The prestigious MG Sailing Club of the Year Ship's Wheel was awarded to both the National Yacht Club and the Ruffian Association at a presentation ceremony at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Thursday evening, February 29th.

As Afloat's WM Nixon announced in early January, the joint award to the club and class 'perfectly expressed the overall mood of all that is best in Irish sailing as the 2024 sailing season begins'.

The event was attended by many NYC Olympians, world champions, and cruising achievers, many of whom received 15 premier awards at the club achievement awards ceremony just a week ago.

During the tea time presentation, Commodore Peter Sherry expressed his gratitude and pride in the spirit and community that underpinned everything the National YC and its members achieved in 2023 and was 'delighted' to have been honoured with the Ruffian 23s.

The presentation was a pre-2024 sailing season high for the Dublin Bay club and class and something the club cherishes, according to Sherry.

Heather Kennedy, the daughter of the Ruffian 23 designer and builder Billy Brown, travelled from Strangford Lough to be present at the ceremony. She gave a brief history of the class, which celebrated its golden anniversary in 2023. 

Afloat's W M Nixon will review the award and the night's celebrations in full in his Sailing on Saturday blog tomorrow (March 2) here.