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

Eric de Turckheim Leads Round Ireland Race In Double On Water

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.

Eric de Turckheim Leads Round Ireland Race In Double On Water

23rd June 2024

WM Nixon

Eric de Turckheim's 54ft Teasing Machine continues all alone, now 33 miles ahead of the next boat, and making impressive progress at 12 knots south of Cork Harbour on day two of the 2024 SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race Credit: Afloat

Sunday (Day 2, 0800 hrs): The first morning of the 2024 SSE Renewables Round Ireland race finds the fleet making progress along the south coast in winds that developed as a night breeze off the land, but looks like fading to flukiness as the day goes in.

The big trimaran Paradox3 (Adam Davis) continues in solitary splendour with the on-water lead, and is south of the Old Head of Kinsale. Astern of her, Eric de Turckheim had double dominance of the monohulls, as his 54ft Teasing Machine continues all alone, now 33 miles ahead of the next boat, and making impressive progress at 12 knots south of Cork Harbour.

Sam & Andrew Hall’s Lombard 45 Pata Negra Photo: Afloat

Well astern off Youghal, the second in monohull honours has become a ding-dong between Sam & Andrew Hall’s Lombard 45 Pata Negra, Pete Smyth’s Ker 46 Reacher (RIYC) which won the race as Tonnere de Breskens in 2010, and is now battling neck-and-neck with Pata Negra and Mark Emerson’s Archambault 13 Phosphorus, which is of course the former Teasing Machine, giving Eric de Turckheim more skin in the game than most.

Mark Emerson’s Archambault 13 Phosphorus in pre-start mode off Wicklow Harbour Photo: Afloat

Pete Smyth’s Ker 46 Reacher (RIYC) Photo: Afloat

The simple picture of first on the water becomes much more complex when we transfer to Corrected Time at 0800hrs, and here Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) continues to maintain the overall lead she had going into the night, sailing steadily along the coast at some miles off Mine Head, and logging 7.9 knots.

Second overall in IRC will have them dancing in the streets back in Dun Laoghaire, as it goes at 0800 hrs to another Dublin Bay boat, Irish Offshore Sailing’s very veteran Sunfast 37 Desert Star, skippered by Ronan O Siochru, who has been having an excellent race from the off.

Irish Offshore Sailing’s very veteran Sunfast 37 Desert Star, skippered by Ronan O Siochru Photo: Afloat

Third overall is also due for special commendation, as it’s the Sunfast 3600 Bellino (Rob Craigie), co-sailed with RORC Commodore Deb Fish, and currently off Dungarvan at 7.5 knots to lead the Two-Handed Division and be in the frame overall, a remarkable achievement.

Currently off Dungarvan - the Sunfast 3600 Bellino (Rob Craigie), co-sailed with RORC Commodore Deb Fish Photo: Afloat

The Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo, the pride of Cork Harbour under the command of RCYC Admiral Annamarie Fegan and her husband Denis Murphy, has been consistent throughout to currently lie fourth overall on CT, and is currently in the group off Mine Head that includes Rockabill VI and defending champion from France, Laurent Charmy’s J/111 Fastwave.

Rockabill VI (left) with Kinsale double hander Cinnamon Girl in the choppy conditions off Wicklow Head after Saturday's start Photo: Afloat

Reigning ISORA champion Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) continues to maintain the overall corrected time lead Photo: Afloat

Class leaders at 0800 hrs were Teasing Machine (Class O), Pata Negra (Class I), Rockabill VI (Class 2), Bellino (Class 3) and Desert Star (Class 4). As to weather prospects, the current configuration best suits Teasing Machine, as she looks to be first to benefit from a developing southerly airflow along the southwest and west coasts.

Published in Round Ireland

Round Ireland Yacht Race Live Tracker 2024

Track the progress of the 2024 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 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