The first time I sailed the Round Ireland Yacht Race was in 1986 aboard Philips Innovator.

That was a time when maxi yachts were not a feature of Irish waters. Innovator had sailed the Whitbread Round the World Race and was big news when she arrived in Ireland, having finished second in the Whitbread. I was one of the media members offered the opportunity to crew and jumped at the chance. There were Dutch professionals in charge, led by Skipper Dirk Nauta and amongst my memories are counting 33 tacks in an hour as the yacht fought the tides around Rathlin. And towards the end of the race his decision to tack in the Irish Sea and head unerringly for the finish line in a time of 100 hours, 50 minutes and 59 seconds.

Philips Innovator battles her way around Rathlin in the 1986 Round Ireland race, with me on the grinder starboard side

That was my first experience of working a deck grinder and around Rathlin that instrument became an item to which I took a particular dislike… But that’s sailing on big boats and she was big by Irish standards then, though not now. She was a Baltic 55, built in Finland and in later years became a charter boat called Outlaw in the Caribbean. I met up with her again in Fort Lauderdale when she was named Equity & Law in the 1990-91 Round the World Race when I joined the crew of NCB Ireland in the final leg of that race across the Atlantic.

In 1992 I sailed in the Round Ireland race once again, this time aboard Mayhem out of Galway Bay Sailing Club, a 44-footer, owned and skippered by John Killeen. For her size she had a tiller and that was demanding and unusual. Particularly demanding on some heavy nights along the western coast, when one of my memories is lying in my bunk off-watch listening to the cheery voice of the Tribesmen crew as they pirouetted the boat on top of another wave and cheered loudly as the yacht took off under spinnaker.

I was to do the race, which has many happy sailing memories for me, one more time but after that my involvement was reporting it, with memories of chasing the fleet in a Wicklow Club boat from the start line, rushing back with pictures and then driving back to Donnybrook to edit the pictures at Montrose and get them onto TV News. In later years the arrival of satellite vans made life much easier.

I have memories of seeing beautiful sunrises around the top of Ireland, magnificent sunsets, conditions which varied from flat seas to pounding waves and worried nights in darkness trying to keep clear of the coastline as lighthouses winked their warnings and huge waves and high winds tried to push us ever inwards where we feared becoming ‘bayed’ and fought for open water.

There were great names and people to interview – Michael Jones who started Wicklow Sailing Club’s great idea to hold the race; Dennis Noonan who sat in his eyrie, the Race Office built alongside the club house and, with an easy grace, controlled matters. The relief of getting ashore at the end of the race to the hospitality in the club, contrasted with the always-present even if never-admitted, bit of pre-race nerves before the start.

Interviewing people like the legendary Denis Doyle on Moonduster of the RCYC, only achieved after lots of persuasive effort and hearing his wife Mary tell him how soon she expected this legendary boat and then race speed record holder to be back in Wicklow and how many days she had provisioned the yacht for. One of her comments gave me the title for one of my television race documentaries, when she said that the crew would be using the Fray Bentos tins of steak and kidney pie if they were not back in four days. I called the documentary – Four Days or the Iron Rations – and Mary laughed about that.

There were yachts with names that stood out – Commanche Raider sailed by Norbert and Patrick Reilly, Jim Donegan’s White Rooster from Cork; the maxi Drum, named Mazda Drum for the race and other international boat names – Rothmans, Creighton’s naturally and Colm Barrington with the W60 named Jeep Cherokee which set a record of 76 hours 23 minutes and 57 seconds making the story of the race in 1998.

I broadcast radio programmes from the club house on the eve of the race start, sat on the rooftop lounge drinking nightcaps with club members and harbour staff and once was given the honour of doing the public address race start commentary. Great memories and so many other names and personalities flooded through my mind when Peter Shearer, the current Chairman of Wicklow’s Race Committee announced that next year, for the first time, there will be a separate multihull class.

