Round Britain and Ireland Race Evoke Irish Memories Of Success

7th August 2026

WM Nixon

Kieran Jameson racing the Sigma 38 Changeling to win the Classics Division in the Howth Centenary Regatta, October 1st 1995, when the wind was gusting to 47 knots. In 2006, with Aidan MacManus as co-owner/skipper, he campaigned Changeling to the class win in the RORC Seven Stars Round Britain and Ireland Race

Although there is not a specifically Irish boat in the 30-plus fleet starting on Sunday August 9th from Cowes in the Golden Jubilee of the 1800-mile RORC quadrennial circuit of Britain and Ireland, there are Irish crews to be found in the fleet, while ISORA’s Sam Hall from Pwllheli with his much-travelled and successful Lombard 46 Pata Negra – a successful veteran of the race – is very much in contention. And the 20th Anniversary of the race’s staging in 2006 has high-lighted the fact that Ireland may have had relatively few boats in the race since its inception 50 years ago, but they did well.

The great Denis Doyle of Cork was very much in contention in the inaugural race in 1976 with the S&S-designed blue Moonduster, built in Crosshaven in 1973. But it was 2006 that was the year of most Irish success, as the incredible Ger O’Rourke of Limerick somehow found the time to campaign his Cookson 50 Chieftain, and won overall in the year before he became Fastnet Race overall winner in 2007, an utterly outstanding achievement which has tended to obscure his many other successes like the RBI win.

Ger O’Rourke of Limerick’s canting-kealed Cookson 50 Chieftain powering her way through the 2007 Fastnet Race fleet in the Solent, and already setting the style that saw her achieve the overall win. Photo: Rolex

SMALL BOAT CHALLENGE

The smallest boat in that 2006 race – in which there were 19 finishers out of 27 starters – was the Sigma 38 Sigma Changeling, campaigned by the partnership of Kieran Jameson and Aidan MacManus of Howth, who are planning a 20th Anniversary Crew Party in the near future.

MUCH WINDWARD WORK

As the smallest boat, Changeling missed the more favourable breezes helping the larger craft, some of which were very big indeed. Thus Changeling sailed upwards of 500 miles more than the course’s official length, as every long leg for her crew had an unmatched amount of windward work. But they slugged on regardless, and were rewarded with first in IRC Div E and several other prizes.

The Lombard 46 Pata Negra of Pwllheli is a Round Britain & Ireland veteran that’s going again.

SUCCESS IN 2014

As reported last weekend in Sailing on Saturday, the race of 2014 was to provide another notable success with owner-skipper Liam Coyne (NYC) and Brian Flahive (Wicklow) winning the two-handed division ad the three smaller classes overall with the First 36.7 Lula Belle.

Published in Rd Britain & Ireland, ISORA

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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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