Displaying items by tag: Round Ireland
Leaders Power Up the West Coast
Just over half the fleet have rounded the Fastnet Rock in the Conway Media Round Ireland Yacht Race, with the leaders stretching their legs in plenty of breeze up the west coast. With between 14 and 20 knots of wind from an average direction of 200 degrees, those that have pointed their noses north up the west coast have been able to pull away, with Tonnerre de Breskens now 40 miles clear of the nearest challenger on the water, the Open 60 Spirit of Rosslare Europort. Tonnerre is off Slyne Head, with yesterday's overall leader, Inis Mor, 55 miles behind the leader and both are heading inshore, which would seem to be the smart thing to do, keeping them in the stronger band of wind for longer.
French Yacht Inis Mor is among the leaders at the halfway stage of this week's Round Ireland Race. Photo: Bob Bateman
The winds look like lightening and veering, which would mean the boats further inshore would not only be in stronger wind for longer, but when it does drop and veer, they will be on a hotter angle up the west coast than those further out.
The leader is now almost at the halfway point in terms of distance, while the boat bringing up the rear has covered approximately 25% of the total distance, a spread from top to bottom of 175 miles.
The top four are spread out over 70 miles, with fifth to eighth all within six miles of each other. From eleventh back, the fleet snakes from Dursey Island all the way back to Glandore.
Have your say on the racing in our forum thread HERE.
The race tracker is HERE, and the official site is HERE.
Results at 1500hrs yesterday are the most recent provided:
Overall 1st Inis Mor
2nd Visit Malta Puma
3rd Tonnerre de Breskens 3
IRC 0 Inis Mor
IRC 1 Visit Malta Puma
IRC 2 Psipsina
IRC 3 Alchimiste
Class 4 Cruisers Cavatina
Class 5 Classics Cavatina
Class 6 Sigma 38 Persistance
Class 7 Two Handed Daft.com
Water Rat Predicts the Round Ireland Winner
In my opinion it's Inis Mor this year for overall honours in the Conway Media Round Ireland Race. If there isn’t a parking lot after Rathlin, they should hold their time on the guys ahead. It seems to me that they have sailed very smartly - less distance by keeping close to the rhumbline. While Tonnerre is making good speed they are getting too far west and any southwesterly in the wind will slow them down. I think that Spirit is all over the place. Closest to Inis Mor is Fujitsu and may challenge up the west coast but Inis Mor know the course well and are savvy sailors. PS Dont rule out Cavatina Just yet!
Add your own prediction, join our forum thread here or comment below!
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht RaceMidday Results Give French Skipper the Lead
Bernard & Laurent Guoy lead the standings after a full day's racing in the Round Ireland Yacht Race on corrected time in their boat Inis Mor, which is currently second on the water behind Tonnerre de Breskens. The Race Office has issued a provisional listings at midday, with Inis More leading overall and in class 1, with Eric Lisson's Cavatina ieading IRC 3, and both the cruisers class 4 and classics class 5. The Class 40 of Daft.com leads the double-handers.
Dutch entry Tonnere de Breskens has opened up a 13-mile gap on the chasers, and that is likely to widen if they can get cleanly around the Fastnet and into freer breeze that would allow them hoist spinnaker and begin a long downwind leg up the west coast. Another boat dying for some downwind action will be the Open 60 Spirit of Rosslare Europort, which is hurting in the light airs upwind and close hauled sailing to date, which forces them to sail big angles.
Inis Mor has taken an inshore line and may well lose some ground against the leading pack if forced to tack out, which is highly likely unless there is a major swing left. Following her line are a pack of three boats, Aquelina, Pride of Wicklow and Visit Malta Puma.
Fujitsu is one of the few boats that may not have to put in any major maneoevres ahead of the Fastnet, having gone far offshore early on. It looks like they can now straight-line to the corner, which may allow them gain some good ground on the boats closer to the Cork/Kerry coast.They are currently placed eight on the water, but depending on angles, they may leapfrog ahead of Inis Mor and the three boats in pursuit of her when those boats tack out to clear the land.