That, I thought, is an example of how Wicklow has retained its dominance of the race, despite several attempts over the years by bigger clubs to wrest it to their locale.

It will add a new international dimension and should bring more excitement to the event which is a staple of the Irish offshore scene. Over the years they have established links with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and next June will host it jointly, as they did two years ago, with the Royal Irish Yacht Club of Dun Laoghaire. Spreading their wings and involving more people rather than maintaining an exclusive solo run, so that the race continues to be a Wicklow event is important so that clubs in locations that are not major centres, show what they can contribute to the sport.

There will be a new trophy for the multihulls and another new one for the best sailing school boat, as the race is popular with sailing schools.

Already Team Concise has pledged its three multihulls and Rambler 88 from the US, a sophisticated racing machine is committed to take part.

For me it is a long way from Philips Innovator and Mayhem, but it is the evolution of a special, iconic Irish race.

If you haven’t done it, try it.

The start line on the eighteenth of June at 2pm for the 19th running of the race should be a great place.

#roundsireland – The 2016 Round Ireland Yacht Race is scheduled to start from Wicklow Bay at 14:00 hrs on Saturday 18th June 2016 and organisers are seeking early interest.

The Round Ireland is a biennial 704 mile circumnavigation of the island of Ireland, starting and finishing in Wicklow. The 2016 race will be the 19th of the series, with the first race having been sailed in 1980.

The race is organised by Wicklow Sailing Club, in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire.

The race provides spectacular scenery around the coastline of Ireland. There is a series of challenging tidal gates and varying sea conditions. Finally, there is the massive welcome home at Wicklow Sailing Club.

The Preliminary Notice of Race is attached; enquiries have already been received at the race office from interested boat owners.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club has confirmed that the race will continue to merit bonus points (1.4) for participants and the Royal Irish Yacht Club will once again provide a base for those boats who wish to use Dun Laoghaire as a base.

In 2014, the overall winner was Tanit (Richard Harris and team from Glasgow), while line honours went to Monster Project (Andy Budgen and local WSC sailor David Ryan). The overall record of 2 days 17 hours 48 minutes 47 seconds is held by Mike Slade in ICAP Leopard 3 achieved in 2008.

The race officially opens for entries in January 2016 but seek early enquiries. Download the preliminary NOR below.

A team of 20 rowers have been circumnavigating the island of Ireland in a small, self-built skiff to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland (CFI). Their plan for today (Thursday) is row up the Co Down coast to Blackhead, and then on to Portavogie.

The rowers, of mixed ability and experience, set off from Bray, Co. Wicklow on May 30th with crews of two oarsmen/women at a time rowing in relays. The rowers have planned stops at 50 designated points along the coast, with support on hand from a shore-based crew as well as cover boats that will escort the boat on some of the more challenging legs.

The team is particularly thankful for the support of local people, and some rowers can join the crew along the way.

‘Row-A-Round Ireland’ is the brainchild of Bray-based maritime enthusiast Ger Crowley, who said the trip was a huge challenge for all involved.

“It’s an ambitious project, a journey of almost 1,000 nautical miles, and the main objective is to safely row an open 15ft timber skiff around the island,” Crowley said. “Each two-person crew will contribute 100 miles towards the overall voyage over a period of a week or so, rowing on average up to 20 miles per day, so it’s a big ask for all our volunteers.

“The other objective, of course, is to raise funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and all our rowers are giving their time and effort for free,” he says.

The Row-A-Round Ireland crew is drawn mainly from the immediate Crowley family and friends, under the watchful eye of team mascot and coxswain Joey the labrador. A true sea dog, Joey has a regular spot in the stern of the boat as it makes its way up and down the Bray coast on training rows. Although the journey will consist of 50 one-day legs, the changeable Irish weather means the crew has allowed 120 days to complete the challenge safely.

