Saturday’s (April 13th) Lift-in of yachts and boats at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in gusty westerly winds and sunny conditions marked the opening of the 2024 summer sailing season on the capital's waters of Dublin Bay. 

In the harbour, the National Yacht Club and neighbouring Royal St. George YC lifted in approximately 30 sailing cruisers apiece using mobile cranes in a day-long operation. On the West Pier, the DMYC also employed a mobile crane.

The boats had wintered ashore on hardstanding at the club premises.

The annual lift-in of boats at the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club on Saturday, April 13th ahead of the 2024 Dublin Bay Sailing Club summer season Photo: Afloat

At the same time, an-18 mile ISORA coastal race took place from Dun Laoghaire Harbour, drawing a fleet of eight from Howth, Dun Laoghaire and Greystones for the first coastal race of 2024 as Afloat reports here.

While in the Coal Harbour area, leading yacht broker MGM boats staged a showcase of new yachts and motorboats for the forthcoming season.

On Saturday night, a young girl was rescued from the sea at Dún Laoghaire Harbour in south County Dublin, thanks to a multi-agency rescue operation involving the Coast Guard, RNLI and gardaí.

The incident occurred at around 8.20 pm off the town's east pier. The child was taken to the hospital for treatment of her injuries, which have been described as non-life threatening.

It is unclear how the child ended up in the water, but high waves were noted in the area at the time. Prior to being safely taken on board an RNLI inshore lifeboat, several members of the public attempted to enter the water to rescue the girl.

The scene was attended by Dún Laoghaire Coast Guard, the RNLI, Rescue 116, and several other emergency services.

Heroic rescue just now in Dun Laoghaire. pic.twitter.com/ExrXcc73Kv

— Tom Lyons (@TomLyonsBiz) April 6, 2024

RTE News reports that Luke Nolan from Rathfarnham in Dublin was walking Dún Laoghaire pier with two friends when he said he heard a girl crying out for help.

The 24-year-old said he and his friends found a young girl and an older man on the edge of the pier, both soaked from head to toe, who were trying to reach the other young girl in the water.

Mr Nolan and his friends tried to tie a number of life rings together and enter the water but he said the waves were too strong.

"It was extremely wild, the wind was crazy and the waves just kept coming and coming".

He said he was relieved the girl was rescued and that she had appeared to remain calm throughout the incident which he said lasted around half an hour.

He said those who had witnessed the incident were shaken and that although he was a sea swimmer it would make him think twice about entering the water.

"I've never experienced anything like it to be honest".

Commenting on the callout, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Ed Totterdell said, ‘Our thoughts are with the young child and their family, after what must have been a frightening experience. We would also like to thank the members of the public who raised the alarm by contacting the Coast Guard so quickly.

‘I am very proud of my lifeboat crew for their actions and swift response. We train every week for every possible scenario and this was one of those times where every second counted. I hope that this young person makes a full and swift recovery.’

If you find yourself in the water, the RNLI advice is FLOAT TO LIVE. Lie on your back and make a star shape, relax and try to control your breathing, using your hands to help you stay afloat. If you see someone in difficulty in the water, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.

The Navy's LE George Bernard Shaw was one of the first arrivals of the season to use the new ship fender installation at Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Carlisle Pier. 

As regular Afloat readers recall, the installation in August 2023 of nine new fenders supported on tubular piles is to increase the capacity and flexibility of the quay for berthing a range of vessels which moor at the Harbour.

LE George Bernard Shaw arrived for the St. Patrick's Day festivities, and her crew took part in the town's first St. Patrick's Day parade for decades.

Visitors to 'berth number three' include Navy ships, cruise liners, wind farm service and research vessels, beam trawlers and visiting superyachts. 

Some of the new ship fenders visible to the left of the bow of the the Navy's LE George Bernard Shaw Photo: Afloat

The project required the demolition and removal of three existing concrete buttresses and steel fender collars. 

It has been a busy time for upgrading the 200-year-old harbour as the fender installation occurred, as separate €2m works were completed to the revetement at the back of town's East Pier.

The works follow extensive repairs since March 2018, when Storm Emma caused serious damage to the East Pier.

There was a strong maritime presence for the rebirth of Dun Laoghaire's St Patrick's Day Parade, which attracted up to 30,000 people to Ireland's biggest boating centre in the spring sunshine.

Among the 46 groups participating was the Irish Navy, which arrived by sea on the L.É. George Bernard Shaw and moored in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for the National Holiday weekend.

The Irish National Sailing School based at the West Pier, Dun Laoghaire had three floats, including a Viking Ship under sail Photo: Afloat

Organisers were not disappointed when the Irish National Sailing School answered the call for colourful floats with a fully-crewed Viking Ship under sail as part of their three-float participation that also included an RS21 keelboat and a 7-metre RIB.

The seafront parade lasted for approximately one hour, from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. The route ran along the Dublin Bay coast and ended at the Marine Road junction into the Harbour, with parade participants dispersing into the Harbour area.

Sailors from the Irish Navy's L.É. George Bernard Shaw participated in the St. Patrick's Day Parade Photo: Afloat

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI lifeboat and the Dun Laoghaire Coastguard Unit were well represented.

