Fortunes were mixed for the two boats from the North of Ireland taking part in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race.

Michael Eames Sunfast 3200 from Royal Ulster YC and Strangford Lough YC finished sixth overall and top of RORC 3 class, and also won ISORA Class 2. Unfortunately, Shaun Douglas’s Beneteau 40.7 suffered a litany of mishaps on Thursday morning just east of Cork.

Michael Eames, All or Nothing, meanwhile, had been behind Game Changer. He recalls, “We had a fantastic sail. It’s strange that we went halfway around Ireland and didn’t need to do a single tack. We had put a lot of effort into the symmetric setup, which really paid off this week”.

Michael Eames's Sunfast 3200 All or nothing enters Killiney Bay after the start of the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Race Photo: Afloat

Michael Eames, third right, and his Volvo D2D crew of All or Nothing at the County Kerry prizegiving: (l to r) Niall Eames, Mark Fletcher, Colm McLarnon, Richard McCullough and Phil Anderson

Michael said that the start was quite chaotic, with a mixed swell in the bay and lots of spectator's ribs, but they managed to get off with a clear lane away from the bigger yachts. All or Nothing was the second smallest yacht in the race, so they tried to keep on the coattails of the big yachts for as long as they could. He continued,” After the Muglins near Dalkey, we set the code 0, followed soon after by the symmetric kite. The forecasted north Easterly wind slowly built, and we were able to make it to the Tuskar tidal gate just before it changed. The wind kept increasing overnight, but we had a great night run with the kite up. As the day broke, we started to see serious gusts with big waves, and we were regularly surfing at speeds of over 15 knots. Our maximum was 19.2, just off Cork. The wind speed was 38 knots when we gybed around the rock”.

Michael Eames at the helm of All or Nothing

Once around the Fastnet, the wind stayed on the beam, but the waves became a little smaller. The final leg up to Dingle was close hauled, and they were followed most of the way by the local tourist attraction dolphins. So, 30 hours after the start, they enjoyed the welcome in Dingle, which met expectations.

For Shaun Douglas’s Game Changer in his second D2D – they were eighth in 2021- all was well till near Cork when they were lying fourth. With 35 knots on the clock, the spinnaker pole broke free of the track on the mast and holed the mainsail. The spinnaker twisted around the forestay, and while the crew untangled it, a metre length of Tuff Luff head foil broke off. But Game Changer was surfing at about 15 knots under the main only.

Game Changer's mainsail and what a stray spinnaker pole can do

So they sailed on under the main for another 15 hours and retired not far from the finish as they weren’t making any headway approaching Dingle. Reflecting on the race Shaun said,”That’s sailing! Disappointing as we were in a good position and catching boats in front. We’ll be back in 2025”. But well before that, Game Changer makes another trip to Dun Laoghaire to race in Class 0 of the Volvo Regatta 2023.

Game Changer in 35-knots, just north of the Tuskar Rock

Another RUYC member, Ross Boyd, raced on the Grand Soleil 44 Samatom finishing in third place in line honours and 8th overall. Ross commented on the Club Facebook page: “The average speeds on YB don’t represent the real conditions. On Samatom, we were doing 24 knots boat speed at times in 30+ knots of easterly breeze. Fantastic downwind conditions with lots of records broken. We finished in under 28 hours. The previous record set by a maxi was 24.5 hours”.

The Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race prizegiving 2023 saluted American offshore sailor Ron O'Hanley whose overall win and record-breaking run aboard his canting keel Cookson 50 Privateer in the 16th staging of the 270-mile race from Dublin Bay to County Kerry was achieved in less than 24 hours.

As Afloat previously reported, with speeds slowing towards the finish for the bulk of the fleet, the clarity of Privateer's win by two hours became emphasized, as the Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl from Kinsale in second was only an hour and ten minutes ahead of John O'Gorman's Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie (National YC) in fifth, which means that very narrow margins separated Pete Smyth's Sunfast 3600 Searcher (NYC) in third and Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) in fourth.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race Chairman Adam Winkelmann (left) congratulates Privateer skipper Ron O'Hanley on his overall win and course record

The prizegiving on Saturday night featured a glittering array of silverware at the Dingle Skellig Hotel reception, where Race Chairman Adam Winkelmann brought the curtain down on the fastest and most successful races in many years.  

