Leaders confront first big tactical test off Land's End

Twenty-four hours into the 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, the fleet faces its first major tactical decision as skippers approach Land’s End and the Isles of Scilly on Monday. Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace hugs the Cornish coast at about eight knots, while Jens Kellinghusen’s Ker 56 Varuna 6 and Antoine Magre’s Mach 50 Palanad 4 have gone offshore. Much of the competition will hinge on whether to pass through Traffic Separation Scheme exclusion zones around the Isles of Scilly—Pace is set for the zones, rivals may go south. All three leaders also must transit an incoming wind hole before the Celtic Sea breeze steadies, with Palanad 4 hitting 13 knots in 14 knots of wind.