SSE Renewables is the new title-sponsor for the 1132-km Round Ireland yacht race that gets underway on Saturday 20 June next year.
The race is part of the Royal Ocean Racing Club Season’s Points Championship.
The start and finishing lines for the newly-titled SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race are off the pier head at Wicklow Harbour.
First sailed in 1980, the non-stop handicap race regularly attracts crews from around the world and the current course record was set in 2016 by George David from the US on Rambler 88 in a time of two days, two hours, 24 minutes and nine seconds.
The majority of competing crews entering the race are from around the world in addition to home-grown entries.
Winner in 2018 Niall Dowling from Dublin confirmed his intention to enter the 2020 race.
Dowling’s navigator Ian Moore, a leading international pro-sailor from Carrickfergus described the race as “the Kilimanjaro of Sailing”.
Wicklow Sailing Club and its team of volunteer organisers hope to increase entries to more than 60 for next year’s race from 55 boats and grow the race further in future editions.
SSE Renewables is currently developing a major expansion of the Arklow Bank offshore wind farm close to the starting-line of the race.
Pictured are SSE Renewables head of offshore development Barry Kilcline (right) and Wicklow Sailing Club commodore Kyran O’Grady.