It was the first Dun Laoghaire Parade in decades, with the last being held in the 1960s.

Crowds on the seafront at Dun Laoghaire's Newtownsmith Green for the start of the 2024 Dun Laoghaire St. Patrick's Day Parade Photo: Afloat

Organisers say the Parade allowed local residents and visitors to gather and celebrate local culture, heritage, community and 'everything we are proud of' and involved local schools, sports clubs, community, music and dance groups and businesses.

At sea level, the majestic granite construction of Dun Laoghaire Harbour blends so well with the many of the older buildings on the town's waterfront and its coastal surroundings that, after 200 years and more of its existence, many folk tend to think of this completely artificial haven as a natural part of Dublin Bay. And certainly, it is only with aerial photos that we get some idea of how much work was involved in re-purposing extraordinary quantities of stone quarried from the nearby hillside in Dalkey in order to create this massive yet totally artificial facility.

It is only with aerial photos that we get some idea of how much work was involved in the construction of Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay

Today, with everyone accustomed to costs inevitably spiralling out of control on major public projects, it's impossible to calculate how much it might cost to build it again, even with the best of 21st-century technology and equipment. Yet in the early 19th Century, using equipment that was sometimes very unusual and often extremely primitive, they went ahead and did it, and in a manageable time span, too.

Too often today, we take Dun Laoghaire Harbour for granted. Rob Goodbody has become an acknowledged expert on just what a remarkable project it was and is, and his talk (open to all) to the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association at Poolbeg Y&BC at 8.0pm on Thursday, February 15th will be a timely reminder of what a wonder of human ingenuity we find and enjoy on the shores of Dublin Bay.

Thanks to dedicated fundraising by members of the Dublin Motorcycle Touring Club (DMTC), Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI received a generous donation of €6,300 as a result of multiple events undertaken by DMTC members throughout 2023.

Founded in 1971, DMTC is the largest multi-make motorcycle club in Ireland and selected RNLI as its charity for the year.

Michael Donohoe from Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s fundraising branch thanked all those who took part in the fundraising endeavours to raise much-needed funds for the busy Dun Laoghaire lifeboat station on Dublin Bay: ‘Our station operates an all-weather Trent class lifeboat and a D class inshore lifeboat.

The funds raised are an important support for the continuing work of the RNLI and will assist our volunteers with future lifesaving operations. We are delighted to have such strong links to the local community and wish to thank DMTC members for their generous donation.’

At noon on Christmas Eve (Sunday, 24 December) Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew will gather at the end of the East Pier to lay wreaths at sea and remember 15 of their lifeboat colleagues who lost their lives while on a rescue mission in gale force conditions in 1895.

The ceremony, which the public is invited to attend, is also held to remember all those who lost their lives through drowning around the coast, on inland waters and abroad.

As the RNLI prepares to mark its 200th year in operation in 2024, the station will mark the anniversary by placing wreaths in the sea from the all-weather lifeboat to pay tribute to their colleagues who lost their lives while on a service. The annual ceremony has become a Christmas Eve tradition for the Dublin lifeboat station. Both Dun Laoghaire RNLI’s inshore and all-weather lifeboat will launch, and volunteer lifeboat crew will lay the wreaths off the east pier in view of the public. This year, Olympic sailing medallist Annalise Murphy will read an account of the disaster, published at the time of the tragedy.

Piper Ruairí Somers will play a lament from the Lighthouse Battery and musician, William Byrne, will perform the ‘Ballad of the Palme.’

On 24 December 1895, the 'Civil Service No. 1' Dun Laoghaire lifeboat was wrecked while proceeding to the assistance of the SS Palme of Finland. The entire crew, 15 in total, were drowned. The lifeboat capsized 600 yards from the distressed vessel and, although every effort was made to send help to the lifeboat and to the Palme, nothing could be done.

The second Dun Laoghaire lifeboat 'Hannah Pickard' also launched but it too capsized under sail, fortunately all crew returned safely. The Captain, his wife, child and 17 crew were eventually rescued on the 26th December by the SS Tearaght.

The short ceremony takes place under the lighthouse at the end of the East Pier. It includes an ecumenical blessing, a reading from a news article published at the time and music.

Commenting on the event Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Ed Totterdell said, ‘The loss of fifteen lifeboat volunteers devastated the local community at the time but the lifeboat service kept going. This event has grown from honouring an incredible act of service, to remembering all those who have lost their lives through drowning. Our lifeboat crew, as well as so many other lifeboat volunteers, are on call this Christmas, and every day of the year.’

Dun Laoghaire Harbour saw the arrival of an unusual seaborne visitor this morning with the arrival of the Geoquip Seehorn supply vessel to the Dublin Bay harbour.

Sailing under the flag of Cyprus, the integrated geotechnical survey vessel (IGSV) arrived from Liverpool. 

The ship was converted in 2015 to be a geotechnical drilling vessel and is fitted with a large yellow-coloured drilling tower.

Seehorn is equipped to carry out large-scale research projects that have a combination of seabed CPT and borehole locations. A dedicated launching mechanism offers a quick, smooth and safe switch between drilling mode and seabed CPT mode through the large moonpool.

