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 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 Race Updates from Wicklow Sailing Club

Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill IV was four miles past Tory Island at noon, and she may make gains on those ahead, as she won’t start to feel the adverse tide until she gets to Inishtrahull

High Noon & High Water In The North Channel As Battle Of The Tides Takes Over Round Ireland Race 2016

21st June 2016 Round Ireland

Day four noon: They talk of tidal gates at various stages of the Volvo Round Ireland Race, but in those narrow seas between Ireland and Scotland which are the North Channel, for smaller craft the tides can be a complete…

Pegasus of Northumberland showing what she can do when conditions are right. Yet in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016, the hugely experienced crew of Teasing Machine have managed to stay ahead of her, and are still in front as they approach Tory Island.

Long Run On A Long Coastline – Volvo Round Ireland Race Continues Along The West Coast

20th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day3 2030 Today has seen surfeit of drama at Wicklow writes W M Nixon, and all of it with a happy ending. The new day dawned to find the three MOD 70s had finished the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016…

Rambler 88 finished the Round Ireland Race today to set a new monohull record

American Yacht Rambler 88 Sets New Round Ireland Monohull Record & New Race Record

20th June 2016 Round Ireland

The progress of George David’s Rambler 88 down the North Channel and the Irish Sea today has been remorseless, with the big silver boat ticking off waypoints like an express train closely on schedule writes W M Nixon. With the…

Paul O’Higgins new Rockabill VI, skippered by Mark Pettit, has been going well, as she lies sixth overall.

Tougher Trading Terms For The Smaller Boats In The Volvo Round Ireland

20th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 3 15.30: The smaller boats in the Volvo Round Ireland had a stressful time last night and through this morning off the southwest coast writes W M Nixon. With the veering and fading wind around them putting the bigger…

Here she comes – Rambler 88 passes Larne off the Antrim coast near 'The Maidens' rocks at 6.30am this morning. See video below

Rambler 88 On Track For New Round Ireland Monohull Record

20th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 3 1200hrs You lose a major record on one side of the Atlantic one day, so you simply establish a new one on the other side of the ocean the next afternoon. That’s the way it is with the irrepressible…

Dawn of a great new era. Damian Foxall (left) and Sidney Gavignet (centre) and their shipmates from Musandan-Oman in he early morning in Wicklow today after taking line honours in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016 and shattering the boats’s own Round Ireland Record established in May 2015.

OmanSail MOD70 Crew Celebrate Beating Their Own Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record

20th June 2016 Round Ireland

Arriving back in Wicklow Bay, after a thrilling contest with the other MOD70s, Phaedo and Concise, for most of the 700 nautical Volvo Round Ireland mile course, Sidney Gavignet’s crew were exhausted but exhilarated by their victory and the new…

Sidney Gavignet's Musandam-Oman Sail broke its own record time this morning

Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record Smashed by MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail

20th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 3 0600hrs Sidney Gavignet's Musandam-Oman Sail set an historic new record for the fastest-ever sail round Ireland when he crossed the Volvo Round Ireland Race finish line at Wicklow in just 38 hours, 37 minutes and 7 seconds smashing their own 2015 record by an…

Oman Sail crew celebrate at dawn off Wicklow

New Round Ireland Record Is Very Special For Damian Foxall

20th June 2016 Round Ireland

A Round Ireland record is something to be sailed at speed – and incredible speeds they are too these days – then recorded with precision, but in due course savoured and analysed at leisure writes W M Nixon. At 0347hrs…

Desperado of Cowes has retired from the Round Ireland race as a result of sail damage. She is one of ten boats out of the race so far.

Ten Boats Out of Round Ireland Race, Gear Failure & Ill Crew Cited

19th June 2016 Round Ireland

After 36 hours of racing the 63–boat Volvo Round Ireland fleet has been reduced by ten. Official retirals to date are: 1 Sun 12.30 Trilogic retired and returning to Dunlaoghaire – Gear sail problems 2 Sun 15.33 Xanadu retired to…

Scroll down the page for video interview with Damian Foxall

'Our Mission is to Win The Round Ireland' – Damian Foxall, OmanSail MOD70 (VIDEO)

19th June 2016 Round Ireland

Three high speed MOD70s are closing in on the Volvo Round Ireland Race finish line at Wicklow, for what might yet be a record breaking time, early tomorrow morning. In an exclusive pre–start video (below) for Afloat.ie, Digby Fox interviewed County…

Round Ireland Update: Some Of The Round Ireland Race Winds Are Missing Their Targets

19th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 2 1730hrs: According to many weather forecasters, right now we should be getting a fine hearty breeze from the south to southwest all along the south coast as the day’s rain clears to the eastward writes W M Nixon. Yet…

Hugo Karlsson-Smythe skipper of Trilogic Offshore Racing has retired from the Round Ireland race due to gear difficulties

Two Round Ireland Race Retirals After 24 Hours Racing

19th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 2 1000hrs: After 24 hours of racing in the Volvo Round Ireland Race office there have been two retirals, one multihull and one monohull from the total fleet of 63–boats racing. Multihill skipper Hugo Smythe from the entry Trilogic reported…

Class 4 is led by the superb performance of the Union Chandlery–sponsored Conor and Derek Dillon in Big Deal from Foynes Yacht Club

Round Ireland Day Two: Things Went Bump In The Night For Round Ireland Placings

19th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 2 1000hrs: As anticipated in our midnight posting writes W M Nixon, the imminent onset of the stronger ebb in the Tuskar Rock/Carnsore Point area favoured the smaller boats in the 63-strong Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race fleet, and this…

Round Ireland Trimaran Phaedo3 Passes Skelligs At 25–Knots

19th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 2 6am: During the night MOD70 trimaran Phaedo3 held onto to its second place on the water in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016. The three trimarans are led by British MOD70 entry Team Concise. This morning the Lloyd…

Into the first night of the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016, and Eric de Turckheim’s Teasing Machine continues to be towards the top of the corrected time reckonings, leading IRC overall at 2350hrs Saturday

Round Ireland Update: Offshore Accounts With The Wexford Banks Didn’t Pay Off

18th June 2016 Round Ireland

Day 1 2350hrs: The longest beach in Ireland runs south along the Wexford coast from Cahore Point all the way down to Wexford harbour itself writes W M Nixon. It’s pushing towards twenty miles and more in length, but through…

Today's Round Ireland 2016 start line showing a busy committee boat end. There was a southerly 10–knot breeze with a two knot tide pushing boats over the line

How to Make a Start in a Big Boat – Lessons 1 to 7

18th June 2016 Round Ireland

The nearer you were to today’s start of the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016, the more amazing it all seemed. Yet it was difficult to see clearly what was happening as Teasing Machine and the mighty Rambler 88 came slicing through…

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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