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

Breeze — Or Lack of It — Will Prove a Challenge as 2022 Round Ireland Race Gets Under Way (Photo Gallery)

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.

Breeze — Or Lack of It — Will Prove a Challenge as 2022 Round Ireland Race Gets Under Way (Photo Gallery)

18th June 2022

WM Nixon

The 47 boat fleet depart Wicklow under spinnaker on the 2022 Round Ireland Yacht Race. Scroll down for photo gallery Credit: Bob Bateman

Round Ireland Race Race Start: The Swiss Cookson 50 Kuka 3, the Howth-based Grand Soleil 44 Samatom and the Italian Class 40 Influence had the best of today’s spinnaker start in the 21st SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race off Wicklow in a varying nor’west breeze with the ebb tide getting going.

A crowded Committee boat end of the 2022 Round Ireland start line Photo: Afloat

But as the fleet settled into their brief initial leg towards the first turn at Wicklow Head, boats which favoured being inshore found a private boost to the breeze which brought other names to the fore, with the Sunfast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier in particular putting in a stellar performance.

Although James Neville’s HH 42 InoXXX (left) got the early jump on the fleet with a port gybe after a committee boat end start, it was the much smaller British Soldier that led by picking up stronger wind close to the Wicklow shoreline Photo: Afloat

Swiss Cookson 50 Kuka 3 Photo: Bob Bateman

However, Franco Niggler’s Kuka3 continued to demonstrate that the now-veteran Cookson 50 is still a force to be reckoned with, and with Wicklow Head astern she was still the leader on the water, though with second place by this stage being taken over by RORC Commodore James Neville’s highly fancied HH 42 InoXXX, with Infuence — whose crew includes Greystone’s Pamela Lee — holding onto third while Samatom continued determinedly in fourth.

The new Class 40 boat Influence #171 is the first boat of the new Class40 Series designed by VPLP and was flying allong under spinnaker at the Round Ireland race start Photo: Bob Bateman

James Neville’s highly fancied HH 42 InoXXX (left) and Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil Samatom in breeze close to the shore after the start Photo: Bob Bateman

More action off the starting line in Wicklow this afternoon | Credit: Bob Bateman

Wind strength prospects for the remainder of the afternoon are not particularly encouraging off the Wexford coast, but after the first hour of racing the continuing leaders Kuka3 and InoXXX were making the very best of the available breeze and the full strength of the ebb to record 10-plus knots over the ground and right on track, with Influence third and Greg Leonard’s Class40 Kite (USA) now next in line.

Crowds of spectators watch the fleet depart from Wicklow Photo: Bob Bateman

Bob Bateman's 2022 Round Ireland Start Photo Gallery below

Live race tracker below:

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

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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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