#roundireland14 – Once again the smaller boats in the Round Ireland race are benefitting from the variations in weather along our coastline and those positioned on the north Donegal coast are enjoying a wild ride in near gale conditions. Too wild for some as the comeback kid Eugene F Collins/Amazing Grace has suffered her second setback, this time race-ending as a broken boom has forced her retiral. For those who can hang on until past Inishtrahull, the most northerly point of the race, there is lighter wind ahead but, as yet, not so light that it will spoil their chances of an overall IRC win.
Up ahead, as is so often the case, the leaders are facing a ‘noser’ all the way to Wicklow and while Monster project will take line honours at about six o’clock this evening, the real battle is back up off the north coast amongst the lower rated yachts. Cavatina currently holds the advantage with Ruth in 2nd place, but Ruth has a foul tide at Rathlin, while Cavatina looks set to arrive in time to catch the new flood.
Still a long way to go and some lighter winds ahead. Inis Mor, currently just east of Strangford Lough, will become the boat to beat when she arrives in Wicklow sometime after midnight, but the extra distance incurred from tacking down the Irish Sea will mean her lead will only be temporary, probably overtaken by Tanit when she arrives close to daybreak.
The big question then is will Tanit be able to hold off the chasing pack?
Afloat’s updated Round Ireland 2014 prediction:
1 Cavatina
2 Tanit
3 Big Deal
4 Ruth
5 Polished Manx
6 IOS - Desert Star
7 Inis Mor
8 Endgame
9 McGregor IV
10 Dreamcatcher
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