The Griffin Project

What a roaring success!! 🏆🥂

This Friday night, our Griffin sailors shone at the RORC Centenary Dinner and Prize Giving. With a dazzling 1920s theme in the spectacular setting of the Grand Sheraton Hotel, our sailors walked away with a collection of awards…

• Peter Harrison Youth Trophy - for teams with at least 1/3 of the crew under the age of 25.

• Dillon Perpetual Ladies’ Trophy - top performing crew with at least 30% female sailors.

Also huge congratulations to our winner of Best Male Sailor, Albert Barber, and our winner of the Felix Scheder-Bieschin Memorial Trophy and Best Female Sailor, Nicole Hemeryck, for outstanding commitment, performance and representation of the Griffin Offshore Pathway.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Griffin this year, it’s been an incredible season and we cant wait for the next one. 🫶🏻⛵️

Cherbourg: La Trinitie Team’s final race of the season. Last weekend the team embarked on their final race of the 2025 season.

With a strong start breaking away from the central pack as they left the Solent, the team split away heading left whilst majority went right. Knowing a shut down was inevitable, the decision was made to be as close to the new wind as possible when it filled in.

An eventful night ensued with a quick trip up the mast and building breeze, the team arrived in Cherbourg after just over 13 hours.

La Trinite have had a brilliant season, we have learnt so much as a team and really improved in performance throughout the year. Huge thank you to the team, coaches and to everyone who has supported Griffin!!

Last week, the Griffin Fastnet team completed the Fastnet Race. Months of prep, training, and racing led to this, and finally… we were on the start line. The energy was super: sunshine, lots of boats and the buzz of excitement for the race that was about to begin.

We nailed our start (90+ boats on the line 👀), and as we charged past Hurst with cheers from family and friends, it finally hit us — we’re doing the Fastnet Race.

That feeling stayed. Later that day, passing Portland Bill with crowds watching from the cliffs - it was surreal. It was also satisfying to make big gains here by hugging the headland and escaping the worst of the tide 💪

It was full focus to Land’s End and onwards as we headed into our second night at sea, and we worked to keep steady concentration across the Celtic Sea.

We rounded the Rock in the middle of the night in the rain & but we were buzzing because this was the halfway mark. Time to head for home.

We’re proud of our race, our teamwork, and the season in general. Looking forward to seeing what is next for all the team!

Huge thanks to everyone who has been involved and supported the RORC Griffin program, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity!

It’s officially go time! Team Fastnet are prepped and ready to set off. Huge thanks to RORC and everyone who has supported RORC Griffin to get us here!

Keep an eye on our stories for updates and follow us on YB Races 🌊

On Friday 11th July, the North Sea Team lined up for one of the most tactical offshore races of the season. With 155 boats entered and 55 in Class 3, the Cowes Dinard St Malo race delivered light winds, completely windless zones, and shifting conditions that kept the team on their toes.

A patchy Solent start saw Griffin gain early advantage along the Island shore. After rounding the Needles, the team endured a long, drifting dead zone before a northerly filled in, allowing progress through the Channel overnight. Once the easterly finally arrived, Griffin accelerated through Casquets and powered toward the finish under A5 spinnaker, crossing into St Malo with 20 knots at their back.

Huge thanks to Hugh Brayshaw for his expert advice on currents around the Channel Islands - vital in such a technical race.

Next up: the iconic Fastnet Race. Good luck to all taking part, and especially the Griffin crew! ⛵

The Morgan Cup this weekend was a challenging and exciting third race of the season for Griffin Fastnet Team! 🌬️⛵

After a fast, energetic start in 20 knots of breeze, the team led out of the Needles and around Peveril Ledge. Following a rapid downwind on the A2, a tough call on when to break south for the Channel crossing set the tone for a night of intense focus and navigation to reach the passage between the Casquets and TSS zone.

As they neared Guernsey, light winds and adverse tides compressed the fleet. Quickly switching sails from jib to code, A2, then A1, the team rounded the island as conditions shifted. With just 7 miles to go, the wind shut off completely, forcing them to anchor briefly before a light breeze helped them creep around to the finish after 29 hours of racing.

Placing 13th of 36 in IRC 3—this was a solid race packed with lessons.

Now it’s all in for the Fastnet in just 27 days—looking forward to applying everything learned from training and racing to push hard in this iconic edition!

