After four nights at sea,the race for overall honours focuses on the north coast this morning (Wednesday) and the hope of fresher winds.
Eamonn Crosbie confirmed his intention to retain the title when he sailed past Eagle island in Teng Tools yesterday afternoon at 5.30pm.
Teng tools was making good time and beating on port tack. She was doing six knots towards the Mayo check in point according to navigator Stefan Hyde.
The crew of the small boat had a tough time on Tuesday spending 20 hours on the rail in heavy seas. The National Yacht club team had computer problems but were now back on track and the 32 footer was free of any other gear failure. Even the slight leak around the rudder had not worsened.
They had crossed tacks with much bigger boats such as Oliver Sheehy’s White Tiger in Clew bay and they could see Ireland’s West less than a mile ahead.
But Crosbie has no pre-ordained path to victory. He, along with Fitzgerald as fleet leader, must contend with a raft of medium sized front runners and a forecast that offers only the prospect of a decent sailing breeze.
At Eagle island Niall Dowling's Jeronimo was second, Crosbie third and Anthony Richard's Minnie the Moocher in fourth. The only thing certain in the stop-start conditions of the West coast so far is that up to half the fleet are still in the hunt for the overall prize.
Alice II, Creative Play and an impressive West Coast run by former winner George Radley in Imp are all vying for the overall lead with less than 350 miles to the Wicklow finish.
Altana Chieftain passed Innistrahull in the early afternoon and although like the rest of the fleet she is looking for more wind its arrival may spell trouble as the Sydney Hobart class winner has sustained damage to her mainsail and temporary repairs effected yesterday may not hold out if pressure strengthens.
Richards on Minnie the Moocher reported an improvement in conditions yesterday: "the hatches are open, allowing some fresh air through, a very welcome relief. We are heading directly for Tory Island. Winds are ENE 12 knots giving us (relatively) fast reaching conditions"
A period of very light winds may also prevail today (Wednesday) so a finish for forty footers on Friday is on the cards Richards predicted.
This presents its own rationing problems as most crews would typically have been aiming for a finish tonight or tomorrow.
The possibility also exists that the leader board will be turned upside down with the smaller boats coming in with good breeze later in the week. The fact that the 2002 winner Eric Lisson's well rated Cavatina, a much slower boat, had still to check in off Eagle island by 8pm last night should not be forgotten.
If Richards is right the light wind period also raises the prospect, but only slightly, that Konica might yet manage to save her time when she finishes today (Wednesday) and win the race. (See panel)
24 hours will tell all. But this morning the 2006 Round Ireland race is wide open.
Panel:
It's an ill wind that blows no good...
The fickle winds that lead to such a disappointing outcome for Colm Barrington's team in the Commodore's cup last week in Cowes last night preserved his 1998 Round Ireland race record of 76 hours 53 minutes and 57 seconds for another two years at least.
Konica Minolta sat becalmed off Red Bay in Country Antrim at 8pm last night precisely the time that she should have been celebrating a new record 110 miles further south.
Konica Minolta's failure will be of no consolation to Barrington but the fact that the Dun Laoghaire sailor's record has now stood the assault of three Volvo 60s, a NACIRA 60 and the attack of a 98 footer nevertheless enshrines his achievement of some eight years ago.
The Kiwi record breaker managed to make 168 miles in 24 hours from Eagle island off Mayo to Rathlin island Co. Antrim yesterday but even this average of seven knots in such light winds for the 98-footer was not enough to put her inside record time.
Facing headwinds for the whole 704 mile journey she never got the chance to hoist a spinnaker.
Instead she sat in Rathlin Sound boarded by HM Customs Officers who carried out a head count and a routine inspection. Did this cost the record attempt even more time? No, not a bit, they were only doing one knot at the time...
Konica Minolta is expected to finish off Wicklow later today.