Her carrying capacity is 2500 t DWT, and her current draught is reportedly 5.5 metres. Her length overall (LOA) is 83.45 meters, and her width is 18.01 meters.

The ship is among the first to benefit from the new ship fender installation on the town's Carlisle Pier, which began in August.

As regular Afloat readers know, the installation of nine new fenders supported on tubular piles is designed to increase the capacity and flexibility of the quay for berthing a range of vessels that moor at the harbour.

These visitors to 'berth number three' include Navy ships, cruise liners, wind farm service and research vessels, beam trawlers and visiting superyachts,

It’s prize-giving time down beside the Old Granite Pond. Last night (Friday), Commodore Eddie Totterdell presided over Dublin Bay Sailing Club’s annual re-distribution of their enormous cache of trophies in the National Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire. And tonight (Saturday), the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association are holding their annual black-tie prize-giving dinner (and dance too, if the notion comes on you) just across the road in the waterfront National Yacht Club, the home club – as it happens – of both the DBSC Commodore, and ISORA Chairman Peter Ryan.

The National Maritime Museum is still thought of by more than a few as the being primarily the 180-year-old Mariners’ Church, notwithstanding the fact that the lease for the Church of Ireland to hand it over to the Maritime Institute was signed way back in 1974, making next year the Golden Jubilee of the beginning of the journey to becoming the Museum.

You can’t miss it….the former Mariners Church, now the National Maritime Museum (right) and the “new” Lexicon (left), with Dun Laoghaire Harbour beyond. It was thought the Lexicon would over-shadow the National Maritime Museum, but its location in the conspicuous church – with its re-purposing marking its Golden Jubilee next year – still tops them all

It achieved that status in 1978, when the newly-located museum was officially opened by President Patrick Hillery – as we shall see, he was a sailing man himself. But regardless of the passage of time, and even with the visionary and sympathetic re-purposing within, from the outside there’s no doubting this was originally a church, highly visible from all directions.

President Patrick Hillery with designer Billy Brown of Portaferry aboard the new Ruffian 23, which was making her debut at the 1976 Dun Laoghaire Boat Show. Two years later, President Hillary officially opened the newly-housed National Maritime Museum nearby in the former Mariner’s Church, by which time the Ruffian 23 class was becoming so popular as the latest long-lived Dublin Bay SC One-Design in Dun Laoghaire that in 2023 it has been playing a leading role in the Ruffian 23 International Golden Jubilee celebrations

In fact, it dominated the view from the harbour such that, back in the day, the crew of any Royal Navy vessel which happened to be anchored or moored in what was then Kingstown on a Sunday would be marched - in uniformed procession - from Traders’ Wharf to Morning Service, following which non-commissioned ranks would return to the ship, but officers might avail of the Sunday lunch options at the waterfront yacht clubs.

THE CHALLENGE OF RE-PURPOSING A CLASSIC CHURCH BUILDING

Traditional churches must be among the most focused buildings ever created. And as they always carry a whiff of their former consecration, the re-purposing of a classic church such as this has only a very narrow selection of options. Indeed, there are those who would argue that becoming the National Maritime Museum was the only acceptable option to give the building any future with which people could feel comfortable.

Certainly most of us find that the re-purposing of classic churches to become something like a restaurant, or even someone’s home, can have a slightly distasteful feeling to it. That said, at tonight’s ISORA silverfest in the National, they’ll fondly remember the late Dickie Richardson (1926-2015) of Holyhead, who brought ISORA into being 51 years ago, in 1972.

HEART OF OFFSHORE RACING IN A FORMER METHODIST CHAPEL

Dickie and his wife Elspeth made their second home in a former Methodist Chapel at Porth y Fellyn, that attractive secluded western end of Holyhead Harbour. But one of the reasons Methodism succeeded so well in Wales was because its Elders did not build their chapels to over-awe the nearby buildings and their occupants. On the contrary, they built them to fit in with the local vernacular street-scape, and thus Chez Richardson had no trouble in being re-purposed as the friendly and hospitable heart of real sailing in Holyhead.

Dickie Richardson (1926-2015) of Liverpool and Holyhead in 1972. The founding chairman in 1972 of ISORA succeeded - with his wife Elspeth - in converting a former Methodist chapel at Porth-y-Fellyn in west Holyhead into a hospitable family home. Photo: W M Nixon

Yet even with the Mariners Church’s suitable fit as the Museum, it has taken time for the general consciousness to become fully aware of the change. But in any case, all museums these days are having to re-think their contemporary relationship with the community they serve, and the Maritime Museum’s growing significance as the focus for contemporary events is something which was foreseen – or more accurately hoped for – by some of those visionaries who saw a new and very useful museum role for the de-consecrated church, and one of them was the ubiquitous Hal Sisk - he played key roles in both the new life for the Maritime Museum, and before that in the up-grading of what had been the Northwest Offshore Association to become ISORA.

