Round Ireland Race Day Four (Tuesday) 1500 hrs  Down Wicklow way, they sell their SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race as the Race With Everything. They can say that again. After some ferocious sailing through Sunday off the Kerry coast, when the Commodore RORC had to retire his thoroughbred boat because those weird Kerry waves – all fronts and no backs – had caused the hull to begin de-laminating, the leaders are now at the other end of the island, and are little more than playthings of the tides on a flat sea as the wind fades and weaves in an increasingly maddening manner.

Yet with the tide past Rathlin Island and on down the North Channel running favourably for the fleet until about 16:30hrs or perhaps a little later this afternoon, the last 150 miles towards the finish at Wicklow are gradually being chipped away. But far from being conditions in which crew can restore their energy levels, we’re now in the kind of sailing where a new kind of stamina is required if every last ounce of benefit is going to be squeezed out of each and every little line of wind.

Some crews are better at this intense-focus type of long haul than others. The Fastnet Race-proven French J/111 SL Energies (Laurent Charmy) has never been out of the top ten overall since the race got into its stride, but never – until now – had she been in and out of the top three frame. Yet after a particularly effective performance off the Donegal coast, she is very much a force to be reckoned with in IRC CT overall, and is almost within striking distance of the leaders on the water, Michael Boyd’s J/121 Darkwood and Robert Rendell’s Grand Soleil 44 Samatom.

Robert Rendell’s Grand Soleil 44 Samatom Photo: Afloat

Samatom had slipped slightly behind Darkwood going up the west coast, but knowing that the North Coast around Malin Head is home waters for navigator Richie Fearon of Lough Swilly, her performance getting past Inishtrahull had been watched with special interest, and the Rendell boat duly obliged by getting back in the hunt.

Way down the North Channel after sitting paralysed off Red Bay for longer than was comfortable as the Volvo 70 Green Dragon closed up from astern, the on-water leading Cookson 50 Kuka3 (Franco Niggeler, Switzerland) is off Mew Island, almost entirely reliant on tide for her 5 knots SOG, but she’s making a little more speed than Green Dragon which is now ten miles astern.

Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) Photo: Afloat

Meanwhile in the big picture, up on the north coast Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) is approaching Malin Head on a very soft broad reach, making 5.5 knots but currently showing a formidable set of statistics. She’s First in IRC Overall, First in IRC 3, First in ISORA entries, and First in ICRA entries.

Six years ago, when making her debut in the 2016 Round Ireland Race, Rockabill VI was similarly listed in the overall rankings. But immediately east of Iniishtahull, she and two other boats sailed into a local and very total blank spot in the wind. And there they sat for three hours while what seemed like half the fleet sailed past them simply by keeping a couple of miles further out at sea, and Rockabill’s huge lead melted away. So while we ashore sit watching screens and giving out all sorts of pseudo-wisdom, out there off the north coast of Donegal, Rockabill VI is entering haunted territory, and only she alone can find her own way through it.

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