Displaying items by tag: IDRA 14 Class Association

22nd July 2009

IDRA 14 Class Association

First raced in 1946 and now fitted with a trapeze and spinnaker, the two-person IDRA 14 remains one of the most popular adult dinghy classes in Dublin Bay. ISA affiliated

# LOA: 14Ft
# SA: 110 SQ. FT
# Spinnaker: 140 SQ FT
# Hull Wt: 325lbs (min)

Afloat's Graham Smith wrote about the IDRA 14 in March 2009: "The same clubs in three locations also actively promote the classic clinker-built IDRA14 and 34 boats continue to enjoy their racing at club and open meeting level. Two boats, built in 1947 and 1950 respectively, rejoined the class in 2008 after remarkable restoration work by their owners.

Despite being a Dublin-based class, it does like to travel and last year saw a dozen boats head to Carlingford for the Northerns where Pat O’Neill and Rick Morris of Clontarf took the title.

Almost twice that number – 65% of the national fleet – were attracted to Sligo for the National Championships where Sutton’s Alan Carr and Aoibhin de Burca took the honours in the Gold Fleet and clubmates Gordon Kelly and Mark Masterson headed the Silver Fleet.

Carr and de Burca also won the October Series and Gerry O’Hanlon and Paul McNally sailed their beautifully re-built Charmain to victory in the IDRA Open at Clontarf. The IDRAs’ sister class in the UK, the Dragonflies, celebrates its 60th anniversary next year and a contingent of the 14s will travel to Suffolk to help mark the occasion. National Champions (2009): Alan Carr and Aobhin de Burca, Sutton DC."

IDRA 14 Class Association, IDRA 14 Class Commodore, c/o 126 Ballinteer Close, Dublin 16. Tel: 086 155 8632, email: [email protected]

Jennifer Byrne, Secretary, 2 Spencer Villas, Glenageary, Co Dublin. Tel: 01 2802131, email: [email protected]

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Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro.

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race.

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind.

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

It starts in June or July from a French port.
The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
Since 1990, all boats are of one design.