Displaying items by tag: Inishtearaght Race

Q: How many yachts have competed between 1945-2019 in the Sydney Hobart Yacht?

6257 completed the Sydney Hobart Yacht race, 1036 retired or were disqualified)

Q: What were the largest Sydney Hobart Race fleets?

Largest fleets: 371 starters in the 50th race in 1994 (309 finished); 154 starters in 1987 (146 finished); 179 starters in 1985 (145 finished); 151 starters in 1984 (46 finished); 173 started in 1983 (128 finished); 159 started in 1981 (143 finished); 147 started in 1979 (142 finished); 157 started in 2019 (154 finished)

Q: Who was the 2019 Sydney Hobart Race winner?

IRC Overall: Ichi Ban, a TP52 owned by Matt Allen, NSW Last year’s line honours winner: Comanche, Verdier Yacht Design and VPLP (FRA) owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant, in 1 day 18 hours, 30 minutes, 24 seconds. Just 1hour 58min 32secs separated the five super maxis at the finish

10th May 2024

Royal St. George's J122 Aurelia Returns to Kinsale for Inishtearaght Offshore Race

With just two weeks to go until the start of Kinsale Yacht Club's biennial Inishtearaght Race sponsored by the Matthews Centre, all of the boats that raced the 2022 edition are returning for another shot at offshore glory in the 280-miler along the Cork and Kerry coastline.

In addition to the local boats from Kinsale and Crosshaven (including the inaugural doublehanded race winner), this May 24th race will also feature visitors from Kilmore Quay (Prime Suspect), Tralee Bay (Mynx), and Waterford Harbour (Bjorn).

Of particular note is the return of the 2022 line honours winner skippered by Chris Power Smith, hailing from Dublin Bay's Royal St George Yacht Club.

The hardy ISORA competitor is back in top form after tackling the early season Viking Marine April Coastal Series on Dublin Bay and is warming up for June's Round Ireland Race, racing cross-channel to Wales in this weekend's 90-mile ISORA fixture before heading to the south coast.

Aurelia is one of the biggest entries in the Inistearaght Race, so there's a chance her Dun Laoghaire Harbour crew will make it back in time for the Rugby Champions Cup Final on Saturday; a deadline sure to please the keen Leinster supporters onboard.

Organisers will be using YBTrackers on all boats.

Inishtearaght Race 2024 entry

Link to the 2024 entry list is here

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Inishtearaght Race

19th January 2024

Notice of Race Now Available for Kinsale YC Inishtearaght Race 2024

The Notice of Race is now available for Kinsale Yacht Club’s Inishtearaght Race, once again generously sponsored by Matthews of Cork.

Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt on Cinnamon Girl won the race on IRC in 2022 and they have confirmed that they will be taking part again this year in the second edition.

The race starts on Friday 24 May and is approximately 240 nautical miles long, running along the coast of West Cork and Kerry to round Inishtearaght in the Blasket Islands and return to Kinsale.

One highlight of the race is the spectacular and varied scenery along the course.

In 2022 the fastest boat was Chris and Patanne Power Smith’s Aurelia with an elapsed time of one day, nine hours and 57 minutes.

The race has been timed to run about a month before the Round Ireland, so is perfectly suited as a shakedown race for any boats competing in that event.

SIs and the entry form will be available in due course from the KYC website.

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31st May 2023

Kinsale Yacht Club Launches 2024 Inishtearaght Offshore Race

Following a successful inaugural race in 2022, the date for the 2024 Kinsale Yacht Club Inishtearaght Race has been set to start on Friday, 24th May 2024.

The date has been set to be one month before the Round Ireland Race 2024 to give those competitors an opportunity to take part in a shorter shake-down race before the 700-mile circumnavigation on 22nd June.

The second Inishtearaght race starts in Kinsale and runs along the dramatic West Cork and Kerry coasts to round Inishtearaght and return to finish in Kinsale, a distance of around 240 nautical miles.

Inishtearaght is the westernmost of the Blasket Islands off the County Kerry coast.

Tony O’Brien helming White Tiger on the return leg of the 2022 Kinsale Yacht Club Inishtearaght Race

"Competitors who took part in the 2022 race found it to be a really interesting course, and many commented that they were looking forward to doing the race again", Kinsale Yacht Club's Dave Cullinane told Afloat.

In 2022, line honours were taken by Aurelia (Chris & Patanne Power Smith) from the Royal St. George YC on Dublin Bay in a time of 33 hours 57 minutes.

Sunfast 3330 double-handed duo Sam Hunt and Cian McCarthy on their way to the overall win in the 2022 Inistearaght Race Photo: Bob Bateman

The overall winners on IRC rating were Kinsale Sunfast 3330 double-handed duo Sam Hunt and Cian McCarthy.

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22nd May 2022

Kinsale Sunfast 3330 Double-Handed Duo Win Inishtearaght Race

Overall IRC and ECHO honours in Kinsale Yacht Club's inaugural Matthews Centre sponsored Inishtearaght Race went to double-handed duo Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt of the host club.

