Winds gusting up 20 knots put Ireland's biggest sailing event back on schedule at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta on Friday, with Dublin Bayu dishing up a full programme of testing racing for nearly 400 competing boats.

Potential winners are already emerging as the biennial regatta approaches the halfway stage across 22 racing classes, with more strong winds forecast for Saturday.

So far, the ninth edition of Ireland's biggest sailing event has delivered strong breezes to be a true test of sailors' skills despite losing the opening day for most classes due to gales. The regatta has already produced impressive performances on the water, but few class leaders can count straight wins after another day of strong winds.

Strong winds on Dublin Bay are providing testing sailing conditions at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Michael Chester

Afloat has captured a lot of on-the-water action here, and a new regatta drone video of day two gives a bird's eye view of the proceedings.

With all classes aiming for two or three races today (Friday), results in the fleet were still being computed in some classes late into the night.

The Royal Ulster Yacht Final Call II leads IRC One Photo: Michael Chester

The Royal Ulster Yacht Final Call II leads the highly competitive 24-boat IRC Class 1 after three races sailed. The John Minnis campaign took a race win and a second today to top the leaderboard but only by a single point. The Belfast Lough crew lead Mike and Richie Evans in the J99 Snapshot from Howth Yacht Club. Timothy and Richard Goodbody's White Mischief from the Royal Irish Yacht Club lies third and the first J109 of 17 in the class.

In IRC Zero, Paul O'Higgins's JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI leads by one point from Pete Smyth's Sun Fast 3600 Searcher.

Pete Smyth's Sun Fast 3600 Searcher is lying second in IRC Zero Photo: Bob Bateman

Dave Dwyer's Royal Cork Half Tonner Swuzzlebubble has found her mojo in IRC Two, but Howth's X302 Dux, skippered by Caroline Gore-Grimes, took a first-race win in the choppy conditions.

The 22-boat coastal class is led by Scottish J122 Gran Senor, skippered by Jonathan Anderson after a single 30-mile race. The line honour winner was Frank Whelan's Elliott 57, Opal from Greystones Harbour.

In the one-design classes, after four races sailed, the Flying Fifteen class, headed by Shane MacCarthy and Alan Green, sailed to the wrong mark in race two but won races three and four to stamp their authority on the 22-boat fleet.

In a six-boat Cape 31 contest for national honours, Anthony O'Leary's red-hulled Antix of Royal Cork leads from Howth's Dan O'Grady. 

National Champion Chris Johnston leads in the 31.7s, and Howth's Stephen Mullaney is on top in the Sigma 33s. Royal Irish's Andrew Bradley has the lead in the 211s in Chinook.

Dragon class racing at the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

Neil Hegarty's Royal St. George Phantom has command of a strong Dragon class turnout.

Two one-design classes have leaders with perfect scores, with Sean and Heather Craig taking three wins in the Water Wag dinghies and Jerry Dowling the same in SB20s.

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

Results are provisional and subject to protest. Full results in all classes are available below.

Ireland’s largest sailing event, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, came to a gentle close this afternoon after an exciting four days of racing in Dublin Bay with 500 boats and almost 2,500 sailors competing.

A light northerly breeze of six knots allowed organisers to complete nearly all 290 scheduled races with many class titles hanging on the outcome of today's final race.

Along with the country's biggest sailing event comes the biggest prizegiving and this was held at 4 pm in the evening sunshine at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

David Gorman's Flying Fifteen 'Betty' from the National Yacht Club was named top boat after leading an extremely competitive 24–boat one-design fleet with seven race wins in a ten race series.

Boat of the Week - The Flying Fifteen Betty of David Gorman and Chris Doorly

The Best Dinghy/Small Keelboat Scoter went to David & Edward Warden-Owen Trearddur Bay Sailing Club.

Best Dinghy/Small Keelboat - Scoter David & Edward Warden-Owen of Trearddur Bay Sailing Club

The Best One Design/Keelboat went to the Sigma 33 Leaky Roof 2, Alan Harper E & K Robertson from Cove Sailing Club in Scotland. 

The Best One Design/Keelboat - Sigma 33 Leaky Roof 2, Alan Harper E & K Robertson from Cove Sailing Club

The Best Overall IRC Checkmate XVIII went to Manchester-based Nigel Biggs Howth YC and Royal Irish YC.

Best Overall IRC - Checkmate XVIII Nigel Biggs of Howth YC / Royal Irish YC

Dublin Yacht Club's shared the bulk of the overall class prizes, awarded this afternoon at the official prize-giving at the Royal Irish Yacht Club, winning 19 of the 34 classes.

A final challenge by John Maybury on the Centre Course today in the single race sailed enabled the Royal Irish J109 Sailor to successfully retain his IRC One crown in a highly competitive 26-boat fleet. 