Prizewinners NYC D2D Race 2023

1st Over the Line Seamus Gallagher Memorial Trophy – Presented by Sabina Saar
1st Over the Line – Privateer – Ron O' Hanley – New York Yacht Club. Also, First Boat to the Fastnet on Corrected Time

IRC 1 Sam & Emma Trophy – Presented by Suzie Barry
1st IRC 1 – Privateer – Ron O' Hanley – New York Yacht Club
2rd IRC 1 – Searcher – Pete Smyth – National Yacht Club
3rd IRC 1 – Rockabill VI – Paul O'Higgins – Royal Irish Yacht Club
4th IRC 1 – Hot Cookie – John O' Gorman – National YC
5th IRC1 – Checkmate XX – Dave Cullen – Howth YC

IRC 2 Dingle Crystal Trophy – Cathy MacAleavey
1st IRC 2 – Mojito – Vicky Cox & Peter Dunlop – Pwchelli Yacht Club
2nd IRC 2 – Artful Dodjer – Finbarr O'Regan – Kinsale Yacht Club
3rd IRC 2 – IMP – George Radley – Royal Cork Yacht Club??
4th IRC 2 – Ruth – Tom Shanahan – National Yacht Club

IRC 3 National Yacht Club Decanter – Presented by Vice Commodore Rosemary Cadogan
1st IRC 3 – c
2nd IRC 3 – Desert Star – Ronan O'Suicru - Irish Offshore Sailing
3rd IRC 3 – Blue Oyster – Noel Coleman – Royal Cork Yacht Club
4th IRC 3 – State of Chassis – Michael Murphy

Overall IRC - Volvo Trophy – Presented by Billy Naughton of Bill Naughton Motors Tralee
1st Overall IRC – Privateer – Ron O' Hanley – New York Yacht Club
1st Privateer – Ron O' Hanley – New York Yacht Club
2nd Cinnamon Girl – Cian McCarthy – Kinsale YC
3rd Searcher – Pete Smyth – National Yacht Cub
4th Rockabill VI – Paul O'Higgins – Royal Irish Yacht Clun
5th Hot Cookie – John O’ Gorman – National YC

D2D First Corinthian on corrected time – Carmel Winkelmann Trophy – Presented by Adam Winkelmann
Cinnamon Girl – Cian McCarthy & Sam Hunt – Kinsale YC

Cruiser Class - Alice Celebration Trophy – presented by Alice Shanahan
1st Cruiser Class – Alpaca – Paul Tingle – Royal Cork Yacht Club
2nd Cruiser Class – Fulmar Fever – Robert Marchant –
3rd Cruiser Class – Green Rebel – Pat Lawless

Mixed Crew - Polynesian Paddle – Presented by Susan Spain, NYC Sailing Secretary
1st Mixed Crew (2 Female Crew) – Alpaca – Kate, Julie and Deirdre Tinglle and Roisin Collins
Fulmar Fever – Niamh Graham, Selina Chotai
Ruth – Ruth and Alice Shanahan
Springer - Rose Lynham, Deirdre Egan and Brid Brett

Halidon Trophy (Under 33ft)
1st Under 33ft – Springer – Ian Bowring – Royal St George Yacht Club

2 Handed Class - Dingle Skellig Hotel Trophy – Presented by Sheila O'Connor
1st 2 handed – Cinnamon Girl – Cian McCarthy & Sam Hunt – Kinsale YC
2nd two-handed – Marco Polo – Steve Berry – Cardiff Yacht Club

D2D Prizegiving photography below by Dominick Walsh

First Over The Line - Seamus Gallagher Memorial Trophy

Seamus Gallagher Memorial Trophy – Presented by Sabina Saar for 1st Over the Line – Privateer (Ron O' Hanley) of New York Yacht Club. Also, First Boat to the Fastnet on Corrected Time

IRC One D2D Winners

IRC 1 Sam & Emma Trophy – Presented by the National Yacht Club's Suzie Barry. 1st IRC 1 – Privateer – Ron O' Hanley – New York Yacht Club

