#Rowing: The awards season is proving a fruitful one for rowers. Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll were honoured at the Canon Hayes Centre awards and fellow Skibbereen man Paul O’Donovan has been nominated for the RTÉ Sportsperson of the Year award. All three won gold medals at the 2017 World Championships.

 Ireland coach Dominic Casey was also nominated for the World Rowing Coach of the Year at the World Rowing Awards. Casey and Morten Espersen, the former Ireland high peformance director, were also nominated for Distinguished Service to International Rowing.

 On the night, the France coach Alexis Besancon was chosen as Coach of the Year. John Boultbee of Australia won the Distinguished Service to International Rowing.

 The Male Crew of the Year were the German eight, Female Crew of the Year was single sculler Jeannine Gmelin and World Para Crew of the Year went to Birgit Skarstein of Norway.

#ROWING: Two of the top executives of the Olympic Council of Ireland have visited the National Rowing Centre in Cork and complimented the rowers and mentors on the professionalism of their programme.

Stephen Martin, the chief executive of the OCI, and Kevin Kilty, the chef de mission for the Ireland team at the Olympic Games in 2016, visited the National Rowing Centre on Friday. They were hosted by Morten Espersen, the Ireland high performance director, and Rowing Ireland chief executive Hamish Adams.

Martin and Kilty viewed the world-class facilities at the NRC and dropped in on a training session for the high performance rowers overseen by coaches Don and Mary McLachlan. The athletes train 14 to 16 times every week. The Olympic Council executives spoke to the athletes and answered questions about the OCI’s preparations for Rio 2016.

“I was delighted to take Morten up on his offer to see his athletes train here at the National Rowing Centre,” Kilty said. “The dedication of the athletes and coaches is inspiring and I must commend the work of Rowing Ireland and that of Morten and Hamish.”

He said he was certain rowers would feature strongly in Team Ireland’s performance in Rio 2016.

Martin added: “The work of Rowing Ireland here at the National Rowing Centre is exceptional and we at the OCI are working closely with the coaches and Morten to assist their work in delivering qualification for and ultimately success in Rio. I am extremely impressed by the dedication and commitment of the athletes that Kevin and I have met here today and we will support their endeavours to achieve qualification and success in Rio.”

#ROWING: The annual general meeting of Rowing Ireland at Garda Boat Club today was told my Morten Espersen, the High Performance Director, that he expected to send at least three women’s boats to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The two motions before the meeting were passed by assent: Just Sport Ireland will be adopted as the final arbitrator in grievance procedures and the agm may be called at any time through the year.

The meeting was concluded in an hour.

Branch Awards

Connacht: Mike McCrohan, Tribesmen

Leinster: Niall O’Toole, Commercial

Ulster: Gordon Reid, Lagan Scullers’

Munster: Mary Bonner, Tralee

President’s Prize: Dominic Casey, Skibbereen

# ROWING: The Irish Universities' Championships will be detached from the Irish Schools’ Championships and moved to a new date in June as part of the 2014 rowing calendar accepted by delegates at the Rowing Ireland agm in Dublin yesterday. The change has been prompted by Ireland Performance Director Morten Espersen, who also hopes to have the university athletes involved in a set programme of heads of the river and indoor rowing events.

Rowing Ireland Calendar 2014 (as approved by agm)

January 11th: Kerry Head of the River; 25th: Sligo Head.

February 1st: St Michael’s Head; 8th: Head of the Shannon, Carrick-on-Shannon; 15th: Lagan Head, Belfast; 22nd/23rd: Newry Trials.

March 1st: Erne Head, Enniskillen; 8th: Lagan Scullers’ Head, Belfast; 15th: Galway Head; 16th: Fermoy Head; 22nd: Dublin Head; 28th-30th: National Trials.

April 5th: Neptune Regatta, Islandbridge; 12th/13th: Skibbereen Regatta, National Rowing Centre; 19th: Trinity Regatta, Islandbridge; 26th: Limerick Regatta; 27th Schools’ Regatta, O’Brien’s Bridge.