In a summer of achievements for Maybury, his Class One defence follows four consecutive class wins of IRC National Championship victories, the 2019 win coming on Dublin Bay last month. Today's victory was Maybury's fifth VDLR class win in a row winning first in 2011.

The 28-boat IRC offshore prize was won by Seamus Fitzpatrick's First 50, Mermaid also of the Royal Irish.

Seven classes included the regatta as part of their championship calendar in 2019: GP14s, 420s and Mermaid dinghies raced for Leinster honours. The SB20s decided regional titles and the Sigma 33s and Beneteau 21s raced for national trophies. 

The biennial event is being hailed an enormous success both afloat and ashore for a combined fleet of 498 boats, the biggest on the Irish Sea. Over 290 races on five different courses were staged in a range of light to medium conditions since racing began last Thursday.

Although 230 visiting boats made up nearly half the fleet, yachts from outside the bay area took away only 11 trophies up from seven two years ago. The bulk of the silverware has stayed in Dublin.

Trophies were awarded in each of the 34 competing classes this afternoon, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful stagings of Ireland's biggest sailing event that eclipsed 2017's 470-boat fleet.

Scotland's Cove Sailing Club took a win in the Sigma 33 Irish open Championships. Howth Yacht Club had six wins in IRC 2, 2 B, RC35 and, the Howth 17s, and non–spinnaker division 1 but outside of that there was only a single win for Belfast Lough in IRC 3, Rush Sailing Club in the Laser Radial and Greystones Sailing Club won both the Wayfarers and IRC Zero.

UK Olympic Gold Medalist Mike McIntyre won the RS Elite Championships that was run as part of the Regatta and the British Sailing Star was also awarded the Regatta's best visiting boat award, as previously mentioned.

In Dun Laoghaire, the Royal Irish Yacht Club topped the leaderboard winning eight classes from IRC keelboats to Water Wag dinghies. The Royal St. George had six wins. The National Yacht Club had four victories and the DMYC had two. 

The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is 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.

Ireland’s biggest sailing event, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, came to a gentle close this afternoon after an exciting four days of racing in Dublin Bay with over 475 boats and almost 2,500 sailors competing.

A light sea breeze of six knots allowed organisers to complete nearly all 290 scheduled races with many class titles hanging on the outcome of today's final race.

In a fitting tribute to the harbour's bicentenary year, racing for the coastal classes finished inside the harbour, a nod to a long-standing Dun Laoghaire yachting tradition.

For a time this morning, it looked like there might be no wind for sailing but after a short delay all six courses – catering for 475 yachts – raced in a six–knot sea breeze

Dublin Yacht Club's shared the bulk of the overall prizes, awarded this afternoon at the official prize giving at the Royal St. George Yacht Club, winning 23 of the 35 classes including the coveted 'Boat of the Week' Trophy.

CLASS ONE – John Maybury's Joker II on the way to overall victory this afternoon. Maybury had a 13 – point win margin in a very competitive class one 28–boat fleet. In a remarkable performance for the J109 campaign, Joker II has now won three ICRA nationals in a row and today's class one win (see race start photo below) represents four VDLR wins in succession; 2011, 2013, 2015 and now 2017.   

John Maybury's J109 Joker II from the Royal Irish Yacht Club was named top boat after leading an extremely competitive IRC class one 28–boat fleet from start to finish.

Maybury's lead, however, was cut to three points overnight by club–mate Richard Goodbody's White Mischief but a final challenge to Maybury on the South Course today did not materialise in the single race sailed. Instead the RIYC sailor ended the series on a 13.5–point cushion.

Regatta Chairman Tim Goodbody's reminder that 'Volvo Dun Laoghaire is a fun regatta, not a championship' did little to stem the fierce competition for the coveted Volvo prizes in 35 classes as the last race of the event concluded in the lightest sea–breezes of the series.

In a summer of achievements for John Maybury, his Volvo Trophy follows the first ever hat-trick of IRC National Championship victories achieved in Crosshaven last month. Today's victory was Maybury's fourth VDLR class win in a row winning first in 2011.

The premier award for top visiting boat went to Fergus Burnham and Andy Hunter in the GP14 Class.

The best one design keelboat award went to David Gorman and Chris Doorly in the flying Fifteen class.

Paddy Gregory's Flashback from Howth is the VDLR offshore champion. The Beneteau 34.7 is also the winner of the Jack Ryan Whiskey Royal Dee Offshore Championships

The 31-boat offshore prize was won by Howth's Beneteau 34.7, Flashback skippered by Paddy Gregory. Gregory also lifted the Royal Dee Offshore Championship Trophy that was raced as part of the regatta.