2rd IRC 1 – Searcher – Pete Smyth – National Yacht Club with Navigator Ross Deasy collecting the Searcher prize

3rd IRC 1 – Rockabill VI – Paul O'Higgins – Royal Irish Yacht Club

4th IRC 1 – Hot Cookie – John O' Gorman – National YC

IRC Two D2D Winners

Cathy MacAleavey (left) presents the IRC 2 Dingle Crystal Trophy – 1st IRC 2 – to Mojito (Vicky Cox & Peter Dunlop) Pwllheli Yacht Club

2nd IRC 2 – Artful Dodjer – Finbarr O'Regan – Kinsale Yacht Club

3rd IRC 2: IMP, (skippered by George Radley, Cove Sailing Club)

4th IRC 2 – Ruth – Tom Shanahan – National Yacht Club

IRC Three D2D Winners

NYC Vice Commodore Rosemary Cadogan presented the IRC 3 National Yacht Club Decanter to 1st IRC 3 – All or Nothing – Michael Eames – Royal Ulster Yacht Club.

Overall IRC

Overall IRC - Volvo Trophy – Presented by Billy Naughton of Bill Naughton Motors Tralee 1st Overall IRC – Privateer – Ron O' Hanley – New York Yacht Club

2nd Cinnamon Girl – Cian McCarthy – Kinsale YC

3rd Searcher – Pete Smyth – National Yacht Club with Navigator Ross Deasy collecting the Searcher prize

4th Rockabill VI – Paul O'Higgins – Royal Irish Yacht Club

5th Hot Cookie – John O’ Gorman – National YC

D2D First Corinthian on corrected time – Carmel Winkelmann Trophy 

D2D First Corinthian on corrected time – Carmel Winkelmann Trophy – Presented by Adam Winkelmann Cinnamon Girl – Cian McCarthy & Sam Hunt – Kinsale YC

Cruiser Class - Alice Celebration Trophy

Cruiser Class - Alice Celebration Trophy – presented by Alice Shanahan 1st Cruiser Class – Alpaca – Paul Tingle – Royal Cork Yacht Club

2nd Cruiser Class – Fulmar Fever – Robert Marchant

3rd Cruiser Class – Green Rebel – Pat Lawless

Mixed Crew - Polynesian Paddle 

Mixed Crew - Polynesian Paddle – Presented by Susan Spain, NYC Sailing Secretary (centre) 1st Mixed Crew (2 Female Crew) – Alpaca – Kate, Julie and Deirdre Tinglle and Roisin Collins

Fulmar Fever – Niamh Graham, Selina Chotai

Ruth – Ruth and Alice Shanahan

Springer - Rose Lynham, Deirdre Egan and Brid Brett

Halidon Trophy (Under 33ft)

1st Under 33ft presented by Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Officer Con Murphy (right) to Springer – Ian Bowring – Royal St George Yacht Club

2 Handed Class - Dingle Skellig Hotel Trophy 

Two-Handed Class - Dingle Skellig Hotel Trophy – Presented by Sheila O'Connor 1st two handed – Cinnamon Girl – Cian McCarthy & Sam Hunt – Kinsale YC

2nd two handed – Marco Polo – Steve Berry – Cardiff Yacht Club  

ISORA D2D Prizes

The ISORA Class Zero prizewinner in the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race was Pete Smtyh's Searcher and navigator Pete Smyth was presented with the trophy by ISORA Chairman Peter Ryan (left)

The ISORA Class One prizewinner in the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race was Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop (pictured) from the J109 Mojito.

The ISORA Class Two winner was All or Nothing – Michael Eames – Royal Ulster Yacht Club. 

Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Prizegiving 2023 Photo Gallery By Dominick Walsh

It was that noted offshore yachtsman and rail travel enthusiast Vladimir Ilyich Lenin who observed that ten years can go past with no significant history occurring at all, and then suddenly ten years of hectic history can happen in just one week or even less. Certainly, anyone who was trying to follow the fast-moving incident-filled 270-mile Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race staged so successfully by the National Yacht Club’s Adam Winkelmann and his team this week may well have reflected on Captain Vlad’s thoughts, but any hopes we might have of racing in haste and analysing at leisure will go out the window.

