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 2022 Race Updates from Wicklow Sailing Club

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 2022 Race Updates from Wicklow Sailing Club

New Date for Golden Oldie Round Ireland Show in Dublin

27th March 2019 Round Ireland

The unavoidably-postponed show in March by owner-skipper (and restorer) Darryl Hughes, of the classic 1937 43ft Tyrrell of Arklow ketch Maybird’s remarkable achievement in becoming (in 2018) the first gaff-rigged (and oldest) boat to complete the Round Ireland Race, has…

The 81-year-old gaff ketch Maybird on the finish line of the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018

Maybird Round Ireland show on Tuesday at DBOGA Poolbeg Cancelled

10th March 2019 Round Ireland

The talk by Darryl Hughes of his veteran gaff ketch Maybird’s much-celebrated participation in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018, to be hosted by the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association at Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club on Tuesday 12th March,…

Smoothly away. The Defence Forces’ crew in the J/109 Joker II going well at the start of the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018 at Wicklow. But in order to be there, they’d to use military principles to fit their preparations into a very tight time-frame. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien

How Military Principles Helped the Defence Forces Win in Sailing in 2018

25th January 2019 W M Nixon

It was while crossing the Atlantic on the Sail Training Brigantine Asgard II during a celestial navigation module of his Naval Service education in 1999 that Barry Byrne had something of an epiphany writes W M Nixon. He’d been introduced…

Eighth IMOCA in Build as Nicolas Troussel Announces New Boat

16th January 2019 Vendee Globe

An eighth new IMOCA being built, 2018 Round Ireland Race competitor Nicolas Troussel has confirmed. There will be at least eight new generation IMOCAs lining up at the start of the 2020 Vendée Globe. The latest announcement comes from Nicolas…

The INSS Jedi team pictured shortly after the Round Ireland start off Wicklow

Wicklow Sailing Set for Round Ireland Man Overboard Lecture on Saturday

10th January 2019 Round Ireland

Anticipation is building ahead of Saturday’s talk in Wicklow Sailing Club about the Lesson learnt on board Jedi in the Round Ireland Yacht Race. As Afloat.ie reported previously, the INSS Jedi team have been meeting frequently to ensure no detail…

The J109 Jedi starts the 2018 Round Ireland race prior to a man overboard during the 700-mile race

Round Ireland Crewman Swept Overboard Lecture: Lessons Learned on J109 Jedi

4th January 2019 Round Ireland

On the 29th of June 2018, Jedi, the highly competitive J109, started the Round Ireland Yacht Race in stunning sunshine and a fresh northerly breeze propelling her down the East coast of Ireland. Little did her seasoned crew comprising of…

Home again – solo sailor Richard Hayes in his Ireland-circumnavigating Laser is welcomed back to Rinville and Galway Bay Sailing Club

The Smallest Boats To Sail Round Ireland – A Story of Courage & Character

22nd September 2018 Round Ireland

The contrast could not have been greater writes W M Nixon. On Friday, September 14th on Ireland’s relatively sheltered East Coast, 302 Laser dinghies came in from Dublin Bay to Dun Laoghaire’s elegant and busy harbour to conclude the penultimate day’s…

Corum, a French entry in the 2018 Round Ireland race. Wicklow Sailing Club has announced dates for the 2020 race this month

Round Ireland Yacht Race 2020 Date is June 20

14th September 2018 Round Ireland

Wicklow Sailing Club has written to competitors and supporters alike to fix the date of the 2020 Round Ireland race as Saturday, June 20 2020. Ireland's classic 700-mile offshore race has been buoyed up by some bumper fleets over the…

A grand fair wind drives the 80-year-old classic gaff ketch Maybird across the Wicklow finish line to set an extended Volvo Round Ireland Race record of 9 days 22 hours and 35 minutes

Golden Oldie Maybird’s Round Ireland Race Achievement to be Celebrated at her Arklow Birthplace

19th July 2018 Round Ireland

When the 1937-vintage Tyrrell of Arklow-built 43ft gaff ketch Maybird (Darryl Hughes) finally crossed the line at Wicklow last week to record the longest-ever time for a Volvo Round Ireland Race, little did her crew of eight expect that their…

Maybird has finally got back to Wicklow in a time of nine days and 22 hours

Golden Oldie Maybird Sets New Round Ireland Record

11th July 2018 Round Ireland

Everyone thought that while the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018 from Wicklow was one of the most interesting and unusual ever staged in the race’s 38-year history, it was assumed that no record had been broken writes W M Nixon.…

Going for it. Baraka GP may have looked every inch a winner as she settled down after the start going past Wicklow Head, but she experienced many reversals of fortune before moving into the overall lead for the final 180 miles

Yet Again, the Round Ireland Race Serves Up Something New

6th July 2018 Round Ireland

The Volvo Round Ireland Race from Wicklow back in 2016 was something of a unicorn event writes W M Nixon. George David’s majestic Rambler 88 took mono-hull line honours, the new mono-hull course record, and the overall IRC win -…

The Defence Forces crew on Joker II has moved up to second overall

Defence Forces Crew on 'Joker II' Move up to Second as Round Ireland Results are Recalculated

6th July 2018 Round Ireland

Wicklow Sailing Club says a 'clerical error' on the tracker site for its Volvo Round Ireland Race that provisionally showed the Dublin J122 Aurelia in second place overall on IRC Handicap has now been 'rectified'. The recalculation puts the Defence…

The successful two-handed Dehler 34 Big Deal from Foynes (Derek and Conor Dillon) just after setting her spinnaker shortly after the start of the Volvo Round Ireland race 2018. All loose lines were soon aboard

Foynes Two-Handed Crew Get Really Big Deal Out of Round Ireland Race

6th July 2018 Round Ireland

The final 90-mile leg of the Round Ireland course, from the South Rock off the County Down coast direct to the Wicklow pierheads, is often the most frustrating writes W M Nixon. You feel the finish is almost within sight,…

Afloat.ie coverage for the 2018 Round Ireland Race had over 30,000 visitors

30,000 Readers Tune in to Afloat.ie's Round Ireland Race Coverage

5th July 2018 Round Ireland

Afloat.ie had over 30,000 unique visitors to its dedicated Round Ireland Race section of the national boating website for the 2018 race. According to site analytics, readers have been seeking out the in-depth analysis contained in this week's 16-race reports by Afloat's W M…

Commandant Barry Byrne (right) with his father Shea in Wicklow Sailing Club, May 2017. Photo: Angela Higgins

Round Ireland Racers for Defence Forces Make the Grade in Final Miles to Wicklow

5th July 2018 Round Ireland

Along the Leinster coast, the summer sea breeze from various points in the east can get a boost from the enormous heat storage unit that is the Greater Dublin area writes W M Nixon. But it’s not something to be…

Mayo entry Blackshell Farm (Louis Mulloy) (above) is chasing Yannick Lemonnier in Port of Galway in the race to be the smallest boat ever to have sailed round Ireland non-stop

Round Ireland Race Focus Swings to the Services, Two-handers, Sailing Schools & Minis

5th July 2018 Round Ireland

Three of the primary positions are now resolved in the 20th Round Ireland Race writes W M Nixon. Niall Dowling (Royal Irish YC) has repeated the remarkable George David/Rambler 88 double of 2016 by taking both Line Honours and the…

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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