An ebb-tide and light westerly breeze were again in play but with a bigger fleet this time.

Two of the expected entries won’t be joining the event until later in Volvo Cork Week, the main event that the Beaufort Cup is part of.

But the key players are all here and in force too.

As expected, the duel between Commandant Barry Byrne of the Irish Defence Forces with his crew on Joker 2 and Youen Jacob’s Baltimore RNLI crew on Joggernaut got underway from the starting-gun.

This year, the apparent weapon of choice is a J109, matching Joker 2’s successful win of the cup in 2016 and now nine of the fleet are racing in this design including Jacob’s team.

As the leaders passed close to the Cobh shoreline, they were gybing along past the Spit Bank and waiting for the turn seawards towards Roche’s Point where the Cork Buoy offshore was their only passing-mark en route to the Fastnet.

While the breeze was light and the tide favourable, exiting Cork Harbour still took over an hour and that meant sailing past the main Volvo Cork Week fleet gathered off Weaver’s Point for the start of their coastal courses.

Perhaps the presence of dozens of other boats masked what was happening in the race but the two leaders could watch on as Tánaiste Simon Coveney, a Crosshaven regular jumped into the lead on his chartered J109 Jedi.

Calm patches dotted the course off Roche’s Point but Thomas Roche’s Meridian, including on its crew Defence Forces Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett found themselves in a good line of breeze and also took off.

By late evening yesterday, Meridian had worked into the overall lead on the water, just like 2016 but it was Coveney’s Jedi leading the pack of J109’s along the West Cork coast.

With headwinds and a foul tide, the leaders were looking like arriving at the Fastnet some around midnight or perhaps later.

And with the forecast of continued light winds overnight and into today, organisers took the precaution of requiring the entrants to note their times passing west of the Fastnet as the race may yet be finished there, if there is enough wind for the return leg to Cork Harbour today.

Whatever the outcome – the result is based on IRC handicap rating times – a much closer battle is on the cards compared to 2016 and as the Fastnet Race, plus Friday’s finale both count for bonus points, a runaway leader is unlikely this year.

Meanwhile, the main Volvo Cork Week fleet also began their series yesterday with a scenic coastal course outside Roche’s Point sailed over four hours.

Amongst the big boats of Class One, Jay Colville’s Forty Licks from East Antrim took the honours for the first race of the series ahead of El Gran Senor skippered by Jonathan Anderson of the Clyde Cruising Club.

Visitors also did well in Class Two where Mojito owned by Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox from Pwllheli SC in Wales edged out Brian and Mary Jones’ Jelly Baby from the Royal Cork YC.

However, Crosshaven fared better in Class Three where Kieran Collins Coracle IV put local knowledge to good use in the fickle conditions around the finishing-line area to keep clubmates Paul and Deirdre Tingle’s Alpaca in second place.

The event has a dedicated class for Coastal Racing under IRC handicap and was won for the day by Supergroove skippered by Ronan Stack from Arklow SC. All classes will sail another coastal race today before the hallmark Cork Week Harbour race that features a massed start tomorrow off Roche’s Point, and a steady stream of boats racing past a turning-mark stationed off Cobh’s historic waterfront around lunchtime.

Also in keeping with the event’s traditional appeal, a variety of course types will be used including Olympic style and windward-leewards off Roche’s Point on Thursday and Friday, ensuring a fair mix of racing for the assorted competitors.