For there has been total concentration for a week, and by Saturday’s heroic prizegiving in the Dingle Skellig Hotel, it will all have been dissected, analysed, parsed and held up to the light for microscopic examination from every possible angle. Then in the days, weeks, and years ahead, anyone who claims to recall the permutations of the prize-giving will be bluntly informed that if they think they can remember it, then clearly they weren’t there at all.

A port well worth racing to: Dingle is the essence of coastal Kerry and its hospitality

Ron O’Hanley’s Cookson 50 Privateer finishing first by many country miles in Dingle in a record time, with the clean Atlantic water clearly revealing her businesslike appendages. Photo: Dominick Walsh

THAT D2D ADDICTION

Fortunately, being D2D addicts for all of its 30 years at Afloat.ie as participants, observers, reporters and analysts, we carried a continuing stream of D2D reports. But that can only be part of the picture when a 270-sea-miles non-straight-course race has been seen off by the two leading boats in less than 24 hours – up to five hours within the previous record set by a 94-footer. And on top of that, the major prizes have gone to two boats – one of them one of the largest in the 43-strong fleet, the other one of the smallest.

Rapid change of scene. At lunchtime Wednesday, Privateer is in pre-start manoeuvres off Dun Laoghaire’s classic waterfront…..Photo: Michael Chester

……yet by early morning Thursday, she is already approaching the final turn at Skellig Michael in Kerry under a fantastic sky-scape. Photo: Privateer

In the bigger picture, there’s no getting away from the fact that of the 43 starters, 15 retired. While at times there was plenty of wind and some ominous forecasts in the northern offshoots of Stor Oscar down in Iberia, it always had a strong element of east in it, so it wasn’t a matter of boats being battered to bits while slugging to windward.

On the other hand, it was a particularly cold wind-stream, the sea is still almost at its annual coldest so early in June, and these and other factors combined to make the one full night at sea an experience of exceptionally marked chill factor – in fact, for some hours they were in effect racing at freezing point.

EXCEPTIONAL RUDDER STRAINS

Then too, with hard offwind sailing, rudders and steering gear were undergoing exceptional strain. It is of course a strain which this equipment should take in its stride, but we are once again in a cycle where boats and their equipment are pushing the envelope in terms of lightness of construction. So when you hear that an early retiree with a broken rudder and attendant “ingress of water” was a new boat of what some marketing genius has called the Extreme 37 class, a certain heavenwards rolling of the eyes is permissible.

In this case the boat was steered by a powerful wheel, and in the more cruiser-oriented or larger craft, wheel steering is the norm. The power exerted by modern wheel steering is remarkable – you really don’t know your own artificially enhanced strength – but as well, much of its workings is well hidden away. Being early in the season, maintenance may not quite be up to speed, and when it does go wrong the sense of helplessness – allied to the danger of getting yourself too intimately involved with all those moving parts in dark and cramped places – makes the appeal of a handy port all that much greater.

And that abundance of handy ports all along this most coastal of major offshore races is another drop-out factor. It was noticeable that as the superbly-sailed top dozen boats on the water simply got further and further ahead, their confidence and competence building with every mile, several of those astern found they were surprisingly near either their own home port or some friendly harbour where they’ve been made welcome in times past, so with no prospect whatever of any significant silverware, they peeled off into shoreside comforts.

BEST J/109 IS ONLY NINTH OVERALL

Finally, before we get down to the details of the top two boats, there’s one last thought. Although there were five J/109s racing and one of them – the ever-successful Mojito – will pick up an ISORA prize, the reality is that Mojito finished ninth overall in the depleted fleet.

A glimpse of the future. The fresh-out-of-the-wrappings Sunfast 3300 which was to become Cinnamon Girl as seen at MGM Boats in Dun Laoghaire just as the pandemic arrived. Photo: W M Nixon

Are we really past peak J/109 years in Ireland and Irish Sea waters? It would be a pity. The design may have been around for twenty years now, but then so too has the design of the D2D overall winner and record-breaker, the Cookson 50 Privateer. The handsome, versatile and sensibly-sized J/109 might have been designed with the needs of Ireland and Irish Sea waters specifically in mind. We need her, and will need her for many years yet.

