It says much for the sparkling quality of the sailing on Friday and Saturday that the final day's (Sunday) cancellation of all racing in the Cruisers 0/Cruisers 1 area in the early afternoon was accepted with equanimity by most boats and a comfortably philosophic attitude by those leaders whose placing on Saturday night held good.

Despite going afloat on Sunday morning, no racing was possible on a windless Course B at the Unio ICRA National Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

There had been hope that, as the ebb started to make against the fitful easterly airs, things might sharpen up a bit. But those in the fleet of "cruisers" who have actually cruised recalled the number of times - on remote and rugged coasts - when their hopes that the wind would ease with the ebb had been fulfilled, and thus their pessimism for racing purposes today proved accurate.

So another great regatta of the 2024 season concludes for Johnny Treanor's J/112e ValenTina (National Yacht Club), one of the newest boats in the fleet and now the overall IRC winner in Cruisers 0, with many wins ahead of her if they keep refreshing her successful techniques.

HEALTHY INTERACTION

The winning helming by Nicole Hemeryck (24) was a classic case of the healthy interaction which is a result of sailors from all sectors being cheek by jowl on Dun Laoghaire's crowded multi-club waterfront, for she last figured prominently in Afloat.ie as an ace junior Laser sailor in the National YC, becoming our Junior Sailor of the Month in December 2016

In fact, it could reasonably be argued that any campaigning cruiser-racer owner-skipper in the Dun Laoghaire who isn't keeping a predatory eye on the rising talent in the junior dinghy classes is missing an opportunity to strengthen his or her crewing base.

Johnny Treanor's J/112e ValenTina (National Yacht Club), one of the newest boats in the ICRA fleet and now the overall IRC winner in Cruisers 0 Photo: Afloat

ValenTina's full lineup speaks for itself: Nicole Hemeryck – Helm, Arran Holman - tactician, John Treanor – Skipper, Adam Winkelmann – Main, Dan Thompson – Trim, Alan Roche – Trim, Julie Caulfield - Nav / Pit, Ciaran Campbell – Mast, Ollie O'Carroll – Bow, Andrew Conan - Mid Bow. Boat Prep by Evan O'Connor.

With her final total of 5pts to the 11 of the second-placed Impetuous, ValenTina was in something of a series of her own, but the organisers will be well-pleased with the fact that second on IRC went to the Welsh-based Corby-designed Impetuous, while Third OA on 12 points was lifted by the Jones family from Royal Cork YC Crosshaven with their J/122 Jellybaby.

The Jones family from Royal Cork YC Crosshaven with their J/122 Jellybaby Photo: Afloat

Impetuous is campaigned by the Miller, Crompton & Hodges partnership, which sounds like a much-respected law firm in Shrewsbury, but we're happy to be persuaded otherwise.

Welsh IRC Champion for 2024 Impetuous is campaigned by the Miller, Crompton & Hodges partnership Photo: Afloat

CRUISERS 0 ECHO

There are those who would argue that the top three under the ECHO performance handicap should be completely different from the trio leading IRC, but as it happens Impetuous gets into this as well, coming in at third. We hope they have plenty of spare jerseys to keep their numerous trophies safely wrapped while sailing back to Abersoch and Pwllheli.

Tim Kane's Extreme 37 Wow approaches a windward mark in a tightly packed ICRA Class Zero fleet Photo: Afloat

The winner is the Farr 42 WOW, closely associated with the Sisk family. But as they were also campaigning the immaculate classic Marian Maid – built by their father in Dun Laoghaire in 1954 – it was Tim Kane's name on the scoresheet for WOW's victory.

Pete Smyth's Ker 46 Searcher Photo: Afloat

Second overall on ECHO in Cruisers 0 with a scoreline of (3), 2, 2, 3, 3 was Pete Smyth's Ker 46 Searcher, looking black and beautiful and barely recognisable as the former emerald blue Tonnere de Breskens that won the 2010 Round Ireland Race for the great Piet Vroon. It all now seems a very long time ago, yet Searcher is one of those very special classics that always looks as modern as tomorrow, even if calling her a "Cruiser" in Dublin Bay style is a nonsense. But there you go – it's better than "Sundry Lidded Boats"