To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the wooden dinghy IDRA 14, a group of amateur boat builders from Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club (CY&BC), led by Ronan Melling have built the first boat in almost 50 years.
The clinker boat has taken three years to build so the launch on the 25th of June at 12:30pm will be an historic occasion for CY&BC.
Speaking in advance of the launch, project lead and first-time boat builder Ronan Melling said, "The IDRA14 dinghies have a unique Irish history. They are single design wooden boats that were designed by an Irish naval architect, George O’Brien Kennedy in the winter of 1938 in Dorset. The design was adopted and adapted by the Irish Dinghy Racing Association in 1945 to regulate small boat sailing and encourage more people into the sport.
“The first IDRA14s were launched in the summer of 1946 and the first races were held in Clontarf and Dun Laoghaire so it is fitting that the first one built in almost 50 years will be launched from the same slipway.
"It has taken over 6,000 hours, the work of 30 plus volunteers and the incredible help and support of so many people from within Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and outside to get us to this point so we are really excited about sharing our official launch with boats from clubs across Dublin who will join our new IDRA14. There is a lot of excitement and speculation about the name of the new boat, which will be revealed on the day."
The Harold’s Cross Brass Band will be there to provide music for the launch. Afterwards from 3pm Bryan Smyth will entertain guests in the Club with live music. There will also be face painting and food available.
Date: Saturday 25th of June
Time: 12:30pm
Location: Slip opposite Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3
