There was a packed clubhouse and some emotional moments at Kinsale Yacht Club for the presentation of Simply Blue 2023 Sovereign’s Cup prizes on Saturday evening.
James and David Dwyer of Royal Cork Yacht Club with their Half-Tonner Swuzzlebubble crew, who were overall winners of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup, after a perfect score of six wins from six races sailed off Kinsale, are pictured with Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Matthias Hellstern (left) and Sovereign's Cup sponsor Hugh Kelly of Simply Blue Group (right) Photo: Bob Bateman
As Afloat reported earlier, with a superb string of six race wins in Class Two IRC in the four-day event, James and David Dwyer's Half-Tonner Swuzzlebubble from Royal Cork Yacht Club took the overall Sovereign's Cup as the best boat performing under the international IRC rating system.
Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Matthias Hellstern, watched by Regatta Director Tony Scannell, congratulates the prizewinners at Saturday night's 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup prizegiving Photo: Bob Bateman
Simply Blue 2023 Sovereign’s Cup prizewinners
Simply Blue 2023 Sovereign’s Cup prizewinners
As Afloat reports here, the 1720 Europeans, raced as part of the Sovereign’s Cup programme, were successfully defended by Ross McDonald's Ropedock Atara.
Three race wins enabled John Maybury's Joker II to take the Class One IRC title, while five wins saw Conor Phelan take the Class Three IRC title in his Quarter Tonner Anchor Challenge.
The coastal class saw a similar dominant scoreline when the Howth Yacht Club First 50 Checkmate XX closed their account with three wins from four races.
Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Matthias Hellstern (left) looks on as Hugh Kelly of sponsors Simply Blue (right) presents the Axiom Trophy to Dave Cullen (second from left) and Nigel Biggs of the Howth Yacht Club First 50 Checkmate for their IRC coastal division victory in the 2023 Sovereign's Cup Photo: Bob Bateman
Sponsor Hugh Kelly of Simply Blue Group raced in the event skippering the J122 Jelly Baby and won third overall under ECHO in the coastal class. He gave his thumbs up in this short vid below.
New 'Jack Roy Perpetual Trophy'
Kinsailor, the Kinsale Yacht Club Under-25 J24 crew were the inaugural winners of the 'Jack Roy Perpetual Trophy', which was awarded to the best female helm.
The trophy was commissioned by the club and made in West Cork. It was created as a mark of appreciation for the late Jack Roy's running of many events for the club, as Afloat reports here.
Kinsailor, the Kinsale Yacht Club Under-25 J24 crew are presented with the inaugural 'Jack Roy Perpetual Trophy', made to the best female helm at the Sovereign's Cup 2023 by Jack's wife Rosemary and Sovereign's Cup sponsor Hugh Kelly of Simply Blue Group, Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Matthias Hellstern Photo: Bob Bateman
‘Prix d'elegance’ trophy for Marian Maid
The Michelle Dunne ‘Prix d-elegance’ trophy for best-presented entry in the event went to George, Hal and Owen Sisk's stunningly restored 1954 eight-metre cruiser Marian Maid that competed in White Sails Two division, as Afloat reports here.
George Sisk helming the immaculately restored 1954 eight-metre cruiser Marian Maid in White Sails Two division on the final day of the 2023 Simply Blue Sovereign's Cup Credit: Bob Bateman
White Sails Success
There was success for the 20-boat white sails divisions, too, with the Portcullis trophy for the best performance under ECHO won by Ronan Twomey's Beneteau 40.7, Rosmarina, more on the White Sails winners here
2025 dates confirmed for Sovereign's Cup
KYC Commodore Matthias Hellstern confirmed the 2025 Sovereign's Cup dates as June 25-28.
Read all Afloat's 2023 Sovereign's Cup Regatta coverage in one handy link here
