Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016 start
by Louay Habib 18 Jun 2016 21:18 BST
18 June 2016
- Starts: 1300 BST 18 June 2016
- Distance: 704 nautical miles
Organised by Wicklow Sailing Club in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club.
The Volvo Round Island Race started in 10 to 11 knots of southerly wind and a fair tide. The first fleet away were the 55 monohulls consisting of a vast mixture of boats and crews. From one of the fastest offshore race boats in the world, George David's Juan K designed Rambler 88 to Darryl Hughes's Shepherd 43' Classic, Maybird.
With the tide underneath the fleet at the start and the Committee vessel LE Aisling, at the port end of the line it was always going to get congested towards the committee boat end. It proved too much for a number of boats including Ian Hickey's Cavatina, previous Round Ireland Race winners, who were pushed over by the on rushing fleet. Happily the 3 boats who were over the line early returned and can now concentrate on the 704nm course.
The 8 multihulls followed 10 minutes later, the first time they have been included in the race. Simon Baker's Hissy Fit and Bruce Sutherland's Bare Necessities were too keen to get into their first race around Ireland and were called back. Lloyd Thornberg's Phaedo3 was first away but the lead has already changed hands a couple of times with Tony Lawson's Concise 10, skippered by Ned Collier-Wakefield leading by the time they had reached Wicklow Head. The battle between the 3 MOD 70s, which includes Musandam-Oman Sail, skippered by Sidney Gavignet will be intriguing and includes the possibility, if the right conditions prevail of a Round Ireland course record.
The forecast for this afternoon is for the wind to drop away as the boats work their way towards Tuskar Rock before the wind is the due to fill in from the South and offer the possibilities of a fast trip around the bottom of Ireland and a sleigh ride along the west coast for the fastest boats of the fleet.
Follow the race on the YB Tracker at yb.tl/wicklowroundireland2016
Results and updates can be found on the Volvo Round Ireland Race website: roundireland.ie/wp
For news and updates of the Volvo Round Ireland Race visit www.roundireland.ie and follow the race at yb.tl/wicklowroundireland2016
Musandam-Oman Sail crosses Volvo Round Ireland Race start line with hopes riding high (from Oman Sail)
A forecast for brisk winds further down the course has raised levels of anticipation for the crew on Oman's flagship MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail as they crossed the start line of the Volvo Round Ireland Race today.
Their race against the clock last year, which led to them knocking four hours off the 22-year-old Round Ireland record, looks set to be replayed over the next couple of days.
But it is the prospect of competing against the two other MOD70s Phaedo 3 and Concise 10 – and winning - that is spurring on French skipper Sidney Gavignet and his team, which includes Oman's three leading offshore sailors Fahad Al Hasni, Yasir Al Rahbi and Sami Al Shukaili.
"The record would be the icing on the cake but we are up against two other really good boats who have been sailing really well so we will have to have a great race," said Damian Foxall, Ireland's foremost offshore sailor who, remarkably is making his debut in the Round Ireland race.
"It would be fun to break our record but not so much fun if someone else breaks it. I am very excited to finally be doing this race because this is my home yet this is a new challenge."
"We have some great conditions. A light upwind start then reaching round Cork and Kerry then some heavy stuff down the west coast which could give us a record breaking time if everything goes well."
This is the first time multihulls have raced in the Volvo Round Ireland Race and followers are in for a real treat as they watch the three 70 foot multi one design speed machines hurtle round the Emerald Isle leading a fleet that is bigger than ever before in the race's 36-year history.
The race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Wicklow Sailing Club, started in Wicklow Bay with simple instructions to navigators for the 704nm course, including Musandam-Oman Sail's French navigator Jean-Luc Nelias: leave Ireland and all its islands excluding Rockall to starboard.
But with the strong currents, rocks and sandbanks to add to the mix, the route poses a series of technical challenges and Musandam-Oman Sail will have to be on top form to come out ahead and set a new record, which will require them to cross the finish line within one day, 16 hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds.
"We will be taking it very seriously," said Fahad Al Hasni.
"There is a great team spirit on board and of course we hold the record so if we can achieve our aim to sail well and not make any mistakes, we will be very happy. It should be a very close contest."
The 65-strong fleet crossed the start line at 1300 local time this afternoon and if the weather performs as forecast throughout the course, the prediction is for a new Round Ireland record.