May 3rd: Portadown Regatta; 10th: Bantry Regatta and Lough Rynn Regatta; 11th: Sligo Regatta; 17th: Queen’s Regatta, Castlewellan; 24th: Lee Regatta, Marina, Cork; 24th: Belfast Sprint Regatta.

June 1st: Carlow Regatta; 7th: Irish University Championships, Blessington; 8th: Dublin Metropolitan Regatta, Blessington; 14th: Athlone Regatta; 15th: Galway Regatta; 22nd: Castleconnell Sprint Regatta; 28th: Cork Regatta, NRC; 29th: Fermoy Sprints.

July 11th-13th: Irish Rowing Championships, NRC.

August: 3rd: Carrick-on-Shannon Sprints; 23rd: Belfast Summer Sprints.

September 13th: Interprovincial Sprints, Limerick; 20th: New Ross-Barrow Challenge. 27th/28th: National Trials, NRC.

October 4th: Tullamore Time Trial; 18th: Skibbereen Head, NRC.

November 1st: Castleconnell Head; 8th: Neptune Head, Blessington; 15th: Bann Head, Coleraine; 22nd/23rd: Regional Indoor Rowing Championships, Provincial Venues.

December 6th: Muckross Head, NRC. 13th: Irish Indoor Rowing Championships.

# ROWING: Morten Espersen was an interested spectator for a fine day of rowing at the Erne Head of the River at Enniskillen today. The Ireland HPD saw a composite from Galway come home fastest of a strong field of men’s senior eights. The crews, which featured the experience of Grainne Mhaol along with NUIG and St Joseph’s, had three seconds to spare over UCD. The Dublin college had good reason to be pleased as they started third but were faster than Queen’s, who started ahead of them. Neptune’s junior 18 eight had a good ninth placing.    