GREAT NEWS FOR JEANNEAU IN THE TOP FIVE

We’re so bowled over by the totality of Privateer’s success and the cheeky second overall of the little Cinnamon Girl that it takes a while to register that three of the top five boats came from the Jeanneau stable. With speeds slowing towards the finish for the bulk of the fleet, the clarity of Privateer’s win by two hours becomes emphasized, as the Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl from Kinsale in second was only an hour and ten minutes ahead of John O’Gorman’s Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie (Natinonal YC) in fifth, which means that very narrow margins separate Pete Smyth’s Sunfast 3600 Searcher (NYC) in third and Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) in fourth.

Cinnamon Girl coming into Kinsale to record her first major success in the 2022 Inishtearacht Race, and her crew of two already plotting improvements. Photo: Robert Bateman

But it has to be remembered that Cinnamon Girl was being raced two-handed whereas the others were fully-crewed, with Kinsale’s Ben Fusco as the “token Paddy” aboard Privateer, hugely energised by the experience of sailing with one of the hottest boat/crew combinations on the current global scene.

(Above) Whoops! Port and starboard applies with equal force offwind – Cinnamon Girl on port gives no more than is absolutely needed to another Cork boat racing to Dingle

Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt, likewise of Kinsale, have largely had to make it up as they go along, although they are effusive in their appreciation of the advice and encouragement they have been given when seeking inspiration and ideas from Ireland’s own Figaro ace Tom Dolan. In fact, Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt’s missive of yesterday (Friday morning) so effectively captures the essence of the Cinnamon Campaign that we’ll close this week’s column by quoting it in full in its totally raw closely post-race state, which reveals that our glimpse in a report of them at 14.3 knots off the southwest coast was more than something of a serious speed under-estimate:

Job done. Sam Hunt and Cian McCarthy in Dingle

CAMPAIGNING CINNAMON GIRL

“Since last year’s Inishtearacht Race win, added 70cm to the bow sprit and 10 sq mtr to the kites, so we were hoping for conditions like we got.

“Boat is very robust and stable with deep (Sunfast 3600 size) rudders giving plenty of grip, made gybing at 25 knots on a wave ... quite palatable. Kite first, then let boom come when she is good and ready.

That very special bowsprit – there’s no way it will be kept as a secret weapon. Photo: Sam Hunt

“Typically, one of us drives and the other rests or navs or trims. With the driver, driving is to the kite (all A sails). A lot of trust in each other's capabilities to push on hard, and knowing the boat’s strengths means environment is calm, and process-focused.

“We had pre-race routing assistance from Tom Dolan, and a new jib from Nin O’Leary at Doyle Sails.

“Believed a chance would come and the race opened up for us on the power reach from Fastnet to Bull Rock, where we were sitting at 17-18 knots in a power hose of water and speed surges at 22 to 23 knots.

Cinnamon Girl races on towards a forboding sky with its hinted offshoots of Storm Oscar, which brought winds to provide speed bursts of 22-23 knots. Photo: Sam Hunt

“Thanks to our wives mostly. Baby is due in 2 weeks for Sam, so feeling blessed, his wife Sara left him go - was touch and go for a while. He did float internally that if they won, he would have to do the Fastnet, but a mountain of brownie points to be earned in a short period of time to get a window for that. If not, chartering a Sunfast 3300 and bringing our beloved bow-sprit down under is on the cards for the Hobart in December”.

Two-Handed Cinnamon Girl arrives in Dingle and a remarkable result in a remarkable 2023 edition of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race Photo: Dominick Walsh

A joy to watch – Cinnamon Girl at full chat before Cian and Sam souped her up even further:

Following a pager alert at 5.37 pm on Wednesday, 7 June, the volunteer lifeboat crew made their way to the station and, within minutes of the request, were aboard RNLB Ger Tigchlearr and en route to the reported location some six miles southeast of Arklow Harbour.

In a north-easterly wind with a 1.5-metre wave height, the all-weather Trent class lifeboat made its way to the reported position.

As Afloat reported earlier, once on scene, the vessel, which had been part of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race fleet, reported it had suffered rudder failure but had managed to rig an emergency steering system and could now proceed slowly back to Arklow under its own power.

The lifeboat was requested to stand by and then escorted the vessel back to port at Arklow.