Huge thanks to everyone supporting Griffin and to those working hard to get the boat ready and well-equipped before each race! 🙌⚓

Who needs instruments? (Spoiler: us.) 😅

Last weekend La Trinité tackled the Yarmouth JOG Race, consisting of two races from Cowes to Yarmouth on the Saturday, return on Sunday. With the additional challenge of no nav system, no instruments and two crewmembers down. Here’s the lowdown:

On Saturday the crew adapted quickly to the increased responsibility of the missing crew, utilised PredictWind for navigation, sailed competitively and crossed the line 2nd in Class 3.

Sunday started strong and saw us battling tightly with our class. Then mid-race after switching from kite to code, we lost our bearing…and made Griffin’s first acquaintance with Bramble Bank.

Through the ordeal, the crew remained calm and collected. Immense thanks to the owners of Picnic () for towing us back to Cowes after grounding and wrapping our prop, and to Pirta one of Griffin’s Nastro Rosa sailors for stepping in at the last minute.

Griffin’s purpose is to learn through experience and mission accomplished. Next on for the team: the La Trinité Race! Fair winds to our Fastnet squad in the Morgan Cup this weekend. Good luck!!

Watch till the end to see our reactions to our incident being caught on camera! 😂

The North Sea Team recently took on the North Sea Race, setting off from Royal Harwich YC after a lively delivery from Hamble via Dover and the Thames Estuary. For many on board, it was their first time sailing the North Sea — and it didn’t disappoint.

A warm welcome (and pickled herring!) greeted the team at Harwich before race day brought a solid 20-knot breeze. But offshore sailing always keeps you guessing — kit issues and a fading forecast meant the focus shifted to strategy: get to Smith’s Knoll before the tide turned and the wind shut off.

With tricky conditions and no dramatic shifts despite forecasts, the team worked hard to keep the boat moving, making great use of the Code Zero and threading a safe course through exclusion zones and commercial traffic.

Griffin crossed the finish line by midday and arrived in The Hague for a well-earned debrief at Clubhuis Jachtclub Scheveningen. Huge thanks to both host clubs for the hospitality — we’ll see you next year!

Congrats to RORC Commodore Deb Fish and Rob Craigie on Bellino for an outstanding win. Next stop for Griffin: the Yarmouth Regatta. Fair winds to all! 🌊⛵️

RORC Myth of Mallam: A Wild Ride to Eddystone and Back 🌊

Last weekend, the Griffin Fastnet crew took on their second RORC race of the season and it delivered in full force.💨

They launched into 20+ knots, sailed hard past the Needles, tacked tight around Start Point, and finally rounded the iconic Eddystone Lighthouse early Sunday. From there, it was full throttle downwind—15 to 30+ knots kept them on their toes the whole way back.⚓️

Tactically intense, physically demanding, and seriously epic. Grateful to RORC and its members for making this possible. Bring on the Morgan Cup! 💪🏽🔥

Griffin kicked off the RORC offshore season in style at the Cervantes Trophy Race (3–4 May).

Racing from Cowes to Le Havre in a 94-boat fleet, the team faced a full range of conditions across a 100+ mile course.

A light start off the Squadron line saw Griffin make early gains with smart sail changes through the Solent. A bold tactical call by navigator Albert Barber paid off, positioning the team well by Owers Tower as breeze filled in. By nightfall, Griffin was charging across the Channel under kite in 20–30 knot winds, helmed by Abby Hire and reaching speeds of 12 knots.

Overnight sail changes, gear issues, and building breeze made for a challenging passage. The crew adapted fast, pushing hard to round the final mark off Ouistreham in the early hours and finishing into Le Havre at 08:10 on Sunday.

Griffin placed 26th overall and 20th in IRC 3—a solid start to the campaign. Next up: the De Guingand Bowl!

Over the Easter weekend, the Fastnet Griffin team kicked off their season by taking part in the JOG Cowes to Eastbourne race and the return leg back to Cowes. Following their training this spring, it was great to finally put what they’d learned to the test in a competitive setting.

The first race brought a tough upwind leg through the easterly exit of the Solent towards Eastbourne, with breezy conditions and tide with them. As the wind eased and tide turned against them later on, the team hugged the shore approaching Eastbourne. The race back started on a windy downwind run, gradually fading as the team approached the Solent - requiring some careful positioning to make it in before the tide turned.

A weekend of mixed and challenging conditions, but a brilliant way for the team to settle in and find their rhythm. They came away with 1st in Class 1 and 2nd overall - a solid start to what’s shaping up to be an exciting season.

Next up: the RORC Myth of Malham in May👀