56th ERNE HEAD OF THE RIVER Saturday 2nd March 2013 Timed Finishing Crew Mins:Secs Position No. Crew Identity Class Rowing Time 1 1 GM/NUIG/St.JoesMS 8 19:30 2 3 U.C.D. BC MS 8 19:33 3 2 QUBBC MS 8 19:49 4 4 DUBC MS 8 19:52 5 8 DUBC MI 8 20:08 5 = 9 U.C.D. BC A MI 8 20:08 7 6 NUIG BC MI 8 20:09 8 5 St Michaels RC MS 8 20:30 9 13 Neptune RC MJ18 8 20:55 10 12 UCD BC B MI 8 21:03 11 20 U.C.D. BC A MN 8 21:10 12 25 DUBC B MN 8 21:11 12 = 14 Portora BC MJ18 8 21:11 14 19 QUBBC A MN 8 21:23 15 21 NUIG BC MN 8 21:37 16 10 St Michaels RC MI 8 21:46 17 15 MCB BC MJ18 8 22:09 18 30 Garda BC MI 4x 22:11 19 18 DUBC A MN 8 22:17 19 = 22 Portora/BBC/CAIBC MS 4x 22:17 21 33 Bann RC MJ16 8 22:18 22 24 U.C.D.L B.C A WS 8 22:24 23 16 RBAI BC MJ18 8 22:26 24 11 CAIBC MI 8 22:35 25 27 QUBBC B MN 8 22:36 26 35 MCB BC MJ16 8 22:47 27 40 Portora BC MI 4+ 22:57 28 23 LSC MS 4x 23:06 29 28 DUBC C MN 8 23:08 30 17 Blackrock BC MJ18 8 23:19 31 41 BBC MM 8 E 23:22 32 32 Portora BC MJ16 8 23:36 33 42 BRC A MM 8 C 23:38 34 43 BRC/BBC B MM 8 E 23:39 35 29 U.C.D. BC MI 4x 23:41 36 47 Bann RC WI 8 23:44 37 45 QULBC WI 8 23:51 38 31 U.C.D.L.B.C B WS 8 23:58 39 34 CAIBC MJ16 8 24:08 40 63 CAIBC MJ18 4+ 24:09 41 38 BBC MS 4+ 24:10 42 48 Portora BC WJ18 8 24:13 43 50 Bann RC MM 8 C 24:31 44 49 LVBC MM 8 E 24:42 45 44 OCBC/TCBC MM 8 F 24:47 46 60 St Michaels BC WS 4+ 24:52 47 53 QULBC A WN 8 25:11 48 57 BBC WM 8 D 25:13 49 59 Portora BC WS 4x 25:19 50 62 Bann RC MJ18 4+ 25:42 51 52 Molesey B C MM 8 G 25:56 52 37 MCB BC B MJ16 8 26:14 53 54 BRC WN 8 26:33 54 55 QULBC B WN 8 26:48 55 58 Neptune BC WS 4x 27:04 56 51 Portadown BC MM 8 D 27:09 57 66 Portora BC A WJ16 8 27:16 58 36 Portora BC B MJ16 8 27:22 59 61 BRC WS 4+ 27:29 60 65 CAIBC MJ16 4x 27:53 61 67 Portora BC B WJ16 8 28:52 62 56 QULBC C WN8 29:55 63 = 7 QUBBC MI 8 Did Not Row 63 = 26 U.C.D BC B MN 8 Did Not Row 63 = 39 DUBC MI 4+ Did Not Row 63 = 46 NUIG BC WI 8 Did Not Row 63 = 64 Blackrock BC MJ18 4x Did Not Row The positions given are those relative to all crews participating. Positions within a Class are to be determined by inspection. Published in Rowing Tagged under rowing Erne Enniskillen Head of the River Espersen HPD Grainne Mhaol NUIG UCD St Joseph's Neptune Junior Read more... 9th February 2013 McKillen Sets Excellent Time at Rowing Ireland Trial # ROWING: Adam Boreham of Belfast Boat Club, a heavyweight under-23 athlete, topped the rankings in ergometer (rowing machine) times on the first day of the Rowing Ireland Assessment in Newry today. Justin Ryan of Skibbereen was the fastest lightweight, with a time of six minutes 14 seconds, seven seconds slower than Boreham for the 2,000 metres. Gareth McKillen of RBAI topped a very competitive junior grade, clocking a remarkable six minutes 22 seconds. The fastest woman was Sanita Puspure, clocking 6:40.5, and junior athlete Bridget Jacques clocked 7:04.4. The fastest lightweight was under-23 athlete Denise Walsh. Claire Lambe and Siobhan McCrohan were exempted on sick notes. Tomorrow’s time trial on Newry Canal, scheduled for 11 o’clock, has been brought forward at least a half an hour because of concerns about the weather. Rowing Ireland Newry Assessment 2K Erg Test Results - 9th February 2013 - OVERALL Category Time Adam Boreham HM U23 06:07.0 David Neale HM 06:09.5 Matthew Wray HM U23 06:10.7 Jonathon Mitchell HM U23 06:11.9 Justin Ryan LM 06:14.0 Fionnan McQuillan-Tolan HM