“Weather is going to be an issue alright, and there are some treacherous stretches of water to be navigated including Donegal Bay which comprises some 30 miles of the open Atlantic Ocean, Clew Bay, the Cliffs of Moher and from Loop Head across the mouth of the mighty Shannon,” says Ger Crowley, who built the boat.

The challenge also involves shore-based logistical support with a vehicle following the crew on land bringing change-over crews to intended landing areas, spares for repairs, food and also serving as a retrieval vehicle here beach landings are involved.

The team is also counting on local community support along the way, with many members of the maritime community including rowing, sailing and diving clubs around the country having pledged their support by offering food, accommodation as well as valuable advice and local knowledge.

Funds will be raised as the boat makes its way around Ireland, with all money going towards fighting Cystic Fibrosis, a fatal genetic disease that affects approximately 1 in 1600 births in Ireland, the country with the highest incidence of CF in the developed world.

#Kayaking - Manx kayakers Keirron Tastagh and George Shaw have been forced to abandon their attempt at setting a new round-Ireland sea kayaking record.

As IOM Today reports, strong headwinds slowed their clockwise progress around the coast from Strangford Lough, and they called it a day upon reaching Baltimore in West Cork after 12 days at sea last Thursday 4 June.

Despite their record-setting experience in sea kayaking, the duo were forced to endure energy-sapping gusts of up to Force 7 amid squalls and hailstorms over a tumultuous fortnight that saw a hoped-for high pressure system fail to arrive.

Tastagh and Shaw had been hoping to cover as many as 50 nautical miles a day in their seagoing kayaks to break the current record of 28 days and raise funds for the RNLI.

IOM Today has more on the story HERE.

#som – When a Round Ireland record has stood for nearly 22 years, clearly it is something very special, and the 44–hour time set by Steve Fossett's 60ft trimaran Lakota in 1993 has withstood several challenges, including three by top French skipper Sidney Gavignet.

It was Ireland's own Damian Foxall – a frequent shipmate of Gavignet – who first got him hooked on the challenge of the round Ireland record. So it was ironic that a mid-race call to Foxall to beef up one of the crews in the current Volvo World Race meant he was unavoidably absent on other business when Gavignet saw the opportunity developing for the MOD 70 Musandam-Oman to knock off the Ireland target at the beginning of May.

This month of notably atrocious weather provided one of those rare but perfect record conditions where a deep low pressure area sat plumb over the country on May 4th. But as ever, Donegal proved to be obtuse – up there, Musandam Oman was hampered by lack of wind.

However, Gavignet and his crew were soon making up lost time as they streaked down the Connacht coast in a strong nor'wester, and though they were well shy of taking the originally anticipated ten hours off Lakota's time when they returned to the finish line at the Kish L/H off Dublin Bay, they'd got down to within shouting distance of 40 hours in rugged sailing conditions which very deservedly make Sidney Gavignet the winner of an Afloat.ie International Award.

#Kayaking - A duo of paddlers from the Isle of Man are getting ready to set a new round-Ireland sea kayaking record.

As BBC News reports, Keirron Tastagh and George Shaw aim to cover as many as 50 nautical miles a day in their standard seagoing kayaks to break the current 28-day record and raise funds for the RNLI.

And they've warmed up for the challenge appropriately, kayaking from their home in the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland as the start of their clockwise circumnavigation, beginning at Strangford in Co Down.

Experienced kayakers Tastagh and Shaw are already record breakers, after setting the furthest paddle west from Dutch Harbour – famous from the TV series Dangerous Catch – to Herbert Island in the Aleutians.

They're also not the first to attempt a circumnavigation this summer, as the Ogden brothers will set off from Baltimore over the June bank holiday in their 18ft Drascombe Lugger.

BBC News has more on the story HERE.

#roundirelandspeedrecord – Musandam-Oman Sail - flagship of the Sultanate of Oman - completed the Round Ireland speed sailing record attempt this morning just before 1100 taking three hours off the 22–year–old record, breaking Steve Fossett's long standing record of 44 hours with Lakota in 1993.