The man who is everywhere – Hal Sisk in Dun Laoghaire with the historic schooner Atlantic in the background. His history of the 1870-founded Royal Alfred YC demonstrated the club’s pioneering role in promoting amateur sailing, he was involved in the early years of the Mariners Church in Dun Laoghaire becoming the National Maritime Museum, in 1971-72 he was a leading committee member in the NWOA becoming enlarged as ISORA, and currently he is much involved with Fionan de Barra in the revival of the Dublin Bay SC 21ft Class, which in 2024 will have their own designated line of moorings beside Dun Laoghaire’s East Pier off the National Yacht Club. Photo: W M Nixon

But now we’ve reached the happy stage of the Dun Laoghaire sailing community seeing the Museum as the natural location for any major social event which involves the members of all the harbour’s clubs, such as the launching of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta or the annual distribution of the DBSC prizes. But equally there are more specialist events which lend themselves better to a clubhouse hosting, and the ISORA gathering in the National is something of a hot ticket.

DUBLIN BAY’S HOSPITABLE GOVERNING CLUB

Dublin Bay Sailing Club, on the other hand, has prided itself on being a club for everyone interested in all forms of sailing. Yet while it started in a very modest way in 1884, it developed with rocket-like speed to become the overall administrator of Dun Laoghaire racing. Within ten years of its founding, it was the harbour’s central authority for governing new One-Design classes, and less than twenty years after the very first DBSC race, it received the royal seal of approval, so to speak, when the Viceroy Lord Dudley joined the 1898-founded Dublin Bay 25 OD Class with his new boat Fodhla, built by James Doyle in what was then Kingstown.

The Seal of Royal Approval for DBSC – the Viceroy Lord Dudley threading several in-harbour needles with his new Dublin Bay 25 Fodhla to win a Kingstown regatta in 1902

You might think that this sort of direct involvement by those in power is now a long-lost relic of the rare old times. But under the state’s new management, we’ve seen the Sail Training Brigantine Asgard brought into being thanks to the somewhat unlikely combination - over time - of special efforts by Paddy Donegan and Charlie Haughey when they were in the role of Minister for Defence when their different parties were in power.

PRESIDENT HILLERY'S CALMING PRESENCE

But while both were personally seafaring enthusiasts, they could reasonably be described as representing the most colourful and contentious wings of their respective parties. So it was something of a relief for the more quiet-living section of the sailing community when the calming presence of President Hillery came with his new Ron Holland-designed Cork-built Club Shamrock Half Tonner Corcomroe to Dun Laoghaire, and entered into a friendly and long-standing agreement with leading Royal St George YC member Jack Craig to be his Sailing Master in the same way as – in the 1890s – Willie Jameson of the same club had been persuaded on board as Royal Sailing Master in the Prince of Wales’ mighty Watson-designed new cutter Britannia.

Thus President Hillery’s blessing in 1978 on the inauguration of the process of the Mariners Church becoming the National Maritime Museum carried weight. And it was preceded two years esrlier by his detailed visit to the newly-minted Ruffian 23 at the 1976 Dun Laoghaire Boat Show, so the celebration this year of the Golden Jubilee of the Ruffian 23 Class in Ireland and abroad – with Dun Laoghaire one of its continuing strongholds – is another example of Dublin Bay sailing going right to the top.

A light yet effective hand on the helm afloat and ashore – Tim Goodbody and his family’s contributions to sailing at many levels were recognised in two of the leading awards at last night’s DBSC prize-giving. Photo: Afloat.ie

But as it is a state of affairs which goes all the way back to the first Dun Laoghaire regatta of 1828, inevitably the end-of-season prize-giving roundup is a massively complex affair. And as with the racing afloat, it is a stress test for DBSC’s “standing army” of volunteers, led by Honorary Secretary Rosemary Roy.

Commodore Eddie Totterdell and his DBSC committee ahead of Friday night's packed annual prizegiving (below) in Dun Laoghaire's Maritime Museum Photos: Michael Chester

Thus we’ll highlight the premier awards, but getting to grips with the details of the new winners of the many other trophies can be a matter of personal study of the special DBSC Results below

DUBLIN BAY’S TOP PRIZE-WINNERS

Details of the DBSC Premier Awards 2023:

John Treanor and his victorious J112e Valentina Crew at the DBSC Prizegiving Photo: Michael Chester

The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Trophy

For the best new boat entered into DBSC Racing

Valentina. John Treanor

Tim and Richard Goodbody celebrate with the J109 White Mischief crew at the at the 2023 DBSC Prizegiving Photo: Michael Chester

The George Arthur Newsome Cup

For the most successful boat in one design racing

White Mischief. Tim Goodbody

The Waterhouse Shield

For the most successful boat in a handicap series

Windjammer. Lindsay Casey

The Dr. Alf Delany Memorial Cup

For the most successful Dinghy in the season

Orion. Noel Butler

The Brendan Ebril Memorial Cup

For the most successful boat that turns out week on week, not winning another trophy

Ruth. The Shanahan Family

The Viking Award

For selflessly giving of time and expertise for the betterment of the standard of sailing in Dublin Bay

Tim Goodbody.  for his support of DBSC and mainly for his work on course design for many years)

GOODBODY IN EVERY WAY

The prominence of the Goodbody clan and its Patriarch Tim Goodbody is so right and proper, as he’s a sailing genius both inshore and offshore - he was lead helm when the Dubois 40 Irish Independent was overall winner of the 1987 Fastnet Race and top scorer in that year’s Admiral’s Cup team. Yet he also is an exceptionally talented administrator, having been Commodore of the RAYC in its glory days when it led the sailing world with its innovative Heineken Super-League, he also found time to do his stint as Commodore Royal Irish YC, which is no sinecure, and yet he is happy to turn his talents to the most basic tasks, which for Dublin Bay SC was his massive input into the creation of challenging courses for racing within the relatively limited space which is available to the club.

