Online entry has opened for May's 2024 Inishtearaght Race, and Kinsale Yacht Club is reporting a strong south coast entry for the 240-miler.

As well as the defending champion, Cinnamon Girl, the Sunfast 3300 was sailed by Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt. Four other host club boats were early sign-ups. Finbarr O'Regan's J109 Artful DodJer, Tom Roche's Salona 45 Meridian, Tony O’Brien's First 44.7 White Tiger, and the Carroll Brothers Elan 40, Chancer are all entered.

Following a successful inaugural race in 2022, the date for the 2024 offshore fixture has been set to start on Friday, 24th May 2024.

The eight-boat entry received for the 2024 races already eclipses the seven boats that sailed in 2022's first race.

The date has been fixed to be one month before the Round Ireland Race 2024 to allow those competitors to take part in a shorter shake-down race before the 700-mile circumnavigation on 22nd June.

"We are seeing strong interest in the race this year, with eight entries received in the first 24 hours of entries being taken", Kinsale Yacht Club's Rear-Commodore, Dave Cullinane, told Afloat.

Inishtearaght is the westernmost of the Blasket Islands off the County Kerry coast. 

Cullinane says the race "should be an ideal preparation race for any boats taking part in June's Round Ireland Race".

Schull Harbour Sailing Club's J109 Tighey Boy (Tony OBrien) is also entered, as is Round Ireland entrant Noel Coleman's Blue Oyster from Royal Cork.  Kenneth Cunnane's Swan 46 Mynx from Tralee Bay Sailing Club completes the entries received to date.

This year, yellowbrick onboard GPS tracker units have been ordered for the fleet to add an extra dimension for competitors and supporters.

Online entry is here for the Matthews of Cork sponsored race 

The idea for the Inishtearaght Race originated because Kinsale sailors thought that the best and most scenic part of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race is west of Kinsale. So what about a race from Kinsale around the Blaskets and back to Kinsale?

It was discussed at the club, so the first race around the Blaskets, organised by Kinsale Yacht Club, will start this Friday morning.

Two new trophies await the winners of IRC and ECHO and there is a special older trophy reserved for the boat which takes line honours.

Royal Cork's Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo is entered for Friday's Inishtearaght Race Photo: Bob Bateman

Brian Carroll will be racing on Chancer, the boat of the Carroll Brothers that currently leads the IRC 1 and ECHO 1 fleet in Kinsale’s early Summer cruiser club series.

Cian McCarthy's double-handed Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl is one of four boats from the host club that will race in Friday's Inishtearaght fixture

2022 Kinsale Matthews Inishtearaght Race EntriesThe inaugural seven boat fleet for Kinsale Yacht Club's Inistearaght offshore yacht race

He says it is probably a “bit early for offshore racing” and expects that there will be “quite a bit of beating to the Blaskets and, unfortunately, probably part of the way back as well.”

Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia from the Royal St. George is the only Dublin Bay Boat racing to Inishtearaght

That will make it a testing and challenging task for the crews.

Brian Carroll is my guest on this week’s Podcast.