The 70–foot Multihull screamed past the Muglins Rocks on the outskirts of Dublin bay at over 30–knots to claim the record in a time of 40 hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds.

The record officiated by Irish speed sailing commissioner Chris Moore from onboard a DBSC committee vessel has yet to be ratified by the World Speed Sailing Record Council.

On coming ashore at the National Yacht Club the first call by French Skipper Sidney Gavignet was for a doctor to treat a crewmans shoulder due to an injury sustained on the 700–mle journey that started at 6pm on Bank Holiday Monday. 

Onboard with Gavignet are Alex Pella from Spain and Jean Baptiste Levaillant together with three Omani sailors and skipper Gavignet. Sadly for this attempt, Ireland's offshore supremo Damian Foxall was not on the crew list.

Strong winds this morning on the Wicklow coast presented ideal conditions for the closing stages of the record attempt for the professional crew who travelled the last 100–km in little over two hours. The scenario was much different to 12 hours earlier when the 70–footer was more–or–less beclamed off the Mayo coast.

The tired and successful crew came ashore at lunch–time and ordered steak and chips at the National Yacht Club to celebrate the fastest ever sailing circumnavigation of Ireland.

"This is a great accomplishment for Oman and Oman Sail," said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail. "Attempting to break the Round Ireland record has been our goal for many years now and achieving the feat is a shining example of the hard work and dedication of our sailing squad. Racing against yourself to set a time is the hardest test of discipline. The team must remain focused and motivated at all times, and we have instilled these values since the start of the Oman Sail programme. With a 50% Omani crew, this record shows that the present and the future of sailing in Oman is on the right course."

The crew needed to be back by 1500 to take the record but their breakneck speeds down the west coast of Ireland, at one stage reaching 38 knots, meant they were finished well before that, some three hours and 50 minutes faster than the 44 hours and 42 minutes set by Steve Fossett in his first ever world record back in September 1993 aboard his 60ft trimaran Lakota.

Helmsman Fahad Al Hasni said this record attempt coming at the end of a European winter, had proved tough.

"It was both scary and exciting because we saw 40 knots of wind and massive waves that we reckoned were around six metres but the main challenge was the cold," said Al Hasni.

"It is still winter here and my hands were so cold I still can't feel them but I'm really happy because there have been some very famous sailors who have made attempts on this record but we are the ones who now hold it. We have become a really good, tough team and it feels great to be part of it."

It had been a challenging but amazing experience for the Omani sailors, added Gavignet, who was full of praise for his crew.

"This was a real test for them and they came through with flying colours – the whole crew put in a great effort.

"We had to be very careful in these conditions and had no choice but to slow down at times but to have achieved the record so early in our season is a great feeling. It had been a priority and now it is done."

This was Musandam-Oman Sail's second attempt on the Round Ireland record. Two years ago they set off from Dublin Bay with high hopes but were forced to abandon due to unsafe conditions.

Today was a different story and everyone on board was delighted to add this one to their burgeoning collection.

Mission accomplished! The giant Tri completes its 700–mile voyage in record time this morning. Photo: Michael Chester 

Read also articles by WM Nixon: 

Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record Times and It May Be A New Round Ireland Record But The Three Hour Margin Tells Us What A Great Job Lakota Did 22 Years Ago

#roundirelandspeeedsailing record – It's been a tricky second night at sea for Musandam-Oman Sail's in its Round Ireland speed sailing record bid. At 0600 the six-man international team is speeding past Dungarvan on the south coast at over 24 knots. It's an impressive speed but there is still approximately 120–nautical miles to sail to the Dublin Bay finish line. Force six winds are blowing from a favourable westerly direction and forecast to get stronger this morning and there is a flood tide until lunchtime, but several hours spent in little wind off the Mayo coast yesterday afternoon may yet prove costly. 