U23 06:15.2 Sean O Connor HM U23 06:18.1 Colm Keenan HM 06:18.4 Niall Kenny LM 06:18.4 Gareth McKillen JM 06:22.0 Paul O'Donovan LM U23 06:22.8 Paddy Hegarty JM 06:23.5 Andy Harrington JM 06:24.6 Jack Casey JM 06:24.9 Gary O'Donovan LM U23 06:25.0 Shane O'Driscoll LM U23 06:25.1 Alan Prendergast LM U23 06:33.1 Aodhan Burns LM U23 06:34.1 Eoghan Whittle JM 16 06:34.8 Aidan Kinneen JM 06:35.9 James Egan JM 06:35.9 Jack Silke JM 06:37.5 Conor Camody JM 06:37.9 Kai McGlacken JM 16 06:38.2 Andrew Bell LM U23 06:38.8 David O Malley JM 06:38.9 Brian Keohane JM 06:39.2 Sam Keogh JM 06:39.3 William Yeomans JM 06:39.7 Sanita Puspure HW 06:40.5 Daniel Buckley JM 06:41.1 James Blackwell JM 06:41.8 Philip McCullough JM 06:42.5 Rory O Sullivan JM 06:42.9 Matthew Ryan JM 06:43.6 Karl Anderson JM 06:43.6 Eoghan Fogarty JM 06:44.9 John Mitchel JM 06:46.8 David Keohane JM 06:47.4 Aidan Murray JM 16 06:48.0 Neil McCarthy JM 06:48.2 Evan Stone JM 06:48.4 Kevin Keohane JM 06:49.0 Kevin Fallon JM 06:49.3 Evan Despard JM 06:49.3 Ewan Murry JM 06:49.4 Charlie Murray JM 06:49.5 Ger McNamera JM 06:49.5 Christopher Laffey JM 06:50.0 Jack Smyth JM 06:51.7 Patrick Munnelly JM 16 06:52.4 Thomas Cregan JM 16 06:54.8 Eoghan O'Connor LM U23 06:55.3 Mark Breen JM 06:56.4 Ewan Gallagher JM 16 06:57.2 Monika Dukarska HW 06:57.8 Kevin Hogan JM 16 06:57.8 Alex Chadfield JM 06:59.3 Nathan O Reilly LM U23 07:00.3 Mike O'Hanlon JM 16 07:02.1 Andrew GOFF JM 16 07:02.8 Colin Finnrty JM 16 07:03.3 Eoghan Walls JM 16 07:03.8 Bridget Jacques JW 07:04.4 Hilary Shinnick JW 07:05.6 Stephen Murphy JM 07:07.6 Erin Barry JW 16 07:10.8 Jasmin English JW 07:15.5 Clodagh Scannell JW 07:26.8 Denise Walsh LW U23 07:26.9 Fiona Murtagh JW 07:27.3 Hannah McCarthy JW 07:30.1 Phoebe Mulligan JW 07:30.7 Leonie Hamel JW 07:31.9 Claire Beechinor JW 16 07:32.1 Sinead Dolan LW U23 07:33.6 Sarah Dolan LW 07:33.8 Amy Bulman LW 07:34.3 Zoe Hyde JW 16 07:34.4 Megan Blackburne JW 07:34.8 Eimear Lambe JW 16 07:36.4 Ruth Gilligan JW 07:40.5 Daisy Callanan JW 07:40.9 Elizabeth Clarke JW 16 07:41.8 Kara O Connor JW 16 07:41.9 Aisling Rodger JW 07:42.2 Kirstie Turner JW 07:43.8 Lauren McHugh JW 07:44.2 Sally O Brien LW U20 07:47.0 Megan McLaughlin JW 07:47.1 Sarah Murphy JW 16 07:54.0 Published in Rowing Tagged under Rowing, Newry Ireland Assessment Espersen Read more... 8th February 2013 Espersen Takes Charge of First Rowing Trial as Ireland High Performance Director # ROWING: One hundred and twenty rowers are listed to compete at the Rowing Ireland Assessment in Newry tomorrow and Sunday. The ergometer test will be on Saturday and the on-the-water time trial is set for 11 o’clock on Newry Canal on Sunday. This will be the first assessment since Morten Espersen has taken over as High Performance Director.   Rowing Ireland 2000m Ergo Assessment Newry, February 9th 2013 HP Team 07/02/2013 Row Labels Testing Time Ergo Number Athlone BC munnelly, patrick 13:20 6 Athlunkard BC Gallagher, Ewan 13:20 7 McNamara, Ger 13:20 8 Bann RC Barry, Erin 12:00 2 Wray, Matthew 13:20 1 Belfast BC Boreham, Adam 13:20 2 English, Jasmin 12:00 3 Jacques, Bridget 12:00 4 Mitchell, Johnathan 13:20 3 Taggart, Emily 12:00 9 Turner, Kirsty 12:00 1 CAIBC McCullough, Philip 13:20 5 Castleconnell Boat Club O'Connor, Eoghan 11:20 8 Whittle, Eoghan 11:20 9 CIT RC O'Donovan, Gary 12:40 9 O'Driscoll, Shane 12:20 11 Clonmel RC Chadfield, Alex 13:20 10 Channon, Stewart