Arklow RNLI crew on the call out were Coxswain Ned Dillon, Brendan Dillon, James Russell, Craig O’Reilly and James McAnaspie.

Following the call out, Mark Corcoran, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at Arklow RNLI said: 'Thanks to our crew for being there when needed, and to the crew of the yacht whose experience gave them the ability to come to port under their own power.'

D2D, Thursday 0930 am - At 09.19 hrs this morning, a deceptively straightforward-looking 50ft sloop (she’s straightforward above water) came smoothly across the finish line at Dingle to finish first in every way in the National Yacht Club’s 16th staging and 30th Anniversary of the 270-mile Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race. It may have happened in record time, but the canting-keel Privateer’s extraordinary achievement will be lovingly examined and analysed in detail for years to come, as it has all happened so quickly that some cool dissection will be required in the fullness of time.

This drone photo of Privateer at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle finish line reveals the Cookson 50's canting keel Photo: Dominick Walsh

 

Since then, the 270-mile course has seen the fleet making good speed in always fair east nor’east winds, and though at times conditions have been brisk enough to cause five withdrawals (two of them with serious rudder problems), Privateer has speeded ahead of the fleet with such confidence and competence that it was only briefly, while she was going through a soft patch on the East Coast, that the numbers showed she was no longer both the Line Honours and Corrected Time leader.

Privateer finished the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race at 09.19 am - and in terms of results on the water, the tracker said it all...

It took her only five hours to get from Dublin Bay to Ireland’s southeast corner at Tuskar Rock, which meant she carried a favourable and strong ebb tide all the way and beyond at this tidal gate, whereas those astern were very quickly dealing with the new and adverse flood tide as Privateer lengthened away, tacking to lee along the South Coast with 18 knots at times on the dial.

Disappointment for the highly placed Welsh J125 Jackknife in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race as she is escorted into Crosshaven by the RNLI after her retiral from the biennial race

Making down toward the next major turn at the Fastnet Rock, her closest contender was Andrew & Sam Hall's J/125 Jacknkife from Pwlheli in North Wales, but Jacknife became the fifth retiral off Kinsale at 03:37 this (Thursday) morning, and while Frank Whelan’s Elliott 57 Opal from Greystones continued as Privateer’s closest challenger on the water, on corrected time the battle for second focused on Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 (RIYC, and a previous D2D overall winner), Pete Smyth’s Sunfast 3600 Searcher (National YC), and the gallant little Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl (Cian McCarthy, Kinsale YC), with less than an hour between them in fluid positioning.

Paul O'Higgins's JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI is lying second overall on IRC handicap in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race 2023 Photo: Afloat

Pete Smyth's Sunfast 3600 Searcher is lying third overall on IRC handicap in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race 2023 and in the vid below Photo: Afloat

Double handed Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt in the Sunfast 3300 Cinnamon Girl in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race 2023 Photo: Afloat

But by this time, Privateer was really in a world of her own, hurtling past the Fastnet Rock at 03:48 hrs at 19.4 knots in the dawn’s early light. And though progress on along Ireland’s majestic southwestern seaboard had been slightly more sedate, she is now (08:40 hrs) well past the final turn at the mighty monastic rock of Skellig Michael, and almost able to lay the course for the finish now within five miles at Dingle Harbour, with every prospect of taking a massive chunk out of the 24 hours 24 minutes course record.

Ron O’Hanley’s New York Yacht Club Cookson 50 Privateer closes in on the 2023 Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race finish line at 8am Thursday with County Kerry's Skelligs Islands to windward Photo: Privateer

Astern, meanwhile, only the larger Opal has as yet come past the Fastnet, putting the Rock of Rocks behind her at 07:32 hrs.

Frank Whelan's canting keeler Opal is seeing routing times of 28 hours to complete Wednesday's Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race as the County Wicklow ace reassembles his crew for a third campaign at the National Yacht Club.

The Greystones team has seen previous success with the 2021 ICRA Champion, the J122 Kaya and before that, the 2019 Sovereign's Cup winner Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera.

