I had the pleasure of competing in the five-day SSE Renewables Round Ireland, which is Ireland’s premier yacht race. This was my second time taking part in the event and we had some very pleasant conditions – although maybe too pleasant at times!
The race begins and ends at Wicklow Sailing Club on the East Coast, and we started well, quickly passing the site of our nearby Arklow Bank offshore wind project. As we moved south though, we suffered from a lack of wind, and at times we weren’t even able to console ourselves with the views, as fog came in and obstructed some of the iconic scenery.
However, in the days that followed, the wind rebuilt from the south and fuelled a rather quick and enjoyable journey northwards up the West Coast, passing Galway Bay, the Aran Islands, and the Co. Mayo coastline.
As we arrived at the North West corner of the island, we once again lost the wind. Spirits remained high onboard nonetheless, as we were treated to an unbelievable moonrise from the East and an otherworldly cloud phenomenon in the West, backed by a setting sun. The images below do no justice to the incredible spectacle that we were treated to that night as we slowly made our way across Donegal Bay.
We thankfully rounded the top of Ireland with the wind at our backs, before contending with the infamously strong tides around Co. Antrim. The final sunrise brought light winds as we tightly hugged the Co. Down coast. That quickly built into a strong southerly gale though, with winds of up to 36 knots sustaining for large portions of our final run down the Irish Sea. Thankfully we were not subject to this for longer than we were, as we ultimately crossed the finish line in a time of 5 days and 9 hours, later that evening.
All in all, it was an incredible experience, which afforded competitors a fantastic opportunity to observe sea life, other natural phenomena, and a variety of conditions as we rounded the island. It was wonderful to see such great support from SSE Renewables, and the Arklow Bank team in particular, throughout the event.