Fastwave, the French 2022 winner of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race, is returning to defend its title. The addition of SL Energies Groupe Fastwave to the race has bolstered the already strong line-up.
Skipper Laurent Charmy will sail his J/111 in the 704 nautical mile offshore race on June 22nd and is looking to claim back-to-back wins.
Charmy had recently been racing in the second edition of the Cap-Martinique on his all-new Sunfast 30 OD double. Unfortunately, the team had to retire after two days of sailing while heading for Fort-de-France in Martinique.
"The race organisers are thrilled to have the 2022 winners back again", Wicklow Sailing Club's Oonagh Healy told Afloat.
It's yet another accolade for the Irish offshore classic, which also features a strong UK presence in the current 41-boat fleet with the Sunfast 3600 winners of this season's RORC Cervantes and Myth of Malam Trophy races coming to Wicklow.
Charmy described the Round Ireland as being as tough as the Fastnet and the Middle Sea Race. The 2022 Round Ireland saw boats persevering through gale-force conditions on the west coast, only to be met with a prolonged period of calm on the north and east coasts. Given Charmy's credentials and race history to date, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
As Irish offshore campaign preparations continue apace for the Round Ireland in just over six weeks time, ISORA boats are racing this weekend in the first cross-channel race of the season from Dun Laoghaire to Pwhelli, North Wales.