Displaying items by tag: Irish Surfing Association

23rd March 2011

Surfers Speak Out Over Doolin Point

Local surfers have expressed their dismay over the decision by Clare County Council to approve the new pier development at Doolin Point.

http://www.afloat.ie/port-news/coastal-notes/item/15206-clare-county-council-approves-doolin-development/

"I am very disappointed with this decision," Neil Cooney of West Coast Surf Club told Surfer Today. "A great deal of work was put into the West Coast Surf Club and ISA submission but it seems that the issues raised were ignored and brushed over."

http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/5223-doolin-pier-ends-surfers-heaven-in-ireland

He added: "If this development is built as now proposed it would be a catastrophe."

Local surfers have expressed their dismay over the decision by Clare County Council to approve the new pier development at Doolin Point.

The Irish Surfing Association (ISA) maintains that even the revised plan - accepted by the council's 32 members following previous objections - would result in the destruction of the renowned waves at Doolin Point and Crab Island.

"I am very disappointed with this decision," Neil Cooney of West Coast Surf Club told Surfer Today. "A great deal of work was put into the West Coast Surf Club and ISA submission but it seems that the issues raised were ignored and brushed over."

He added: "If this development is built as now proposed it would be a catastrophe."

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22nd March 2011

Clare County Council Approves Doolin Development

The controversial €6 million deveopment of Doolin Point has been backed unanimously by Clare councillors.

http://www.afloat.ie/safety/coastguard/item/15111-coastguard-calls-for-doolin-pier-go-ahead/

The scheme has already received support from the Doolin Coast Guard Unit and local tourism and business groups.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0322/1224292775384.html

The ISA and West Coast Surf Club have warned the council loss of the waves could cost up to €33 million per year in revenue generated by surf tourism in the area - a concern backed by Fáilte Ireland.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0321/1224292707900.html

The Doolin Point pier project must be completed by the end of this year in order for the council to draw the €6 million in Government funding required.

The controversial €6 million deveopment of Doolin Point has been backed unanimously by Clare councillors.

Clare county manager Tom Coughlan had recommended giving approval for the revised plan, which was submitted after surfers expressed concerns over the impact of the original scheme on waves in the area.

The scheme has already received support from the Doolin Coast Guard Unit and local tourism and business groups.

But according to The Irish Times, the Irish Surfing Association (ISA) maintains that even the amended plans – which move the new pier 25m further away from the surf – would destroy the "world renowned" Crab Island and Doolin Point waves.

The ISA and West Coast Surf Club have warned the council that loss of the waves could cost up to €33 million per year in revenue generated by surf tourism in the area - a concern backed by Fáilte Ireland.

The Doolin Point pier project must be completed by the end of this year in order for the council to draw the €6 million in Government funding required.

Published in Coastal Notes

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13th February 2011

Surf Calendar Kicks Off With Intervarsities

The Irish surfing calendar begins on 19 February with the 2011 Irish Surf Intervarsities at East Strand in Portrush, Co Antrim.

The weekend will feature contests in men's and women's surfing, bodyboarding and longboarding, as well as a novice surfing category open to students who have been surfing for less than a year.

The competition will be hosted by the Irish Surfing Association, the Causeway Coast Surf Club and Coleraine University Surf Club.

Registration is open from 5pm-9pm on Friday 18 February for any students hoping to take part.

The Irish Surfing Association website has more information HERE.

http://www.isasurf.ie/irish-surf-intervarsities-201/

The Irish surfing calendar begins on 19 February with the 2011 Irish Surf Intervarsities at East Strand in Portrush, Co Antrim.

The weekend will feature contests in men's and women's surfing, bodyboarding and longboarding, as well as a novice surfing category open to students who have been surfing for less than a year.

The competition will be hosted by the Irish Surfing Association, the Causeway Coast Surf Club and Coleraine University Surf Club.

Registration is open from 5pm-9pm on Friday 18 February for any students hoping to take part. The Irish Surfing Association website has more information HERE.

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11th January 2011

Irish Surfing Calendar of Events for 2011

The Irish Surfing Association has released its draft calendar of events for the 2011 season.

Beginning in late February with the Irish Student Nationals in Portrush, the season takes in 16 weekends of meets - including the World Junior Surfing Championships in Peru and the week-long Eurosurf 2011 in Bundoram - and concludes with the Rossnowlagh Intercounties on 15-16 October.