McCarthy and Hunt sailing the Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl finished with a corrected time of one day 12 hours 07 minutes and 26 seconds, some 20 minutes faster than line honours winner Chris Power Smith's full crewed J/122 Aurelia. (1:12:27:55 corr).

McCarthy and Hunt sailing the Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl to an overall win pictured in the closing stage of the KYC Inishtearaght Race Photo: Bob Bateman

Third in the 240-miler on IRC was Denis Murphy's Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo from Royal Cork Yacht Club which finished on 1:13:06:40 corrected.

As Afloat reported earlier, the Royal St. George J/122 Aurelia crew win the historic KYC Thullier Cup for the line honours win.

Chris Power Smith skipper of J/122 entry Aurelia from the Royal St. George Yacht Club and his crew with Kinsale's Thullier Cup for the line honours win. Pictured from left are Dave Cullinane KYC Race Organiser, Chris Power Smith, Niall Smythe, Matthew White, John McManus, Luke Murphy, Sam Magill-Dohan, Sam Gillivan and James Matthews, Sponsor Matthews Cork and (below) Aurelia reaches to the finish line Photo: Bob Bateman

Aurelia reaches to the finish line

Full results in the six boat fleet here.

The next KYC Inishtearaght Race is scheduled for May 2024.

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Inishtearaght Race

22nd May 2022

Royal St. George Yacht Club's 'Aurelia' is Line Honours Winner of Kinsale's Inishtearaght Race

Chris Power Smith's J/122 entry Aurelia from the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire was the line honours winner of the inaugural Inishtearaght Race, finishing at 9 pm on Saturday.

The only Dublin entry in the Kinsale Yacht Club offshore 240-mile race took just under 36 hours to complete the challenging course from Kinsale along the Cork and Kerry coast and back to the West Cork port.

"It was a tough race, big seas and big winds, but we were able for it", Chris Power Smith told Afloat after crossing the finish line.

Subject to official confirmation, the Dublin crew will lift one of Kinsale Yacht Club's most prestigious trophies, the Thullier Cup, which dates back to 1850, for their line honours achievement.

Chris Power Smith's J/122 entry Aurelia from the Royal St. George Yacht Club closes in on the Kinsale finish line Photo: Bob Bateman

An enthusiastic Power Smith said that after the initial 'slog', the crew enjoyed 'champagne sailing', and the Dublin Bay sailors were already promising to return for the 2024 race.

Second home of the seven boat fleet was Cian McCarthy's double-handed Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl.

Cian McCarthy's double-handed Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl

Full handicap IRC results are awaited

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20th May 2022

Great Start for Kinsale Yacht 'Chancer' in Inaugural Inishtearaght Offshore Race (Photo Gallery Update)

There were great starts for the host club's Elan 40 Chancer (Brian Carroll) and Denis Murphy's Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo from Royal Cork in the inaugural Inishtearaght Race from Kinsale this morning in the brand new Irish offshore yacht race fixture along the Cork and Kerry coasts.

An entry of seven boats started a new chapter in West Cork offshore yacht racing just after 9 am when the small but competitive fleet crossed the Kinsale Yacht Club line.

Cian McCarthy's two-handed Sunfast 3330 Cinnamon Girl Photo: Bob Bateman

The fleet, led by Chancer off the line, set out in 15-20 knot south-westerly conditions and light rain. Forecasts this morning indicate gusts to over 30-knots on the way to the Blasket Islands.

The single Dublin entry in the race is Royal St.George's J/122 Aurelia (Chris Power Smith) Photo: Bob Bateman

Unfortunately, the planned start using a Navy ship did not materialise due to the exigencies of the Naval Service but Club Race Officer Dave O'Sullivan got the fleet underway in a club vessel from the KYC's Charles fort startline inside Kinsale Harbour.

The fleet, led by Chancer off the line, set out in 15-20 knot south-westerly conditions and light rain The Inishtearaght Race fleet set out in 15-20 knot south-westerly conditions and light rain Photo: Matthias Hellstern

As Afloat previously reported, the course is approximately 240nm long and will run along the spectacular south coast, round Inistearaght island and back to Kinsale.

Soft day - The Elan 40 Chancer crew all wearing offshore gear in anticipation of a wet trip to the Blaskets Photo: Bob Bateman

The first boats in the Matthews Centre sponsored event are expected home sometime on Saturday evening but as competitor Brian Carroll told Afloat in a podcast here, the fleet is expecting quite a lot of challenging upwind sailing today.

Cian McCarthy's Cinnamon Girl on starboard and Chris Power Smith's Aurelia on port after the start Photo: Bob Bateman

The Inishtearaght Race fleet emerge from Kinsale harbour with (from left) Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl, Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo, Elan 40 Chancer and Dublin Bay J/122 entry Aurelia to weather Photo: Matthias HellsternThe breeze is on for (from left) Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo, Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl and Dublin Bay J/122 entry Aurelia to weather Photo: Matthias Hellstern

The Thuillier family have kindly allowed the oldest trophy in Kinsale YC to be presented as the line honours trophy for the race. The Thuillier Cup is 150 years old, having been originally presented by the Royal Enniskillen Fusiliers in 1871 and won by Michael Thuillier. The cup was presented to Kinsale YC by the Thuillier family to acknowledge the long tradition of yacht racing in Kinsale.

