Those who are unaware of some of the more offbeat aspects of Irish maritime history can be forgiven for wondering how it is that Rogerstown, Rush and Skerries – all in the heart of heavily horticultural North Fingal - between them produce so many formidable sailors.
“How on earth” they demand, “can growing so many admittedly excellent potatoes, cabbages and strawberries make you a genius in a sailing boat?”
The intriguing sailing-talent-producing Rogerstown Estuary is almost boat-free in winter, but the well-filled Rush SC winter boat park speaks volumes about the local sailing interest.
LEGALLY ABSENT
The question is asked after a quick glance at the crème de la crème entry list for Howth’s three day Wave Regatta with Porsche as lead sponsors, where racing starts on this coming Friday (May 24th). Overall, it reveals an intriguing absence of lawyers, and a remarkable presence of established and rising talent from Rush SC and Skerries SC.
We were given a word to the wise on the legal scarcities.
“It would be a very unwise career move for a prominent figure in the law courts to be so conspicuously absent from the Law Library when the courts are sitting in a traditionally very busy period, and no Bank Holiday is being availed of.”
POTATO POTENTATES
Quite so. You can always easily get publicity when you least need it. But as to the sailing power of the Potato Potentates from the hidden acres of Fingal, that’s much more easily explained. Up there, fast sailing is in the blood. The emphasis on vegetables is only a recent innovation. But the sailing prowess long-outlasted the Vikings.
In the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, the tiny port of Rush and the nearby tide-riven estuary of Rogerstown produced Ireland’s two greatest sea captains in privateering and smuggling. The late 1700s saw the career peaks for privateering legend Luke Ryan, while the early 1800s witnessed the achievements of James Mathews, a highly-organised smuggler at a time when smuggling was a perfectly reasonable response to the actions of rabidly exploitative governments.
Lost but now found – the special Farr-designed Half Tonner Two Farr has been at worldwide locations during her long journey from Australia to Rush
If there is a key component in both maritime legends, it is surely the ability to sail fast offshore, while also being well able, when necessary, for both navigation and intricate inshore pilotage. In other words, exactly the skills set for success with a competitive cruiser-racer.
STORM OF RUSH
For some time now, Pat Kelly and his Fingal team from Rush with Storm have been among the top performers in the J/109 class. Well, Storm will be there at Wave, taking on local talent such as Simon Knowles’ Indian, and visiting talent such as Barry Cunningham’s current champion J/109 Chimaera from the Royal Irish YC.
A frequently-seen view of the J/109 Storm. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien
The mixing of Howth and Rush might be assumed to be neighbourliness, but that would be a mistake. The fact that Rush and Howth can keep an eye on each other along a northwest-southeast sightline across the Malahide Estuary Approaches only serves to emphasise how different they are, and that’s the way they want to keep it.
VIKINGS RE-TAKE HOWTH CASTLE
Thus the word is that the North Fingal contingent are establishing an encampment at Howth Castle, and admission will either be by invitation, or a password known to few, and spoken in ancient Norse, as in everyday use around Lusk.
The Vikings of Fingal will be setting up their encampment at Howth Castle (left)
But the Rush tentacles spread further, and in 2022 the linkup between North Fingal and West Cork was revealed in high profile when sometime Baltimore SC Commodore and “temporary permanent” BSC Honorary Sailing Secretary Rob O’Leary was on the Rush SC team that won the Half Ton Classic Worlds in the Solent on Paul Elvstrom’s former boat King One.
FINGAL WEST CORK LINKUP
That linkup has gone a stage further in order to compete directly with the world’s most-loved Half Tonner, the 1976 Farr-designed Swuzzlebubble. The thinking had been that surely more boats were built to this wonderful way-out design, particularly as Swuzzlebubble has in recent years been based at Crosshaven in the successful ownership of James Dwyer, and currently the ICRA “Boat of the Year”.
