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

Round Ireland Yacht Race 2026 Opens With First US Entry, Three More Yachts Follow

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.

Round Ireland Yacht Race 2026 Opens With First US Entry, Three More Yachts Follow

14th January 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Hiroshi Nakajima aboard Hiro Maru at the start of the 2024 Round Ireland Yacht Race off Wicklow Head Credit: Afloat

The first yacht has entered the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race, nearly six months before the starting gun.

Hiro Maru, an S&S 49 owned by Hiroshi Nakajima, is a returning competitor from the United States.

The 2026 race starts on Saturday, 20 June from Wicklow Harbour. Monohulls will start at 13:00, followed by multihulls at 13:10.

Entries opened online on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.

Quickly following the American boat, three more yachts entered the race, including two British boats and the first Irish entry.

British entries include Finally, an Elan 350/360/E4 sailed by Paul Kitteringham, and J’Ouvért, a J/112E crewed by Simon Harris and Charles Linard. Ireland is now represented by Prime Suspect, a Mills 36 Custom from Kilmore Quay sailed by Keith Miller with Tom O’Connor and Donal McLoughlin.

Prime Suspect, a Mills 36 Custom from Kilmore Quay, sailed by Keith Miller with Tom O’Connor and Donal McLoughlin, becomes the first Irish entry for the Round Ireland Yacht Race.

Organised by Wicklow Sailing Club with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the event covers 704 nautical miles.

Yachts will race clockwise around Ireland, leaving all islands to starboard, except Rockall.

The race carries international status, awarding 20 bonus points towards the RORC Season’s Championship.

As Afloat reported earlier, handicap racing will be run under IRC, Class 40 and MOCRA rules.

Race Organiser Kyran O'Grady has issued a special appeal for Class 40 racers to return for the Wicklow race.

Eligible monohulls must measure at least 9.15 metres and hold valid IRC certificates. Multihulls of 9 metres or more must have MOCRA ratings.

“The race is open to experienced offshore crews only,” the Notice of Race states.

Crews must provide evidence of at least 300 nautical miles offshore and complete required safety training, including sea survival and first aid.

A Two-Handed Class is available, though organisers may assess crew competence.

Entry fees start at €600, depending on boat length, with a €300 non-refundable deposit.

Early-bird discounts apply until 31 March. Final entries close on 31 May.

Safety inspections will take place in Wicklow and Dun Laoghaire from 17 June.

All yachts must carry AIS transponders and official tracking equipment.

Prize-giving will be held on Friday, 26 June at Wicklow Sailing Club.

The full Notice of Race is available here

Published in Round Ireland

Round Ireland Yacht Race Live Tracker 2026

Track the progress of the 2026 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 Yacht Race

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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