Saturday (Day 1) 1930hrs - Experienced round Ireland racers tend to regard the first leg of the Round Ireland Race from Wicklow to the Tuskar Rock as being the shuffling of the pack, with the serious playing beginning after the first night when you can look around after dawn and see who is still in the game.
Racecourse reports say that the Carkeek 45 Ino Noir had her sails down and had requested assistance just hours into the 2024 Round Ireland race Photo: Afloat
The 2024 edition of the SSE Renewables is experiencing this process big time, with one of the hotter glamour favourites, the Carkeek 45 Ino Noir, apparently already pulled out after walloping one of the Wexford sandbanks. Meanwhile, solid performers such as Nieulargo from Cork have been punching their way into good performances in the lumpy wind-over-tide conditions.
Good showing from Royal Cork's Grand Soleil Nieulargo Photo: Afloat
ADVERSE FLOOD TIDE
Yet now, with the adverse flood tide making northwards, the sea has smoothed, but the wind is easing away, and getting round the Carnsore corner is going to be a struggle. Yet Eric de Turckheim’s 54ft Teasing Machine has built on her very impressive start and is already sailing her own race. That said, smaller craft have had their moments of glory, with the little JPK 10-30 Coquine from Northern Ireland, enriched by the likes of Richie Fearon and Hammy Baker on the strength, showing the way to larger craft.
The little JPK 10-30 Coquine from Northern Ireland has had an excellent few opening hours in 2024 Round Ireland Race Photo: Afloat
All this with 600-plus miles still to race, and the weather unpredictably good for shore folk, but providing tricky winds for sailors. As we said, it arrived upon us laden with imponderables. Already, we have imponderables in spades. But Sunday morning might bring some clarity.
