One more record remains for Round Britain and Ireland Race

Cowes, UK (August 18, 2014) – After starting a week ago Monday, ten yachts are still on the course in the 1800 mile Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. Over the last 24 hours a low pressure system that arrived from the north west is bringing gale force headwinds that are hampering the progress of the fleet north of the Irish coast.

Among the four Class40s, Roderick Knowles’ Swish remains the only entrant still in the race, with about 200 nm from the finish. Swish is expected to finish around midnight tomorrow (Tuesday), which at their current pace, would be about 24 hours inside the world record for yachts of 40ft or less.

“The instruments are playing up so we have no wind readings and we have blown out our gennaker,” said Knowles. “All is well, but we are very wet and it has been a tough couple of days, especially on Saturday when we had three reefs in, but now on full main and with that record on our minds, we are pushing when we can!”

The record-breaking race has already set new measures for the outright speed record, the outright monohull record, and the record for monohulls 60 feet and less.

Event website – Tracking