With most of the yachts in the Bord Fáilte-backed Round Ireland race expected to reach the south-west coast early this morning, a battle between the large and small entries is developing as this edition of the race emerges as one of the closest matched. The 28-strong fleet started the 704-mile course from Wicklow Sailing Club on Saturday afternoon in fresh and squally conditions.
Visiting British entry Team Tonic, testing the course ahead of next year's Admiral's Cup event, always seemed the likely favourite for line honours at least and possibly for the overall handicap victory too. This expectation proved well-founded as Nick Hewson's new Farr 52-footer hit the starting line exactly on the gun and accelerated quickly towards Wicklow Head.
But the fresh sou'westerly wind with a strong ebb tide aided the rest of the fleet, too, and despite the discomfort of overalls off the headland, the cast that ranged in size from 30 to 60 feet proved nimble as well. By the Tuskar Rock barely seven hours later, Team Tonic was being hotly pursued and after the results for the first stage were processed, the leader was lying in sixth overall.
Kinsale's 2000 event winner George Radley in his "old but gold" warrior Imp, a Holland 39-footer, emerged as leader on handicap with 36-footer Cavatina from the Royal Cork YC in second place. In all, Radley had almost 25 minutes of a lead over Hewson at the Tuskar and was sailing comfortably among the rest of the leading pack.
Unfortunately, another RCYC entry fared less favourably on the first southward stage as Michael O'Carroll's Projection 35 Fusion grounded on the Blackwater Bank before reaching the Tuskar. As darkness fell, the yacht became dis-masted shortly before the Rosslare Lifeboat arrived to take the crew off and tow the boat to safety. No one was injured in the incident.
Shortly before six o'clock last night, Team Tonic reached the Fastnet check-in point, more than two and a half hours ahead of the largest entrant, Richard Balding's Fenix, which had been in third place on handicap at the Tuskar. A short distance behind this second British big boat was a cluster of mid-sized contenders including Imp, Bob and Bairbre Stewart's Dubois 40 Azure and Roy Dickson's Corby 40 Cracklin' Rosie.
The latter is also one of the likely challengers to Team Tonic should she fail to open up a significant on-the-water lead over the next two days.
Results from the Fastnet Rock rounding are unlikely to be complete until early this morning when the progress from the Tuskar to the west Cork coast can be assessed. Significantly, wind forecasts of close to gale force are expected for today, though so far this fleet has been one of the most resolute and competitive ever, staying in close contact and with little sign of fatigue.
