#RoundIreland - Father-and-son duo Derek and Conor Dillon have been congratulated by Foynes Yacht Club after taking the two-handed category in this year's Round Ireland Yacht Race, writes Gerry Ryan.

The Shannon Estuary team raced their Dehler 34, Big Deal, to first in IRC 7 as well second in IRC 4, where they were beaten only by Cavatina from the Royal Cork Yacht Club, skippered by Ian Hickey - a twice previous winner of the Round Ireland.

Add to this an overall eighth-place finish and their performance is testimony to the nautical skill and personal perseverance on both these intrepid sailors, the best performing entrants in the Round Ireland in FYC history.

This was no easy feat to perform for the Dillons, for the Round Ireland is a mammoth task against stiff competition, certainly not a race that you can 'rest'.

Yet despite the odds, Derek Dillon says the "high pressure and the light winds certainly favoured us for the race in accomplishing the task on Big Deal."

On Sunday afternoon 6 July, a bottle of champagne was presented to the Dillons by FYC Commodore James McCormack, who praised their expertise and hailed their result as a source of pride and a "great day" for the club.

But the season's not over yet for Derek and Conor, who are already preparing for the Fastnet Race scheduled for next month.