Round Ireland in a powerboat
Of all the events in the 2013 boating calendar, the inaugural Round Ireland Powerboat & RIB Challenge looks likely to be one of the best…
According to the organiser, Hugo Montgomery-Swan, more than 20 teams have now committed to the event, with entrants from as far afield as Kiev and as broad a cross-section of people as you could wish to see. In addition to the usual salt-bitten sea-dogs, there are everything from all-girl teams, to father and son crews, lifeboatmen, professional sailors, TV celebrities and offshore newcomers. In fact, with 91 teams applying for information so far, there is every likelihood that more than 30 boats could take part - which would make it the largest powered flotilla ever to circumnavigate Ireland and the very first to attempt the route in an anti-clockwise direction.
Due to take place from July 26 to August 4, the chief purpose of the Challenge is of course to ensure that everyone involved has a life-long memory to take a way with them. And that will be achieved partly by the epic landscapes of the oceanic west coast; partly by the fact that the bulk of the flotilla will be made up of sub five-metre RIBs; and partly by the fact that (despite the scale of the undertaking) there is no need for a vast financial outlay on the part of the entrants.
As things stand, the flotilla will leave Kilmore Quay on a route that will include Dublin, Newport, Kilrush, Dingle and Baltimore, with the longest single leg involving a 175-mile run from Bangor to Killibegs. And having worked extensively with Hugo in the past, I have no doubt that his boundless enthusiasm will make it one of the best events of its kind ever held. A Round Ireland website is currently under construction, with a ‘Team Page’ detailing all the boats and crews - so if you want to make 2013 a boating season to remember, you should join me and the rest of the entrants by calling Hugo on 01884 266100 or emailing [email protected].