This time yesterday, the crew were surfing across the top of Donegal. Only 12 hours ago, the team was halfway down the west coast of Ireland in a low pressure and 'on track for a mid–morning finish' this morning. Reports from onboard last night said 'It is likely to be a challenging night'. Since then they have sailed 170–nautical miles to the Fastnet Rock, hitting speeds of 27 knots off the Kerry coast. They came close inshore at Cape Clear at midnight before heading offshore again in an attempt to make faster progress along the Munster coast. Since midnight the crew have been focussing on the final 200 nautical miles to the finish.

To beat the 22–year record set by Steve Fosset's Lakota in 1993, the Oman Sail Mod 70 Multihull needs to cross the line before 1400 hours this afternoon. At 0800, with the final 100nm to go, the team, who had originally signalled an ETA at 'mid–morning' have revised this to be 'middle of the day'. It is an indication perhaps, if the Fosset record is broken, it will not be by much even if speeds do increase up the Wexford and Wicklow coasts this morning.

#roundirelandspeedrecord – With arguably the hardest part of the 700–mile journey already over, the northabout Oman Sail Trimaran is 75–miles off the Sligo/Mayo coast and on target to break the Round Ireland Speed Sailing record of one day and 20 hours. Having covered 300 nautical miles in 19–hours, the fastest part of this voyage is yet to come.
The six man crew were heading in a southerly direction (190 degrees) just before noon, expecting to crack sheets and accelerate down the west coast in some forecasted big winds, ready to reach estimated speeds of over 30–knots before the Fastnet rock.  

#omansail – The Oman Sail Trimaran crossed the Dublin Bay start line and headed northabout just after 6pm this evening in its latest bid to break the twenty–year Round Ireland Speed Record held by the late American adventurer Steve Fossett. French skipper Sidney Gavignet at the helm of the 70–footer cleared the Kish lighthouse start line, flying a hull and producing a cloud of spray as one of the fastest boats in the world reached full speed. Gavignet must beat a 44–hour record and be back on Dublin Bay just after lunch on Wednesday. 

Winds on Dublin bay were at 18–knots and gusting to over 25 this evening presenting ideal conditions for this professional crew. Onboard are Alex Pella from Spain and Jean Baptiste Levaillant together with three Omani sailors and skipper Gavignet.

The southerly direction of the Dublin Bay breeze produced lumpy, one metre waves, giving Irish World Speed Sailing Commissioner Chris Moore a difficult berth for officiating the record bid from the Dublin Bay Sailing Club starting vessel located just off the Burford bank.

Having arrived from France only this morning, Gavignet took only the briefest pitstop at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour before heading back out to sea for what amounts to his third attempt at the Round Ireland speed record in recent years. Gavignet tried to break the record previously in 2013 but was beaten back by strong winds in the Irish Sea. By starting this evening he has made good on a promise to return and make a record attempt.

With potentially only one night at sea, which must be helpful for record-breaking, the current forecast suggests there's just a chance of some nor'east before they get to the South Rock, and there's a chance also of a flat spot on Tuesday evening. But either way it's a good forecast for Oman who must average 16–knots to be in with a chance.

Last season, the trimaran crossed the finish line of the 2014 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race off the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes in August with an elapsed time of three days, 03 hours, 32 minutes, 36 seconds breaking the previous World Record for a multihull held by Banque Populaire 5 in 2011, by 16 minutes, 38 seconds.

Within minutes of crossing the line this evening, the 70–foot colourful vessel had cleared the capital's waters and disappeared into the mist of the Irish Sea. Her six man crew recognising there are over 700–miles between them and a record that has stood the test of time since 1993. In September 1993, Fossett, (sailing with Con Murphy, Cathy MacAleavey, David Scully and Brian Thompson) put the Kish astern again after 44 hours 42 minutes and 20 seconds an average of 15.84 knots. It's a record which has stood for over 19 years but wiill it still be standing on Wednesday?  Sources close to the crew say they are confident of knocking up to ten hours off the record time and are expecting to be home by Wednesday morning.