Monday 07:30hrs - When the Round Ireland leader on the water, the Botin 56 Khumbu, came past the Fastnet Rock at 2100 hrs last (Sunday) night, her crew were encouraged by the broadly easterly breeze holding up sufficiently to give them a reasonable though not spectacular reaching speed sailing the coasts of West Cork and then the big country of Kerry.
Fastnet First — The Botin 56 Khumbu off Fastnet Rock on Sunday evening during the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race. The race leader on the water reached Ireland's most famous offshore landmark as fading winds threatened to slow progress around the southwest corner. Photo: Barry Hayes.
This very useful combination of the sometimes light but still very-much-present gradient easterly, reinforced by the night breeze off the land, was able to keep things moving, and by 0630 hrs this (Monday) morning, Khumbu was on course for the Atlantic seaboard with the Blaskets abeam 9 hours 30 minutes after the Fastnet, and a speed good enough to have her finally breaking the 500 miles DTF barrier soon after.
All Hands — Crew aboard the Botin 56 Khumbu work through a manoeuvre during the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race. The line honours leader was first to round Fastnet Rock and continued to set the pace around Ireland's west coast on Monday morning
Next in line, though now significantly astern, were Frank Whelan’s Sydney 43 El Syd from Greystones, sailing with a quartet of Class 40s led by VSF Sports from Maccaferri Futura.
IRC LEADERBOARD’S REMORSELESS STORY
But the IRC leaderboard tells its own remorseless story. Leading overall and off Dursey Head at 07:00 hrs this morning, Johnny & Suzie Murphy’s J/109 Outrajeous (HYC) was battling for the IRC overall lead with Mike Evans J/112e The Big Picture (HYC), and the steadily improving scow bow Courrier Pogo from France (Gery Trentesaux, RYS).
Afterguard Focus — Courrier Pogo RC skipper Gery Trentesaux (left) and Irish offshore sailor Tom Dolan during the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race. The French entry was among the leading contenders for IRC overall honours as the fleet headed north along the Atlantic seaboard Photo: Afloat
Irish Charge — Sam Hunt keeps watch from the transom of the JPK 10.30 Loinnir Girl at the start of the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race. By Monday morning, the Lough Ree and Kinsale campaign was among the leading Irish contenders on IRC corrected time. Photo: Afloat
Yesterday evening’s IRC leader Sunrise (Tom Kneen RIYC) is still in contention, but Loinnir Girl from Lough Ree/Kinsale is ahead of her on CT, as now is Chris Power Smith’s J/122 Aurelia (RStGYC).
Quiet Climb — Ian Hickey's Granada 38 Cavatina makes steady progress during the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race. While the fleet's larger boats battled for line honours, the Cork entry continued to improve her position on IRC corrected time. Photo:Afloat
CAVATINA CONTINUES TO MOVE UP THE RANKINGS
We’re now at the stage where these overall placings are having increasing meaning, and it’s worth noting that despite her good night on the ocean off Kerry, Khumbu lies 33rd overall on IRC, while her rival at the other very far end of the ratings scale, Ian Hickey’s Granada 38 Cavatina from Cork and rating just 0.921, is steadily closing on the Fastnet while lying 21st overall on CT, and counting towards a continuing improvement in her overall placing.
But there’s still a long way to go, and while the helpful easterly may persist off the West Coast, in places it’s both showing as - and forecasting to be - very soft indeed.
