2023 IRC European Championships - Yacht Club de Cannes, France - 29 May – 03 June

Organized by the Yacht Club de Cannes, in collaboration with the Pôle Course du Yacht Club de France and the Royal Ocean Racing Club. 

The eighth edition of the IRC European Championships was held in the Mediterranean. Teams from the host nation France were joined by an international fleet from Belgium, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Italy, Poland, and Sweden for the eighth edition of the IRC European Championships. Close racing after IRC time correction was rife through the fleet with the overall champion decided on countback.

Sebastien Henri’s JPK 1010 Télémaque 2 (FRA) from the Société Nautique de Marseille was the overall IRC European Champion racing in IRC Four. Télémaque 2 had an amazing come back; after scoring last place in the first race, the team from Marseille put together a string of five bullets and a second in the final race to not only win IRC Four but the overall crown by the narrowest of margins. In 2017, Guy-Philippe Claeys’ JPK 1010 Expresso was the Overall IRC European Champion but this year Expresso was beaten on countback alone by Télémaque 2.

IRC Zero was won on countback by Karl Kwok’s TP52 Beau Geste (HKG) from Peter Harrison’s TP52 Jolt 3 (GBR). Frédéric Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet-Corum 3 (FRA) was the winner in IRC One by a single point from Bertone Francesco’s Ker 46 Lisa R (ITA). Per Roman’s JPK 1180 Garm (SWE) was the winner of IRC Two. Yves Ginoux’s Mumm 36 Long-Nose XI (FRA) was the winner in IRC Three by just 1.5 points from Gianluigi Dubbini’s Italia 9.98 Sarchiapone Fuoriserie (ITA). 

The Prize Giving Ceremony was held at the Yacht Club de Cannes with the President Jean-François Cutugno welcoming the crews and Vice-President of the Yacht Club de France, Géry Trentesaux also in attendance for the awards ceremony.

Image: © Jehan Lérin