National Yacht Club Prepares for MOD 70 Fleet Arrival

2nd September 2012

#Mod70 – The much hyped MOD70 European Tour race is coming to Dun Laoghaire and the National Yacht Club from Wednesday to Sunday. The 5 trimarans are expected to arrive in Dun Laoghaire between 10am-6pm on Wednesday having left Kiel in Germany today but a last minute course change because of high winds puts some doubt over their exact arrival time into Irish waters.

Representing some of the fastest sailing yachts in the world these multihulls will be racing in Dublin Bay on Friday and Saturday before heading off on the next leg to Cascais.

There will be a festival on Dun Laoghaire's East Pier while the five boat fleet is in port and a firework display on Friday evening.

The MOD70 European Tour's 1200 mile first leg from Kiel, Germany to Dun Laoghaire, Dublin will get underway on Sunday 02 September. The 5 trimarans are due to arrive on Wednesday 05 September for a 5 day family festival on the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire.

Some of the worlds leading sailors from the Volvo Ocean Race, Americas Cup, Solitaire de Figaro and Olympics will compete.

There are more than eight sailors across the different boats who hold round the world records including Britain's Brian Thompson who sails on MUSANDAM – OMAN SAIL. Thompson has more than 20 offshore sailing speed records to his name including the new multihull record for sailing non stop around the world on board Banque Populaire V in January.

On RACE FOR WATER, Franck Cammas who skippered Groupama to victory in the Volvo Ocean race is sailing as navigator with his hugely accomplished Groupama crew-mate Thomas Coville who sails as a helm-trimmer. Also from the Volvo winning Groupama team is Charles Caudrelier who will be navigator on FONCIA.

Others with a strong background in the Volvo Ocean Race are Michi Mueller who joins his former Puma crew mate Sidney Gavignet on MUSANDAM – OMAN SAIL for the inshore races, while GROUPE EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD'S skipper Sébastien Josse led ABN AMRO 2 in the 2005-6 Volvo Ocean Race.

There are a good cross section of Olympic class sailors, mainly from the Tornado such as Yann Guichard (SPINDRIFT RACING) who was fourth in Sydney in 2000, but also Xavier Revil (FONCIA) Christophe Espagnon (GROUPE EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD) and Olivier Douillard (GROUPE EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD). Tanguy Cariou (RACE FOR WATER) sailed the 470 in Sydney and was 1998 world champion.

There are match racers like Francois Morvan (RACE FOR WATER) and Julien Falxa (FONCIA) and America's Cup winner Nicolas Texier (FONCIA), whilst with a background on the solo Solitaire du Figaro there are Yann Eliès, the 2012 winner who joins SPINDRIFT RACING, Thierry Chabagny (FONCIA) and Thomas Rouxel (GROUPE EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD).

Round the world Jules Verne Record holders present and past include Emmanuel Leborgne (FONCIA), Texier, Jean-Baptiste Levaillant (SPINDRIFT RACING Spindrift), Florent Chastel (GROUPE EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD), Kevin Escoffier (SPINDRIFT RACING), Britain's Brian Thompson (MUSANDAM – OMAN SAIL).

Past alumni of the solo round the world Vendée Globe include double winner Desjoyeaux, Eliès, Josse, Thompson and Coville.

The MOD70 Dun Laoghaire Festival will include food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls, street entertainers and vintage amusements. On Friday 07 September and Saturday 08 September the MOD70s will be competing in Dublin Bay in the Dublin City Race and Speed Match Races and there will be live commentary with Irish Olympic sailor Ger Owens from the East Pier. The trimarans will leave Dun Laoghaire at 3pm on Sunday 9th for the start of the second leg of the European Tour from Dun Laoghaire to Cascais, Portugal.

The high speed MOD70 class of trimarans are a new innovation for sailing. They have already proven to be the fastest offshore sailing one design class in the world. Each MOD70 is completely identical, built from the same moulds, so that success – inshore and offshore – reflects the skills of the sailing crew and not any technological advantage.

The MOD70 European Tour starts in Kiel, Germany, then Dublin, to Cascais by Lisbon, Portugal to Marseille, France to a finish in Genoa, Italy. Over the five weeks total duration of the MOD70 European Tour the teams will sail nearly 5000 miles over five offshore stages.

The MOD70 European Tour is the second event of the Multi One Championship, following on from July's inaugural KRYS OCEAN RACE which saw the MOD70's race the Atlantic from New York to Brest, France at remarkable speeds. The first three boats finished within less than two hours after traversing the Atlantic in less than five days with the winning boat making more than 711 miles in one 24 hours period.

OUTLINE PROGRAMME OF EVENTS IN DUN LAOGHAIRE

Wednesday 5th September: Estimated arrival of MOD70s 10am – 6pm Food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls, family entertainment, vintage amusements

Thursday 6th September 10am – 6pm Food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls, family entertainment, vintage amusements

Friday 7th September 10am – 6pm Food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls, family entertainment, vintage amusements

3pm Dublin City Races and Speed Matches. Vantage points from the East Pier to Sandycove with live commentary from the East Pier.

9pm Firework display in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Saturday 8th September 10am – 6pm Food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls, family entertainment, vintage amusements

2pm Dublin City Races and Speed Matches. Vantage points from the East Pier to Sandycove with live commentary from the East Pier.

Sunday 9th September 10am – 6pm Food courts, farmers market, fairtrade & ethnic stalls, craft stalls, family entertainment, vintage amusements

3pm Start of Leg 2 Dublin (Dun Laoghaire)-Cascais. Vantage points from the East Pier to Sandycove with live commentary from the East Pier.

Published in National YC

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

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