After two postponements due to weather, the Water Wag dinghy Women at the Helm Regatta race took place at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday evening, June 5th, in strong, testing conditions.

As Afloat reported earlier, 1988 Olympian Cathy MacAleavey's Mariposa, number 45, was the clear winner on the double-header night, sailed as part of the AIB DBSC series, a feat celebrated at a special prizegiving in the Royal St George Yacht Club immediately after racing.

National Yacht Club Olympian Cathy MacAleavey at the helm of Mariposa, number 45, was the winner of the Water Wag dinghy Women at the Helm Regatta race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo:Brendan Briscoe

Badger Sailed by Ann-Marie Cox was second, and Judy O’Beirne's Shindilla was third.

The Royal Irish Yacht Club White Sails Cruiser team of Just Jasmin (Joan Sheffield), Shearwater (Catherine Day) and Great Escape (Katherine Sheehan) were the winners of the Roy Family Perpetual Trophy for the best team performance at the Women At The Helm 2024 regatta held at Dun Laoghaire on Sunday. 

Nine teams of three boats with skippers from the same club were in the mix for the coveted prize, with the RIYC ladies coming out on top.

The Roy Family Trophy for the best team performance at the 2024 Women at the Helm Regatta went to (left to right) Joan Sheffield, Katherine Sheehan and Catherine Day, with DBSC Hon Sec  Rosemary Roy, wife of the late Jack Roy, the former President of Irish Sailing, who donated the Trophy in 2019 for the inaugural Women at the Helm Regatta and Vice Commodore NYC Rosemary Cadogan, Photo: Michael Chester  

A weekend of sailing activities on and off the water concluded with a gala prizegiving at the National Yacht Club for the SIA Partners-sponsored regatta hosted by NYC Commodore Peter Sherry.

Entries included sailors from Poolbeg, West Kirby, Mayo, and Dun Laoghaire.

The restored Dublin Bay 21 class raced as part of the 2024 Women at the Helm Regatta Photo: Michael Chester

In the cruisers spinnaker division, Royal Irish Yacht Club's 'Tracy Carey's J109 Riders on the Storm won overall with 11 points from Jill Roy's sistership Ruth from NYC on 15.

Joan Sheffield's Bavaria 35 Just Jasmin from the Royal Irish Yacht Club won the White Sails division from clubmate Catherine Day in the Dehler 36 Shearwater. 

2024 Women at the Helm Regatta Photo Gallery by Michael Chester

The National YC's Charlotte O'Kelly won the sportsboat division on six points in an SB20, two ahead of Jill Fleming's Flying Fifteen on eight. 

West Kirby Sailing Club's Liz Potter won the Portsmouth yardstick dinghy section in a Devoti Devoti Dzero on five points. Second was Shirley Gilmore in an ILCA 6 on 7.

In addition to racing, the annual event encouraged friends, family, sailors, and non-sailors to come to NYC and get involved. 

Ciara O’Sullivan (16) was the youngest sailor at the 2024 Women at the Helm Regatta and is pictured with Vice Commodore NYC, Rosemary Cadogan Photo: Michael Chester

The event began on Friday, May 24th, with a motivational speaker supper featuring Olympic sailing silver medallist Annalise Murphy, solo offshore sailor Joan Mulloy and former RTÉ broadcaster and sailing enthusiast Bryan Dobson.

There was a BBQ, live music, and a drinks reception for competitors after racing on Saturday, and food and refreshments were available after sailing on Sunday as well as the event prize-giving.

"It was a fabulous weekend both on and off the water", Ann Kirwan told Afloat.

Race Officers Mairead NiCheallachain (keelboats) and Suzanne McGarry (dinghies) held briefings for the 41 competing boats. 28 keelboats and 13 dinghies raced in the DBSC race on Saturday afternoon, over three races on each of the two race courses on Sunday. In addition, 22 Water Wag dinghies will now race next Wednesday, May 29th, due to the strong wind cancellation on May 22nd. 

Cruiser results are below, and use this link for results for other classes

Listen to Ann Kirwan in an Afloat podcast on the forthcoming Women at the Helm Regatta 2024 here 

2024 Women at the Helm Regatta Prizegiving Photo Gallery by Michael Chester

The 2024 Women At The Helm Regatta (WATH) will be hosted by the National Yacht Club over the weekend of May 24-26.

The event encourages female sailors who may not normally lead, to step up and make the move from crew to helm. The event is open to all female helms from teenagers to seniors, with multiple prizes on offer, and participation is mixed.

The regatta will kick off with a Speaker Supper the evening of Friday, May 24th, with Olympic silver medalist sailor Annalise Murphy (and national road champion cyclist) and Joan Mulloy and moderator, former RTE news anchor, Bryan Dobson.

The regatta is for keelboats and dinghies, with all entrants aged 16+. The event is run  in association with SIA Partners.

The National Yacht Club hosts the 2024 Women At The Helm Regatta on May 24-26

The criteria is for a female to helm all boats, but unlike the previous WATH regattas, the NYC organisers have dropped the requirement for at least 50% of the crew to be female.

There will be one race on Saturday afternoon, which will be the Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) race, and WATH entrants who are not members of DBSC will race in it. Boats entered in DBSC and WATH will be scored in both.

For classes that may have more than one DBSC race (dinghies and Green fleet), only the first race will count towards the WATH regatta.

Former Figaro sailor Joan Mulloy will speak at the 2024 Women At The Helm Regatta

Three races are scheduled for Sunday, followed by prize giving in NYC, including the coveted prize of the Roy Family Perpetual Trophy for best team performance. 

If all four races are sailed there will be one discard. The reality is that not all DBSC boat owners will pass the helm to a non-regular female helm, so if a male helms on Saturday, that race can be discarded, and all three Sunday races counted for WATH.

The Water Wags' second race on Wednesday, May 22nd, will be their single WATH race.

The event will include a female-helmed cruise in company on Sunday, the 26th.

In addition to the Speaker Supper the social activities will include a post-sailing BBQ with live music on Saturday evening, and a BBQ with music and the prize giving on Sunday afternoon.

The Notice of Race and Entry Form is here