Kleinjans on course for record

Belgium Open 40 sailor undertakes solo round Ireland record

On Saturday 1 October at 12.57 GMT Belgian yachtsman Michel Kleinjans and his Open 40 Roaring Forty finally set sail from Dun Loaghaire in an attempt to better the existing singlehanded Round Ireland record.

The broken starter engine that forced him to delay his departure almost for a week has finally been repaired, allowing Michel Kleinjans to seize the first weather window and start his clockwise chrono race.

Yesterday morning (Monday) Roaring Forty's position was just off the Blasket Islands on the south-west coast of Ireland, where lack of wind was seriously holding up progress. Fortunately for the Belgian skipper the wind picked up in the afternoon and weather maps show that it is likely to stay, allowing Roaring Forty to make good progress towards the finish line in Dublin Bay.

Roaring Forty is an Open 40 built in 1997 to a plan of Ad Konijnendijk who also designed Piet Vroon Tonnere de Breskens and Formidable .

The singlehanded Round Ireland record, 5 days, 12 hours and 11 minutes, is held by Irishman Michael Liddy sailing his production Beneteau 40.7 AFAOM.COM.

The record for crewed yachts is held by the French 60-footer CITY JET/SOLUNE, in a time of 57 hours and 41 minutes.