The gang’s all here…..John Treanor’s new J/112E ValenTina took the DBSC’s Dun Laoghaire Harbour trophy for the best newcomer. Photo: Michael Chester

With the Royal Alfred YC now amalgamated into Dublin Bay SC, the key elements in the overall structure of the sailing for the entire membership of the four brick-and-mortar yacht clubs in Dun Laoghaire is unified, but the success in this arrangement is to be found in the strict restriction of DBSC’s remit to Dublin Bay sailing. This may seem so obvious as not to need clarification, but sometimes a hot-headed senior officer - having gained controls of the levers of power – will have a rush of blood to the head with ideas of geographic expansion.

In a year in which the great Liam Shanahan’s much-mourned death occurred at the age of 93, his family continued the tradition of keenly racing their award-winning J/109 Ruth. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien

However, after so many years of steady success, the DBSC administrators are well aware of the dictum that in order for the situation to stay the same, everything must quietly but steadily change. Thus traditionalists in DBSC are happy in the notion that their club is very directly still in the spirit established way back in 1884, yet those desiring innovation will – if their bright idea or new boat type is good – being quietly taken on board in the consistent yet ever-changing organization.

Former World Champion Noel Butler (in red) racing his RS Aero Orion to success and the DBSC Alf Delany Memorial Cup for 2023. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien

DUBLIN BAY DETAILS

With the nights closing in, an hour and more of a close study of all the DBSC results for 2023 proves to be an absorbing experience, and thanks to the steady collation of multiple reports by Hon.Sec. Rosemary Roy and her team, here they are in list form