Lonergan, Sean 13:20 11 Prendergast, Alan 13:20 9 Colaiste Chiarain RC Hogan, Kevin 11:20 11 Colaiste Iognaid RC McGlacken, Kai Walls-Tuite, Eoghan Commercial RC Dolan, Sarah 13:00 4 Lambe, Eimear 13:00 10 Rodger, aisling 13:00 9 yeomans, william 11:20 12 Cork BC Beechinor, Claire 12:40 1 Hamel, Leonie 12:40 3 Kilbane, Laura 12:40 4 McCarthy, Neil 11:00 2 McClaughlin, Megan 12:40 2 Murphy, Stephen 11:00 3 Murray, Charlie 11:00 1 DUBC Flaherty, Paul DULBC Dolan, Sinead 13:00 5 O'Brien, Sally 13:00 6 Fermoy RC Blackburne, Megan 12:00 11 Shinnick, Hilary 12:00 10 Galway RC Murtagh, Fiona 12:40 6 Garda RC Laffey, Christopher 12:40 5 Killorglin RC Dukarska, Monika 12:00 7 Hyde, Zoe 12:00 12 Lagan Scullers Club Hethertington, Thomas Lee RC Breen, Mark 11:00 8 Buckley, Daniel 11:00 5 Keogh, Sam 11:00 6 Mitchel, John 11:00 4 O Sullivan, Rory 11:00 7 Stone, Evan 11:00 9 Molesey BC Keenan, Colm 12:20 7 Muckross RC O'Connor, Kara 13:00 11 Neptune RC Fogarty, Eoghan 11:40 9 Horan, Conor 11:40 8 Mulvaney, Shane 11:40 10 NUIGBC Keogh, Aifric Mullarkey, Edward 12:20 2 O'Connor, Sean 12:20 1 Old Collegians BC Puspure, Sanita 12:00 8 Portadown BC McKeown, Sam 11:40 12 Portora BC Anderson, Karl 13:40 1 Beacom, Alice 13:40 5 Clarke, Elizabeth 13:40 3 Finlayson, Chloe 13:40 4 Mulligan, Phoebe 13:40 6 Murry, Ewan 13:40 2 Presentation College RC Cregan, Thomas 14:00 6 Keohane, Brian 14:00 4 Keohane, David 14:00 5 Keohane, Kevin 14:00 3 QULBC Leahy, Aoife RBAIRC McKillen, Gareth 13:20 4 Robinson, Ben 11:40 11 Shandon B.C. Callanan, Daisy 11:40 6 Carroll, Luke 11:40 4 Casey, Jack 11:40 2 Harrington, Andy 11:40 1 Hennessy, Colm 11:40 5 O'Sullivan, Clodagh 11:40 3 Scannell, Clodagh 11:40 7 Shannon RC Blackwell, James 14:00 2 Carmody, Conor 14:00 1 Coll, Erin 13:00 3 Gilligan, Ruth 13:00 1 McHugh, Lauren 13:00 2 Skibbereen RC Burns, Aodhan 12:40 7 Dineen, Shelly Hegarty, Paddy 12:40 8 Ryan, Justin 12:20 8 Ryan, Matthew 12:40 10 Walsh, Bernadette 12:40 12 Walsh, Denise 12:40 11 St Michaels RC Clavin, Sheila Despard, Evan 12:20 4 McCarthy, Hannah 13:00 7 Murphy, Sarah 13:00 8 O Malley, David 12:20 5 O'Brien, Kate St.Josephs RC Egan, James 11:20 2 Fallon, Kevin 11:20 5 Finnerty, Colin 11:20 6 Kinneen, Aidan 11:20 1 Mcquillan-Tolan, Fionnan 11:20 7 Silke, Jack 11:20 3 smyth, jack 11:20 4 Tribesmen RC McCrohan, Siobhan UCCRC Kenny, Niall 12:20 9 UCDBC Bell, Andrew 12:20 12 Bennett, Siofra Collins, Grace Finnegan, Orla Lambe, Claire 12:00 6 Neale, David 12:20 6 Ni Reachtagain, Claire O'Donovan, Paul 12:20 10 ULRC Penny, Stephen 11:20 10 University of Surrey O'Reilly, Nathan 12:20 3 Waterford BC GOFF, Andrew 11:00 10 O'HANLON, Mike 11:00 11 (blank) Bulman, Amy 12:00 5 Published in Rowing Tagged under Rowing Ireland Espersen trial Newry high performance Read more... 25th November 2012 Jacques and Walsh Push Their Way Into Contention at Newry Rowing # ROWING: Sanita Puspure produced her customarily excellent performance to win the 5,000 m time trial at the National Assessment in Newry today, but the rise of young female talent was reflected in the performances of Bridget Jacques and Denise Walsh. Jacques, who is 17, was the fourth fastest woman and Walsh, who just turned 20 and is a lightweight, was just one place further back. Incoming Ireland performance director Morten Espersen said the level of performance he had seen today was comparable to that in Denmark. Rowing Ireland 5000m Time