"A lot of variations, but 28 hours looks the best at the moment" is what helmsman and Navigator Paddy Barnwell is seeing from the current routings for Opal when she debuts tomorrow at the 2 pm start of the D2D off Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The Greg Elliott designed speed-machine was built by Knierim in Germany in 2011.

The Opal crew drawn from Greystones dinghy sailing talent has seen previous success with the 2021 ICRA Champion, the J122 Kaya and before that, the 2019 Sovereign's Cup winner Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera.

Barnwell is one of three drivers on Opal, with Whelan and O'Leary also down for steering duties. The 13-man crew is completed with a mix of talented former dinghy sailors Andy Verso, Conor Kinsella, John White, Bill Nolan, Kevin O'Rourke, Killian Fitzgerald, Gary Hick, Matt Sherlock, Conor Galligan and Mal Moir.

Regular Afloat readers will know that news of the arrival of the Irish canting keeler broke in April, and since then, it has "been absolutely hectic the last four weeks prepping the boat - hundreds of hours work by all the crew", Barnwell says.

As W M Nixon pointed out in the 2023 D2D Race preview on Saturday, Opal is the highest-rated boat in the 42-boat fleet but is not the only canting keel entry, with Ron O'Hanley's Privateer from New York also expected to make a splash in Wednesday'sforecast north-easterly breezes, which Race Chairman Adam Winkelmann told Lorna Siggins would be ideal for spinnaker reaching on this podcast here

Eve of race - a tranquil scene at the National Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, just 36 hours out from the start of the 30th anniversary Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race with Cork entrants Imp (Green hull) and West Cork J109s Artful Dodger (Kinsale) and Tighey Boy (Schull Harbour) also safely arrived on Dublin Bay and berthed on the club pontoon Photo: Afloat

Although few are muttering anything about course records, a sub-24-hour time will be required to beat the course record of 24 hours and 28 minutes set by Mick Cotter's 93ft Windfall in 2019.

After D2D, the Opal campaign features coastal class racing at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in July, West Cork's Calves Week in August, and some ISORA racing.

Opal in her home port of Greystones. According to the yacht broker behind the sale of the 11,000 kg Opal, she is 'arguably the ultimate short-handed rocket ship that money can buy'. The yacht cost over €1.5m to build.

“They are missing a lot of berths down there, but we’ll get everybody in by hook or by crook!

The words of Adam Winkelmann, chairman of the Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race, speaking about Dingle’s marina.

A collision by a French fishing vessel with marina pontoons in the Kerry fishing harbour last November has caused a few headaches for the sailing race organisers.

Golden Globe Race competitor Pat Lawless will be racing in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Photo: GGR

However, Winkelmann says he has been working with Dingle’s harbourmaster Nigel Collins on a berthing plan.

There are 42 entries in the biennial race, which started in 1993 as a cruise in company to West Cork for the summer and was run by a team including the late Martin Crotty for many years.

The Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race is celebrating 30 years in 2023. Above Michael Cotter's maxi yacht Whisper set a course record in 2009 Photo: Afloat

Winkelmann, who has completed five of the races over its 30 years, spoke to Wavelengths at the National Yacht Club on the eve of its start on June 7th at 1400 hours.

A competitor arrives into Dingle marina in Co Kerry after racing from Dun Laoghaire to Dingle in the 2021 race Photo: Dominick Walsh

Listen to Wavelengths below

A second canting keel 50-footer is set to contest June's Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle offshore yacht race. 

Afloat sources say the Elliott 57 has been purchased by an as-of-yet-unnamed Irish sailor who will contest not only the 280-mile D2D but also the coastal divisions of the Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale, also in June, and July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

The waterfront rumour mill is on high alert after the news broke of the new arrival, but there is still no confirmation if it will based in Dublin or Cork (or elsewhere? – Ed)

The Elliott 57, currently named Opal, will strongly oppose the New York based Cookson 50 Privateer already entered into Ireland's major offshore summer series. 

The Greg Elliott designed speed-machine was built by Knierim in Germany in 2011.

According to the yacht broker behind the sale of the 11,000 kg yacht, it is 'arguably the ultimate short-handed rocket ship that money can buy'. It cost in excess of €1.5m to build.

A full carbon sandwich construction, Opal is coupled with a canting keel of 4,000kgs lead torpedo bulb and a carbon retractable canard.

