There is no shortage of offshore sailors taking advantage of midsummer's short nights. This morning, an Irish Clipper crew leads by a margin in the closing stages of a transatlantic voyage and in France a Cork solo sailor is set for Sunday's departure on the second half of a 2,000-mile race. At home, 35 campaigns – half of them from overseas – are preparing for next week's 700-mile Round Ireland race from Wicklow.
On day 13 of race 14 in the amateur Clipper Round The World Yacht Race, Irish yacht Derry-Londonderry-Doire leads a nine-boat fleet in a transatlantic crossing from New York to Lough Foyle. The yacht, skippered by Donegal’s Seán McCarter, is under 500 miles out from the Irish coast and expected to cross the finish line tomorrow.
In Roscoff, David Kenefick (24) prepares for Sunday's third leg of the solo La Solitude du Figaro. The Corkman admits to being frustrated over his 25th placing from 38 starters in the pro fixture.
Kenefick held eighth place after the leg two start from Plymouth that took in a Fastnet Rock rounding before concluding in Britanny.
In Wicklow, a number of big boats entries are adding spice to a line-up of 35 set to compete in the Round Ireland Yacht Race in one week’s time. A Volvo 60, Volvo 70 plus a Farr 60 and an Open 60 will stake claims for line honours but the race focus is on the overall handicap winner so the return of defending champion, Inis Mór, skippered by Laurent Gouy of France, is a serious challenge.
Overall winner
There are other past champions returning too. Ian Hickey’s Royal Cork entry, Cavatina, is twice overall winner and next Saturday, June 28th, the vintage Granada 38 is going round again in a bid to be the the first to win Ireland’s classic offshore race three times.
Of the 35 entries in this years race, 10 are existing Irish Sea offshore (Isora) racers. In the 2012 race this number was 16 out of 37 so there will be some disappointment that some of those well capable of doing the circuit have chosen not to.
In Clontarf last weekend, the Fireball Open championships was won by Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella. The event, attended by over 20 boats, was sailed in extremely frustrating light and shifty conditions.
Also on the east coast, and in the same light winds only three races were sailed with no discards at the Skerries-based junior ‘Ulster’ Optimist dinghy championships. In the 46-boat senior fleet racing a consistent Grace O’Beirne of the Royal St George Yacht Club was the winner with a 2,2,1 scored. Royal Cork’s James McCann was second with a 1,3, 2.
On the North coast, Roger Chamberlain and Charley Horder took the Northern Flying Fifteen Championship honours at Cushendall Sailing Club in a 20-boat fleet with significantly stronger breezes. The Strangford Lough pair finished ahead of national champions Ian Mathews and Keith Poole of Dún Laoghaire.
