards for special endeavour).
Admirals and Trifle Cups – these will be awarded to the winning crew and runners up, respectively, for regimental yachts.
Return of Trophies – Holders of trophies are to ensure they are returned to Yarmouth for the regatta; or if that is not possible, then arrangements must be made to return them to a committee member in good time, such that arrangements can be made to get the silverware to Yarmouth in time for the Prize Giving on the evening of Sat 6 Sep.
Contact Details and Questions
For any queries or questions, please contact Lt Col JW McCleery, the Rear Commodore Offshore or via his personal email address (during July). He can also be reached via mobile on 07748649354.
Alternatively, please contact the RAYC Bosuns if you need any special assistance in organising your entry.
Click on this link to book your entries and to make your bookings for the prize-giving dinner.
