With its formidable lineup of J/109s inter-mingled with the RC35 group, this IRC 1 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta class was Hotstown-plus. Yet the John Minnis team with the super-souped A35 Final Call II (RUYC) emerged out of sight ahead, on just 10 points to the 20 of second-placed J/99 Snapshot (Mike & Richie Evans, Howth).

The John Minnis team in the super-souped A35 Final Call II (RUYC) above and below at the VDLR prizegiving (Skipper John Minnis is standing second from right) Photo: Afloat

This suggests a total on-water dominance by the Gareth Flannigan-helmed Minnis boat, but some of the final race placings were very close, yet usually Final Call ended up on the right side of all the number crunching.

The J/99 Snapshot (Mike & Richie Evans, Howth) finished second in IRC One of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023 Photo: Michael Chester

First of the J/109s is the Goodbody family’s White Mischief on 22pts, followed by sister ships Joker 2 (John Maybury, RIYC) on 25.5, and Blast on Chimaera (Barry Cunningham, RIYC) scoring 34.

The Goodbody family’s J109 White Mischief

We've sometimes thought that the Archambault 35 has more in her than has so far been revealed, but John Minnis and his team from RUYC headed by helm Gareth Flannigan now seem to have lifted Final Call II onto a completely new level in IRC 1 at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

There, in her up-graded form, she is blithely seeing off the challenge of the cream of Ireland's J/109s and sundry other rockstar boats. A scoreline of 1,2,1,1 after five races with a third place discarded speaks for itself, though admittedly, the times were sometimes squeakily close - in today's final race, she bested John Maybury J/109 Joker II by just 11 seconds.

John Maybury's J/109 Joker II (left) and Mike & Richie Evans's J/99 Snapshot (HYC) in a tight duel in Friday's big breeze in IRC 1 at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

Overall, the points are more decisive, as Final Call is on 5 to the 12 of the Goodbody family's J/109 White Mischief (RIYC) and the 13 of Mike & Richie Evans's J/99 Snapshot (HYC).

The Goodbody family's J/109 White Mischief Photo: Bob Bateman

The 2023 regatta, the ninth edition of Ireland's largest sailing event, concludes on Sunday with two final races for most classes and a great festival of sailing across the waterfront and Dun Laoghaire town as four sailing clubs come together for the biennial event; Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club and National Yacht Club.