THIS year's IRC Solent Series gets under way this weekend with the Royal Southampton's Clarkson Cup races.
The IRC series aims to encourage larger fleets of IRC rated boats to participate in close racing during the summer months.
Led by the SCRA, a total of seven member clubs organise the Series. It consists of seven days of racing from May to September and each day has a character of its own. Some, like the Island Sailing Club's day in September, have one long race, while others see a number of races with a mixture of round-the-cans and windward-leeward racing.
The dates and clubs are:
May 10 - Royal Southampton Yacht Club
May 31 - Royal Lymington Yacht Club
June 21 - Royal Southern Yacht Club
July 26 - Royal Yacht Squadron
August 16 -Royal Thames Yacht Club
September 20 -Island Sailing Club
September 21 -Royal Corinthian Yacht Club