2023	Citation	Trophies	Boat	Skipper
Premier Award	For the most successful new yacht in DBSC racing	DunLaoghaire Harbour Trophy	Valentina	John Treanor
Premier Award	For the most successful Dinghy for the season	Dr. Alf Delaney Cup	Orion	Noel Butler
Premier Award	For the most successful yacht in the Handicapped series	Waterhouse Shield	Windjammer	Lindsay Casey
Premier Award	For the most successful yacht in  One Design racing	George Arthur Newsom Cup	White Mischief	Tim & Richard Goodbody
Premier Award	For the most successful yacht frequently participated	Brendan Ebril Memorial Cup	Ruth	The Shanahan Family
Premier Award	For a notable contribution to Dublin Bay Sailing	The Viking Award	Tim Goodbody	Tim Goodbody
Combined Cruisers	Tuesdays		Hot Cookie	John O'Gorman
Cruiser 0	Series A Echo Thurs		D-Tox	Kyran McStay Paul Sherry
Cruiser 0	Series A Echo Sat		WOW	Tim Kane
Cruiser 0	Thursdays IRC Racing	Martin Cup	Prima Forte	Patrick Burke, Rigley Lemass
Cruiser 0	Thursdays Echo Racing	Knox-Gore Bowl	Prima Forte	Burke Fergus Rigley Lemass
Cruiser 0	Saturdays IRC Racing	Knox-Gore Trophy	Prima Forte	Burke Rigley Sean Lemass
Cruiser 0	Saturdays Echo Racing	Centenary Trophy	Prima Forte	Burke Rigley Lemass
Cruiser 1	Series A Echo Thurs		Ruth	The Shanahan Family
Cruiser 1	Thursdays IRC Racing	West Pier Officer's Cup	White Mischief	Richard & Tim Goodbody
Cruiser 1	Thursdays Echo Racing	Tiamat Trophy	Raptor	Denis Hewitt Paul Bradley
Cruiser 1	Saturdays IRC Racing	Weir Cup	White Mischief	Richard & Tim Goodbody
Cruiser 1	Saturdays Echo Racing	Osterburg Trophy	Bon Example	Colin Byrne
Cruiser 1	Thursdays Saturdays Overall J109	The Goodbody Cup	White Mischief	Richard & Timothy Goodbody
Cruisers 2	Series A Echo Sat		Peridot	Jim McCann, Yannick Charrier Paul Caden
Cruiser 2	Thursdays IRC Racing	Lady Shamrock Trophy	Alig8r	Brendan Foley
Cruiser 2	Thursdays Echo Racing	Centenary Cup	Alig8r	Brendan Foley
Cruiser 2	Saturdays IRC Racing	Silver Salver	Windjammer	Lindsay Casey
Cruiser 2	Saturdays Echo Racing	TP Early Memorial Cup	Windjammer	Lindsay Casey
Cruisers 2	Thursdays Saturdays Overall	The Brendan Briscoe Trophy	Windjammer	Lindsay Casey
Cruiser 2: Sigma	Thursdays Series A, B & Overall	JB Stephens Trophy	Rupert	Phillip & Richard Lovegrove
Cruiser 2: Sigma	Saturday  Series A, B & Overall	Rupert Bowl	Moonshine	Ronnie Moloney Fergus O Sullivan
				David O Flynn
Cruiser 3	Tuesdays ECHO Racing	(now) Whimbrel Rose Bowl	Jimmy Cricket	Mona Tyndall
Cruiser 3	Thursdays IRC Racing	Smalldridge Cup	Elient	Michal Matulka
Cruiser 3	Thursdays ECHO Racing	Annette Cup	Saki	Michael Ryan Ben Ryan Paget McCormack
Cruiser 3	Saturdays IRC Racing	Jack Kennedy Memorial Cup	Ceol Na Mara	Ed Melvin
Cruiser 3	Saturdays ECHO Racing	Mercia Cup	Wynward	Wyn McCormack Declan Collier
Cruiser 4	Thursdays & Saturdays IRC & overall	Trevor Wood	Boomerang   1367	Kirwan Family
Cruiser 5 a	Series A IRC Thurs		Persistence	Charles Broadhead
Cruisers 5 a	Series A Echo Thurs		Just Jasmine	Tim Costello Valda Boardman Walter Tyrrell
Cruisers 5 b	Series A Echo Thurs		Menapia	Patrick Madigan James McSweeney
Cruiser 5 a	Thursdays IRC Overall Div A	Burford Trophy	Playtime   2558	Johnnie Phillips Noel Kidney
Cruiser 5 a	Thursdays ECHO Overall Div A	Peigi Ban half model	Spirit	Colin O Brien Eamonn Gill
Cruiser 5 b	Thursdays ECHO Overall Div B	Galelleo Cup	Calypso	Howard Knott
Cruiser 5	Saturdays A and B IRC overall	White Sail Class Trophy	Playtime   2558	Johnnie Phillips, Noel Kidney
Cruiser 5	Saturdays A and B  ECHO  overall	Heineken Super League Cup	Deliverance	Pat Martin, Peter Richardson
B211	Tuesday ECHO Overall	Optec Trophy	Ventuno	Rowan Fogarty
B211	Thurs SCRATCH overall	Facet Jewellers Cup	Billy Whiz   2170	Jimmy Fischer Stafford Bagot
B211	Thursdays ECHO overall	Beneteau 21 Tray	Ventuno	Rowan Fogarty
B211	Saturdays SCRATCH overall	Beneteau 21 Cup	Billy Whiz   2170	Jimmy Fischer Stafford Bagot
B211	Saturdays ECHO overall	Jimmy Fischer Trophy	Ventuno	Rowan Fogarty
B211	Thurs/Sat Combined ECHO	Waterhouse Rose Bowl	Billy Whiz   2170	Jimmy Fischer Stafford Bagot
31.7	Series A Echo Sat		Extreme Reality	Nicholas Holman
31.7	Series B Echo Sat		Camira	Neil McSherry Brian Geraghty Ken Ryan
31.7	Thursday Racing Scratch	Feanor Trophy	Prospect	Chris Johnston
31.7	Thursday Racing Echo	Horrigan Cup	Kernach	Eoin O Driscoll
31.7	Saturday Racing Scratch	Arandora Trophy	Prospect	Chris Johnston
31.7	Saturday Racing Echo	Long John Silver Cup	Kernach	Eoin O Driscoll
Dragons	Thursday Racing	Oxford and Cambridge Cup	Phantom	Peter Bowring David Williams
Dragons	Saturday Racing	The Royal Irish Yacht Club Cup	Serafina	Ronan Murphy Alistair Kissane
