As those who sail will know, sailing is a pastime from which deep and long-lasting friendships are often formed. One such example of this can be found at Malahide Yacht Club, where a friendship between a group of kids who first met as eight-year-olds on the junior sailing courses of the mid-1980s has endured until the present day. Countless adventures have been racked up over the years as the group progressed from lads to dads, but regardless of distance and the stresses of life, the bond has remained strong throughout.
In 2020, at the height of lockdown, one of this group - Johnny Devitt - died suddenly, leaving a wife and young family. The initial shock and grief felt by his friends morphed into a determination to do something meaningful to mark his passing and ensure Johnny wasn’t forgotten. Johnny’s mantra had always been ‘live for the moment’, and that is what the group intended to do.
Sailors make their way off the start line in a tight final of the Johnny Devitt Memorial Regatta at Malahide Photo: Rupert Bedell
And thus, the idea of the Johnny Devitt Memorial Regatta was born. The concept is simple: an open invitation event, using a borrowed fleet of Laser Radials (ILCA 6), with the fleet divided into four groups of 10 sailors, racing in a knockout format. Each group comprises of a mini-series of 3 races, before the next group swaps into the boats. The top 5 from each group qualify for the semi-finals, with the top 5 again progressing to a grand final. In this way with just 10 boats, a fleet of 40 can be accommodated with one overall winner.
Sailors heading out for the next round of the Johnny Devitt Memorial Regatta at Malahide Photo: Rupert Bedell
As lockdown restrictions lifted, the first event was held in 2022, attracting sailors primarily from the Optimist and Mirror fleets of the 80s and 90s, many of whom hadn’t reconnected in decades. Despite the fact some also hadn’t sailed in years, the competition was tight, and eventually won by former Olympian Ciara Peelo. A charity auction followed, and with Malahide Yacht Club in fine voice, a whopping 16,000 Euro was raised for the RNLI and Irish Heart Foundation.
Defibrillator with plaque to Johnny Devitt at Malahide Yacht Club, St. James’s Terrace Photo: Rupert Bedell
The low barrier to entry - no boat required, fun guaranteed! - proved popular and the follow up annual event was held again on May 20th 2023. This time news had spread, and entries came from Sutton, Howth, Dun Laoghaire and a smattering from London. Old friendships and rivalries were rekindled, as these working parents in their 40s and 50s were allowed to step back in time and re-experience a day from their childhood, back racing their mates on Malahide estuary.
On the day, light winds served for a tense qualifying round, with close racing in all of the groups. In group A, James O’Callaghan and Conor Nolan of Malahide prevailed, with John Brereton pulling a surprise and also qualifying after winning the opening race. Tim Concannon and Murray Nolan completed the top 5 and made it through to the next round.
Group B was dominated by sailing legend Sean Craig, making his debut in the regatta and posting a couple of bullets to lay down a marker. Murrough Kavanagh, Ben O’Donaghue and Julian Ritchie provided the entertainment as they battled to qualify, as Darren Griffin, Steve Kennedy and Bevan Ritchie prevailed and joined Craig in the next round.
There’s always a group of death in these things, and it was evident when the draw was made that Group C was going to be it. Conal Casey, Toby & Rupert Bedell, Ken Hoffman, Darragh Peelo and Darrell Reamsbottom were drawn together in a star-studded group, which saw some of the most dramatic racing of the morning. Casey and Rupert Bedell were high-profile casualties as they got caught up in a good old leeward mark mash-up, with Bedell subsequently eliminated on countback after tying on points with his brother. Meanwhile, Gareth Giles kept out of trouble and sailed excellently to qualify for the semi-finals.
In the final group, old Irish Sailing Development Team rivalries were re-lit as Evan Dolan of the National YC came up against Peter Young, formerly of Larne SC and now residing in the UK. Emma and Sam Burrows provided sibling rivalry elsewhere in the group, while Tim Noone, Jeremy Law and Cork-firebrand Aidan O’Connell fought out for the remaining places. Young dominated the group with 2 bullets, while Dolan had a scare but managed to get through.
While the wind was showing signs of hanging up its boots for the day, the outstanding Race Officer Niall Gallagher had different ideas. Running 17 back-to-back races while fleets continuously swap over is challenging enough, but with the wind constantly swinging in circles and the course needing to be reset after each race, Gallagher performed miracles in the committee boat and made sure the format was completed.
Kevin Stanley and Cian Griffin awaiting the final race of the Johnny Devitt Memorial Regatta at Malahide Photo: Rupert Bedell
The semi-finals were exceptionally tight, but by 2 pm we had established our ten finalists. A dramatic race played out as Sean Craig was ruthlessly pursued by Ulsterman Pete Young in a display of quite beautiful boat handling in roughly 3 knots of breeze. It was ballet on the estuary as the two boats made their way down the final run, gybing in perfect symphony as they worked to extract every inch of boatspeed from their vessels. As they reached the final leeward gate, it appeared Young had done enough as he rounded just ahead of Craig. They split tacks one last time, and Craig passed agonizingly ahead to take line honours by the thinnest of margins. Former Laser National champion Toby Bedell showed he still has something in the locker by finishing 3rd, followed by Darren Griffin and Evan Dolan. Darragh Peelo, Kevin Stanley, Cian Griffin, John Brereton and Conor Nolan completed the final.
Once ashore, the fleet reconvened at the Lower Malahide Yacht Club for a BBQ and prizegiving. Malahide Yacht Club was transported back to the 1980s again, with raucous laughter and drinks in full flow as the revellers stayed long into the night, regaling stories from their childhood and adventures in the years since. The evening included an address from Johnny’s mother Irene and the unveiling of a defibrillator and plaque on the yacht club facade facing the sea, donated to the club from the regatta proceeds in Johnny’s memory. A fitting way to remember the life lost in a place where he felt more alive than ever.
