The MOD 70s, Musandam – OmanSail and Concise 10 have registered as entrants to the 2016 Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race.
Ned Collier-Wakefield will bring Concise 10 to Wicklow in June after having picked up his weight in rum as the prize for winning the Grand Prix Multi Hull event and smashing the all-time course record in the Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race in March.
Musandam – OmanSail holds the record for a circumnavigation of the island of Ireland under sail, achieved in May of last year and the team are looking forward to beating this record in a race setting. The Omani team in 2016 will be much the same as last year, with their skipper Sydney Gavignet. However, we are excited to see that Kerryman Damian Foxall, a Round the World veteran, will return to their team for the 2016 Volvo Round Ireland.
The official race record for a monohull is held by Mike Slade who completed the race in 2 days 17 hours 48 minutes 47 seconds in ICAP Leopard 3 in 2008.
This record was under threat once David George signalled his intention to enter Rambler 88 in the 2016 VRI race, an entry since confirmed. Rambler was first monohull home in Middle Sea Race 2015.
With wide-spread interest in the race, and entries to the race mounting up, organisers in Wicklow expect 2016 to be a classic. Watch out for further details in the coming days and weeks on these yachts and the other entrants!
