The Bristol Channel IRC Championships 2025, sponsored by North Sails, held its second and final leg over the weekend of 24th/ 25th May. Racing in Cardiff and Penarth Roads, just off Cardiff Bay, it saw the fleet re-group from across the Bristol Channel.

Organised by PCC and Cardiff Bay Yacht Club (CBYC), the regatta aimed to run racing across both Saturday and Sunday. With a typical bank holiday forecast breaking the recent spell of settled weather, crews were anticipating a weekend of mixed conditions.

Saturday’s racing initially saw less wind than forecast with holes and shifts scattered over the course. The committee set a series of windward / leeward races using a combination of laid and navigational marks.

As the breeze filled in the racing became fast and furious, with the lighter boats planing downwind and all crews being tested to the limit. The racing was close, with the results being decided by seconds not minutes. There were some impressive broaches as the wind speed climbed towards a force 6 and after 3 races the teams returned to the bar at CBYC. For a review of the action, see the video below.

With Sunday’s racing cancelled on safety grounds, the podium positions saw representation from the length of the Bristol Channel with boats from Cardiff Bay and Pembrokeshire taking second and third. The winner, for an impressive fourth consecutive year, was the Portishead J109, Ctrl-J skippered by Andy Williams, who was awarded the stunning Shanghai Cup and a host of prizes from event sponsors North Sails. For the full regatta results, visit the event website.

A huge thank you to the organising committee for another successful Bristol Channel IRC Championships and to event sponsors North Sails. Thanks are also due to Cardiff Barrage for getting the boats in and out together with the crew at CBYC for their hospitality after the racing.

Photo & video credit: Tim Gifford

The Bristol Channel IRC Championships 2025 got off to a great start in Portishead over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend with a fleet drawn from across the Bristol Channel.

The championships run over a weekend in Portishead and then a weekend in Cardiff with a maximum of six races expected to run in Portishead and eight in Cardiff. Jointly organised by PCC and Cardiff Bay Yacht Club (CBYC), this year’s event was sponsored by North Sails, who provided an amazing prize showcase!

Both days of racing delivered ‘champagne conditions’ with a bit more breeze on the second day as crews saw a maximum of force 4 and bright sunny skies.

The first race on day one was held just off Portishead Pier before the the second race used the Shoots bouy up by the Prince of Wales bridge as the rounding mark to ensure racing kept out the way of commercial shipping using Bristol Port. The final race of the day saw the fleet head across to Denny Island and back before the crews congregated at the Portishead Marina boat hoist for a drinks reception that provided a great opportunity to dissect the days racing.

Day two’s racing started with two races just off Portishead Pier before the final race of the Portishead leg saw the fleet once more head to Denny Island and back.

The racing was close on both days with only a few feet separating the boats on the water and a few seconds on the corrected time scoreboard. Crews played the tide where it sometimes paid to take the back eddy and other times used the tide to generate additional pressure. With tight margins to use spinnakers on day two, the crews had to deploy considerable tactics to ensure they kept their position on the course – including a memorable spinnaker surf into the pool on the last race that provided a spectacular sight for those watching on the shore.

At the end of the Portishead leg of this year’s Bristol Channel IRC Championships sponsored by North Sails, PCC boat Ctrl-J, skippered by Andy Williams took the lead position closely followed by fellow PCC boat Scrumpy-J, skippered by Nick Duppa-Miller with CBYC boat Silverback, skippered by Will Boland, taking third overall.

If you missed all the action, catch-up below.

With another eight potential races to be sailed during the Cardiff leg over the weekend of 24th /25th May, there’s still time for the leaderboard to change again!

With thanks to the Boatfolk team at Portishead Marina for managing the locking in and out of the fleet and offering competing boats a 50% discount, the race officer team aboard Alibi for managing the event and the wider organising team for producing another memorable Portishead leg of the annual Bristol Channel IRC Championships sponsored by North Sails.

Photo and video credit: Tim Gifford.

The marina have reported that the scheduled lock maintenance to replace the seals in the seaward gate has been successfully completed. The locks will return to service on April 1st. They also forecast that in everyone’s excitement to get back out on the water, the lock may be busy so please book ahead.

With the lock re-opening, this means the next race, Spring 3, will run as planned on Saturday 5th April.

Look forward to seeing everyone out on the water – and with some sunny weather too!

In a remarkable twist of good luck, the racing fleet’s last race of the King Road series landed on a gap in the weather meaning the fleet enjoyed brisk winds and blue skies as they took to the water for a fine day’s racing.

Heading for Newcombe as the first mark, followed by Cockburn on a fast spinnaker run before hardening up to round Denny Island, the fleet then headed back to Cockburn before crossing the finish line between the club racing mark and Portbury Dock Outer.

With close quarter racing around the final mark between Assassin and Ctrl-J, the race provided fun racing before crews retired to C pontoon for the annual racing prize giving.

As ever, if you have any pictures taken of the fleet on the water, please send them in so we can update the rest of the club about the racing activities.

As the season starts up again, don’t forget that our weekly club nights at the Sirens Calling from 20h30 are the perfect place to discuss upcoming plans. Members are also reminded of the upcoming AGM on the 12th March too.