Ultra-slow Progress in Round Britain & Ireland Race is Leading To Retirements “Owing To Time Constraints”

12th August 2022

WM Nixon

On course for Greenland…….Pip Hare’s IMOCA 60 has struck out into the open Atlantic from the Blaskets in search of wind in the RORC Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland race Credit: Rick Tomlinson

The clockwise 1800 miles Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race has been dogged by light winds and calms ever since it started from Cowes at the weekend, and the bulk of the 30-strong fleet is still struggling along Ireland’s southwest and west coasts with three boats now retired.

Yet anyone taking an overview of the bigger picture could see that well out in the Atlantic, there was a sou’westerly airstream making towards the distant Shetland Islands, and many tacticians were just itching to try and hang in on the edge of it.

But when you’re only doing a couple of knots, it’s an elusive goal. However, the gallant Pip Hare, having decided she’d had enough of looking at the Blaskets from several angles from the deck of her IMOCA60 Medallia, struck out northwestwards in a faint breeze yesterday (Wednesday) evening, and this morning has found her about 120 miles west of Donegal and making 11 to 12 knots more or less towards the next turn at St Kilda.

This ploy has confirmed her position as clear line honours leader, 57 miles ahead of Ross Hobson’s Open 50 Pegasus of Northumberland from Blyth, a boat which is no stranger to Round Ireland racing and is currently reinforcing her acquaintance with the Connacht coast close in off Slyne Head, but making only 6.1 knots.

Racing round Ireland and also Round Britain & Ireland seems to be addictive, with Polish skipper Kuba Szymanski setting the participation pace with his Isle of Man-based First 40.7 Polished Manx – he had already done the Royal Western’s Round Britain & Ireland in May and June this year with a stopover in Galway, now he’s back again, the most westerly of the fleet apart from Medallia, but in his case he’s still off the Kerry coast having to make do with 3.6 knots.

Tequila leads Class 40 Photo: Paul Wyeth

Irish interest is spread across several boats, with James “Seamus” McHugh currently leading Class40 and third in line honours with Tequila – his personnel selection is impeccable, as his shipmates are Brian Thompson and Alister Ricardson.

Pamela Lee of Greystones now retired off Kerry Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Also in Class 40, in this case aboard Andrea Fornaro’s Influence from Italy, is Pamela Lee of Greystones. But they have now retired off the Kenmare River, as the utter slowness of progress was impinging on post-race plans. And another Class 40 with an Irish flavour, Antoine Magret’s Palanad 3 with James Crampton and James Murphy on the strength, has likewise retired off Dingle Bay “due to time pressures”.

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Published in Rd Britain & Ireland

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THE RACE:

The 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with The Royal Yacht Squadron. It is run every four years

There have been nine editions of the Round Britain and Ireland Race which started in 1976
Sevenstar has sponsored the race four times - 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and has committed to a longterm partnership with the RORC

The 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is a fully crewed non-stop race covering 1,805 nautical miles and is open to IRC, IRC Two Handed, IMOCA 60s, Class40s, Volvo 65s and Multihulls that will race around Britain and Ireland, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes on the Isle of Wight starting after Cowes Week on Sunday 7 August 2022

The last edition of the race in 2018 attracted 28 teams with crews from 18 nations. Giles Redpath's British Lombard 46 saw over victory and Phil Sharp's Class40 Imerys Clean Energy established a new world record for 40ft and under, completing the course in 8 days 4 hrs 14 mins 49 secs.

The 1,805nm course will take competitors around some of the busiest and most tactically challenging sailing waters in the world. It attracts a diverse range of yachts and crew, most of which are enticed by the challenge it offers as well as the diversity and beauty of the route around Britain and Ireland with spectacular scenery and wildlife. Most sailors agree that this race is one of the toughest tests as it is nearly as long as an Atlantic crossing, but the changes of direction at headlands will mean constant breaks in the watch system for sail changes and sail trim

Published in Rd Britain & Ireland

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Round Britain & Ireland Race

About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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