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Round Ireland Yacht 2024 Race Updates from Wicklow Sailing Club
The 88–ft long boat Rambler88 berthed in Dun Laoghaire last night. Her all carbon 135-foot mast can be seen from afar, towering over other yachts in the harbour
Following its arrival into Dun Laoghaire on Monday evening, maxi Round Ireland race entry Rambler 88 has been moored on St. Michael's Wharf, close to the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The special berth was arranged…
The Great Mother of All Round Ireland Record-Makers – Denis Doyle’s Moonduster in her first season of 1981. Photo: W M Nixon
There’s a problem with the Round Ireland sailing record if you’re hoping to set a new one in the Volvo Round Ireland Race when it starts from Wicklow at 1300hrs this Saturday, June 18th writes W M Nixon. The problem…
Dave Cullen, skipper of the J109 Euro Car Parks for the Round Ireland race with sponsor Patrick Coyle, MD of Windward Management
A Round Ireland Race J/109 crew consisting of six national champions from three classes from last weekend's ICRA championships at Howth Yacht Club is setting its sights high for Saturday's race start. The well known Howth based J/109 Storm has been chartered…
Stakes high as Musandam-Oman Sail lines up against two MOD70s in 2016 Volvo Round Ireland Race
Damian Foxall and Oman Sail’s crew on the Sultanate of Oman’s giant trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail are determined to fly the flag for Oman (and Foxall's home county Kerry) in Wicklow Sailing Club's Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race this Saturday by beating…
US sailor, Lloyd Thornburg, sailing his MOD 70 Phaedo 3 off Dun Laoghaire yesterday
Volvo Round Ireland racer Phaedo3 went for a tack on Dublin Bay yesterday, making short work of a trip out past Dalkey Island as Saturday's DMYC 'King of the Bay' regatta was underway. US sailor, Lloyd Thornburg brought his MOD…
US sailor, Lloyd Thornburg, brought his MOD 70 Phaedo 3 into Dun Laoghaire Harbour this morning
An early arrival for the 704-mile Volvo Round Ireland race arrived under bare poles and engine into Dublin Bay this morning, eight days ahead of the start off Wicklow on Saturday, June 18th. US sailor, Lloyd Thornburg brought his MOD 70…
The Reichel-Pugh 45 Katsu (Alan Hannon) will be navigated in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016 on June 18th by Richie Fearon of Lough Swilly YC, navigator of 2014 winner Tanit (Richard Harris).
The world’s senior offshore racing club has been pulling out all the stops to boost the 704-mile Volvo Round Ireland race which starts from Wicklow on Saturday June 18th, and Race Organiser Theo Phelan of Wicklow Sailing Club feels that…
New livery for Round Ireland Racer Phaedo 3
A recrod breaking trimaran has added Ireland's double Volvo Ocean Race winner Justin Slattery to its crew for Volvo Round Ireland Race in just over a fortnight's time. The MOD 70 Trimaran Phaedo 3 competes in the 700–miler  in just over…
George David's mighty Rambler 88 will be racing for Round Ireland honours next month
Despite light conditions off Sicily, George David and the crew of his racing maxi Rambler 88 succeeded in not only demolishing the record for this year’s Volcano Race, but also won line honours and the overall prize based on corrected…
The MOD 70s in their first incarnation in Dublin Bay in 2012. With the class’s recent revival, their enthusiasm for the new multihull division in the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016 has given this classic Irish event additional international prestige
Entries for the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016 from Wicklow on June 18th have today sailed through the 62 mark to overtake the previous record established all of 26 years ago in 1990, when numbers totalled 61 writes W M…
Oman MOD 70 will be one of three giant trimarans looking for the Round Ireland Record next month
The learning curve on the Sultanate of Oman’s flagship MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail is due for a shift in emphasis in 2016 with their early season programme of the Myth of Malham, the Round Ireland Yacht Race and the Transat Quebec-St…
Volvo Car up for grabs in Round Ireland Race
The Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race, one of the most challenging offshore races in the world, has become even more attractive to sailors with the announcement that there is a luxury Volvo car up for grabs for one lucky skipper.…
Kerry offshore sailor Damian Foxall, will be on the Musandam-Oman Sail, the Sultanate of Oman’s flagship trimaran, when it joins a small fleet of MOD70s at the start of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s classic Round Ireland Race on 18 June to kick off the European season.
French skipper Sidney Gavignet’s crew of Omani sailors are no strangers to the 700 mile Round Ireland race track having famously smashed the record in 2015 after completing the course in 40 hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds, some four…
 Durward in Sheephaven in Donegal during her round Ireland cruise in 1961, with Mick Clarke and Colm MacLaverty on board. Although the Waverley hull design dates from 1902, Durward was built in 1948 with the Bermuda rig which was introduced to the class in 1935. She has now changed over to the original gunter rig, and is based with Ballyholme YC on Belfast Lough.
With May upon us, we’re into the season of Round Ireland record attempts in the smallest this or the widest that or the fastest other. So before anyone gets too excited, let’s put the record straight on “Small Boat Round…
Phaedo3 has the intention of setting a World Record Run to Plymouth
Round Ireland Yacht Race entry Phaedo3, one of three MOD70 entries into June's Irish offshore classic, have just set off from Bermuda with the intention of setting a World Record Run to Plymouth in the UK. Lloyd Thornburg has on…
She flies…..current Round Ireland Record Holder Musandam-Oman will be on the line for the start of the Volvo Round Ireland Race at Wicklow on June 18th – and this time Damian Foxall will be on board.
In precisely eight weeks’ time from this morning, adrenalin levels around Wicklow Harbour on Saturday June 18th will be rising as the final countdown begins to the start of the 19th Round Ireland Race. With new sponsorship for Wicklow Sailing…