Trial 25th November 2012 HP Team Nov 2012 Sex W Values Row Labels Time Senior % GMT Age % GMT Sanita Puspure (Old Collegians BC) HW 21:13.3 83.4% 83.4% Claire Lambe (UCD) LW 21:40.9 84.6% 84.6% Amy Bulman (UCDBC) LW 22:02.4 83.2% 83.2% Bridget Jacques (Belfast BC) WJ18 22:20.8 79.2% 84.7% Denise Walsh (Skibbereen RC) LWU23 22:24.6 81.8% 83.9% Sinead Dolan (DULBC) LWU23 22:41.3 80.8% 82.8% Hilary Shinnick (Fermoy RC) WJ18 22:41.3 78.1% 83.4% Siobhan McCrohan (Tribesmen RC) LW 22:44.1 80.6% 80.6% Kate O'Brien (SMRC) HWU20 22:46.1 77.8% 79.6% Cliona Hurst (NUIGBC) LW 23:11.0 79.1% 79.1% Bernadette Walsh (Skibbereen RC) WJ18 23:21.2 75.8% 81.0% Jasmin English (Belfast BC) WJ17 23:24.4 75.7% 80.8% Aoife Leahy (QULBC) LWU23 23:24.6 78.3% 80.3% Phoebe Mulligan (Portora BC) WJ18 23:32.3 75.2% 80.4% Aifric Keogh (NUIGBC) HWU23 23:35.5 75.1% 76.8% Claire Beechinor (Cork BC) WJ16 23:45.4 74.5% 79.6% Hannah McCarthy (St. Michaels RC) WJ18 23:59.5 73.8% 78.8% Kara O'Connor (Muckross RC) WJ16 24:07.7 73.4% 78.4% aisling Rodger (Commercial RC) WJ17 24:13.8 73.1% 78.1% Zoe Hyde (Killorglin RC) WJ16 24:14.9 73.0% 78.0% Laura Kilbane (Cork BC) WJ16 24:16.2 73.0% 77.9% Ruth Gilligan (Shannon RC) WJ18 24:22.0 72.7% 77.6% Eimear Lambe (Commercial RC) WJ16 24:29.7 72.3% 77.2% Daisy Callanan (Shandon B.C.) WJ18 24:31.8 72.2% 77.1% Alice Beacom (Portora BC) WJ16 24:51.0 71.3% 76.1% Erin Barry (Bann RC) WJ16 24:52.5 71.2% 76.0% Ellie Sherin (St. Michaels RC) WJ18 24:57.3 71.0% 75.8% Sarah Murphy (St. Michaels RC) WJ16 25:02.0 70.7% 75.6% Clodagh Scannell (Shandon B.C.) WJ18 25:13.7 70.2% 75.0% Erin Coll (Shannon RC) WJ16 25:24.7 69.7% 74.4% Helen Ryan (Shannon Rowing Club) LW 25:35.2 71.7% 71.7% Clodagh O'Sullivan (Shandon B.C.) WJ16 25:44.5 68.8% 73.5% Chloe Finlayson (Portora BC) WJ16 25:46.4 68.7% 73.4% Megan Blackburne (Fermoy RC) WJ18 26:01.0 68.1% 72.7% Elizabeth Clarke (Portora BC) WJ16 26:28.5 66.9% 71.4% Published in Rowing Tagged under rowing Walsh Jacques Newry National Assessment Espersen Read more... 25th October 2012 Rowing Ireland Appoint Espersen as New High Performance Director # ROWING: Rowing Ireland have chosen Morten Espersen to be their new High Performance Director. The 61-year-old served as HPD in Denmark from 1993 to 2001 and went on to chair Denmark’s executive board for elite rowing. Denmark has had great success in the last two decades: their premier crew, the lightweight four, took three gold and two bronze medals in the last five Olympic Games, while the lightweight double scull took gold at London 2012. Fie Udby Erichsen also took a silver medal in the women's single sculls in London.  In a statement released by Rowing Ireland, Espersen said: “Rowing Ireland has the potential to succeed at the highest level and, working together with all stakeholders, I believe that this goal can be achieved.” Espersen will take up his post in February. He will be based at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. He succeeds Martin McElroy, who has recently been appointed Performance Director for men's rowing in Canada. Published in Rowing Tagged under rowing Ireland high performance director Espersen Olympics Denmark Read more... Afloat.ie Proudly Supported By Dublin Bay 21s An exciting new project to breathe life into six defunct 120-year-old Irish yachts that happen to be the oldest intact one-design keelboat class in the world has captured the imagination