There is still time to enter the newest race on the Irish Sailing calendar and join the 20-boat Fastnet 450 fleet racing fro Dublin to Cork next Saturday via the famous Fastnet Rock.
At least twenty boats representing sixteen different Irish yacht clubs - including a Northern Ireland entry - will compete.
A fast race is predicted as boats will benefit from a moderate west/southwesterly for the first eight hours or so next Saturday, then veering westerly and veering further towards the north-west. That might mean a fetch or close reach down the east coast.
As Afloat reported previously, the idea behind the race is to celebrate the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s 300 th anniversary and the 150 th anniversary of the National Yacht Club.
Race trackers
It has been confirmed that the race will benefit from the support of the leading Irish offshore sailing body, ISORA, who will supply race trackers for the inaugural edition.
Fastnet Race 2021 Qualifier
The pop-up IRC race, which is in association with SCORA, will start in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday 22nd August and will pass the Muglin, Tuscar, Conningbeg and Fastnet lighthouses to Starboard before returning to Cork Harbour past the Cork Buoy to Port, finishing when Roches’s Point bears due East.
The course is specifically designed to be of sufficient length to qualify skippers and crew for the RORC Fastnet Race 2021.
RCYC 'At Home'
Competing boats are also invited to take part in other upcoming events at the Royal Cork Yacht Club to celebrate their 300 th anniversary, including the prestigious Tricentenary At Home Regatta, which sees racing for IRC classes from the 28th – 30th August and will be one of the highlights of the club’s 300th celebrations.