Dragons	Combined Thursdays and Saturdays	Old Time Cup	Sir Ossis	Denis & Joseph Bergin
Glens	Tuesday Racing	Cut Glass Tumbler	Glenluce   67	Ailbe Millerick
Glens	Thursdays Racing	Pterodactyl Cup	Glendun   9	Alison O Brien Brian Denham David Houlton
Glens	Saturday Racing	Harry Maguire Memorial Cup	Glenluce	Ailbe Millerick
Glens	Thurs and Sats combined Combined	The McMullen Cup	Glenluce	Ailbe Millerick
Glens	Dalkey Island Race (Bobolink)	The HamiltonReid Cup	Glencoe	Rose Mary Craig
Glens	Crews Race	Mitchell Trophy	Glenluce	Ailbe Millerick
Ruffians	Tuesday  Racing	John Donnelly Perpetual Cup	Carmen	Brendan Duffy
Ruffians	Thursday Racing	Huet Trophy	Shannagh	Stephen Gill Padraig Mac Diarmada
Ruffians	Saturday Racing	British Airways Trophy	Ruffles	Michael Cutliffe
Ruffians	Thursdays and Saturdays combined	J.Lamont Trophy	Ruffles	Michael Cutliffe
Shipmans	Thursdays Series A		Jo Slim
Shipmans	Tuesday Racing	Cut Glass Tumbler	Gusto	Christine Heath
	Thursdays Series A & Overall	The Midweek Trophy	Twocan	David Freeman
Shipmans	Saturday Series B & Overall	The Melindi Cup	Invader
Shipmans	Thursdays and Saturdays combined	The Shipman Perpetual Trophy	Invader	Gerard Glynn
	Tuesday racing	The Equinox Trophy	Sneaky B	Charlotte O Kelly
SB20	Women on the water	tba	Sneaky B	Charlotte O Kelly
	Thursdays series A		Seabiscuit
SB20	Thursday Racing	The Crichton Cup	Carpe Diem	Colin Galavin Richard Hayes
SB20	Saturdays series A	Bealtaine Trophy	Leviathan	Tadgh Donnelly
SB20	Saturdays series B	Lunasa Rrophy	Black	James Gorman
SB20	Saturday Racing overall	Saturday SB20 Cup	Venues World	Ger Dempsey
Mixed Sportsboat	Thurs Series B & Sat Series B		Ram Jam	Austin Kenny
Mixed Sportsboat	Sat Series A		Sea Jade	Olivier Prouveur
Mixed Sportsboats	Tuesdays  Overall 8 Races	Cut Glass Tumbler	RS 21  291	Ciaran Georgieff
Mixed Sportsboats	Thursdays Overall 8 Races	Thursday Sportsboat Trophy	Big Bad Wolf	David Ryan
Mixed Sportsboats	Saturdays Overall 23 Races	Saturday Sportsboat Cup	Jambiya	Martin Ryan & Vincent Lattimore
Water Wags	Wednesday 1st Place	Goldsmith Cup	Puffin	Sean & Heather Craig
Water Wags	Wednesday 2nd Place	Bluebird Trophy	Moosmie	John O Driscoll
Water Wags	Wednesday 3rd Place	G.Pugin Meldon Trophy	Swift	Guy & Jackie Kilroy
Flying Fifteens	Thursdays Series A		Ffuzzy	Neil Colin
Flying Fifteens	Tuesdays		Snow White	Jill Fleming
Flying Fifteens	Thursday Racing	Flying Fifteen Gun	Mr Potato Head	Shane Mc Carthy
Flying Fifteens	Saturday Racing	Brian S Ryan Trophy	FOMO	David Gorman
Flying Fifteens	First in the Silver Fleet	Blake Cup	Rockaffellas	Adrian Cooper Joe McNamara
Flying Fifteens	Thursday Series A	Fifty Something Cup	Ffuzzy	Neil Colin Margaret Casey
Mermaid	Thursday  Racing	Stella Cup	Lively Lady	Geraldine O Neill Mick Hanney
Mermaid	Saturday Racing	Iolar Trophy	Jill	Pat Mangan Paul Smith
Mermaid	Thursday Racing(Special Conditions)	Amy Cup	Jill	Pat Mangan Paul Smith
Mermaid	Saturday Racing (Special Conditions)	J B Kearny Shield	Aideen	Dermot O Neill
Squibs	Thurs Series A & Sat Series B		Femme Fatale	Vincent Delaney
Squibs	Thursdays	Minx Trophy	Perequin	Noel Colclough
Squibs	Saturdays	Shannon Cup	Perequin	Noel Colclough
Dublin Bay 21s	Tuesdays	Daisey Picker Cup	Estelle	Sean Doyle
Dublin Bay 21s	Saturdays Overall	The Carson Challenge Cup	Garavogue	Fionan de Barra
Dublin Bay 21s	most success in 80% of races	The Inisfallon Cup		Hal Sisk. Most successful Skipper sailing all
				four boats in turn
Fireballs	Tuesdays	Nuit St. George Trophy	!4854	Cariosa Power
Fireballs	Saturdays	The Fireball Saturday Cup	14790	Paul ter Horst
IDRAs	Tuesdays Overall	Bay Cup	Dart	Pierre Long & family
IDRAs	Saturdays overall      28 Races	The Kennedy Cup	Dunmoaning	Frank Hamilton
IDRAs	Special Conditions	The Halfway Trophy	Chaos	Pam McKay
IDRAs	Special Conditions	Crews challenge Cup	Dart	Pierre Long & family
IDRAs	Special Conditions	Melampus Cup	Sapphire	Lorcan O Sullivan
PY Class	Tuesday Racing	Windmill Cup	Orion	Noel Butler
PY Class	Saturday Racing  27 races	Early Bird Trophy (re purposed)	Orion	Noel Butler
Laser Standard	Tuesday Racing	Lanavere Cup	Ug!	Ross O Leary
Laser Radial	Tuesdays	Sailcraft Tray Trophy	219126	Michael Norman
Laser Radial	Saturdays	Laser Saturday Trophy	219126	Michael Norman
Laser Radial	Tuesdays and Saturdays combined	DBSC Challenge Trophy	219126	Michael Norman
Juniors September series		Awarded to:-
PY Series	PY Junior Trophy	Alina Clarke NYC
Topper Series	Lawson Cup	Jamie Kirrane NYC
Optimist Series	Seapoint Cup	Jonathan Dempsey NYC
RS Feva Series	Mitchel Cup	Basile Dion Jacob Brown RSTGYC
Laser 4.7 Series	Jimmy Mooney Goblet	Conor Cronin RSTGYC
Laser Radial	tba	Sam Legge