of sailors at Ireland's biggest sailing centre. The birthplace of the original Dublin Bay 21 class is getting ready to welcome home the six restored craft after 40 years thanks to an ambitious boat building project was completed on the Shannon Estuary that saved them from completely rotting away. Dublin Bay 21 FAQs What is a Dublin Bay 21 footer? The Dublin Bay 21 is a vintage one-design wooden yacht designed for sailing in Dublin Bay. When were the Dublin Bay 21 footers built? Seven were built between 1903 and 1906. What is the age of the Dublin Bay 21s? As of 2020, the yachts are 117 years old. Who designed the Dublin Bay 21? Alfred Mylne designed the seven yachts. What is the total population of Irish offshore islands? The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing. For what purpose was the Dublin Bay 21 designed? Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) commissioned the boat to encourage inexpensive one-design racing to recognise the success of the Water Wag one-design dinghy of 1887 and the Colleen keelboat class of 1897. What are the names and builders of the seven Dublin Bay 21s? Estelle built by Hollwey, 1903; Garavogue built by Kelly, 1903; Innisfallen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Maureen built by Hollwey, 1903.; Oola built by Kelly, 1905; Naneen built by Clancy, 1905. What are the dimensions of the Dublin Bay 21s? Overall length- 32'-6', Beam- 7'-6", Keel lead- 2 tons Sail area - 600sq.ft When did the Dublin Bay 21 Class first race? The first race took place on 19 June 1903 in Dublin Bay. Why are the Dublin Bay 21 boats so important to the sailing world? They may be the oldest intact class of racing keelboat yacht in the world. Sailing together in a fleet, they are one of the loveliest sights to be seen on any sailing waters in the world, according to many Dublin Bay aficionados. Why did the Dublin Bay 21 fleet change the original gaff rig to a Bermudan one? In 1964, some of the owners thought that the boats were outdated, and needed a new breath of fresh air. After extensive discussions between all the owners, the gaff rig and timber mast was abandoned in favour of a more fashionable Bermudan rig with an aluminium mast. Unfortunately, this rig put previously unseen loads on the hulls, resulting in some permanent damage. What happened to the Dublin Bay 21 fleet that it stopped sailing? The fleet was taken out of the water in 1986 after Hurricane Charlie ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August of that year. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as their sister ship Estelle four years earlier. The class then became defunct. In 1988, master shipwright Jack Tyrrell of Arklow inspected the fleet and considered the state of the hulls as vulnerable, describing them as 'still restorable even if some would need a virtual rebuild'. The fleet then lay rotting in a farmyard in Arklow until 2019 and the pioneering project of Dun Laoghaire sailors Fionan De Barra and Hal Sisk who decided to bring them back to their former glory. How did the Dublin Bay 21 fleet come to be stored in Wicklow for over 30 years? Hurricane Charlie finally ruined active Dublin Bay 21 fleet racing in August 1986. Two 21s sank in the storm, suffering the same fate as a sister ship four years earlier; Estelle sank twice, once on her moorings and once in a near-tragic downwind capsize. Despite their