Heading into the hyper challenging first night of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2021, noted ISORA skipper Andrew Hall of Pwllheli with the Lombard 45 Pata Negra - a boat which has brought success to Irish crews in major races on both sides of the Atlantic - is being indicated as overall leader of all IRC Divisions in a tough race in which the placings pattern is currently favouring the boats from IRC Class 1. This class includes Michael O’Donnell’s J/121 Darkwood of the RIYC, currently 10th in IRC 1, and 12th overall.
In IRC3, Nieulargo from Cork - having slipped to sixth in what is the largest class of all with 73 boats starting - is now back up in 4th, with the class lead currently held by France’s Alexis Loison in the JPK 10.30 Leon, who also heads the Two-Handed Division. IRC 4 meanwhile has been witnessing a fine performance by Irish Offshore Sailing of Dun Laoghaire’s Sunfast 37 Desert Star, sailed by Ronan O’Siochru and Conor Totterdell - her placing of sixth in the 70-strong class is a remarkable showing by a sailing school boat.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Rumball of Irish National Sailing School, crewed by Pamela Lee, was leading the five boats in the Figaro 3 class, pacing with IRC 3 leader Leon in convincing style.
The leading multi-hull, Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, has already put the The Lizard Point in Cornwall astern, and is nearing Land’s End, while in the mono-hulls the 125ft Skorpios is back in a different county, as she’s off Start Point in Devon, ahead of George David’s Rambler 88 though not by enough to be saving her time, while an impressive winning performance in Class Zero is being put in by the Polish Volvo 70 I Love Poland (Gregor Barinowski), which is snapping at Rambler’s heels and tops in Zero on handicap.
Details here