Round Ireland Yacht Race Updates from Wicklow Sailing Club
The unavoidably-postponed show in March by owner-skipper (and restorer) Darryl Hughes, of the classic 1937 43ft Tyrrell of Arklow ketch Maybird’s remarkable achievement in becoming (in 2018) the first gaff-rigged (and oldest) boat to complete the Round Ireland Race, has…
The talk by Darryl Hughes of his veteran gaff ketch Maybird’s much-celebrated participation in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018, to be hosted by the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association at Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club on Tuesday 12th March,…
It was while crossing the Atlantic on the Sail Training Brigantine Asgard II during a celestial navigation module of his Naval Service education in 1999 that Barry Byrne had something of an epiphany writes W M Nixon. He’d been introduced…
An eighth new IMOCA being built, 2018 Round Ireland Race competitor Nicolas Troussel has confirmed. There will be at least eight new generation IMOCAs lining up at the start of the 2020 Vendée Globe. The latest announcement comes from Nicolas…
Anticipation is building ahead of Saturday’s talk in Wicklow Sailing Club about the Lesson learnt on board Jedi in the Round Ireland Yacht Race. As Afloat.ie reported previously, the INSS Jedi team have been meeting frequently to ensure no detail…
On the 29th of June 2018, Jedi, the highly competitive J109, started the Round Ireland Yacht Race in stunning sunshine and a fresh northerly breeze propelling her down the East coast of Ireland. Little did her seasoned crew comprising of…
Wicklow Sailing Club has written to competitors and supporters alike to fix the date of the 2020 Round Ireland race as Saturday, June 20 2020. Ireland's classic 700-mile offshore race has been buoyed up by some bumper fleets over the…
Golden Oldie Maybird’s Round Ireland Race Achievement to be Celebrated at her Arklow Birthplace
19th July 2018 Round Ireland
When the 1937-vintage Tyrrell of Arklow-built 43ft gaff ketch Maybird (Darryl Hughes) finally crossed the line at Wicklow last week to record the longest-ever time for a Volvo Round Ireland Race, little did her crew of eight expect that their…
Everyone thought that while the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018 from Wicklow was one of the most interesting and unusual ever staged in the race’s 38-year history, it was assumed that no record had been broken writes W M Nixon.…
Defence Forces Crew on 'Joker II' Move up to Second as Round Ireland Results are Recalculated
6th July 2018 Round Ireland
Wicklow Sailing Club says a 'clerical error' on the tracker site for its Volvo Round Ireland Race that provisionally showed the Dublin J122 Aurelia in second place overall on IRC Handicap has now been 'rectified'. The recalculation puts the Defence…
The final 90-mile leg of the Round Ireland course, from the South Rock off the County Down coast direct to the Wicklow pierheads, is often the most frustrating writes W M Nixon. You feel the finish is almost within sight,…
Afloat.ie had over 30,000 unique visitors to its dedicated Round Ireland Race section of the national boating website for the 2018 race. According to site analytics, readers have been seeking out the in-depth analysis contained in this week's 16-race reports by Afloat's W M…
Round Ireland Racers for Defence Forces Make the Grade in Final Miles to Wicklow
5th July 2018 Round Ireland
Along the Leinster coast, the summer sea breeze from various points in the east can get a boost from the enormous heat storage unit that is the Greater Dublin area writes W M Nixon. But it’s not something to be…
Round Ireland Race Focus Swings to the Services, Two-handers, Sailing Schools & Minis
5th July 2018 Round Ireland
Three of the primary positions are now resolved in the 20th Round Ireland Race writes W M Nixon. Niall Dowling (Royal Irish YC) has repeated the remarkable George David/Rambler 88 double of 2016 by taking both Line Honours and the…
Day 6: Fair Winds Again for Round Ireland Fleet as Baraka GP’s Performance is Set in Fresh Perspective
5th July 2018 Round Ireland
The fair winds from the northwest, which late last night and early this morning were spreading slowly through the latter half of the Round Ireland fleet off Donegal and then Antrim, now cover the entire remaining race area writes W…
Round Ireland Day 5. 9.45pm: Hung Up On Tides Of Rathlin & ‘Un-Fair Head’ As New Nor’wester Spreads In
4th July 2018 Round Ireland
Yesterday evening, the all-conquering Baraka GP had enough breeze and hull speed to break through the foul tide at Rathlin Island and Fair Head in some style, writes W M Nixon. But tonight (Wednesday 4 July), there has been no…
