1,805 nautical miles, 32 boats, 182 sailors from five continents – and right in the thick of it, a six-strong crew from Bremen aged between 21 and 30. The 2026 Round Britain & Ireland Race had everything that makes this race legendary: Atlantic low-pressure systems, wind holes, metre-high swells, mirror-smooth calms and nights spent staring at nothing but the light of a lighthouse. For twelve days, skipper Frederick Nabor and his crew sailed aboard the “Löwe von Bremen” through one of the most gruelling sailing challenges Europe has to offer. They returned with a repaired zebra sail, a mid-table finish and memories to last a lifetime.
The race: an anniversary that lived up to its reputation
The Round Britain & Ireland Race is organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) every four years: 1,805 nautical miles clockwise from Cowes around the British Isles – past Land’s End, along the west coast of Ireland, up to St Kilda and Muckle Flugga in the Shetlands, then back through the North Sea and the English Channel into the Solent.
At the start of the 50th anniversary race on 9 August 2026, 32 yachts carrying 182 sailors from 22 nations set off on the course – one of the most international fields in the history of the race, including four German crews, and right in the thick of it was the “Löwe von Bremen” in the IRC Two class.
PredictWind meteorologist Arnaud Monges had outlined the complexity of the weather situation at the skippers’ briefing: there would never be a forecast that applied equally to everyone. The fastest boats would be able to reach an Atlantic weather system whilst it was still developing – smaller yachts would arrive days later to find something completely different. In between: fronts, high-pressure ridges, coastal effects, tidal troughs and more than 2,000 nautical miles full of possibilities.
Also Commodore Deborah “Deb” Fischer of the Royal Ocean Racing Club assessed the particular navigational challenges even before the start: “The Round Britain & Ireland Race is undoubtedly the most challenging regatta on the RORC calendar. It covers 1,800 nautical miles packed with headlands, rocky coastlines, tidal currents, traffic separation schemes, sandbanks, wind farms and everything else this extraordinary coastline has to offer.” Skipper Frederick Nabor sums it up pragmatically and succinctly: “Navigation is simple: if you see land, you’ve strayed too far to the right.”
Ten minutes late – and in the wrong wind system
The start in the Solent gets off to a promising start for the Bremen crew. With a light easterly breeze, the “Löwe” positions itself well to windward and crosses the Royal Yacht Squadron’s starting line on time at a good speed. The fleet is bunched closely together. According to their description, the first few miles felt more like an inshore regatta than the start of an offshore race.
On the first night, the expected wind shift arrives. The crew tacks in unison with the Sun Fast 3600 ‘Fujitsu British Soldier’ – though, by their own reckoning, about ten minutes too late. Initially, this only costs them a few miles. The following day, the consequences become apparent: the “Löwe” finds itself in a different wind system with more lulls. The race to catch up begins early. Other teams find significantly more wind at times. The Bremen crew, however, spends days working their way north-west under an A2 in light winds.
The Fastnet in the fog, dolphins alongside the boat
For the crew, the Irish west coast remains something of a phantom. Sea mist is their constant companion. The coastline can only be glimpsed on the GPS. The legendary Fastnet Rock, one of the most iconic landmarks in offshore sailing, remains out of sight. Crew members Gyde Hansen and Caro Bosselmann write: “We still can’t see a thing of Ireland and are swimming in a thick fog and high humidity.” A little further north, off the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Bull Rock briefly emerges from the fog. That’s it.
Instead, dolphins repeatedly accompany the “Löwe” on its journey north. Amidst the grey monotony, a solar eclipse becomes a shared experience for the entire fleet – shared via WhatsApp chat, with creative photos from all the boats. On the “Löwe” too, the crew catch a brief glimpse between two clouds. “In moments like these, you forget for a moment that you’ve been at sea for days,” the crew explain.
An opponent on a par with Eule
In the widely spread-out field, only the ‘Fujitsu British Soldier’ remains within striking distance for the most part as it heads north. At times the ‘Löwe’ gains a few miles, at others the British Army team does. Rarely do the two boats stray more than five nautical miles apart over long stretches of the race. This head-to-head contest becomes a key source of motivation in the otherwise empty expanse of the sea.
What the crew of the “Fujitsu” experienced is likely to go down in the annals of offshore sailing. Around 70 nautical miles off the coast, an exhausted barn owl repeatedly tries to reach the boat. It falls into the water three times before finally collapsing on deck. The soldiers name it ‘Little Regina’, set up their own owl watch – and carry on with their race.
Skipper Naylor calls the RBIR the ‘sailors’ ultramarathon’: you have to know when to push yourself, when to protect the boat and the crew – and this year, too, when to rescue an owl. Regina was taken aboard a rescue boat just off Great Yarmouth and handed over to specialist care.
