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

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