Sailing-Pace wins Round Britain and Ireland thriller after 1,805-mile battle

Volvo AB

19/08/2026 18:02

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace edged out Palanad 4 on corrected time to claim the top prize of overall IRC victory in the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race on Wednesday, having taken Monohull Line Honours earlier in the week.
The win comes in the 50th anniversary edition of the 1,805-nautical-mile non-stop race, which started from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on Aug. 9 and drew 33 boats and 182 crew members from 22 countries.
• Pace crossed the finish line in Cowes at 04:17:31 BST on Aug. 16, with an elapsed time of 6 days, 14 hours, 47 minutes and 31 seconds.
• Vincent said the result was "mind-blowing," adding that winning IRC Overall "in a race this long is something else."
• He paid tribute to France's Palanad 4, saying the two boats "had a real battle royal on corrected time around the racecourse," with Palanad 4 closing the gap in the North Sea.
• Vincent credited meticulous shore crew preparation, saying the boat completed nearly 2,000 miles "without a single gear failure or breakage."
• The race is held every four years and organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, which has clubhouses in London and Cowes.

 (Reporting by Ossian Shine)
 ((ossian.shine@thomsonreuters.com))