Another Race Record on the Cards

Written by Louay Habib Wednesday, 01 September 2010 16:13

Afternoon Report - Wednesday 1st September

At 1600 BST, Tony Lawson's Class 40 Concise, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield was 62 miles from the finish of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. For Concise, the wind was still on the nose as it has been for much of the race, but an increase in wind speed to 17 knots means it will be a bumpy last few hours for the team, but spirits are high for an earlier finish time.

 

There are some very amusing reports in the blog from Concise: Click here to go to the Race Blogs

Concise are virtually assured of claiming the Round Britain and Ireland record for yachts of up to 40ft.

The increase in wind speed is not just confined to the English Channel. The remaining competitors in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race are forecast to feel the power of the Atlantic at least one more time. At midnight tonight, a frontal system is due to arrive on the west coast of Ireland bringing southeasterly winds of over 20 knots, which will mean the majority of the fleet will be fully on the wind.

However, Chaz Ivill's Grand Soleil 54, John B and the two Clipper 68s, Hull & Humber and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, are already heading east in the Irish Sea. They should pick up speed power reaching should the fresh breeze arrive from the southeast. Several other yachts are in a race against time to turn the corner into the Irish Sea, including IRC One leader, Steven Anderson's Encore.

Encore has an extremely slim chance of eclipsing IMOCA 60, Artemis Ocean Racing's corrected time for the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland race but they will need to go like a bat out of hell to make the finish line by 12:28:03 tomorrow.