Belfast Lough’s top A35 Final Call II (John Minnis) seen in action in a previous visit to Howth. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
And it seems the sleuth-hounds of the Rush & O’Leary teams have come up with just such a boat, originally built in Australia but more recently racing under German designation. She’s called Two Farr, she’s unmistakable bright red, and with Rob O’Leary now in owning partnership with Fingal’s crème de la crème, so many all-Ireland club affiliations are listed that we are reminded of the extraordinarily all-Ireland personality of the J/24 Hard Case.
LAST MINUTE LOCALS
Entries for Wave don’t close until tonight (Tuesday 21st May) at midnight, but organiser Brian Turvey reckons the heavy metal from elsewhere have been long in, it’s only the last minute locals who will finally access that useful circular device, a round tuit, approaching the witching hour.
Meanwhile, with a general lineup including such formidable talent as John Minnis’s A35 Final Call II from Belfast Lough, the entry list makes for intriguing reading:
Wave Regatta Entries 2024
| 1 | Biggs/Cullen | Howth Yacht Club | IRL66 | Checkmate XX | First 50 | Class 0 | |
| 2 | Brian & Conor Turvey | Howth Yacht Club | 19 | Isobel | Howth 17 | ||
| 3 | Simon Knowles | Howth Yacht Club | IRL1543 | Indian | J109 | Class 1 | |
| 4 | Thomas O’Reilly | Howth Yacht Club | 770 | Cool Beans | Squib | ||
| 5 | Emmet Dalton | Howth Yacht Club | 37 | Kerfuffle | Squib | ||
| 6 | Ian Bowring | Royal St. George Yacht Club | IRL 4464 | Springer | Sigma 33 | One Design | |
| 7 | Stephen Mullaney | Howth Yacht Club | IRL4444 | Insider | Sigma 33 | One Design | |
| 8 | Caroline and Nico Gore-Grimes | Howth Yacht Club | Irl988 | Dux | X302 | Class 3 | |
| 9 | Tom mc mahon | Howth Yacht Club | 869 | Tears in Heaven | Squib | ||
| 10 | DENIS HEWITT % ORS. | Royal Irish Yacht Club | IRL811 | RAPTOR | MILLS 30CR | Class 1 | |
| 11 | Vincent Gaffney | Howth Yacht Club | IRL8188 | Alliance II | Laser 28 | Class 3 | |
| 12 | Barry O'Connor | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 31310 | Katanca | Elan31 | ||
| 13 | Wright/De Neve | Howth Yacht Club | 2794 | Mata | Half tonne | Class 2 | |
| 14 | Wormald Walsh O'Neill | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 1972 | No Excuse | X302 | Class 3 | |
| 15 | Colin & Kathy Kavanagh | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 6697 | Jeneral Lee | J97 | Class 2 | |
| 16 | Susan Sheridan | Howth Yacht Club | 385 | Ibis | Puppeteer | ||
| 17 | Norbert Reillly | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 985 | Ghost Raider | J111 | Class 0 | |
| 18 | Jones Family | Royal Cork Yacht Club | IRL9753 | Jellybaby | J122 | Class 0 | |
| 19 | Lee Douglas / Aidan Keane | Malahide Yacht Club | 791 | Shenanigans | Feeling | ||
| 20 | Michael & Richard | Howth Yacht Club | 1699 | Snapshot | j99 | Class 1 | |
| 21 | Alan Pearson Alan Blay | Howth Yacht Club | IRL15 | Trick or Treat | Puppeteer | ||
| 22 | JOHN MINNIS | Club not listed | ROYAL ULSTER YACHT CLUB & RNIYC | IRL1003 | FINAL CALL II | ARCHAMBAULT A35 | Class 1 |
| 23 | Brian Skehan | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 17793 | Chinook | First 300 Spirit | ||
