The bulk of the silverware stayed in Dublin after the curtain came down on an epic four days of sailing at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta on Sunday evening.
Ireland’s largest sailing event came to a breezy close this afternoon after an exciting four days of racing in Dublin Bay with 400 boats and almost 2,000 sailors competing.
Another strong southerly breeze light saw organisers complete nearly all 250 scheduled races, with many class titles hanging on the outcome of today's final race.
Afloat's pre-regatta predictions for the IRC classes came good in the breezy conditions, with the Offshore prize going to Checkmate XX, Rockabill VI taking IRC Zero, Final Call outwitting the J109s to take IRC One and vintage Half and Quarter Tonners taking IRC Two and Three respectively.
Dublin Yacht Club's shared the bulk of the overall prizes awarded this afternoon at the official prize giving at the National Yacht Club, winning 26 of the 34 classes but not the coveted 'Boat of the Week' Trophy.
Ian Southworth's Quarter Tonner 'Protis' from the Hamble River Sailing Club in England was named the top IRC boat after leading 13-boat IRC 3 with six race wins in a seven-race series.
Royal Irish JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins) was a decisive winner in a nine-boat IRC Zero.
A final challenge by a pack of J109s on Sunday in the single race sailed could not stop John Minnis's march to victory in his A35 Final Call II, taking the IRC One crown in a highly competitive 22-boat fleet.
The IRC Two title was won by the Royal Cork Half-Tonner Swuzzlebubble, skippered by Dave Dwyer.
The 25-boat IRC offshore prize was won by Nigel Biggs and Dave Cullen's First 50, Checkmate XX, from Howth Yacht Club.
The Cape 31 class used the regatta to decide its Irish national championship, with Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary successfully defending in the six-boat fleet.
The GP14 Leinster Trophy was retained by holders Ger Owens and Mel Morris of the Royal St. George Yacht Club, a result that also handed them the best dinghy small keelboat award of the regatta.
In the 22-boat Flying Fifteen class, Mr Potato Head, sailed by Shane McCarthy and Alan Green, was the overall winner in a class that was one of only two that raced on all four days of the regatta.
Sean Craig and Heather King took the Water Wag Collen Cup after an in-harbour series for the vintage dinghy class.
The biennial event is being hailed an enormous success both afloat and ashore for a combined fleet of almost 400 boats, the biggest on the Irish Sea.
Over 250 races on six different courses were staged in a range of medium to heavy conditions since racing began last Thursday in near-gale conditions.
Trophies were awarded in each of the 34 competing classes this afternoon, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful stagings of Ireland's biggest sailing event.
The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland’s biggest sailing event and a great festival of sailing across the waterfront and Dun Laoghaire town as four sailing clubs come together for the biennial event; Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club and National Yacht Club.
Read all of Afloat's VDLR 2023 coverage in on handy link here. See all prizegiving photos here.
The date of the VDLR 2025 event has been set as July 10-13.