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A torn Code Zero is given a new name
Meanwhile, the ‘Löwe’ is facing a serious crisis: the Code Zero has torn several metres across its lower third. The initial reaction: resignation. Particularly in reaching conditions, the Code Zero is the Sun Fast 3600’s most important source of propulsion. Giving up, however, is not an option. Skipper Frederick and Cam take charge of the repairs, whilst the others maintain the rigging – in increasingly rough winds and rising waves. “24 hours, lots of patches and a roll of duct tape later, our sail is back in one piece,” note Hansen and Bosselmann. The black-and-white striped seam gives it its new name: the “Zebra Code Zero”.
At times like these, the crew benefits from their basic attitude, as the skipper describes it after the race: “There were moments that took a lot out of us, but that’s why we set out to push the boat to the limit at all times. ‘If you’re still enjoying it, you’re probably not going fast enough!’ And, with a wink, referring to the damage sustained during the race: ‘We didn’t have any major problems. The minor ones, however, were quite persistent.’
The repair must prove itself immediately. After passing St Kilda – which was also invisible in the dark of night – the crew hoists the sail again. The seam holds. With winds of 20 to 25 knots, and stronger in gusts, the boat continues towards the Shetlands under the gennaker. The ‘Löwe’ reaches speeds of up to 15 knots over ground and once again catches up with its direct rival, the ‘Fujitsu British Soldier’.
Muckle Flugga: Light in the Dark North
A week after the start, the ‘Löwe’ rounds Muckle Flugga, the race’s northernmost waypoint. In the pitch-black night, the lighthouse’s light is the only thing clearly visible; the rocks are merely faintly discernible. This means that the last landmark of the western section of the regatta has also been passed unseen.
The crew have to concentrate on manoeuvres anyway. By switching quickly from the jib to the A2 – rather than sightseeing – the Bremen crew gain an advantage. Within 24 hours, their lead over the “Fujitsu British Soldier” grows from one nautical mile to around 15 nautical miles.
North Sea Slalom and a three-hour standstill
The subsequent leg across the North Sea along the east coast becomes a tactical challenge for the crew. An extensive low-pressure system with a large wind hole, changing forecasts, wind farms, oil platforms, increasing shipping traffic and, later, the sandbanks off the Solent demand constant new decisions. In a squall, the ‘Löwe’ reaches its highest recorded speed of the race at 15.7 knots over ground.
The final stretch remains a tough one, however. Over the last 24 hours, cumulonimbus clouds have been building up over the Channel. For the first time in the entire race, the crew hoist the J3 and reach Dover – completely soaked.
Just before the entrance to the Solent, they face their final test of patience: a head current and an almost complete lull cost the crew around three hours off No Man’s Land Fort. The final few miles to Cowes feel longer to them than many of the previous nights.
We reached our destination after twelve days!
On 21 August at 15:22:19 BST, the ‘Löwe von Bremen’ crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron’s finish line after twelve days, one hour, 52 minutes and 19 seconds. The repaired Code Zero is in good condition, apart from a few small creases where the tape has been applied. The winner, Johnny Vincents, with his Volvo 70 ‘Pace’, had already been back in safe harbour for six days by this point. In the overall IRC standings, the crew of the “Löwe” finished 14th out of 29 yachts classified.
RORC Sporting Director Ben Willows sums up what makes this race so special: “Every boat and every sailor who has taken part in this race has achieved something extraordinary. Over 1,805 nautical miles, they have braved all kinds of weather, technical problems and countless challenges.” This is truer for the young crew from the Bremen-based club – competing for the first time in one of Europe’s toughest offshore races – than for most others.
For them, there is more to it than just their finishing position: twelve days without a shower, a constantly shifting sense of time, and the realisation that they have completed the race as a well-coordinated team. And in the end, Hansen and Bosselmann write, “none of us can really imagine not sailing as a crew of six on the Löwe from tomorrow onwards.”
1,802 nautical miles. Done.
Book recommendations
Regatta sailing explains the tactical and strategic decisions that shape a race long before the starting line and which must be constantly reassessed throughout the course. The book covers preparation, the start, the race itself and the subsequent analysis, featuring clear illustrations and a checklist. It is particularly relevant to the account of the ‘Lion of Bremen’ because of the small decisions regarding wind shifts, currents and sail changes, which can have major consequences over 1,805 nautical miles.
Weather at sea focuses on the weather conditions, sea state and currents that determine tactics and physical demands during an offshore regatta. The book also explains meteorological trip planning and is specifically aimed at ambitious regatta sailors. It thus complements the race report by providing the technical background to the calms, fronts, squalls and the challenging journey across the North Sea described therein.
Ursula Meer
Redakteurin Panorama und Reise