Reigning Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) Boat of the Year (IRC), David and James Dwyer's all-beating Swuzzlebubble looks on target to retain the cruiser-racer accolade after the latest update on the Boat of the Year Award scoreboard on September 3rd.
ICRA has updated the 2024 leaderboard following a summer of regattas that includes WIORA at Foynes on the Shannon Estuary, Calves Week at Schull in West Cork and the just-finished ICRA National Championships at the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay.
Nieulargo competing in Royal Cork Yacht Club's 'At Home' Regatta in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman
The vintage Half Tonner from Royal Cork that retained its IRC Two Crown at Dun Laoghaire with five first places, tops the ICRA Boat of the Year IRC table on 17 points, two clear of clubmates Nieulargo, the Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo that skipped the ICRA Nationals. On the same 15 points is the newly crowned IRC Zero champion Johnny Treanor on the J112 Valentina.
ICRA IRC Zero champion Johnny Treanor's J112 Valentina Photo: Afloat
The annual award, says ICRA, is an 'exciting opportunity for Irish sailors to showcase their racing skills on a national level'.
ICRA Boat of the Year IRC leaderboard (at September 3rd 2024)
| Yacht | Points |
| Swuzzlebubble | 17 |
| Nieulargo | 15 |
| ValenTina | 15 |
| Rockabill VI | 10.5 |
| Chimaera | 10 |
| Bite The Bullet | 9 |
| Jupiter | 9 |
| Outrageous | 9 |
| Snoopy | 8.5 |
| Checkmate XX | 8 |
| Storm | 7.5 |
| Two Farr | 7.5 |
| Aurelia | 7 |
| Miss Whiplash | 7 |
| Apache | 6 |
| Desert Star | 6 |
| Diamond | 6 |
| Imp | 6 |
| Indian | 6 |
| Prince of Tides | 6 |
| Searcher | 5.25 |
| Joker II | 5 |
| Blitz | 4.5 |
| Coquine | 4.5 |
| Fulmar Fever | 4.5 |
| North Star | 4.5 |
| Ruth | 4.5 |
| Shilleagh | 4.5 |
| Ealu | 4.5 |
| Relativity | 4.5 |
| Impetuous (GR) | 4 |
| Jellybaby | 3.5 |
| Xaviera | 3.5 |
| Allig8r | 3 |
| Alpaca | 3 |
| Anchor Challenge | 3 |
| Cavatina | 3 |
| Cinnamon Girl | 3 |
| Game Changer | 3 |
| Mayrise | 3 |
| Shotgunn | 3 |
| Tiger | 3 |
| Powder Monkey | 3 |
| 3 Cheers | 3 |
| Saoirse | 3 |
| Anteex | 3 |
| Splashdance | 3 |
| Tribal | 3 |
| Caesium | 2 |
| Fast Buck | 2 |
| Final Call 2 | 2 |
| Flyover | 2 |
| Shelly D | 2 |
| Lambay Rules | 2 |
| Squawk | 2 |
| Big Mac | 1.5 |
| Ellida | 1.5 |
| Guapa | 1.5 |
| Insider | 1.5 |
| Mata | 1.5 |
| Prima Forte | 1.5 |
| Toughnut | 1.5 |
| Jalapeno | 1.5 |
| Joxer | 1.5 |
| Gung Ho | 1.5 |
| Ibaraki | 1.5 |
| Chameleon | 1 |
| Jack | 1 |
| Miss Charlie | 1 |
| Mocking Joe | 1 |
| Reavra Two | 1 |
| Sloop John T | 1 |
The ICRA IRC Three National Championship winner, the Wicklow-based J24, Jupiter, shares the ICRA Boat of the Year ECHO leaderboard with the Corby 25 Impetuous Photo: Afloat
ICRA Boat of the Year ECHO (at September 3rd 2024)
As announced in March, ICRA is also running an ECHO boat of the year prize, and that leaderboard (below) shows the Corby 25 Impetuous sharing the same 10.5 points as last weekend's IRC Three National Championship winner, the Wicklow-based J24, Jupiter. The all-conquering non-spinnaker competitor, the Elan 333, Bite The Bullet is next on nine.
The Corby 25 Impetuous from Howth Photo: Afloat
| Yacht | Points |
| Impetuous (IRL) | 10.5 |
| Jupiter | 10.5 |
| Bite The Bullet | 9 |
| Jap | 9 |
| Nieulargo | 7.5 |
| Miss Whiplash | 7 |
| Swuzzlebubble | 6.5 |
| ValenTina | 6 |
| WOW | 6 |
| White Mischief | 6 |
| Aiilg8r | 5 |
| Aris | 4.5 |
| Brazen Huzie | 4.5 |
| Cavatina | 4.5 |
| Checkmate XX | 4.5 |
| Chimaera | 4.5 |
| Chinook | 4.5 |
| Growler | 4.5 |
| Javelin | 4.5 |
| Prima Forte | 4.5 |
| Sitele | 4.5 |
| Slightly Steamy | 4.5 |
| Snapshot | 4.5 |
| Toughnut | 4.5 |
| Two Farr | 4.5 |
| Tribal | 4.5 |
| Battle | 4.5 |
| Searcher | 4 |
| Outrageous | 4 |
| Insider | 4 |
| Just Jasmin | 4 |
| Shelduck | 3.75 |
| Apache | 3 |
| Diamond | 3 |
| Dilemma | 3 |
| Gecko | 3 |
| Incorrect | 3 |
| Jellybaby | 3 |
| Joxer | 3 |
| Lady Minn | 3 |
| Moxy | 3 |
| Opal | 3 |
| Prince of Tides | 3 |
| Raptor | 3 |
| Samphire | 3 |
| Shilleagh | 3 |
| Witchcraft | 3 |
| Relativity | 3 |
| Kerry Dream | 3 |
| Val Kriss | 2.5 |
| Jimmy Bum | 2.5 |
| Fast Buck | 2 |
| Flyover | 2 |
| Joker II | 2 |
| Impetuous (GBR) | 2 |
| Crazy Diamond | 2 |
| Playtime | 2 |
| Alpaca | 1.5 |
| Anchor Challenge | 1.5 |
| Anteex | 1.5 |
| Antix | 1.5 |
| Big Mac | 1.5 |
| Ealu | 1.5 |
| Ellida | 1.5 |
| Guapa | 1.5 |
| Jalapeno | 1.5 |
| Kilcullen | 1.5 |
| Kopper Too | 1.5 |
| No Excuse | 1.5 |
| Rockabill VI | 1.5 |
| Sairose | 1.5 |
| Splashdance | 1.5 |
| Ibaraki | 1.5 |
The BOTY competition is based on a boat's performance in the events listed in ICRA's BOTY 2 EVENTS held that year.
According to the rules, a boat's "Boat of the Year" score for a given year shall be the sum of the boat's Event Scores from the events listed in ICRA BOTY 2 EVENTS (downloadable here) held in that year.
A boat's Division Score shall be based on its overall series placing in an IRC or ECHO division at the event, with 3 points for 1st, 2 points for 2nd, and 1 point for 3rd, multiplied by the Division Weighting. The Division Weighting shall be the Event Weighting of the event the division is part of, adjusted according to certain criteria.
The events are divided into three categories: Championship events, National Regattas, and Regional events. The Championship events have the highest Event Weighting of x 2, followed by National Regattas with x 1.5 and Regional events with x 1.
