The Round Ireland Yacht Race is Ireland’s premier offshore yacht race and is held every two years by Wicklow Sailing Club in association with the Royal Irish Yacht Club and Royal Ocean Racing Club. The 704 nautical mile race was first held in 1980 and still retains the original course; “leave Ireland and all its islands excluding Rockall to starboard.” The latest edition of the race started on 20th June 2026.
History The concept of a race around Ireland began in 1975 with a double-handed race starting and finishing in Bangor organized by Ballyholme Yacht Club with stopovers in Crosshaven and Killybegs. That race only had four entries. In 1980 Michael Jones put forward the idea of a non-stop race and was held in that year from Wicklow Sailing Club. Sixteen pioneers entered that race with Brian Coad’s Raasay of Melfort returning home after six days at sea to win the inaugural race.
Records The outright Round Ireland race record of 38 h 37 min 7 s is held by MOD-70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail and was set in June 2016.
The monohull Round Ireland race record of 50 h 24 min and 9 s is held by George David's Rambler 88 from Newport, RI, USA was also set in the 2016 race.
The previous record (65 h 48 min 47 s) was held by Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard set in 2008, a race dominated by gale-force winds, the 100 foot super maxi knocked over 10 hours off the previous race record, set in 1998 by Colm Barrington's Jeep Cherokee.
In a close fought race for line honours in the 2016 race, Musandam-Oman Sail finished just minutes before Ned Collier-Wakefield's Concise-10 and Lloyd Thornburg's Phaedo-3. All three boats broke the previous record of 40 h 51 min 57 s also set by Musandam-Oman Sail in 2015 , which had replaced the long-standing 1993 record of 44 h 42 min 20 s set by Steve Fossett's 60 foot trimaran Lakota. (Both of which were set in scheduled (i.e. non-race) attempts)
Winners YearWinnerSkipperLine HonoursSkipperTimeStartersFinishers2020Race cancelled due to COVID-192018Baraka GPNiall DowlingBaraka GPNiall Dowling3:23:20:4448412016Rambler 88George DavidRambler 88George David2:02:24:0950372014 Tanit Richard Harris Monster Project David Ryan 4:04:25:25 36 332012 Inis Mor Bernard & Laurent Gouy Green Dragon Enda O'Coineen 3:17:01:16 37 372010 Tonnerre de Breskens 3Piet Vroon Tonnerre de Breskens 3Piet Vroon 3:16:03:50 37 362008 Ireland West Aodhan Fitzgerald ICAP Leopard Mike Slade 2:17:48:47 41 302006 Cavatina Eric Lisson Konica Minolta Zara 4:04:57:30 39 362004 Calyx Voice & Data Eamon Crosbie O2 Team Spirit David Nixon 3:04:48:39 47 372002 Cavatina Eric Lisson Team Tonic Nick Hewson 3:11:34:50 28 242000 Imp George Radley Fenix R Balding 5:12:41:10 28 261998 Jeep Cherokee Colm Barrington Jeep Cherokee Colm Barrington 3:04:23:57 38 271996 Big Ears Michael Boyd Bridgestone Mike Slade 3:15:58:58 55 551994 Bridgestone Peter Wilson Virgin City Jet Dix/Power/Barrington 3:16:30:33 53 361992 Whirlpool Colm Barrington Whirlpool Colm Barrington 4:00:43:06 46 331990 Rothmans Laurie Smith Rothmans Laurie Smith 3:12:56:06 61 351988 Lightning Liam Shanahan Moonduster Denis Doyle 4:20:15:46 52 42 1986 Spirit R. Burrows Mazda Drum M. O'Leary/T. Power 4:03:35:43 27 271984 Moonduster Denis Doyle Moonduster Denis Doyle 4:03:45:25 17 131980 Raasay of Melfort B. Coad Force Ten-Sion A.J. Vernon/J.S. Morris 5:15:02:27 16 10
References
External links Round Ireland Race Homepage