Leading from the Front:

How RacingYachts.com is Driving the Cape 31 UK Class

When it comes to one-design racing on the Solent, few classes have captured the imagination quite like the Cape 31. Fast, colourful, and uncompromisingly competitive, the Cape 31 has built a passionate following across the globe — and at the heart of the UK class sits RacingYachts.com, the official service provider and global agent keeping the fleet firing on all cylinders.

From Cape Town to Cowes: A Boat That Changed Everything

The Cape 31 was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and it wasn't long before the boat's credentials began turning heads far beyond Table Bay. It's the UK, however, that took the Cape 31 global. As the class itself proudly states, "The UK was the region that made the Cape 31s a global sensation and allowed them to flourish beyond their hometown of Cape Town."

It's a remarkable story — a South African one-design that found its spiritual home on the Solent, racing out of Cowes and Hamble in front of some of Britain's most storied sailing clubs.

RacingYachts.com: The Engine Behind the Class

Running a competitive one-design circuit takes far more than simply turning up and racing. It demands meticulous organisation, deep class knowledge, and the kind of passion that only comes from people who live and breathe racing. That's precisely what RacingYachts.com brings to the Cape 31 UK Class.

As the officially designated service provider and global agent for the Cape 31, RacingYachts.com — a trading name of 31 North Group Ltd, based at Hamble Point Marina on the Solent — manages everything from new boat sales and class news to the coordination of the UK race circuit itself. Their team are, in their own words, "Born to Race." They compete across multiple classes worldwide, and their hands-on knowledge of performance sailing isn't a marketing line — it's evident in the quality and ambition of what they deliver for the fleet.

A World-Class Racing Calendar

The 2026 UK circuit is a six-event series spanning some of the Solent's most iconic venues: Cowes, Poole, and Hamble. With rounds spread from May through to September, owners get a full season of quality racing without the logistics headaches that plague other classes.

As a class, the Cape 31 fits into a 40-foot container and is easily trailer-able across Europe — a major practical advantage that RacingYachts.com is well placed to support through their global shipping and logistics partners.

But the calendar tells only part of the story.

The UK class is set to host the 2027 Cape 31 Gold Cup — the class's premier global championship — in Cowes at the prestigious Royal Yacht Squadron.

Global Reach, Local Expertise

RacingYachts.com's role isn't limited to the UK. As exclusive global agents for the Cape 31, they sit at the centre of an international network spanning South Africa, the Mediterranean, Australia, Hong Kong, and the USA. Cape 31 racing now takes place across six global circuits, each with its own calendar of events and class association — but all connected through the infrastructure and agent relationships that RacingYachts.com anchors.

On the sales side, the Cape 31's performance credentials are formidable. The boat regularly dominates IRC and ORC regattas — with class wins at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the Giraglia Inshore Regatta, Palma Vela, Cowes Week, the San Francisco Rolex Big Boat Series, and the UK IRC Nationals, among others. For buyers, RacingYachts.com provides brochures, indicative pricing, and direct access to the global new-build pipeline.

The Right Home for a Special Class

With the 2027 Gold Cup on the horizon, a packed 2026 calendar, and the backing of a brokerage that genuinely races the boats it sells, the Cape 31 UK Class is in safe — and very capable — hands.

Find out more: cape31.uk   |   racingyachts.com