| 24 | John Beckett and Andy George | Howth Sailing and Boating Club | IRL4073 | Splashdance | Dufour 40 | Non Spinny 33ft+ | |
| 25 | Colm Bermingham | Howth Yacht Club | 3335C | Bite the Bullet | Elan 333 | ||
| 26 | Stephen Quinn | Howth Yacht Club | Irl9970 | Lambay Rules | J97 | Class 2 | |
| 27 | Kevin Darmody | Howth Yacht Club | IRL7115 | Gecko | Quarter Ton | Class 3 | |
| 28 | Davie Nixon | Howth Yacht Club | 18 | Erica | H17 | ||
| 29 | Terence Prendiville | Club not listed | no club (Dun Laoghaire Marina) | 139 (Non ISA) | Maggie Bee | Anderson 22 | |
| 30 | Brian McDowell | Howth Yacht Club | IRL4212 | Scandal | J24 | ||
| 31 | Simon Sheahan | Howth Yacht Club | 123 | O'Leary | Squib | ||
| 32 | Ian malcolm | Howth Yacht Club | 7 | Aura | 17 | ||
| 33 | Massey, Toomey, Kenny | Howth Yacht Club | 11 | Deilginis | H17 | ||
| 34 | Tim Chillingworth | Howth Yacht Club | IR386 | Gannet | Puppeteer | ||
| 35 | Windsor & Steffi | Howth Yacht Club | IR 100 | Demelza | Club Shamrock | ||
| 36 | Charlie McAllister | Club not listed | Antrim Boat Club | HKG2133 | SKB | Fauroux quarter tonner | Class 3 |
| 37 | Eamonn Burke & Jay Murray | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 971 | Leeuwin | Sigma 33 | ||
| 38 | Terry Mc Coy | Howth Yacht Club | 2070 | Out & About | Beneteau 38 | Non Spinny 33ft+ | |
| 39 | kyran o grady | Howth Yacht Club | wicklow sailing club | ir 2848 | bandersnatch of howth | swan 37 | |
| 40 | PJ Moran | Dun Laoghaire Marina | 1685C | Rajah | Sigma 33 OOD | One Design | |
| 41 | John & Suzie Murphy | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 19109 | Outrajeous | J109 | Class 1 | |
| 42 | Gerard Loughran/Ross Hattaway | Howth Yacht Club | 493 | 3point9 | Squib | ||
| 43 | bourke mc girr ball | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 3002 | XEBEC | X 302 | Class 2 | |
| 44 | Roslyn Byrne | Howth Yacht Club | 50 | Odyssey | Puppeteer | ||
| 45 | Dermot Skehan | Howth Yacht Club | 1411 | Toughnut | - | Non Spinny 33ft+ | |
| 46 | Stephen Harris / Frank Hughes | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 4077 | Tiger | Beneteau First 40.7 | Non Spinny 33ft+ | |
| 47 | Howth Yacht Club K25 Team | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 680 | Killcullen | - | Class 3 | |
| 48 | OReilly/McDyer | Howth Yacht Club | 219 | Geppetto | Puppeteer | ||
| 49 | E Ferris &I Byrne | Howth Yacht Club | 14 | Gladys | Howth 17 | ||
| 50 | Gallagher and Fitzgibbon | Howth Yacht Club | 21 | Orla | Howth 17 | ||
| 51 | K&B Barker | Howth Yacht Club | 318 | Papagena | Puppeteer 22 | ||
| 52 | Jane & Michael Duffy | Howth Yacht Club | HYC | 9 | HERA | Howth 17 | |
| 53 | Peter & Declan McCabe | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 1343 | Arcturus | Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 | ||
| 54 | Ian Dickson | Howth Yacht Club | HYC | 22 | Weyhey | Puppeteer | |
| 55 | Gerard Kennedy | Howth Yacht Club | 5526 | Blue Velvet | Puppeteer | ||
| 56 | Fergal McNamara | Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club | 297 | Equaliser | EBoat | ||
| 57 | Shane Russell and Dave Carolan | Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club | 152 | Wile E Coyote | E-boat | ||
