On Saturday, the biennial SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race commenced at Wicklow, under perfect sailing conditions, with a substantial crowd that gathered along the coast to witness the 48 participating fleets. Regrettably, as soon as the initiation signal was sounded from the LE George Bernard Shaw, one of the boats, the Artful Dodger, from Kinsale Yacht Club led by Finbarr O’Regan, was forced to retreat due to a malfunction in the mast rigging.
This was soon followed by another withdrawal; James Neville’s Ino Noir, from the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), unfortunately collided with the infamous Blackwater Bank off Wexford. Coincidentally, Neville had also been compelled to retire from the 2022 race due to damage his boat suffered from tempestuous seas off Ireland’s southwestern tip.
As Saturday progressed, this year’s competitors were initially challenged by brisk headwinds and rough seas after passing Wicklow Head, with powerful southern winds pushing against a strong outgoing tide. However, as they maneuvered past the Saltee Islands on the southern edges of Wexford, the weather improved, making way for lighter winds.
Maurice “Prof” O’Connell, a crew member from Dún Laoghaire’s Royal Irish Yacht Club on Pete Smyth’s Searcher, stated that most fleets spent the better part of Saturday night in windless conditions, executing futile turns until a favourable wind arrived at dawn. This allowed the boats to navigate freely towards the Fastnet Rock west of Cork.
By Sunday night, competition for the monohull lead had intensified between French entry Teasing Machine, captained by Laurent Pages, and Brit, Adam Davis on Paradox 3, an impressive trimaran. Both vessels were projected to be the first to return to Wicklow.
The frontrunners were expected to approach the southwestern corner overnight with a weather prediction that indicated a brisk “sleigh-ride” up the stretch of Ireland’s Atlantic coastline towards an anticipated midweek finish at Wicklow.
The 705 nautical-mile race, despite current conditions favouring small entries, remains unpredictable due to the tendency of north coast tides and customarily mild Irish Sea conditions, which are yet to influence the race.