One month to go before the start of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race on Monday 23rd August 2010. No Irish entries. Why not?

30 yachts representing 7 nations (Spain, France, Sweden, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Great Britain) to date
Crews from many more...

Largest entry from one country: GBR (16), 4 from The Netherlands

3 x Volvo Open 70s

1 x IMOCA Open 60 (2006 Race Line Honours Artemis Ocean Racing)

2 x Class 40s

Competitors ranging from world champions, racing ‘rock stars’ to newcomers to the sport

Crews include veteran RORC offshore racers with 25 Fastnet Races under their belt to groups of friends and family

Young talent – Class 40 Concise, British Keelboat Academy’s TP 52, John Merricks II and the team on Relentless on Incisor

Largest: record breaker – Mike Slade’s 100ft Maxi – ICAP Leopard (GBR) with Sam Davies racing on board

Smallest: J109 Arethusa (NED), Ostar 35, In Direzione Ostinata e Contraria (ITA)

An international fleet of 30 yachts will line up for the start off the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race – a non-stop race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club

Course 1,802nm

Most competitors are taking part for the challenge but some, like ICAP Leopard, will be out to break another record
Follow the fleet via the online tracker and play the Virtual Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race Game

For full information on the race go to: sevenstar.rorc.org/

ENTRIES AS AT 25.7.10:
Flag Boat Name Owner/Skipper Design
SWE Alicia Jonas Sandberg First 50
NED Arethusa Cornelis Mijs J 109
NED Beluga Floris Ingen Housz Baltic 45
GBR British Soldier Army Sailing Assoc/Tim Hill A 40
AUT Celox 40 Gottfried Pössl Class 40
GBR Change of Course Keith Gibbs C & C 115
GBR Cheeki Rafiki Stormforce Coaching/Doug Innes First 40.7
GBR Concise 2 Tony Lawson/Tom Gall Class 40
GBR CV 10 Clipper Ventures Clipper 68
GBR CV 5 Clipper Ventures Clipper 68
SLOV/AUT E1 Aegyd Pengg Volvo Open 70
GBR Encore Steven Anderson First 40.7
GBR Fair Do’s VII John Shepherd Ker 46
FRA Groupama Franck Cammas Volvo Open 70
ITA In Direzione Ostinata E Contraria Luca Zoccoli Ostar 35
GBR John B Charles Ivill Grand Soleil 54
GBR John Merricks II British Keelboat Academy/Luke McCarthy TP 52
GBR ICAP Leopard Mike Slade Maxi 100
GBR Orca Tom Hayhoe & Natalie Jobling Class 40
GBR Playing Around Logic Sailing Logic/Peter Robson First 40.7
GBR Relentless on Incisor Chris Radford/James George Corby 45
GBR Selene Adrian Lower Swan 44
GBR Sonic Boom II Simon Brady Figaro II
ESP Telefónica Blue Iker Martinez Volvo Open 70
NED Tonnerre de Breskens 3 Piet Vroon Ker 46
FRA Vecteur Plus Nicolas Groleau Mach 45
GBR Visit Malta Puma Sailing Logic/Philippe Falle Reflex 38
NED Winsome Harry Heijst S&S 41
TBC:
LTU Ambersail Simonas Steponavicius VO60
Ocean of Smiles Michel Lebrun & Christophe Bullens ECO IMOCA 60

Myabe it is symptomatic of the current malaise in the Irish economy. 2 years ago we were talking of 3 Irish teams in the Commodore's Cup. This year there is one! I understand that the entry to this year's Cork Week was significantly down on previous years and while the suggestion was that the overseas entry was the missing component, I'm sure that many local boats were of the same opinion.

Have we had a significant presence in the Round Britain & Ireland in times past?

You could ask the same question in reverse about the Round Ireland

I seem to think that this column did..........though possibly not as overtly! Again the suggestion was that in a significant anniversary year for the event, the entry level was low!!

As far as I know Ireland never had a great interest in the race but I dont know why not. Its a great race and dont think that its the financial problems in Ireland thats to blame. I seem to remember Denis Doyle telling me once about a Duster doing the race round Britain and Ireland. All the best Derek now sailing in Guatemala