Wednesday 1230 hrs: The meteorological community is in a state of excitement. With climate change and weird weather generally, we’d thought that old-fashioned clearcut low pressure areas heading slightly north of east across the Atlantic were a thing of the past as our weather world battled with Jetstream befuddlement.

But today, there’s dancing in the streets outside Met Eireann’s pyramid HQ in Glasnevin (designed incidentally by legendary Donegal sailing man Liam McCormick). For all the forecasts are agreeing that there’s a low pressure area which will drop to 982, and it’s heading remorselessly for the mid-Hebrides during the next 36 hours.

TEXTBOOK LOW PRESSURE

It’s a textbook example of a weather system of its type. In fact, it will probably end up as a textbook example, as its passing through is already having a profound effect on the final stages of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race.

For although Eric de Turckheim’s 54ft Teasing Machine took line honours at Wicklow yesterday evening at 1921 while Pete Smyth’s Ker 46 Searcher still struggles towards the finish, thanks to light winds on the west coast most of the rest of the fleet are well spread out between Northwest Mayo and Northeast Dongeal, with the only boat now past Rathlin Island being the USA’s Greg Leonard with the leading Class 40 Swift, and he’s making only 5.9 knots southeast despite a favourable tide.

Biggies battling. First 50 Checkmate XX crossing ahead of J/121 Darkwood off Eagle island in far Mayo

Those still in the northwest generally persisted in crawling along in the evening and night’s light airs towards Tory Island, knowing that the further they got along the course, the better would be their circumstances if the approaching low provides a real gale.

Others reckoned it might produce a gale-plus, and a few have retired. But off Eagle Island some put in a short board to the northwest in the hope of finding the first fingers of the new wind, and then tacked to keep making nor’east as fast as possible.

OPPORTUNITY FROM A PROBLEM?

Yet where others saw the building low pressure as a problem, Royal Cork Admiral Annamarie Fegan and her band of toughs aboard the comfortable but heavyish Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo saw an opportunity. They didn’t pussyfoot about with a token tack to the northwest. On the contrary, they sailed towards Greenland until the developing skyscape and sharpening new breeze told them it was time to tack as they’d met the outliers of the deepening low.

This was at 0522 this morning (Wednesday), and they’d gone so far nor’west they were on the edge of the Continental Shelf, a place you won’t often see boats racing in the Round Ireland race. Yet with 8.4 knots on the dial and a course sailed well offshore, Nieulargo carried the first strong fingers of the new wind along her own private route.

A HELLUVA FINE SAIL

But by the time she re-joined the fleet at Tory Island towards lunchtime today, it was a moot point whether they’d gained anything much with their might leap northwestward. However, like the whaling skipper who went clean round the world without catching a thing, at least they’d had a helluva fine sail.

Paul O’Higgins superstar JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) is back on top form after a softer sjowing on the west coast, and is at Malin Head leading a bunch of bigger craft Photo: Afloat

Meanwhile among those sailing more conservative races, Paul O’Higgins superstar JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) is back on top form after a softer sjowing on the west coast, and is at Malin Head leading a bunch of bigger craft, and lying first in IRC1 and third overall after Teasing Machine and Searcher in 1 & 2.

TWO-HAND LADER BELLINO BACK TO FIFTH OVERALL

This means that the two-hander Sun Fast 3600 Bellino (Rob Craigie and Deb Fish (just east of Tory Island) is now down the overall rankings to 5th, while continuing to lead the two-handers from Kinsale’s Cinnamon Girl, which is just west of Tory.

Irish Offshore Sailing’s veteran Sunfast 37 Desert Star (Ronan O’Siochru & Conor Totterdell) was another boat which went lumpy off West Connacht, but she’s now making 7.0 knots off Aranmore, is back the lead in IRC 4 and fourth overall between Rockabill and Bellino, and with a rating of just .953, she’s doing mighty well.

SEARCHER BECALMED

As for Searcher, she’s currently becalmed 20 miles from the finish, but along the north coast the bulk of the fleet – having found themselves to be lab guinea pigs in a giant meteorological experiment, are making best speed to get round the corner and south down the North Channel as fast as they can away from the most hectic scene of the action. That said, anyone who thinks the North Channel is “sheltered water” in heavy wind-over-tide conditions is deluding themselves

STORM JIMMY?

The low pressure area meanwhile remains an object of meteorological perfection. With any luck it will pass north of Glasgow, and thereby only give eastern Ireland winds of useful rather than over-powering strength. But if it becomes vigorous enough to require a name, then surely it can only be Storm Jimmy?

PIMMS FOR PETE

It only needs a tiny push from Jimmy to get Searcher across the line at a civilised time. In that case, a Wednesday finish at Wicklow gives her crew plenty of time to celebrate there and still be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to make their debut at the Royal Irish YC Regatta on Saturday (June 29th), when the strawberries and cream will be piled in abundance, and the Pimms will be pouring like Niagara.