What is the date and time of the 2020 Round Ireland Yacht Race?

August 22nd. Starting times: Monohulls 1300 hrs and Multihulls 13.10 hrs.

What is the Round Ireland Yacht Race distance?

Approximately 704 nautical miles or 1304 kilometres

Afloat.ie: Sailing Backs Round Ireland

Q: What is the Round Ireland Race speed record?

The Round Ireland race record of 38 h 37 min 7s is held by MOD-70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail and was set in June 2016.

Afloat.ie: Sailing Backs Round Ireland

4th December 2009

Afloat.ie Team

Round Ireland 2010 Launch: As well as the support of ICRA, ISORA and SCORA (story here) the Round Ireland 2010 race got further backing at its launch last night in Wicklow town from both the Irish Sailing Association and Britain's Royal Ocean Racing Club. The national authoirty said the race was one of the toughest challenges in world yachting and called it a 'Blue Riband' event. The endorsements are over the fold:

Endorsement from the Royal Ocean Racing Club

“The Royal Ocean Racing Club is delighted that Wicklow Sailing Club has announced the Round Ireland Yacht Race for 2010.

The RORC has always regarded this great race as an important part of its calendar every two years and is pleased to confirm that it will again award a points factor of 1.4 to all boats completing the race that compete for the annual series prizes. This points factor is awarded to few races in the calendar and recognises the special challenges presented by the Round Ireland Yacht Race.

The RORC hopes that the race entries will include many of its members – from Ireland, UK and elsewhere in Europe – attracted by Ireland’s rugged coastline and the varied conditions that sailors will inevitably face.”

Michael Boyd, on behalf of Ian Loffhagen

Racing Manager, RORC

Endorsement from the Irish Sailing Association

“As we draw towards the end of a year in which there has been a significant increase in profile for Irish offshore sailing both nationally and internationally, it is appropriate to endorse the other great sailing challenge involving the island, the Round Ireland Yacht Race, which starts in Wicklow in June 2010.

We know Wicklow Sailing Club have taken on board the template for success from the VOR stopover in Galway earlier in the year, and they have been working with the Failte Ireland, the Town Council, and Chamber of Commerce to develop a festival around the event, which will help to draw the crowds and raise the profile of this very special race.

The 2010 Race will be the 16th staging of the event, as it has its origins in 1980 and has been run bi-annually ever since. There is growing speculation that this years Round Ireland will attract a wider International entry as boats from outside Irish waters opened the Round Ireland Yacht Race to their regatta itineraries.

On behalf of the ISA, we commend Wicklow Sailing Club, for their continued organisation of and support for this “Blue Riband” event and wish all the competitors fair winds and a great race come June 2010.”

Harry Hermon

ISA Chief Executive

More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:

Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review

Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture

A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht Race

Published in Round Ireland

Round Ireland Yacht Race Live Tracker 2022

Track the progress of the 2022 Wicklow Sailing Club Round Ireland Race fleet on the live tracker above and see all Afloat's Round Ireland Race coverage in one handy link here

Published in Round Ireland

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Round Ireland Yacht Race Information

The Round Ireland Yacht Race is Ireland's classic offshore yacht race starts from Wicklow Sailing Club (WSC) and is organised jointly with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC). This page details the very latest updates from the 2008 race onwards including the race schedule, yacht entries and the all-important race updates from around the 704-mile course. Keep up to date with the Round Ireland Yacht Race here on this one handy reference page.

2020 Round Ireland Race

The 2020 race, the 21st edition, was the first race to be rescheduled then cancelled.

Following Government restrictions over COVID-19, a decision on the whether or not the 2020 race can be held was made on April 9 2020 to reschedule the race to Saturday, August 22nd. On July 27th, the race was regrettably cancelled due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19.

Because of COVID-19, the race had to have a virtual launch party at the Royal Irish Yacht Club for its 21st edition.

In spite of the pandemic, however, a record entry was in prospect for 2020 with 50 boats entered with four weeks to go to the race start. The race was also going big on size and variety to make good on a pre-race prediction that the fleet could reach 60. An Irish offshore selection trial also looked set to be a component part of the 2020 race.

The rescheduling of the race to a news date emphasises the race's national significance, according to Afloat here

FAQs

How many miles duration is the Round Ireland Yacht Race?

704 nautical miles, 810 miles or 1304 kilometres

What is the distance around Ireland's coastline?

3171 kilometres is the estimate of Ireland's coastline by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

Who is the sponsor of the 2020 Round Ireland Yacht Race?

SSE Renewables are the sponsors of the 2020 Round Ireland Race.

Who organises the Round Ireland Yacht Race?

Wicklow Sailing Club in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club in London and The Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dublin.

Where is the Round Ireland Race Start?

Off Wicklow Harbour on Saturday, August 22nd 2020

What is the Round Ireland Race Start time?

Monohulls 1300 hrs and Multihulls 13.10 hrs

What is the Round Ireland Race course?

Leave Ireland and all its islands (excluding Rockall) to starboard.

How long does it take to sail Round Ireland?

It depends on the boat. The elapsed record time for the race is under 40 hours but most boats take five or six days to complete the course.

Is there a Round Ireland Race Tracker?

The Race Tracker is https://afloat.ie/sail/events/round-ireland/item/25789-round-ireland-yacht-race-tracker-2016-here.

What is the history of the Round Ireland Race?

The idea of a race around Ireland began in 1975 with a double-handed race starting and finishing in Bangor organised by Ballyholme Yacht Club with stopovers in Crosshaven and Killybegs. That race only had four entries. In 1980 Michael Jones put forward the idea of a non-stop race and was held in that year from Wicklow Sailing Club. Sixteen pioneers entered that race with Brian Coad’s Raasay of Melfort returning home after six days at sea to win the inaugural race. Read the first Round Ireland Yacht Race 1980 Sailing Instructions here

What is the Round Ireland Race speed record?

The Round Ireland race record of 38 h 37 min 7 s is held by MOD-70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail and was set in June 2016.

What is the Round Ireland Race Monohull Speed record?

George David’s Rambler 88 (USA) holds the fastest monohull race time of two days two hours 24 minutes and 9 seconds set in the 2016 race.

What was the first round Ireland voyage?

William Power's 45ft Olivia undertook a round Ireland cruise in September 1860

What is the Smallest Boat To Sail Round Ireland?

Richard Hayes completed his solo epic round Ireland voyage in September 2018 in a 14-foot Laser dinghy. The voyage had seen him log a total of 1,324 sea miles (2,452 kilometres) in 54 sailing days. in 1961, the Belfast Lough Waverly Durward crewed by Kevin and Colm MacLaverty and Mick Clarke went around Ireland in three-and-a-half weeks becoming the smallest keelboat ever to go round. While neither of these achievements occurred as part of the race they are part of Round Ireland sailing history