The Royal Ocean Racing Club is pleased to announce that Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace has been declared the overall winner under IRC for the 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race. With no remaining competitors able to better Pace’s IRC corrected time, Vincent and his crew secured the race’s top prize, adding overall victory to Monohull Line Honours.
Pace crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in Cowes at 04:17:31 BST on Sunday, 16 August. Her elapsed time for the 1,805-nautical-mile course was 6 days, 14 hours, 47 minutes and 31 seconds.
“It is very emotional and, honestly, mind-blowing,” commented Vincent. “Before the start, Monohull Line Honours was a realistic target and winning IRC Zero would have meant that we had competed well against the boats in our own rating band. To win IRC Overall in a race this long is something else. Conditions can change so much over 1,805 miles that part of it is in the hands of the gods. We feel unbelievably overjoyed and fortunate.
“My heart goes out to Palanad 4. We had a real battle royal on corrected time around the racecourse. We enjoyed a great run up the west coast, then they came back at us in the North Sea. For them to watch us finish while they fought light winds and tide must have been mentally brutal. We have enormous respect for what they achieved.
“This victory belongs to the whole Pace team. The shore crew prepared the boat so well that across nearly 2,000 miles we did not have a single gear failure or breakage. That is remarkable. On board there were no egos and no hierarchy, just an amazing group supporting one another, whether racing flat-out or making tea in the dead of night while being thrown around below. We were all there because we love yacht racing.
“It means a huge amount to me. I hope it means just as much to the seasoned professionals in the team, because they worked incredibly hard and thoroughly deserve it.”
Pace Crew includes Johnny Vincent, Al Fraser, Anthony Haines, Antonio Cuervas-Mons, Ed Myers, Jim Carroll, Jules Salter, Luke Molloy, Mark Bartlett, Neal McDonald, Pete Cumming, Stu Bannatyne, Tom McWilliam, and Trystan Seal.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club congratulates Pace while recognising the determination and seamanship of every crew still battling towards the finish in Cowes. As boats remain at sea, the announcement is provisional.
Louay Habib/RORC
For more details, visit the official website at www.roundbritainandireland.rorc.org.
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