Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle 2021: Rockabill Going for the “Threepeat”

11th January 2021

Getting on a head of steam. Rockabill Vi (Paul O’Higgins, RIYC) starting to find the strengthening fair wind in the early stages of the 2019 Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race. Already the defending champion after winning in 2017, she held on to her title in Dingle, and was also ISORA Champion and ICRA “Boat of the Year”, while her owner-skipper became 2019 Sailor of the Year

It’s only a week since the listings opened for the National YC’s 2021 Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race scheduled for June 9th, and already 15 definite entries have arrived in with such speed that the organising committee - under chairman Adam Winkelmann – have said they may have to be prepared to look at an upper limit of 50 boats.

The initial lineup includes defending champion Rockabill VI, Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 which was also first on her debut on 2017, so the O’Higgins team have set the stakes high in aiming for the “Threepeat” in this classic 280-mile challenge which always provides competitors with a remarkable variety of sailing.

As this list shows, many of the great and the good in Irish offshore racing have led the way in putting themselves into the mix, including the star boat of 2020's two significant race, the Murphy family’s Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo from Cork, victor in both the Kinsale-Fastnet-Kinsale Race, and the Fastnet 450 from Dublin Bay round the Fastnet and back to Cork Harbour.

And even at this early stage, there’s an international element, as Solent-based Royal Irish YC member Niall Dowling – overall winner of the 2018 Round Ireland with the Ker 43 Baraka GP – has entered with the Ker 40+ Arabella.

See race entries here

Niall Dowling’s Ker 43 Baraka GP at the start of her doubly-successful 2018 Round Ireland Race from Wicklow. Niall Dowling returns, this time for the D2D 2021, with the newer Ker 40+ Arabella. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien

Published in Dun Laoghaire Dingle

Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Live Tracker 2023

Track the progress of the 2023 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Yacht Race fleet on the live tracker above and the leaderboard below

Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Live Leaderboard 2023

The 16th edition of the 280-mile race organised by the National Yacht Club starts at 2 pm on Wednesday, June 7th, on Dublin Bay.

Read the full 2023 race preview by WM Nixon here
Read all the D2D Race News in one handy link here
Listen to Lorna Siggins's interview with Race Chairman Adam Winkelmann on Afloat's Wavelengths here

WM Nixon will be posting regular race updates and analysis throughout the 2023 race here

Published in Dun Laoghaire Dingle

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About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Yacht Race Information

The biennial Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race is a 320-miles race down to the east coast of Ireland, across the south coast and into Dingle harbour in County Kerry.

The race is organised by the National Yacht Club.

It never fails to offer a full range of weather, wind and tide to the intrepid entrants, ranging from a 32ft cruiser to a 79ft all-out racer.

Three divisions are available to enter: cruiser (boats equipped with furlers), racing (the bulk of the fleet) and also two-handed.

D2D Course change overruled

In 2019, the organisers considered changing the course to allow boats to select routes close to shore by removing the requirement to go outside Islands and Lighthouses en route, but following input from regular participants, the National Yacht Club decided to stick with the tried and tested course route in order to be fair to large and smaller boats and to keep race records intact.

D2D Course record time

Mick Cotter’s 78ft Whisper established the 1 day and 48 minutes course record for the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race in 2009 and that time stood until 2019 when Cotter returned to beat his own record but only just, the Dun Laoghaire helmsman crossing the line in Kerry to shave just 20 seconds off his 2009 time.