SailingBelgian yachtsman Michel Kleinjans has crossed the National Yacht Club finish-line off Dún Laoghaire to set a record single-handed time around Ireland of four days, one hour and 52 minutes on board his 1997 Open 40 Roaring Forty, bettering the previous record, set only weeks ago by Dún Laoghaire's Mick Liddy, by one day, 10 hours and eight minutes.
After a delayed start due to a defective starter engine, Kleinjans finally set sail last Saturday. After a fast, 180-nautical-mile run towards the southern tip of Ireland, he experienced very calm conditions off the southwestern coast.
Liddy, who completed the 704-mile voyage in a standard production Beneteau 40.7 as opposed to the water-ballasted Belgian yacht, was philosophical about the lose of his recent record.
"Records are for breaking, not for keeping," he said.
Kleinjans rounded Inistrahull off the Donegal coast in 22 knots of wind late on Tuesday, and although the record was at that stage clearly within his grasp he knew he would encounter a strong adverse tidal current in the Northern Channel, which in combination with the light headwinds forced him to tack close under the coastline.
In the night, Roaring Forty made her way south, in increasingly lighter and shiftier winds, to conclude her Irish circumnavigation at 2.49pm on Wednesday.
According to its skipper, the Open 40-footer could easily have notched more time off the record: "If only I had been able to start when planned, a week ago, I could have made it in just three days," Kleinjans said.
Meanwhile, Colm Barrington's Flying Glove crew maintained their lead into the half-way stage of the Anglo Irish Bank Howth league in steady westerlies last weekend.
With 185 boats racing in 13 classes, it is one of Europe's biggest autumn leagues.
A revamp of courses by the club's Andy Sargent has not completely ended mark-rounding snarl-ups, and in race three last Sunday, at viceroy mark, classes two and three met the one-design fleets approaching from upwind which led to something of a raft up off Ireland's Eye.
The second annual Irish Marine Federation (IMF) used boat show gets under way this morning, and organisers are offering over 150 boats for sale on the water and on hard-standing at Malahide Marina, Co Dublin. The show is open from noon to 6pm, and runs until Sunday. Admission is free. A catalogue of the exhibits is available at €5 and exhibits range from dinghies to 40ft power cruisers.
Buoyed by the success of the inaugural show, the second event has increased by 25 per cent; an indication, according to IMF chairman Brian O'Sullivan, of the strength of the market for second-hand boats.
In Olympic news, Irish debut Star campaigners Maurice O'Connell and Richard Peel have moved to sixth in the world rankings after their first full season in the class and, as a result of discussion with team management this month, are to embark on a full Olympic campaign for Beijing in the keelboat class.
