Johnny Vincent's Volvo 70 Pace has covered 428 nautical miles in 24 hours, averaging close to 18 knots, as the leading boats in the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race ride a strengthening Atlantic low pressure system towards the northern turning point.
At the 13:30 BST update on Wednesday, Pace was charging north off the Hebrides with 932 nautical miles remaining on the 1,805-nautical-mile course. The boat has opened a commanding lead on the water over Jens Kellinghusen's Ker 56 Varuna 6, with Antoine Magre's Mach 50 Palanad 4 third.
The same three boats occupy the provisional podium in both IRC Overall and IRC Zero, with Pace holding an estimated corrected time advantage of almost 24 hours over Varuna 6.
"Out here off the Hebrides, Pace is thundering along in a solid 25 knots of breeze from the south," reported boat captain Anthony Haines. "We spent the night in 20-25 knots downwind, the boat averaging 17 to 25 knots, with plenty of water sweeping the deck and keeping everyone honest."
Haines said the crew had settled into a rhythm after frantic early sail changes, with "quiet confidence" now on board. Four-time round-the-world winner Stu Bannatyne is making his debut in the race as watch captain aboard Pace, joining fellow watch leader Neal McDonald and navigator Jules Salter.
Palanad 4's Antoine Magre described more than 70 tacks around the Isle of Wight before navigator Pablo helped them escape the initial high pressure. "Pace and Varuna have taken advantage of their larger size and sail area to get away, but we are doing all we can to keep up," Magre said.
The fleet is now split into two distinct races. While leaders enjoy strong southerly winds off Scotland, boats south-west of Ireland are encountering sea fog. Maggie Adamason on Tigris reported: "We can hear the fog horns of the big ships, and we can only see them on AIS."
PredictWind expert Arnaud Monges said the 999 hPa Atlantic low now dominates the race. Southerly winds of 15-20 knots should ease to 10-15 knots on Thursday as leaders approach Muckle Flugga and turn south into upwind conditions. A secondary low may bring stronger gusts for the main fleet, while Friday's building high pressure could make timing critical for boats still climbing Ireland's west coast.
In Class40, Pierre Le Boucher's Penfret leads from Swift and Gambit, though Dutch entry Tjoba has retired with technical issues. Sam and Andrew Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra heads IRC One, while RORC Commodore Deb Fish's Sun Fast 3600 Bellino leads IRC Two. Fish, who won overall in 2000 and was second double-handed in 2022, reported intense tactical racing near the Skellig Islands.
Sam White and Nathan Steffenoni's JPK 1080 Mzungu! leads IRC Two-Handed, with Ian Hoddle and Willow Bland's Sun Fast 3300 Sky Business - Game On second. Hoddle admitted struggling with sleep as adrenaline levels remain high.
Mark Brown's JPK 1010 Jetpack heads IRC Three, though Richard Breese on double-handed J/105 Mojo described being becalmed alongside Swan 44 Astrid after earlier gains: "Forget the forecasts - if you want to find no wind, just follow our track."