We're keen to get comment and feedback on our forum thread started this morning HERE.
The race tracker is HERE, and the official site is HERE.
RESULTS:
Overall Inis Mor
IRC 1 Inis Mor
IRC 2 Lula Belle
IRC 3 Cavatina
Class 4 Cruisers Cavatina
Class 5 Classics Cavatina
Class 6 Sigma 38 Persistance
Class 7 Two Handed Daft.com
Ten Thousand Descend on Wicklow Town for Round Ireland Start
Organisers say over ten thousand people flocked to Wicklow Town this weekend to celebrate the Conway Media Round Ireland Yacht Race, the longest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar.
With the 2010 race marking the landmark 30th anniversary of the country’s most gruelling sailing challenge, there was a lot of excitement across the country as the yachts set sail from Wicklow Bay today (Sunday 20th June 2010) at noon.
While the splendid weather and 36 yachts setting sail from Wicklow Harbour made for excellent viewing conditions, the light winds could mean the race will take longer than last year.
The fastest yacht completed the 704-mile, non-stop race in less than three days last year; this year race organisers believe it is more likely to be closer to four days.
25% of entrants this year are returning contestants hoping to make history on this milestone occasion. With boats from France, Netherlands, UK as well as from all coasts of Ireland already signed up, Race organiser Denis Noonan, running his sixth event, is confident this promises to be an interesting race.
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht RaceRound Ireland Start Photos Here!
Photographer Bob Bateman was in among the fleet for the start of this afternoon's Wicklow's Round Ireland Race. A perfect start in light conditions across Wicklow Bay. His photos below and also on the gallery here.
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht RaceRound Ireland Race 2010 - They're Off!
Dutch race veteran Piet Vroon's Tonerre de Breskens III made the most of the light northerlies at start time to take the advantage in the opening minutes of this year's Round Ireland race at Wicklow today. The fleet are sailing south now to the Tuskar rock and only one of the 37 boats has gone offshore, presumably in search of stronger wind. The bulk are tightly bunched along the Wicklow shoreline to escape the worse of an adverse tide with an expectation that winds are to turn southerly this evening. Start photos on afloat.ie gallery shortly. Tracker here (and screen grab below taken three hours after the start). Mike Broughton's race forecast here.
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht Race
Stronger winds will bring the Round Ireland 2010 fleet home earlier than expected and it will be a fascinating, tactical race, says Wind guru Mike Broughton. The Irish Commodore's Cup team weather specialist says the 37 competitors in today's Round Ireland race will get a close hauled course along the south coast to the Fastnet tomorrow. After light northerly winds for the start at 12 noon today the fleet can expect winds to go southwest by 8pm. Mike's podcast prediction is below. Listen in!
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht RaceRound Ireland Race Fleet Ready in Wicklow Harbour
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht RaceSmall Boats Favoured for Sunday's Race Round Ireland
Twenty fours hours out from the start of the Round Ireland Yacht Race and the prediction that the 2010 fixture will be a small boat race is gaining ground as a high pressure settles over the Irish Sea today. In a fleet of 36 entries there are several small boats to choose a likely winner but in any line up it is hard to ignore the record of double race winner Eric Lisson's Cavatina, the veteran yacht from the Royal Cork Yacht Club with the lowest handicap of the entire fleet. The smallest boat is from the north, the First 31.7 Twister campaigned by Terry Fair and David Fletcher. The line up includes plenty of other choices but if it is small boat race it means any overall result many not be known for a week.
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht Race
Wicklow Commodore Charlie Kavanagh might be right, tomorrow's Round Ireland start might be like 'watching paint dry'. Lets hope not but an adverse tide flooding northwards all afternoon plus a forecasted light wind means little progress down the East coast for hours tomorrow after the noon start. Wind guru Mike Broughton brings afloat.ie readers up to date with the best prospects for wind tomorrow on our podcast here.
More on the Round Ireland Yacht Race:
Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 Review
Round Ireland Yacht Race, Ireland's top offshore fixture
A Round up of 80 stories on the 2010 Round Ireland Yacht Race
