Conor O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI has won the Leinster Boats 2026 Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club Kish Challenge after a light-wind race in which she was the only boat to finish within the time limit.
With the breeze variable and very light at times, Rockabill VI crossed the finish line at 4.46pm after starting at 11.17am, recording an elapsed time of 5 hours 29 minutes 7 seconds and a corrected time of 5 hours 45 minutes 34 seconds.
The Kish Challenge had been postponed from the previous Sunday because of a forecast of strong winds, but the rescheduled race produced almost the opposite problem as the fleet struggled with the lack of breeze on Dublin Bay.
Only Rockabill VI completed the course within the time limit. The provisional results list the remainder of the 33-boat race fleet as either retired or did not finish.
Rockabill VI Seals Season With Kish Win
The result provides a particularly satisfying finish to Rockabill VI's 2026 season after a difficult opening.
The JPK 10.80 was ruled out of the opening Viking Marine ISORA coastal race in April following a rigging setback, with owner Paul O'Higgins confirming at the time that the boat was out of the season opener.
After returning to racing, Rockabill VI went on to enjoy a strong summer, including winning the ORC Class Zero championship at Calves Week in Schull.
Now she has signed off her season with victory in the Kish Challenge — the final major Dún Laoghaire event of the season — after being the only boat to make it around the course and reach the finish within the permitted time.
Light airs: Rockabill VI (IRL 10800) leads Windjammer, ReQuest and Aurelia during Sunday's Kish Challenge on Dublin Bay. Photo: Afloat
Familiar Kish Fleet Struggles in Light Airs
Several of the boats that featured prominently in last year's Kish Challenge were among those unable to complete Sunday's race, including 2025 winner Aurelia, Justin Burke's ReQuest and Pilliban.
The result is another unusual chapter in the history of the DMYC race, which has also been affected by weather in recent years. Aurelia won the 2025 Kish Challenge after the original race was postponed and the rescheduled fleet was sent to the Bray Mark in stronger conditions.
In 2024, Justin Burke's ReQuest won the Kish Race after another weather-affected edition, while Pete Smyth's Searcher won in 2023.
The provisional DMYC results were issued at 5.22pm on Sunday.
See Afloat's Kish Race archive for previous coverage of the annual Dún Laoghaire event.
