Fastnet Race Day Three, 5pm:  After the first 30 hours or so with rather more wind - and headwinds at that - than most entrants sought, it looks as though the turbines may be slowed down or even turned off completely tomorrow (Tuesday) for a while in this 50th Edition of the 695-mile Fastnet Race, which might - in due course - make civic events planned for the prize-giving in Cherbourg on Friday a touch-and-go sort of affair timewise.

SAILING'S BOUNDLESS CAPACITY TO MESS UP CAREFULLY-PLANNED SHORESIDE EVENTS

Sailing, of all sports, is notorious for its boundless capacity to mess up carefully-planned and precisely-timed shoreside arrangements. And the bigger the sailing event, the more monumental the foul-up can be. In Cherbourg, that's an interesting proposition, as the principal monument in the waterfront area until now has been the spectacular equestrian statue of Napoleon, with the Emperor unmistakably Imperial atop his famous Irish steed Marengo, and pointing across the Channnel toward England in a way that does not at all accord with the Entente Cordial approach which the RORC and the local authorities have brought to this challenging international sports event.

At least the horse is Irish.....Marengo and friend in Cherbourg

But we live in hope that it will be all right on the night. Meanwhile, at 17:00 hrs today (Monday) the battle to be first mono-hull to finish gets slower and slower, as Bryon Ehrhart's 88ft Lucky found herself down towards the Channel Islands at a lowly 6 to 7 knots with 40 mils still to sail. But at least her crew have the consolation that the cheeky IMOCA 60s, where Charlie Dalin leads with Macif leads, don't have the wind pressure to get their foils piling on the knots, so it could end up very close indeed, even if Macif is currently shown as being 7 miles nearer that majestic Napoleonic aide memoire dominating Cherbourg's enormous artificial harbour.

ARE SUMMER BREEZES TAKING OVER IN WEST CORK?

Meanwhile, back at the Fastnet Rock, summer breezes are taking over in West Cork, which is not at all good for people in a hurry to get around the legendary rock. It had looked as though the best race of all was in IRC1, where overall 2021 win defender Tom Kneen with his JPK 11.80 Sunrise III was continually inter-changing the first place with sister-ship Dawn Treader and the Fournier family with the J/133 Pintia, with the latter rounding the rock in the trio's lead at 17:00 hrs.

But Irish hopes and interests lie elsewhere, and that most wonderful of entries, Sean Langman's 30ft 1932-vintage gaff cutter Maluka from Sydney, and with Gordon Maguire on the strength, may need time and then
some to get to Cherbourg, as she's back at the Isle of Scilly still outward bound, still leading IRC4B but sometimes looking at speeds as low as 3.5 knots on the dial.

THE TIP FROM THE STREET COULD BE A WINNER

Not very far away and heading completely the other way is Chris Sheehan's Pac 52 Warrior Won, finish-bound from the Rock and carrying the hopes of Glandore with her, as Don Street's grandson Dylan Vogel is in the crew. Currently at fourth overall in IRC, and making 12.5 knots, Warrior Won could well be where the smart money is already.