Round Ireland Yacht Race Information

The Round Ireland Yacht Race is Ireland's classic offshore yacht race starts from Wicklow Sailing Club (WSC) and is organised jointly with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC). This page details the very latest updates from the 2008 race onwards including the race schedule, yacht entries and the all-important race updates from around the 704-mile course. Keep up to date with the Round Ireland Yacht Race here on this one handy reference page.

2020 Round Ireland Race

The 2020 race, the 21st edition, was the first race to be rescheduled then cancelled.

Following Government restrictions over COVID-19, a decision on the whether or not the 2020 race can be held was made on April 9 2020 to reschedule the race to Saturday, August 22nd. On July 27th, the race was regrettably cancelled due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19.

Because of COVID-19, the race had to have a virtual launch party at the Royal Irish Yacht Club for its 21st edition

In spite of the pandemic, however, a record entry was in prospect for 2020 with 50 boats entered with four weeks to go to the race start. The race was also going big on size and variety to make good on a pre-race prediction that the fleet could reach 60. An Irish offshore selection trial also looked set to be a component part of the 2020 race.

The rescheduling of the race to a news date emphasises the race's national significance, according to Afloat here

FAQs

704 nautical miles, 810 miles or 1304 kilometres

3171 kilometres is the estimate of Ireland's coastline by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

SSE Renewables are the sponsors of the 2020 Round Ireland Race.

Wicklow Sailing Club in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club in London and The Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dublin.

Off Wicklow Harbour on Saturday, August 22nd 2020

Monohulls 1300 hrs and Multihulls 13.10 hrs

Leave Ireland and all its islands (excluding Rockall) to starboard.

It depends on the boat. The elapsed record time for the race is under 40 hours but most boats take five or six days to complete the course.

The Race Tracker is https://afloat.ie/sail/events/round-ireland/item/25789-round-ireland-yacht-race-tracker-2016-here.

The idea of a race around Ireland began in 1975 with a double-handed race starting and finishing in Bangor organised by Ballyholme Yacht Club with stopovers in Crosshaven and Killybegs. That race only had four entries. In 1980 Michael Jones put forward the idea of a non-stop race and was held in that year from Wicklow Sailing Club. Sixteen pioneers entered that race with Brian Coad’s Raasay of Melfort returning home after six days at sea to win the inaugural race. Read the first Round Ireland Yacht Race 1980 Sailing Instructions here

 

The Round Ireland race record of 38 h 37 min 7 s is held by MOD-70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail and was set in June 2016.

George David’s Rambler 88 (USA) holds the fastest monohull race time of two days two hours 24 minutes and 9 seconds set in the 2016 race.

William Power's 45ft Olivia undertook a round Ireland cruise in September 1860

 

Richard Hayes completed his solo epic round Ireland voyage in September 2018 in a 14-foot Laser dinghy. The voyage had seen him log a total of 1,324 sea miles (2,452 kilometres) in 54 sailing days. in 1961, the Belfast Lough Waverly Durward crewed by Kevin and Colm MacLaverty and Mick Clarke went around Ireland in three-and-a-half weeks becoming the smallest keelboat ever to go round. While neither of these achievements occurred as part of the race they are part of Round Ireland sailing history

© Afloat 2020

At A Glance – Round Ireland Yacht Race 2024

Race start: Off Wicklow Harbour on Saturday, June 22 2024

There will be separate starts for monohulls and multihulls.

Race course:  leave Ireland and all its islands (excluding Rockall) to starboard.

Race distance: is approximately 704 nautical miles or 1304 kilometres.

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