collective salvage from the sea bed, the class decided the ancient boats should not be allowed suffer anymore. To avoid further deterioration and risk to the rare craft all seven 21s were put into storage in 1989 under the direction of the naval architect Jack Tyrrell at his yard in Arklow. How did the Dublin Bay 21 fleet get to Arklow for storage? While two of the fleet, Garavogue and Geraldine sailed to their current home, the other five, in various states of disrepair, were carried the 50-odd miles to Arklow by road. What does the Dublin Bay 21 project hope to achieve? To revive the legendary Dublin Bay 21 class, the famous Mylne design of 1902-03. Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra are developing ideas to retain the class's spirit while making the boats more appropriate to today's needs in Dun Laoghaire harbour, with its many other rival sailing attractions. The Dublin Bay 21-foot class's fate represents far more than the loss of a single class; it is bad news for the Bay's yachting heritage at large. Although Dún Laoghaire turned a blind eye to the plight of the oldest intact one-design keelboat fleet in the world for 30 years or more they are now fully restored. Who are the Dublin Bay 21 restoration team? The Dublin Bay 21 Restoration team includes Steve Morris, James Madigan, Hal Sisk, Fionan de Barra, Fintan Ryan and Dan Mill. Will they be using the original Dublin Bay 21 hulls? Retaining the pure Mylne-designed hull was essential, but the project has new laminated cold-moulded hulls which are being built inverted but will, when finished and upright, be fitted on the original ballast keels, thereby maintaining the boat’s continuity of existence, the presence of the true spirit of the ship. What will the new Dublin Bay 21 rigs be like? It will be a gunter-rigged sloop. It was decided a simpler yet clearly vintage rig was needed for the time-constrained sailors of the 21st Century. So, far from bringing the original and almost-mythical gaff cutter rig with jackyard topsail back to life above a traditionally-constructed hull, the project is content to have an attractive gunter-rigged sloop – “American gaff” some would call it. What was the first Dublin Bay 21 to be restored? The first DB 21 to get the treatment was Naneen, originally built in 1905 by Clancy of Dun Laoghaire for T. Cosby Burrowes, a serial boat owner from Cavan. Where will the new Dublin Bay 21 be sailing? On Dublin Bay. Dublin Bay Sailing Club granted a racing start for 2020 Tuesday evening racing starting in 2020, but it was deferred due to COVID-19. How many of the Dublin Bay 21s will be racing? Initially, two Dublin Bay 21s will race then three as the boat building project based in Kilrush on the Shannon Estuary completes the six-boat project. How are the restored Dublin Bay 21 boats to be welcomed back to the Bay? The restored boats will be welcomed back to the Bay in a special DBSC gun salute from committee boat Mac Lir at the start of the season. What is it like to sail a Dublin Bay 21? In a recollection for Afloat, well known Dun Laoghaire one-design sailor Roger Bannon said: "They were complete bitches of boats to sail, over-canvassed and fundamentally badly balanced. Their construction and design was also seriously flawed which meant that they constantly leaked and required endless expensive maintenance. 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