Calendar of Events 2011:

19-20 February: Irish Student Nationals, Portrush, Co Antrim

4 March: ISA Executive Meeting, Lahinch, Co Clare

5-6 March: CSkins Junior Championship, Lahinch, Co Clare, Junior Tour Event 1

19-20 March: Tramore Junior & Senior Championships, Senior Tour Event 1/Junior Tour Event 2

26-27 March: Bundoran Senior Championships, Senior Tour Event 2

9-10 April: Portrush Senior Championships, Senior Tour Event 3

21-29 May: World Junior Surfing Championships, Peru

17-18 April: WCSC Kennys Open, Lahinch, Co Clare

11 June: ISA Executive Meeting, Dublin

4-5 June: WCSC Cold Pro, Spanish Point, Co Clare

25-26 June: Junior Tour Event 3

18-19 June: Rossnowlagh Longboard Championships, Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal

30-31 July: Co Sligo Open, Senior Tour Event 4

20-21 August: Rossnowlagh Junior Championships, Junior Tour Event 4

2 September: ISA Executive Meeting, Bundoran, Co Donegal

3-4 September: Bundoran Board Riders Junior Club Championships, Bundoran, Co Donegal

10-11 September: WCSC Longboard Contest

23 September-2 October: Eurosurf 2011, Bundoran, Co Donegal

15-16 October: Rossnowlagh Intercounties

7 December: ISA Executive Meeting, Athlone

The Irish Surfing Association has released its draft calendar of events for the 2011 season.

Beginning in late February with the Irish Student Nationals in Portrush, the season takes in 16 weekends of meets - including the World Junior Surfing Championships in Peru and the week-long Eurosurf 2011 in Bundoran - and concludes with the Rossnowlagh Intercounties on 15-16 October.

Calendar of Events 2011:

19-20 February: Irish Student Nationals, Portrush, Co Antrim

4 March: ISA Executive Meeting, Lahinch, Co Clare

5-6 March: CSkins Junior Championship, Lahinch, Co Clare, Junior Tour Event 1

19-20 March: Tramore Junior & Senior Championships, Senior Tour Event 1/Junior Tour Event 2

26-27 March: Bundoran Senior Championships, Senior Tour Event 2

9-10 April: Portrush Senior Championships, Senior Tour Event 3

21-29 May: World Junior Surfing Championships, Peru

17-18 April: WCSC Kennys Open, Lahinch, Co Clare

11 June: ISA Executive Meeting, Dublin

4-5 June: WCSC Cold Pro, Spanish Point, Co Clare

25-26 June: Junior Tour Event 3

18-19 June: Rossnowlagh Longboard Championships, Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal

30-31 July: Co Sligo Open, Senior Tour Event 4

20-21 August: Rossnowlagh Junior Championships, Junior Tour Event 4

2 September: ISA Executive Meeting, Bundoran, Co Donegal

3-4 September: Bundoran Board Riders Junior Club Championships, Bundoran, Co Donegal

10-11 September: WCSC Longboard Contest

23 September-2 October: Eurosurf 2011, Bundoran, Co Donegal

15-16 October: Rossnowlagh Intercounties

7 December: ISA Executive Meeting, Athlone

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2nd December 2010

Surf Safely This Winter

The Irish Surfing Association (ISA) has posted a useful guide for surfing safely over the winter months.

Caution is recommended for surfers at this time of year due to the colder water temperatures combined with stronger swells, severe winds and treacherous currents.

The ISA advises surfers to "leave the 'gung-ho' attitude at home and make safety your priority."

Among the many common-sense tips, it's also advisable to warm your body before and after surfing – warm drinks such as tea or hot chocolate are just the thing for this.

The full list of safe surfing guidelines is available HERE.

The Irish Surfing Association (ISA) has posted a useful guide for surfing safely over the winter months.

Caution is recommended for surfers at this time of year due to the colder water temperatures combined with stronger swells, severe winds and treacherous currents.

The ISA advises surfers to "leave the 'gung-ho' attitude at home and make safety your priority".

Among the many common-sense tips, it's also advisable to warm your body before and after surfing – warm drinks such as tea or hot chocolate are just the thing for this.

The full list of safe surfing guidelines is available HERE.

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.