The Classic Division shared the coastal course start line today in Scotsman's Bay. The restored Dublin Bay 24 Periwinkle (below) finished tp of the 18–boat classics keelboat division

CLASSICS –Dublin Bay 24 Periwinkle skippered by David Espey

CLASSICS – (Above and below) the Gaff Cutter Myfanwy from Neyland Yacht Club was the winner of the Kingstown 200 Trophy

CLASS ZERO – After wins at the ICRA Nationals and the Sovereigns Cup, Swansea's Dark Angel always looked on target for another Irish win at VDLR in the five boat class  (below)

CLASS TWO – After a tightly bunched start (below), Howth's Checkmate XV (Dave Cullen) outwitted Scottish entry Trastada for the overall win. Angus Roddy's Clyde half tonner was third while Cullen's club mate Jonny Swan was third in Harmony

CLASS THREE –There were no surprises on the final day where Richard Colwell's Fusion made sure of overall victory in an eight–boat fleet

CLASS FOUR – Two wins in the final two races this morning clinched the title for Ken Lawless's Quarter Tonner Cartoon. The Royal Irish Yacht leap–frogged overnight leader, Flash, Jonathan Flood's Formula 28 from Wicklow Sailing Club by a margin of 5.5 points. Third in the 15–boat fleet was another Royal Irish Quarter Tonner, Paul Coulton's Cri Cri. Ten races were sailed with two discards.

Top UK visitors Fergus Burnham and Andy Hunter from Nantwich were GP14 Leinster Championship winners

Ten classes included the regatta as part of their championship calendar in 2017: GP14s, 420s and Mermaid dinghies raced for Leinster honours. The J24s, SB20s and Squibs decided regional titles and the Sigma 33s, Beneteau 21s and the Wayfarers raced for national trophies.

The biennial event is being hailed an enormous success both afloat and ashore for a combined fleet of 475 boats, the biggest on the Irish Sea. Over 290 races on five different courses were staged in a range of light to medium conditions since racing began last Thursday.

Although 180 visiting boats made up nearly half the fleet, yachts from outside the bay area took away only seven trophies. The bulk of the silverware have stayed on Dun Laoghaire's waterfront.

Trophies were awarded in each of the 35 competing classes this afternoon, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful staging’s of Ireland's biggest sailing event.

Alan Harper's Clyde–based Mayrise beat an excellent turnout of 20 Sigma 33s

Scotland's Clyde Cruising Club took a win in the Sigma 33 Irish open Championships. Howth Yacht Club had six wins in IRC two and three, the Howth 17s, J24s and non–spinnaer divisions but outside of that there was only single wins for Belfast Lough in the RS Elite, Rush Sailing Club in the Laser Radial, Sutton Dinghy Club in the IDRA 14s and Greystones Sailing Club won the Wayfarers.

In Dun Laoghaire, the Royal Irish Yacht Club topped the leaderboard winning six classes from IRC keelboats to Water Wag dinghies.The Royal St. George had five wins in one design classes. The National Yacht Club had three victories and the DMYC had two.

VDLR SPECIAL TROPHY WINNERS 2017

Special Trophies	Boat Name	First	Surname	Other	Club
At End
Best Overall ECHO	Platinum Blonde	Paul	Egan		Royal St George YC
Most Successful Royal St George YC Boat	Glen Luce	Richard	O'Connor	Donal O'Connor	Royal St George YC
Best Visiting Boat		Fergus	Barnham	Andy Hunter	Snettisham Beach&Nantwich
Best Dinghy/Small Keelboat	Betty	David	Gorman		National Yacht Club
Best One Design/Keelboat	Mayrise	Alan	Harper	A Harper/E & K Robertson	Cove SC,Argull & Bute, Clyde CC
Best Overall IRC	Joker 2	John	Maybury		Royal Irish Yacht Club
Boat of the Week	Joker 2	John	Maybury		Royal Irish Yacht Club
Best Overall Flying 15	Betty	David	Gorman		National Yacht Club
Best Overall Ruffian 23	Diane 2	Chris	Helme	Alan Claffey	Royal St George Yacht Club
Best Overall IDRA 14	Dubious	Simon	Revill		Sutton Dinghy Club
Royal Dee Irish Sea Offshore Championship	TBC
IRC Offshore Class Challenge Trophy	Flashback	Paddy	Gregory	Don Breen	Howth Yacht Club
Best DBSC Non Spinnaker	Not Awarded
Most successful Water Wag		Guy	Kilroy	Jackie Kilroy	Royal Irish Yacht Club
Best Classic Boat & 100 Guinea Purse	Myfanwy	Robert	Mason		Neyland Yacht Club

The next Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta will be held from 11th –14th July 2019

Full results for the 2017 Regatta here

Read all of Afloat's 2017 VDLR coverage in this one handy link here