Starting in Plymouth on 12 May, the race yachts will have a planned 48-hr stopover at Lerwick during the race.
Some changes have been made to the course, to reduce the number of stopovers and permit a more time-effective and challenging event. Starting and finishing in Plymouth, the clockwise course will have three compulsory 48-hour stopovers in Galway, Lerwick and Blyth.
It is a race for two-handed and short-handed monohull and multihull boats around the islands comprising the British Isles and Ireland. In a change for 2024, the fully crewed RB&I will also feature for the first time. This will offer the flexibility of ½ crew changes at Galway and Blyth and a course distance equal to that of 3 Fastnet Races.
This will be the 16th running of the legendary ocean yacht race which was established in 1966.