The Round Ireland Yacht Race is open for entries, offering offshore racing crews the chance to take on one of Ireland’s most challenging and celebrated sailing events. Organised by Wicklow Sailing Club in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the race covers approximately 704 nautical miles of dramatic Irish coastline and open ocean, making it one of. Excitement is building ahead of the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race, with growing entries, international interest and strong anticipation already surrounding Ireland’s premier offshore sailing event. Organised by Wicklow Sailing Club in association with Royal Ocean Racing Club and Royal Irish Yacht Club, the race will start from Wicklow Harbour on the 20th June 2026. Round Ireland 2026 entries rise to 29 boats with strong overseas presence as five more yachts join the Wicklow offshore race fleet. Take on one of the world’s toughest offshore yacht races — the RORC Round Britain & Ireland Race 2026. Join First Class Sailing’s full training and race campaign for an unforgettable sailing adventure around Britain and Ireland. Round Ireland – Ireland’s Premier offshore Yacht Race It is the second longest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar and first race took place in 1980 with only thirteen boats. Since then, held biennially, the fleet has grown steadily, attracting a record 64 entrants from all over the world. Registered Entries Round Ireland 2026 No. Boat Name Entered By Design Length(m) Home Port / Club / Affiliation Image 1 HIRO MARU Hiroshi Nakajima S & S 49 (71) 15.05 Stamford YC, RORC, Cruising Club of America, NYYC, Storm Trysail Club 704 Miles Around Ireland: The 2026 Edition Gathers Momentum Nine foreign boats among the first twelve entries. Americans, British, a Hong Kong-based crew — all coming to challenge the Irish on home waters. The Round Ireland Yacht Race 2026 is already showing, from the moment registrations opened in January, an international dimension that speaks volumes about the appeal of this biennial. Early registrations for the Round Ireland Yacht Race 2026 point to a strongly international fleet. As of 7 February, 12 boats are listed, with nine based outside Ireland or sailing under overseas club affiliations, many connected to the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). The entry list for the Round Ireland Yacht Race 2026 has grown again, with five more boats registered since Afloat’s last early bird entry rate update. The additions bring the fleet to 29 entries, with 19 of them visiting boats from outside Ireland. The last race in 2024 had a final entry of 48 boats. Early entries for the 2026 Round Ireland Yacht Race reveal nine of 12 boats are overseas, many linked to the RORC offshore circuit.