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 four hour barrier during the peak periods of the adverse stream.
High Water Belfast today is 1233 hrs, and with the “Strawberry Moon” of the Summer Solstice, it’s quite a big tide which will start ebbing northward with increasing vigour through lunchtime.
The battle for first on the water among the “real” fleet went on between Teasing Machine and the two-handed Open 50 Pegasus of Northumberland right through the night and morning, with the larger Pegasus finally getting ahead as they came past Inishtrahull. As of now off Belfast Lough in a south to southwest breeze, the pair of them have to face the imminent bigger challenge of uphill sailing against the tide for the next 20 miles to the South Rock Light off the County Down Coast, where they start to get into the open and less tidal waters of the Irish Sea.
The 12 noon positions from Yellowbrick show that after a stab southwestward which hinted at eventual tide-dodging in Belfast Lough, Teasing Machine is back on starboard and making 6.7 knots, while Ross Hobson and Chris Briggs on Pegasus are taking it on the chin by slugging along southeastwadrs on port tack at mid-Channel. They’re now a dozen miles seaward of Portpatrick on the Scottish coast and making 8.7knots, and though they’re only a mile nearer the finish at Wicklow, that’s a mile which could be crucial as the adverse tidal heave gains full power.
A dozen miles astern of the two leaders, Michel Kleinjans Open 40 Roaring Forty 2 (pictured above) has taken the option of inclining to the east towards the broad mouth of the lower Firth of Clyde, and her current speed of 8.1 knots is encouraging, while back towards the northeast turn at Rathlin Island, Alan Hannon’s Reichel-Pugh 45 Katsu has taken full advantage of the fierce flood tide past Tor Head while it was still in full flow, and as of noon she was still in almost full benefit of it with 9.6 knots over the ground, keeping her third in IRC 1 and 5th in IRC Overall.
On down the line, 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, when she’ll already be anticipating new new favourable flood. She continues first in IRC 3, is third in IRC Overall, and is now a remarkable 42 miles ahead of Euro Car Parks which continues second in IRC 3.
See Round Ireland tracker here and keep to up to date with the fleet's progress with Afloat's regular Round Ireland 2016 updates here
