Royal Irish's Rockabill VI Has Closure On Class 0 Title at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023

9th July 2023

Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill (RIYC) celebrate their IRC Zero win at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta on Sunday Credit: Michael Chester

The final two-race day of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023 went through with increasing speed as slowly brightening skies were matched by a steadily rising southerly - a sou’easter to seaward of the harbour, but distinct overtones of a sou’wester up the bay.

Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill (RIYC) and a the VDLR Prizegiving below. Skipper Paul O'Higgins is pictured standing second from right with cap Photo: Michael Chester

Cruiser 0 was one of the classes to take it right to the wire for the final contests, but by winning the first of today's (Sunday’s) two races by 46 seconds from closest contender Pete Smyth with the Sunfast 36000 Searcher (NYC), Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill (RIYC) could live with a discarded third in the final race, when Brian Dixon’s Corby 36 Gelert from Pwllheli was first across the line ahead of Searcher.

Pete Smyth with the Sunfast 36000 Searcher (NYC) Photo: Michael Chester

The Smyth boat corrected into the race lead with Gelert up in lights in second, but with Rockabill keeping strategic tabs in that dumped third, it was already settled.

Final points were Rockabill VI on 8, Searcher (NYC) on 10, Patrick Burke’s First 40 Prima Forte (RIYC) third on 23, and Johnny Treanor’s J112eGP ValenTina (NYC) fourth on 24.

Johnny Treanor’s J112eGP ValenTina Photo: Michael Chester

Scroll down for 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta results class by class

Read all the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Race News in one handy link here
Click links to read more on VDLR IRC divisions Coastal, IRC Zero, IRC One, IRC Two and IRC Three
Listen to Lorna Siggins's interview with Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Race Director Paddy Boyd here
Read more on the Coastival Festival here
See live Dublin Bay webcams covering here

Afloat will be posting regular race updates throughout the 2023 Regatta. Send your photos, tips and stories by email to [email protected]

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023 Race Results

You may need to scroll vertically and horizontally within the box to view the full results

Published in DL Regatta: Cr 0, Royal Irish Yacht Club, Volvo Regatta

Published in DL Regatta: Cr 0

Tagged under

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

About The Author

WM Nixon

Email The Author

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.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.