 

ISORA SATURDAY NIGHT CONVIVIALITY

It’s in the best traditions of offshore racing’s proclivity for post-race conviviality that the Irish Sea overall results come to us as the menu for tonight’s ISORA dinner in the National YC. But with a sometimes convoluted history that goes back through several developing organisations to the channel matches of the late 1800s, inevitably some names veer slightly off course.

The mood of the ISORA prize-giving dinner in the National YC is well captured in this photo of Michael Boyd (at that time RORC Commodore) with champion Vicky Cox of Pwllheli, co-skipper of Mojito

RIPPLE EFFECT

Thus it takes an old hand of NWOA racing to realise that somewhere along the line, the “Ripple Cruising Club” emerged mistakenly from the Ribble Cruising Club, which since 1950 has been sailing on, and cruising from, the muddy waters of the River Ribble Estuary at Lytham in Lancashire. But as it was only seriously active on the offshore racing scene back in the early days of ISORA and before that in the early days of the Northwest Offshore Association and the Mersey & North Wales Joint Offshore Committee, it is now up there in lights as the Ripple Cruising Club Cup, won for the Class 2 Championship by Mark Thompson’s Jac y Do from the Welsh side.

ISORA’s 2023 results sheet

VIKING MARINE TROPHY

ISORA’s Viking Marine Irish Coastal series was one of the many trophies taken by Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (Royal Irish YC) racing in Class 0 - Rockabill also went on to successfully defend the overall trophy, challenged right to the end by Class 1 champions Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop’s immaculate J/09 Mojito from Pwllheli SC, which also won Plas Heili Welsh Coastal series.

ISORA included the well-supported NYC Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race, which despite being raced in the 2023 summer’s supposedly only good weather month of June, is recalled as having been tough and cold if you were slugging it out towards Dingle.

Paul O’Higgins’s JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (Royal Irish YC) successfully defended the ISORA overall title, but only by winning the concluding race in September

It was won by visiting American Cookson 50 Privateer (Ron O’Hanley), with Kinsale’s dynamic duo of Cian McCarthy & Sam Hunt racing two-handed in the Sun Fast 3300 Cinnamon Girl coming second, so the first ISORA boat to make the listings was Pete Smyth’s Sun Fast 3600 Searcher from Dun Laoghaire.

Finally, ISORA’s Pen Maen Plate (named for Pwllheli’s historic manor house of Penmaen, home of that heroically hospitable Welsh offshore racing enthusiast the late Anthony Jones) is for the member who best exemplified the spirit of ISORA in 2023. It was Sam Hall who was most personally was responsible for the vintage J/125 Jackknife (which he co-owns with his father Andrew) somehow appearing everywhere.

Only a slip of a boat, but she certainly gets about. The Hall family’s very special J/125 Jackknife from Pwllheli

This was exemplified by the Middle Sea Race from Malta in late October, when Jacknife successfully found herself in a head-to-head with Conor Doyle’s xP50 Freya from Kinsale. They were both well into the top of their class, but at the finish it was Jackknife which was leading this particular duel, spreading the word that in its 52nd season, ISORA is still very much a force to be reckoned with. And who knows, but in these health-aware times, we might actually see some dancing when Dead Ringers start to do their thing tonight, but back in the olden days when ISORA came into being, a dinner dance was usually described as “Drinking to Music”.

Friendships across the sea – ISORA is all about cross-channel camaraderie, and here, current Chairman Peter Ryan of Dun Laoghaire is helming the Pwllheli-based J/109 Mojito in the Fastnet Race

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI rescued a swimmer who got into difficulty at The Forty Foot bathing area yesterday (Sunday 15 October). The volunteer crew were requested to assist the swimmer after she got caught in a current and was drifting close to a rocky outcrop.

The crew were alerted at 2.05 pm by the Irish Coast Guard that a casualty was struggling to swim ashore, being pulled by the current and drifting around the back of the 40 Foot and out of sight. Their swimming partner had made it ashore moments earlier to call 999 and ask for the Coast Guard. The inshore lifeboat Joval was launched within five minutes, helmed by Andrew Sykes, with volunteer crew members Gary Hayes and Ailbhe Smith aboard, and made best speed to reach the scene by 2.14pm.

Weather conditions were calm at the time with rippled water, however, sea temperatures were considerably lower than those recently.

Some quick-thinking bystanders threw a life ring to a group of kayakers in the water who threw the ring onwards to the swimmer to keep her afloat until the lifeboat arrived. The crew rescued the swimmer from the sea and brought her ashore to safety and into the care of waiting Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard unit, where, although very cold and tired with minor cuts and scrapes from the rocks, she did not require medical attention.

Speaking following the call out, Dun Laoghaire RNLI helm Andrew Sykes said: ‘It was fortunate that the life ring was in position on shore, and we would like to wish the casualty well and commend her partner and the bystanders for raising the alarm and responding safely.

‘We would encourage swimmers to never go alone and to always make sure that their activity is monitored by a colleague. Consider wearing a bright-coloured swim cap and carrying a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch. Conditions can change in a very short time, so we all need to be aware of potential risks and be well prepared before entering the water. Should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.’