Four yachts in the 43-boat Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race have retired with gear failure on the first night of the 270-mile race.
The Foynes Yacht Club entry Big Deal, a Grand Soleil 37 sailing Double Handed and skippered by Derek Dillon, was towed into Arklow by the RNLI lifeboat with rudder damage.
John Conlon's Humdinger, a Sunfast 37, is also heading for Arklow after a broken boom stopped progress down the east coast.
In a second incident involving the RNLI tonight, the Reichel Pugh 37 37 WOW skippered by Tim Kane is being towed by Kilmore Quay lifeboat after rudder failure and subsequent water ingress.
Another competitor in the vicinity of WOW has also been forced to retire. The Blaoga crew broke a spinnaker pole and damaged their mast track when dropping sails to assist WOW off the Wexford coast.