Trophies awarded at Wicklow as two still at sea in SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race

After an intense 24 hours at Wicklow Sailing Club with boats completing the 705 nautical-mile SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race, trophies were awarded tonight (Friday 28th June) for most classes.

Two of the original 48 starters that took shelter from gale force winds on the west coast have resumed racing and are expected to finish over the comings days.

A total of 13 crews have retired from the race.

French entry Teasing Machine skippered by Eric de Turckheim won a hat-trick of prizes including the Norman Barry Trophy for the overall victory, the Denis Doyle Trophy for the monohull line honours win plus the Class Zero cup.

British entry Paradox3 entered by Adam Davis won the Volvo Trophy for the line honours win for multihulls and the Dubarry Trophy for best multihull over 50 feet.

While other visiting boats featured throughout the various class standings, Irish crews collected numerous class wins, notably Pete Smyth's Searcher for Class 1 and who also won both the ICRA and ISORA trophies.

Searcher was also part of the winning team of three boats that saw Paul O'Higgins Rockabill VI win Class 2 and Simon Knowles Indian who placed third in Class 4.

Indian also won the Viking Marine trophy as best Corinthian crew (no professionals on board).

Ronan O'Siochru's Desert Star Irish Offshore Racing won the Tory Island Cup for the Class 4 victory and was also best sailing school.

Rosslare RNLI lifeboat coxswain Keith Miller marked the 200th anniversary of the lifesaving charity by winning the Robert Halpin Trophy for best services entry on Prime Suspect.

And the Maybird Trophy for the oldest yacht to finish was awarded to Kinsale's George Radley on the classic 1976 Imp.

"This SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race is rarely easy and 2024 was no exception, possibly especially tough given the amount of upwind conditions," commented Kyron O'Grady, Race Director at Wicklow Sailing Club. "The winners have been rightly celebrated but even completing this race is an accomplishment and a prize in itself."

As the competitors and race volunteers relaxed ashore at Wicklow Sailing Club Daansen Aan Zee skippered by Gian Carlo Imponente was carefully passing the North Mayo coast on the opposite coast to Wicklow.

Meanwhile, Robert Marchant's Fulmar Fever has cleared the Rathlin Island tidal race and will on Saturday start the final Irish Sea stage to the finish where the Michael Jones Plaque for best Cruising entry awaits.

For more information and the race tracker please visit roundireland.ie