Sailing Round Ireland record attemptPassing Tralee bay at 8.30pm last night, Cityjet skipper Jean-Phillipe Chomette remained tight-lipped about breaking any records having lost half of the six-hour time advantage he had built up on the first 200- mile leg from the Kish to the Fastnet rock by yesterday morning.
Deep offshore and speaking by satellite phone to The Irish Times, Chomette confirmed his position as being on the same latitude as Tralee bay. "We are sailing in a 15-knot wind from 330 degrees. We are on port tack heading for Eagle island."
It was a course he expected to be able to maintain until 9am this morning. He expressed concern over the long distance sailed offshore because in effect through tacking he had been forced to sail a less than direct course.
This tactic, though necessary to maintain boat speed, had cost precious time and distance, a commodity he does not have in the race against the clock for a sub 70-hour circumnavigation.
It was only as a last resort they went far offshore to negotiate tricky conditions from the Fastnet to Inistearaght when speed on the 60-footer slowed to below seven knots.
They should be over the worst of it, but Cityjet only plays with a three-hour safety margin now and by 9am this morning will only have reached the halfway stage of the 704-mile course.
Along the south coast on Tuesday night the French yacht had kept an average speed of 12.7 knots, slowing only momentarily when the 10-tonne yacht caught a fishing net off Kinsale - luckily it broke and they saw it disappear in their wake.
The 200 nautical-mile trip from the Kish on Tuesday down the east coast, round the Tuskar and along the south coast to the Fastnet was completed in just over 16 hours and it gave them confidence for the tricky passage to Inisteareacht.
By 11.15am yesterday morning, however, the crew had doused the giant white spinnaker and ended a 137-nautical mile reaching leg.
It was an important opening salvo and one that had given her a three-knot speed cushion over the nine-knot minimum speed required to beat the 72-hour record time.
That record, made by the Irish Independent Challenger, has stood despite Chomette's previous attempt to dislodge it since 2002.
A cautious Chomette admitted to having fun and that the only mistake was not to be able to find matches (there are three smokers on board) and they ate cold meals for the first night at sea. Eight hungry crew are now relying on one dying cigarette lighter and face the prospect of another night of freeze-dried food and cold water.
Tonight, Cityjet will face an uncertain 100-mile trip across the north coast - navigator Chris Tibbs expects the wind to be behind them, although that will force a number of gybes.
Tibbs remains confident, however, that they will stay in breeze before a high pressure moves over Ireland. The next 24 hours will tell.
Meanwhile, in dinghy sailing news, the Minister for the Environment Dick Roche will launch the Topper European Championships at the Ocean Bar, Charlotte Quay in Ringsend at 3pm today.
The event, the only European dinghy championship to be held in Ireland this year, will take place in Blessington Sailing Club from August 14th-19th.
In excess of 150 young sailors - ranging mainly in age from 10 to 16 years - are expected to compete in the event.
