The Round Ireland Yacht Race 2010 kicks off on Sunday June 20th 2010 from Wicklow Sailing Club. The Round Ireland Yacht race is one of the top five ocean races along with the Fastnet, Sydney to Hobart, Malta Middle Sea Race and the Newport Bermuda Race. A competitive and testing event for any keen sailor, 2010 will be the 30th anniversary of the race.The race itself will begin at Wicklow Town and is a distance of 704 nautical miles. The Round Ireland is Ireland's premier offshore yacht race, and the second longest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar. The first race took place in 1980 with only thirteen boats. Since then, held every 2 years, the fleet has increased in both size and skill and the Round Ireland is recognised as one of the most challenging ocean races in the sailing calendar.
There are four classes in IRC in which boats and their crews can compete, and in 2004 the "Two-handed Class" was launched which has introduced a new level of competition for the more extreme sailor. In the past, boats competing have ranged from a 100-foot maxi, to club boats one third the size, with all shades in between.
Round Ireland Waypoints