Noel Coleman's Oyster 37 Blue Oyster from Royal Cork YC on her way to the Blaskets Photo: Bob Bateman

The inaugural Inishtearaght Race fleet

Bob Bateman's Inishearaght Race Start Photo Gallery below

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The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual offshore yacht racing event with an increasingly international exposure attracting super maxi yachts and entries from around tne world. It is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately 630 nautical miles (1,170 km).

The 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race starts in Sydney Harbour at 1pm (AEDT) on Monday 26 December.

This is the 77th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart. The inaugural race was conducted in 1945 and has run every year since, apart from 2020, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

88 boats started the 2021 Rolex Sydney Hobart, with 50 finishing.

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - FAQs

How many Sydney Hobart Yacht Races have been sailed?

The number of Sydney Hobart Yacht Races held by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia since 1945 is 75

How many yachts have competed between 1945-2019 in the Sydney Hobart Yacht?

6,257 completed the Sydney Hobart Yacht race, 1036 retired or were disqualified)

What is the estimated total crew to have competed in the Sydney Hobart Race?

About 60,061 sailors have competed in the Sydney Hobart Race between 1945 and 2019

What were the largest Sydney Hobart Race fleets?

Largest fleets: 371 starters in the 50th race in 1994 (309 finished); 154 starters in 1987 (146 finished); 179 starters in 1985 (145 finished); 151 starters in 1984 (46 finished); 173 started in 1983 (128 finished); 159 started in 1981 (143 finished); 147 started in 1979 (142 finished); 157 started in 2019 (154 finished)

What were the largest Sydney Hobart Race fleets post 2000?

116 in 2004 (59 finished); 117 in 2014 (103 finished); 157 in 2019 (154 finished)

What was the Smallest Sydney Hobart Race fleet?

Nine starters in the inaugural Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in 1945

What was the largest number of international entries in the Sydney Hobart Race?

In 2015 and 2017 there were 27, including the 12 Clipper yachts (11 in 2017). In the record entry of 371 yachts in the 50th in 1994, there were 24 internationals

Who was the first winner of the Sydney Hobart Race?

Rani, Captain John Illingworth RN (UK). Design: Barber 35’ cutter. Line and handicap winner

What was the 2019 Sydney Hobart Race fleet size?

157 starters, 154 finishers (3 retirements)

Who was the 2019 Sydney Hobart Race winner?

IRC Overall: Ichi Ban, a TP52 owned by Matt Allen, NSW. Last year’s line honours winner: Comanche, Verdier Yacht Design and VPLP (FRA) owned by Jim Cooney and Samantha Grant, in 1 day 18 hours, 30 minutes, 24 seconds. Just 1hour 58min 32secs separated the five super maxis at the finish

What is the Sydney Hobart Race record?

1 day 9 hours 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set in 2017 by LDV Comanche after Wild Oats XI was penalised one hour in port/starboard incident for a finish time of 1d 9h 48m 50s

Who is the oldest ever skipper to compete in the Sydney Hobart Race?

The oldest ever sailor was Syd Fischer (88 years, 2015).

Who are the youngest ever sailors to compete in the Sydney Hobart Race?

As a baby, Raud O'Brien did his first of some six Sydney Hobarts on his parent's Wraith of Odin (sic). As a veteran at three, Raud broke his arm when he fell off the companionway steps whilst feeding biscuits to the crew on watch Sophie Tasker sailed the 1978 race as a four-year-old on her father’s yacht Siska, which was not an official starter due to not meeting requirements of the CYCA. Sophie raced to Hobart in 1979, 1982 and 1983.

Quite a number of teenage boys and girls have sailed with their fathers and mothers, including Tasmanian Ken Gourlay’s 14-year-old son who sailed on Kismet in 1957. A 12-year-old boy, Travis Foley, sailed in the fatal 1998 race aboard Aspect Computing, which won PHS overall.

In 1978, the Brooker family sailed aboard their yacht Touchwood – parents Doug and Val and their children, Peter (13), Jacqueline (10), Kathryne (8) and Donald (6). Since 1999, the CYCA has set an age limit of 18 for competitors

Who was the first woman to compete in the Sydney Hobart Race?

Jane (‘Jenny’) Tate, from Hobart, sailed with her husband Horrie aboard Active in the 1946 Race, as did Dagmar O’Brien with her husband, Dr Brian (‘Mick’) O’Brien aboard Connella. Unfortunately, Connella was forced to retire in Bass Strait, but Active made it to the finish. The Jane Tate Memorial Trophy is presented each year to the first female skipper to finish the race

What is the oldest yacht to compete in the Sydney Hobart Race?

In 2019, Bill Barry-Cotter brought Katwinchar, built in 1904, back to the start line. She had competed with a previous owner in 1951. It is believed she is the oldest yacht to compete. According to CYCA life member and historian Alan Campbell, more than 31 yachts built before 1938 have competed in the race, including line honours winners Morna/Kurrewa IV (the same boat, renamed) and Astor, which were built in the 1920s.