It’s big country out west writes W M Nixon. And big country can have big effects on summer winds. So although the main part of the Volvo Round Ireland 2018 fleet is plugging doggedly along to windward out in the Atlantic in north to northeast winds of varying strengths, they know that if they try their luck too close inshore, their reasonably reliable breeze might evaporate.

On the other hand, they might find a locally favourable breeze. As an example, the lonely weather station at Mace Head just eastward of Slyne Head is currently indicating a westerly of 9 mph. But all around, the basic wind – now sparse enough in places – is north to northeast. The fleet has to sail with that, regardless of how pleasant gentle northward progress might be, reaching in an imaginary westerly breeze.

The reality is that the “real” wind is very much on the nose, but it has to be said that some of the slicker boats can achieve astonishing upwind speeds. We’d a remarkable example of this yesterday (Sunday) evening when Niall Dowling’s Ker 43 Baraka was slogging nor’eastwards north of the Blaskets on port tack in plenty of wind and then some, and she was making 9.1 knots.

If you’ve ever sailed in and around the Blaskets when there’s a bit of a breeze about, you’ll know that the sea state can be compared to very lumpy porridge. And it’s often the same colour too, though things are different in the colour stakes at the moment. But, be that as it may, there was Baraka, slugging along in conditions in which many boats would be glad enough to make any windward progress at all, yet the Ker 43 was slicing along at a very businesslike 9.1 knots. Astonishing stuff.

Niall Dowling's Bakara GP Photo: Afloat.ie

For now at 2.0pm Monday - after tacking in and out of some of the Wild Atlantic Way’s most spectacular features – Baraka is well past Achill Head at 8.7 knots and has tacked in towards the Inishkea Islands. While she may be 24th overall on IRC, in terms of line honours she’s increasingly in a race of her own with more than half the course now sailed, as the closest contender for first-to-finish, the Mach 40 Corum, is still south of Achill and sailing on starboard, having tacked close west of Clare Island.

Howth's Conor Fogerty is onboard with Susan Glenny on the First 40 schoolship Olympia’s Tigress Photo: Afloat.ie

To seaward beyond Slyne Head, we find most of the fleet with marked differences of opinion as to how best to play this tricky beat. “Sailor of the Year” Conor Fogerty with Susan Glenny on the First 40 schoolship Olympia’s Tigress had been seeking the stronger winds supposedly to the west, but now they’ve come in on port tack to find themselves ahead of Michael Boyd in the J.109 Jedi, but astern of Barry Byrne with the leading J/109 Joker II, which lies fifth overall in IRC.

IRC overall leader Lambay Rules (J/97, Stephen Quinn) has continued to sail conservatively in the middle of the fleet which is centred slightly west of the rhumb line, for although the best winds in the night were well to the east towards County Clare, for a while today there was more breeze to the west out at sea.

"both racing in the two-handed division, a wonderful achievement even if they are allowed to use the autohelm"

Ian Hickey’s veteran Noray 38 Cavatina is really loving it, and has moved up to second overall. Like Lambay Rules, she’s taking a conservative middle route. However, it’s the boats which are third and fourth overall which deserve added attention, for the JPK 10.10 Jaasap and the classic Swan 44 CoOperation Ireland (Paul Kavanagh) are both racing in the two-handed division, a wonderful achievement even if they are allowed to use the autohelm.

Glued together – Aurelia (above) and Rockabill VI (below) are neck and neck Photo: Afloat.ie

As to other pre-race favourites, it’s as though Chris Power Smith’s J/122 Aurelia (with The Prof on board), and Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (Mark Mansfield is on the strength) have become glued together. They seem inseparable over on the east side of the fleet, both of them taking a temporarily useful slant on port tack towards Ballyconneely, and neck-and-neck with it.

However, Rockabill lies 8th overall on IRC, albeit it more than two hours behind Lambay Rules on projected elapsed time, while the higher-rated Aurelia is projected as six hours astray. But as we well know, projected times and real times may be reduced to a very tenuous relationship by the time the finishing line is reached.

Race tracker here 

Afloat.ie Round Ireland updates in this one handy link here.