Wednesday 1900hrs: When Pete Smyth and his weary and calm-plagued crew with the Ker 46 Searcher finally finished the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race at 15:32 this (Wednesday) afternoon, it was intriguing to note that they'd sailed 63 miles less than the 824 NM logged by Eric de Turckheim's line honours winner NYMD 54 Teasing Machine.

The crew of Pete Symth's Searcher, fresh from their Round Ireland finish in Wicklow this afternoon, are congratulated on their performance on return to the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour by RIYC Commodore Tim Carpenter and Rear Commodore Sailing Colin Galavan Photo:  Ann Kirwan

Yet Teasing Machine – in a wellnigh faultless race with the conditions she had to deal with – was all of 19 hours and ten minutes ahead on the water of the admittedly smaller boat, but one which has shown she can take on bigger craft with aplomb.

OFF-THE-WALL BUSINESS

That said, the final times outcome of this duel shows just what a totally off-the-wall business offshore handicap racing round a 704-mile circuit course in Ireland's latitude and location can be.

And beyond that, it's just remotely possible that Searcher's position at second overall on IRC isn't totally secure, as the developing storm (called Jimmy by Afloat.ie purely for convenience and its Scottish destinations) might just provide the crazy place-leaping conditions for one boat.

THE SPECIAL ONE?

Step forward Irish Offshore Sailing's veteran Sun Fast 37 Desert Star, rating just 0.953 The classic circular shape of the overnight wind pattern, as the low moves northeast, means that being in the right place at the right time as the southwesterly wind veers slowly but steadily to the northwest could provide a close reach down the North Channel after Rathlin is passed, and then another close reach – with sheets easing all the way – down the Irish Sea from the South Rock to the finish for a boat that isn't excessively fast, but is no slouch either.

CREW MUST MATCH SKIPPER

Of course, she needs good crewing in addition to the other attributes which saw her come a very close second in Class in the 2021 Fastnet Race. And tonight everyone is going to be put to the test, for the fleet still racing are in for some very grown-up sailing with decidedly adult winds.

Desert Star under skipper Ronan O Siochru from Dun Laoghaire Photo: Afloat

But if Desert Star's trainee crew can match the pace set by skipper Ronan O Siochru and his equally tough second-in-command Conor Totterdell, then it might turn out to be a night "interesting" in the Chinese sense, and even beyond the point that a powerful yet unstable airflow may provide more than some can handle.

MORE IMPONDERABLE THAN EVER

In introducing this year's race, we talked about "imponderables", aware that the Met people had admitted they were much less sure than usual about what this week might bring. For Storm Jimmy was then just a restless airmass of many contrasting forces out in the Atlantic. Now he has pulled himself together with real vigour, and we'll see a demanding night of it.