If last weekend’s gale-battered ICRA National Championships in Cork Harbour wasn’t punishment enough, another fleet of cruiser-racers last night departed Dun Laoghaire heading for Dingle on the 275-mile Volvo D2D race.

In an unprecedented outcome to the Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland race that started on Monday following weather delays, the Oman Sail entry was first to complete the 1,880 nautical mile course at lunchtime yesterday.

A 16-year-old Australian girl who spent seven months at sea in her pink yacht sailed across the finish line of her round-the-world journey today, becoming the youngest sailor to circle the globe solo, non-stop and unassisted.