Howth Dinghy Regatta Finds A Breeze For Record Fleet

3rd September 2015

#hyc – Despite calms to the south of the Liffey, the annual Howth Dinghy Regatta on Sunday found breezes to cope well with the spring tides, and the fleet of 120 boats (a clear record for recent years) had excellent excellent racing in classes for Optimists, Toppers, Laser and 420s, with entries ranging from as far away as Wexford and Wicklow to the south and Malahide and Skerries to the north, plus all ports between.

To maximize use of the day, two Committee Boats were deployed, with Richard Kissane on HYC's recently acquired Star Point (waterfront pundits can't make up their minds whether she should be called the Memphis Belle or the Delta Queen) looking after the Toppers, Lasers and 420s, while Dave Sargent on the more orthodox-in-appearance Sea Wych provided three races for the 45-strong Optimist fleet, and then added on a fourth fun event in racing for balloons with chocolate.

In the best traditions of Howth hospitality, a visitor was allowed to win the biggest class – this was RStGYC's Trevor Bolger in the Optimists, while the National YC's Nicola Ferguson won the Toppers. However, the host club's Ewan McMahon won the Laser Radials, Daniel Hopkins took the Laser 4.7, and HYC's Jamie McMahon and Peadar Lawlor won the 52s, and in the big Opty fleet, best-placed Howth sailor was Luke Turvey in 4th, while Max Kavanagh took third in the Toppers.

Published in Howth YC

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is undoubtedly one of the greatest ocean adventures on the planet, also regarded as one of its toughest endurance challenges. Taking almost a year to complete, it consists of eleven teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts.

The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors. Around 40 per cent of crew are novices and have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training programme ahead of their adventure.

This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to train drivers, nurses and firefighters, farmers, airline pilots and students, from age 18 upwards, to take on Mother Nature’s toughest and most remote conditions. There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date is 76.

Now in its twelfth edition, the Clipper 2019-20 Race started from London, UK, on 02 September 2019.