Irish sailor Dave Parker (22) set off on Monday from the Kish Lighthouse, Dublin Bay, on an attempt to break the Round Ireland Single handed speed record for a monohull. He is sailing a Berret 30ft half tonner called Blue Berret Pi.

Parker will sail anticlockwise and expects to average 5 knots.

The current record, 7 days 10 hours 24 minutes and 27 seconds, was set by Peter Keig (GBR) in October 2001 at an average of 3.96 knots.

Follow his progress at www.teamparker.ie