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

Four Bursary Sailors Join Spirit Of Shackleton Campaign

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.

Four Bursary Sailors Join Spirit Of Shackleton Campaign

17th June 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Next Generation — Max Rauniomaki O'Bairéad is one of four bursary sailors joining Spirit of Shackleton as the Round Ireland Race launches a year-long ocean adventure programme Credit: Atlantic Shackleton

The 2026 Round Ireland Race will mark the start of a year-long sailing and youth development programme aboard the Spirit of Shackleton. The 70-foot yacht is among up to 60 entries set to start the 704-nautical-mile offshore classic from Wicklow at 1400hrs on Saturday.

Race Launch — David O'Reilly will join Spirit of Shackleton as the 70-foot yacht begins its year-long youth sailing and exploration campaign from Wicklow.

Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine Timmy Dooley TD will be aboard the naval vessel LÉ Samuel Beckett for the race start off Wicklow Head.

Spirit of Shackleton will race with an all-island crew of 16 led by skipper Enda O'Coineen and sailing master Bobby Beggs. The campaign aims to connect young people with the ocean through adventure sailing and exploration. Among the crew are four bursary sailors selected by the Spirit of Shackleton Foundation: Simone Daranyi, David O'Reilly, Max Rauniomaki O'Bairéad and Luca Kavanagh.

Bursary Crew — Simone Daranyi is among four young sailors selected to join Spirit of Shackleton for the Round Ireland Race and wider ocean adventure programme.

The Foundation says the programme is designed to create opportunities for the next generation of Irish sailors and explorers. Following the race, the yacht will embark on a 12-month voyage covering Irish waters, Spain, the Canary Islands and the South Atlantic.

The itinerary includes the Falklands, Antarctica, Argentina, Chile, Peru, the Galápagos, Panama, Antigua, Bermuda and the Azores before returning to Ireland in June 2027. The expedition will be divided into 14 legs, allowing crews to join and leave at various stages of the journey.

Ocean Opportunity — Luca Kavanagh is among the bursary sailors selected for Spirit of Shackleton's Round Ireland Race campaign and 12-month programme of ocean exploration.

O'Coineen said the Round Ireland Race was an ideal starting point for the project. "The Round Ireland Race is the toughest and most rewarding way imaginable to begin this journey," he said. "We're not just racing, we're opening a doorway."

"Over the next year this crew, and the many who'll join us along the way, will sail in the true spirit of Shackleton – with courage, leadership and a sense of shared adventure."

Applications remain open for sailors wishing to join future legs of the voyage, while bursary opportunities and programme support are also available.

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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