Volvo Round Ireland Race – Multihulls and MOD70s are up for challenge

by Louay Habib on 17 Jun 2016 The RORC Season's Points Championship continues this weekend with the longest race of the thirteen race series, the Volvo Round Ireland Race. A record 64 yachts have entered with teams from ten different countries: Belgium, Finland, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Oman, Switzerland and United States of America.

The 704 nautical mile race has a simple course; Leave Ireland and all its islands, excluding Rockall, to starboard. However in reality the race has a complexity of wind angles, tides and a real taste of ocean sailing along the hauntingly beautiful west coast of Ireland. The first official non-stop race around Ireland was held in 1980.

The 2016 edition will be the first for multihulls and three MOD70s are up for the challenge. The course record was set by one of them, Musandam-Oman Sail, skippered by Sidney Gavignet, blasted around the course last year, in 40 hours 51 minutes and 57 seconds, reaching reported speeds of 38 knots off the west coast. For the 2016 Volvo Round Ireland Race, Musandam-Oman Sail will be racing against Lloyd Thornburg's Phaedo3, co-skippered by Brian Thompson and Tony Lawson's Concise 10, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield.

“We see this as the most important race of our season. We do not know how we will get on against the other two but we really want to finish ahead of them both! They have done a lot of sailing this year and from the Myth of Malham, I’d say that Team Concise are sharp and we understand that Phaedo has had a complete refit with new sails. But we know from when we set a new Round Ireland world record last year that this is a difficult course. We want to retain that record because achieving it meant so much to us and we were very happy to hear that the Round Ireland race has attracted the largest ever entry this year with teams motivated to beat our record. It feels like there’s been a renewal which makes us even more determined to win.” - Sidney Gavignet, Skipper Musandam-Oman Sail.

Hot favourite for Monohull Line Honours is RORC Member George David's American Maxi Rambler 88. Given the right conditions Rambler 88 could set a new race record. Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard set the current race record in 2008. Dominated by gale force winds, Slade's Maxi finished the race in just under two days and 18 hours. For the 2016 edition, Rambler 88 sailed all the way from Palma, Mallorca just to take part.

“When we first started to put the schedule together for Ramble 88, this race was there because of the appreciation and hospitality shown to George David and the crew, especially during the incident with the capsize of Rambler 100 in 2011. This will be the first time Rambler has done the race but I was on board Colm Barrington's Jeep Cherokee in 1998 when we broke the record that had stood for twenty years and we had a fantastic welcome from the Wicklow Sailing Club. Rambler 88 could beat the current record but we will need the right conditions. It looks like a pretty light start but we should be really flying along the west coast, possibly mid to high 20s and surfing into the 30s, we are all looking forward to that. Rambler will be able to stretch its legs up the western coast, with true Atlantic offshore conditions, and the boat loves that stuff. Well done to the RORC for the help they have given to the Wicklow Sailing Club, I am sure we will have a great race.” - Mick Harvey, Project Manager Rambler 88.

RORC Commodore, Michael Boyd has chartered Nick Jones' First 44.7 Lisa for the race. The pair know each other well, having raced in the RORC Two-Handed Class against each other. However, they have joined forces for the 2016 RORC Season's Points Championship and currently Lisa is winning IRC One and is placed fourth overall.

“I am delighted that there has been fantastic co-operation between RORC, Wicklow Sailing Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club, which as helped to generate a record entry and some wonderful boats for the race, such as the three MOD70s and Rambler 88, but also a wonderful mix of boats from various countries that have been persuaded to come and do the race. This is my sixth race and the twentieth anniversary of winning on the J/35 Big Ears in 1996. Three of the Big Ears crew will be on Lisa for the race but not PJ Kennedy, who passed away a few years ago, but he will be with us in spirit. The magic of the course is a big draw for me and it is wonderful to see so many Irish sailors will also be joined by people from around the world.” - RORC Commodore, Michael Boyd.

This will be Liam Coyne's third Round Ireland Race, RORC Member Liam will be racing First 36.7 Lula Belle in the IRC Two Handed Class with fellow Irishman Brian Flahive. The pair won the Two-Handed Class in the brutal 2014 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.

“We might be slightly slower than the MOD70s but we will be doing our best to catch them! For us the first big battle is getting around Tuskar Rock. The race starts two hours after high tide, so we will not make Tuskar before the tide will turn and the wind at the start looks very light. There is loads of wind showing on the West Coat after Saturday, getting there will be the problem, after that we should have loads of breeze to get us around to the top of the course. If we do well around Tuskar we could get round in about four days, it could be a day longer if we don't.

“I have raced all over the world but for me this is the best race of the lot, and not just because I am Irish. It is such a dramatic coast line, you have West Cork, Kerry, the North of Ireland, Giant's Causeway, Rathlin Island and many more spectacular views. The circular course means that you have all the different points of sail with a lot of work on the boat making the sail changes, you don't often get that sort of action on a race like the Fastnet and for me that makes this race far more challenging, especially Two Handed.

On top of that, you have the two tidal gates to contend with, there is Tuskar Rock near the start and up in the north I have seen five knots of tide just past Rathlin Island. The tidal gate up there can give a chance to the smaller boats, as you can catch up with the faster boats if the tide turns in your favour. For me a special point in the race will be when we pass Eagle Island off County Mayo, where I come from. I will be thinking of my mother's cooking and the time when my old man used to send me out to sell tyres. He told me that if I can sell tyres to the people of West Mayo, you can sell them anywhere in the world!” - Liam Coyne, skipper Lula Belle.