Force five winds from the south-west veering westerly are expected on the west from this morning.
If the fresher conditions reach the fleet from behind this means bad news for many mid-sized entries, a typical outcome for the biennial race.
The dire light wind situation is underlined by the performance of the biggest boat in the fleet Konica Minolta that limped over the line off Wicklow a full 24 hours outside the record time that she came here to beat.
The Kiwi boat, with America's cup helmsman Gavin Brady on board is capable of speeds of 30 knots but never saw more than 11 knots on her speedo in this circumnavigation.
Last night Brady lifted the trophy in Wicklow Sailing Club for line honours but it was a small consolation for a crew of pros that hold many southern-hemisphere speed records.
In the final 150 miles from Rathlin to Wicklow how the boats played the North Channel overnight will have proved crucial.
Unfortunately for handicap front runners Minnie the Moocher and Jeronimo they both entered the North Channel yesterday tea time with a foul tide. This will give the chasing fleet, such as Eamonn Crosbie’s Teng tools and Ireland West (Aodhan Fitzgerald) (scheduled to arrive there at 10pm) more compression.
In the same way, however both Minnie and Jeronimo also benefited relative to Creative Play and Alice II who were a little ahead.
Interim results are the perennial problem for this race and at noon yesterday Wicklow SC posted results for Eagle island that showed Alice II (a 45 footer) at the top of the leader board, a result that does not stack up. Her time between Slyne Head and Eagle Island is only six hours suggesting an average boat speed of 20 knots for the leg. An unlikely scenario in a less than 7 knot breeze.
Stronger winds might be on the cards but it was shorts and T shirts weather off Innistrahull for the 32 footer Teng tools yesterday afternoon as the 8-man crew reached along the North coast in an 11-knot south westerly breeze.
At 3pm yesterday Crosbie was drying gear on deck following a 48-hour stint on the rail.
They could see who they think is their main rival for handicap honours, the Galway bay entry Ireland's West, to leeward and about a mile ahead.
It was the same mood on Minnie the Moocher passing Lough Foyle: "”Everything has been dried and the boat cleaned. We could be at the start of the race instead of two thirds round, the mood is so good" reported Richards.
As the race travels down the east coast this morning there are as many as a dozen likely winners spread out across the Irish sea. Defending champion Crosbie (55) is very much aware that if he can catch the fresher winds today he can equal the late Denis Doyle's only ever consecutive wins of 1982 and 1984.
Liverpool YC entrant Ulula, a J109, fouled her propeller in what has been described by her skipper as a 'near miss' with an unidentified fishing vessel off the Donegal coast. The Coastguard is investigating.
22 skippers from a possible fleet of 25 Dragons who are on board Mick Cotter's Whisper will make it back in time – but only just – for Friday's first race of the Dragon East Coast championships at the Royal St. George YC.
Round Ireland overall winners
year Yacht Skipper Elapsed time
1980 Raasay of Melfort B Coad 6 days 3 hours 37 minutes and 44 seconds
1982 Moonduster D N Doyle 4:03:45:25
1984 Moonduster D N Doyle 3:16:15:43
1986 Spirit R. Burrows 5:06:49:19
1988 Lightning L. Shanahan 5:13:27:46
1990 Rothmans L. Smith 3:12:56:06
1992 Whirlpool C. Barrington/R.Dix 4:00:43:06
1994 Bridgestone P. Wilson 4:06:38:19
1996 Big Earsa M. Boyd 4:11:27:27
1998 Jeep Cherokee C. Barrington 3:04:23:57*
2000 Imp G. Radley 6:04:05:16
2002 Cavatina E. Lisson 4:15:24:11
2004 Calyx Voice and Data E. Crosbie 4:10:19:05
*current record
