Irish sailors Tom McWilliam and James “Jim” Carroll were part of the 14-strong crew aboard Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace as she completed the 1,805-nautical-mile RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, the first monohull to enter Cowes on Sunday morning.
The Irish sailors McWilliam and Carroll claimed Monohull Line Honours in the 50th anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race after more than six and a half days at sea.
Pace crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in Cowes at 04:17:31 BST on Sunday, August 16, completing the 1,805-nautical-mile course in 6 days, 14 hours, 47 minutes and 31 seconds. McWilliam and Carroll were among a highly experienced 14-person crew that also included Volvo Ocean Race winner and navigator Jules Salter, Stu Bannatyne and Neal McDonald.
Full Pace: Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace stretches her legs during the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, with Irish sailors Tom McWilliam and James Carroll among the 14-strong crew. Photo: James Tomlinson
The YB tracker recorded Pace sailing 2,113 nautical miles during her lap of Britain and Ireland, with the Volvo 70 producing some of her most impressive speeds on the western side of the course.
Pace Unleashed Off Ireland
The decisive acceleration came off Ireland’s west coast and on the long push north towards Muckle Flugga, where the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed Volvo 70 found conditions ideally suited to her offshore pedigree.
Vincent said Pace covered 486 nautical miles in one 24-hour period, reaching speeds of 26 and 27 knots.
“We had a good solid breeze and a fantastic wave pattern,” Vincent said. “Surfing at 27 knots is exciting for anybody. It was absolutely thrilling.” That high-speed northern leg allowed Pace to build a substantial advantage on her closest monohull rivals before turning at Muckle Flugga and beginning the long journey south.
Ocean Miles: Johnny Vincent takes the helm of Pace during a race he described as a “tremendous adventure”, spanning more than six days around Britain and Ireland. Photo: Anthony Haines
The final section provided a very different test. Pace had to negotiate traffic separation schemes, offshore oil and gas infrastructure, wind farms and exclusion zones as she descended through the North Sea.
A succession of night-time gybes was followed by a favourable tide through the Solent, carrying Pace towards the early-morning finish off Cowes.
“A Tremendous Adventure”
For Vincent, securing Line Honours marked the completion of the longest offshore race he had undertaken.
“A big sense of completion is how I would describe it,” he said. “It has been a long journey and a tremendous adventure. What an amazing race and what an amazing event.”
Vincent said the crew had encountered everything from calms to strong winds, flat water to large seas, during a race he described as four distinct chapters.
“The Round Britain and Ireland Race is not one yacht race,” he said. “It is a series of four races joined together. You do it chapter by chapter and then reach the end of the book when you come back to Cowes. That makes it totally unique.”
The owner also credited the experience surrounding him aboard Pace, saying he had returned to Cowes a considerably more accomplished offshore sailor.
“I have been surrounded by an amazing team of people,” Vincent said. “They have been kind to me, given me good guidance and taught me a great deal.”
Salter: Right Angles and Raw Speed
Navigator Jules Salter described the challenge as balancing the shortest possible route against the conditions required to unleash Pace’s speed.
“When you are racing around Britain, you are effectively turning right at every corner,” Salter said. “You combine that with the weather and keep the boat at its fastest and most efficient angle.” Those decisions became particularly important west of Ireland, where Pace could exploit favourable wind and sea conditions.
Race Ready: Jules Salter, right, and the Pace crew at the start of the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race before embarking on their 1,805-nautical-mile challenge. Photo: Anthony Haines
“The boat has the performance,” Salter said. “You have to let it go and give it the right wind angles and conditions.” He praised the crew’s ability to make rapid sail changes and continuously adjust Pace’s sailing angles, allowing the 70-footer to sustain high speeds for hundreds of miles.
The North Sea demanded another style of racing altogether, with navigation increasingly dictated by fixed obstructions and restricted areas.
“There are gas fields, oil fields, shipping separation zones and wind farms,” Salter said. “They have hard boundaries that you cannot see.”
IRC Prize Still Undecided
While Pace has secured Monohull Line Honours, the biggest corrected-time prize remained unresolved following her finish. Pace’s IRC corrected time is now fixed, leaving Vincent, McWilliam, Carroll and the rest of the crew waiting for their principal rivals to complete the course.
Among those still capable of challenging is Antoine Magre’s Mach 50 Palanad 4, which had emerged as a major IRC Overall threat during the latter stages of the race.
The distinction is significant: Line Honours rewards the first monohull to complete the course, while the IRC Overall title is decided after each yacht’s elapsed time is corrected according to its rating. Whatever the eventual IRC outcome, Pace’s first-to-finish performance has already secured McWilliam and Carroll a place in the story of the 50th anniversary edition.
For Vincent, completing the lap was itself a substantial achievement.
“I am a normal bloke. I am not a professional sailor,” he said. “To set out on this adventure was really special. It is beginning to sink in now. It is a long way, and it has been a great journey.”
Pace crew: Johnny Vincent, Al Fraser, Anthony Haines, Antonio Cuervas-Mons, Ed Myers, James “Jim” Carroll, Jules Salter, Luke Molloy, Mark Bartlett, Neal McDonald, Pete Cumming, Stu Bannatyne, Tom McWilliam and Trystan Seal.
