Ireland’s biggest sailing event, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, which takes place from tomorrow until Sunday, 9th July 2017, is set to be an exciting four days of racing in Dublin Bay. There will be a fantastic festival atmosphere across the waterfront and Dun Laoghaire town as the four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs come together for the biennial event; Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Royal St. George Yacht Club.
The area will be a hive of activity for the 7th staging of this event and there will be plenty of action out on the water with over 2,500 participants, 475 boats competing in 35 different classes of boats, large and small, old and new, racing on seven race course areas over the four days of the regatta.
The quality of sailing will be extremely high with some of the country’s top class sailors taking part including Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy. The event attracts yachts from the Netherlands, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, England and all four provinces of Ireland.
Most notably this year there will be a Classic Yacht Division in VDLR 2017 competing for the ‘Kingstown 200’ Bicentenary Cup as part of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Bicentenary Festival.
There will also be a wonderful variety of entertainment around the waterfront for those on land including live music from the St. Maur’s Pipe Band at the East Pier Bandstand. Also on the East Pier will be Marine Artists, Living Earth Photography, Teddy’s Ice-Cream and the Fish Shack and entertainment will be spread out along the waterfront to ensure you’re kept amused at all times!
Dun Laoghaire will be the perfect location for a family day out with the delicious People’s Park Market offering some of the best market food available in Dublin. Volvo Cars Ireland will also be displaying their latest range of cars at The People’s Park, the East Pier and the Harbour Plaza.
The event is also set to bring in a significant amount to the local economy. Using the standard tourism formula, the four day event is expected to bring in €150,000 per day and €600,000 overall across the four days.
Speaking in advance of the event, Tim Goodbody, Chairman of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta said; “As we celebrate the Bicentenary of Dun Laoghaire Harbour, we are looking forward to seeing 2,500 sailors and hundreds of spectators to the 2017 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. This event has grown from strength to strength, and we believe that this year’s instalment will be the finest to date. We will have more than 300 volunteers who give their time and energy to ensure the Regatta runs smoothly, as well as the active cooperation of local area businesses and the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. We look forward to welcoming our sponsors, sailors, and the thousands of spectators to Dublin Bay this weekend.”
David Thomas, Managing Director of Volvo Car Ireland, added; “Having been involved in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta since 2007, we have seen first-hand what a magnificent event this is. The Volvo brand is synonymous with sailing around the world and we are delighted to continue this associated in Ireland with the country’s biggest sailing event. Together with Spirit Motor Group we work to support what we see as important events in the community where our customers live, work and engage in sporting activities as an important part of life. We wish all the participants the best of luck.”
The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta takes place from Thursday 6th July until Sunday 9th July 2017.