The 11,000 kg flying machine is 'effortlessly controlled' by the smallest of crews thanks to full push-button hydraulics and powered winches for all duties.

Volvo Car Ireland has again stepped up to support the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race in June. This will be the 30th anniversary of the race which has become a biennial fixture in the Irish sailing calendar.

As Afloat reported earlier, Denis and Annamarie Murphy's successful Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo from Royal Cork Yacht Club will defend its race title with up to 50 yachts competing.

The race starts from Dun Laoghaire on June 7th and is scheduled to arrive in Dingle Harbour on June 9th and 10th.

Volvo Car Ireland is supported by the Tralee-based dealer Billy Naughton Motors, representing Volvo Cars in the Kerry region. The race also continues a long association with the local Dingle Skellig Hotel, where the prizegiving will take place on Saturday, June 10th.

The start of the 2021 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

As regular Afloat readers will recall, after an epic 14th edition of the 'D2D' that attracted a 38-boat fleet, the Murphy's lifted the trophy in Dingle, County Kerry.

The 2021 race was one of great success for Cork offshore sailing interests, and now, with the confirmation of Nieulargos' entry, SCORA's interest in the 270-miler shows no sign of letting up.

Competing yachts will vary between 30 and 100 feet in length, with crews of between 2 and 20 sailors on board.

The first D2D race took place in 1993 and the race has grown to become one of the great mini offshore sailing challenges in the UK and Irish waters. Underlining this growth in status is the fact that the D2D race now forms part of both the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Associations 2023 series.

Dublin boat Yoyo arrives into Dingle marina in Co Kerry after racing from Dun Laoghaire. A total of 38 boats took part in the 2021 270-mile race Photo: Domnick Walsh

The race will test crews’ skills in terms of fast sailing, accurate navigation and tactics and great teamwork. Crews include top male and female sailors, and there is a separate prize to encourage this growth of women in the race. “Volvo Car Ireland are proud to support activities that align with our brand pillars. Sustainability and electrification are a key focus for our business, and our oceans' long-term health is a core part of this. We wish all participating sailors safe sailing and encourage all supporters to visit Dingle and enjoy the great atmosphere surrounding the finish in the town.” David Thomas, Managing Director, Volvo Car Ireland.

The National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire are the race organiser and provides 'world-class' starting and finishing teams for race management. The yachts can be tracked live online using the YB Tracking system, which can be found through www.d2drace.ie or through www.afloat.ie from the start on Wednesday, June 7th.

The Notice of Race is here and the entry form is now available here

Denis and Annamarie Murphy's successful Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo from Royal Cork Yacht Club will defend its Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race title this June.

As regular Afloat readers will recall, after an epic 14th edition of the 'D2D' that attracted a 38-boat fleet, the Murphy's lifted the trophy in Dingle, County Kerry.

The 2021 race was one of great success for Cork offshore sailing interests, and now, with the confirmation of Nieulargos' entry, SCORA's interest in the 270-miler shows no sign of letting up.

The Nieulargo winning crew were given a triumphant welcome home to Crosshaven with a five-gun salute at RCYC, as Afloat reported here.

The 2021 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race start on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

The 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle “D2D” Race will start from the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday, June 7th, 2023. The notice of race for the 15th race has been published and is downloadable below. 

The race counts as a qualifier for the RORC Fastnet Race and is timed to allow yachts to travel to Kinsale to participate in Sovereigns Week (21 – 24 June) and the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (6 - 9 July).

The race is 270 miles along the East and South Coasts of Ireland and finishes in Dingle and is widely regarded as the 'perfect' mini offshore as it usually mixes varying weather conditions with a good test of boat and crew along the South coast of Ireland.

Sailing Instructions include a fixed time limit to allow for a lively post-race function in the Dingle Skellig Hotel, and to provide certainty for travel planning for owners and crew.

The race also forms part of the Irish Sea Offshore Racing (ISORA) series, which helps to guarantee a strong racing fleet.

The race is ORC Category 3 with Liferaft and AIS transponder.

The fleet comprises yachts mostly in the 33 – 50 ft range, with the race record of just over 24 hours (24 hours 48 minutes) currently held by the 94ft Southern Wind – Windfall.