| 58 | Cormac Farrelly | Howth Yacht Club | IRL4123 | Pepperbox | First 32s5 | ||
| 59 | Sean Hawkshaw | Club not listed | Mullaghmore Sailing Club | IRL 7360 | Wardance | Sigma 38 | Class 2 |
| 60 | Patrick Higginbotham Neil HIgginbotham | Malahide Yacht Club | 158 | Lazy Bones | Beneteau First Class 8 | Class 3 | |
| 61 | Matthew Knowles | Howth Yacht Club | 34 | Intersceptre | Puppeteer 22 | ||
| 62 | Micheal Carroll | Howth Yacht Club | 1950 | Flexit | - | ||
| 63 | Craig O’Neill | Royal Cork Yacht Club | IRL4064 | Legal Alien | J/24 | One Design | |
| 64 | Peter Levins, Brendan Foley, Colm O'Buachalla, Mark Hennessey, Patrick Ryan, Conor Twoney | Royal St. George Yacht Club | FR111 | ALLIG8R | First Class 8 | Class 3 | |
| 65 | Neil Murphy / Conor Costello | Howth Yacht Club | 6413 | Yellow Peril | Puppeteer 22 | ||
| 66 | Conor Haughton, Jonny Flood, Charles Heather, Garrett Kinnane | Wicklow Sailing Club | 5270 | Jupiter | J24 | Class 3 | |
| 67 | Nicola & Stuart Harris | Waterford Harbour Sailing Club | 3370 | Moxy | X332 sport | Class 1 | |
| 68 | pat kelly | Rush Sailing Club | rsc hyc | irl1141 | storm | j 109 | Class 1 |
| 69 | kelly boardman oleary | Club not listed | rsc bsc hyc rcyc | irl 2269 | two farr | half tonner | Class 2 |
| 70 | Joanne Hall / Martin Mahon | Club not listed | Courtown Sailing Club | IRL90210 | SNOOPY | Quarter Tonner | Class 3 |
| 71 | Flood/Greene | Howth Yacht Club | IRL8151 | Jokers Wild | Beneteau 32S5 | ||
| 72 | Roger Conan | Royal St. George Yacht Club | 1041 | Avalon | 31.7 | ||
| 73 | Mark Chambers & Alan Switzer | Club not listed | Courtown sailing club | IRL1707 | Artemis | Sigma 33c | |
| 74 | Peter Courtney | Howth Yacht Club | 17 | Oona | Howth 17 | ||
| 75 | Miller, Crompton & Hodges | Club not listed | South Caenarvonshire Yacht Club | GBR7737R | Impetuous | Corby 37 | Class 0 |
| 76 | Barry Cunningham | Royal Irish Yacht Club | IRL 2160 | Chimaera | J109 | Class 1 | |
| 77 | Rima Macken | Howth Yacht Club | 16 | Eileen | Howth 17 | ||
| 78 | paul conway | Royal St. George Yacht Club | IRL 932 | CERVANTES | Contessa 32 | ||
| 79 | Cliff Waddilove | Skerries Sailing Club | 279 | Aoife | E-Boat | ||
| 80 | Dave Clarke | Howth Yacht Club | 2021c | Harlequin | Puppeteer | ||
| 81 | Kieran Jameson | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 8331 | Changeling | Sigma 38 | ||
| 82 | Donal Harkin | Howth Yacht Club | 1048 | Ghosty Ned | Puppeteer | ||
| 83 | Paddy Kyne | Howth Yacht Club | 7495 | Maximus | X 302 | Class 3 | |
| 84 | James Dwyer | Royal Cork Yacht Club | KZ3494 | Swuzzlebubble | Farr halftonner | Class 2 | |
| 85 | Johnny Treanor | National Yacht Club | IRL 3721 | ValenTina | J112e | Class 0 | |
| 86 | Declan Gray | Howth Yacht Club | Irl3230 | Sapphire | Oceanis 323 Clipper | ||
| 87 | Ger Smith / Niall Sabongi | Skerries Sailing Club | IRL4443 | An Oifig | Sigma 33 | ||
| 88 | Carty Finucane O'Byrne | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 1430 | Mary Ellen | . | ||
| 89 | Roddy cooper | Howth Yacht Club | 3 | LEILA | 17 footer | ||
| 90 | William Lacy | Howth Yacht Club | IRL 8322 | Sojourn | Arcona 400 |
