RORC - MYTH OF MALHAM

RORC - MYTH OF MALHAM

RORC Myth of Malham — Cowes to Eddystone Lighthouse and back to the Solent

Dates

Dates TBA

Duration

2.3 days

Route

Cowes → Solent

About

RORC's classic round-Eddystone race — Cowes to Eddystone Lighthouse and back, part of the 2026 Cowes Offshore Series.

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Cowes to Eddystone Lighthouse and back — a step up to a real RORC offshore.

The Myth of Malham Race is one of the longest-running RORC offshore races. Per the RORC 2026 NoR programme, the course is Cowes → Eddystone Lighthouse (off Plymouth) → Solent — a round-trip past the south coast and back. Part of the 2026 Cowes Offshore Series and counts toward the RORC Season's Points Championship.

A genuine offshore: two nights at sea for most boats, watches throughout, Channel weather and tides to manage on both directions. Suited to crew with at least one prior offshore race or a Channel passage under their belt.

Race programme

Friday brief · Saturday race start · Saturday night at Eddystone · Sunday east-bound · Monday finish.

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  1. Friday — pre-race brief & dock-out

    16:00 onwards

    Crew arrive Mercury Yacht Harbour. Full skipper brief, watch system agreed, kit check, safety brief. Provisioning for two nights at sea.

  2. Saturday — race start

    Race start off Cowes. Course west toward Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth.

  3. Saturday night — at Eddystone or beyond

    Most boats reach Eddystone overnight. Round and turn for home.

  4. Sunday — east-bound passage

    Return leg toward the Solent finish. Two-watch system continues.

  5. Monday — finish & ashore

    Most boats finish Sunday into Monday morning. Recovery, debrief, ashore.

Joining details

Friday from 16:00 — Saturday race start, two nights at sea.

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Meeting point

Mercury Yacht Harbour, Satchell Lane, Hamble-le-Rice, SO31 4HQ. We meet on the pontoon by your assigned berth — your skipper will share the berth number and a location pin in the crew WhatsApp group the week before.

Meeting point

- Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble (postcode shown above). Pontoon and berth shared in the crew WhatsApp the week before.

Arrival

- Arrive by the start time shown on this event page. - Subject to availability you can arrive the night before — arrange with the skipper in the WhatsApp.

Parking

- Free at Mercury, except Round the Island Race weekend.

Crew WhatsApp

- Set up by the Wednesday before. Confirms timings, weather, destination berth.

Before you arrive

- Emergency contact, medical info and waiver in your dashboard profile. - International races: upload passport details.

What to bring

Full offshore kit, sleeping bag, two nights of provisions — we provide lifejackets and full Cat-2 safety equipment.

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Essential

- Waterproof sailing jacket + salopettes - Sailing boots (deck shoes only OK for inshore day races) - Warm base layers (no cotton) + mid-layer fleece - Hat and sailing gloves - Sun hat, sunglasses with retainer, sun cream - Head torch with red-light mode (any night sailing or offshore) - Personal medication - Sea-sickness remedy (taken 30 mins before the start) - Water bottle and snacks for the day - Soft holdall or dry bag — no hard suitcases

Overnight

- 3-4 season sleeping bag (no bedding provided) - Toiletries, change of clothes, quick-dry towel

Offshore / double-handed

- Notebook for debrief - Passport for cross channel races

Provided

- Yacht, professional skipper/coach - Life jackets and safety kit - Charts, AIS, VHF (+ satcom offshore) - Galley kit, water, tea, coffee - Mooring fees and insurance

Not provided

- Food and snacks aboard — bring your own, or shared crew food order on overnight / offshore (cost shared, leftovers taken home).

Leave behind

- Hard suitcases, hair dryers, excess alcohol.

Who can join

  • Intermediate — prior race yacht training

FAQs

How long, passport, suitability, watch system, kit.

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What's on the boat vs what I bring?

On board: yacht, skipper/coach, lifejackets and safety kit, galley kit, water/tea/coffee. You bring: personal kit, layers, sleeping bag (if overnight) plus food and snacks.

What if the weather is bad?

We still run something — theory, manoeuvres in the lee of land, sheltered routes. Seriously weather-affected weekends rerun at a discount where reasonable.

I'm sea-sick prone — can I still come?

Yes. Take your remedy 30 mins before the start, not after. Tell your skipper in the safety brief.

I don't have a partner — can I still book?

Yes. We pair crew via the WhatsApp before each event. You won't be the odd one out.

Can I arrive the night before?

Usually possible, subject to availability. Arrange with the skipper in the crew WhatsApp.

How do I cancel or change my booking?

Contact us early — refunds and changes are handled case-by-case under our T&Cs. Earlier is always better.

Reviews

We had a great race. This is what I love about sailing. A group of like minded people who've never met each other, coming together gelling as a team with little or no instruction, very satisfying. Very impressed with Unity sailing, the boat was well prepped, in great condition, the skipper (Louise Clayton) was very professional, worked very hard throughout the race to keep us competitive. Full boat tour, safety briefs, race over view, route briefing etc. before we started and provided coaching when needed during the race, very impressed. The race was very tactical with the light winds which had the potential (as it did to some) ruin the race if getting caught in the wind holes. So we were very pleased with our placing and the race overall. Many thanks for all the hard work, you guys are doing a great job, much appreciated!!

Stuart Wheeler · Crew

What a race! Lovely conditions the whole way round and a delayed start meant turning Eddystone during the day. Everyone on board was amazing, a real great group to complete the race with. MOM is a great event for getting into longer offshore races.

Jack Vincent · Crew

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