The Irish GP14 dinghy class has been one of the first to give a thumbs up to Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta plans for next July to divide Ireland's biggest sailing event over separate weekends.

As Afloat reported previously, Dun Laoghaire organisers plan to major on the dinghies and one design keelboats with a One Design Championship from 2nd – 4th July 2021 and then run the cruiser-racers the following weekend (8th – 11th July) catering for a full range of IRC classes. 

After a year of cancellations that wiped out nearly the entire GP14 2020 calendar, including the Skerries-based World Championships in August, the GP14 Committee has been supportive of Dun Laoghaire's move to the Dinghy/One Design event.

If all goes to plan the Geeps will be just one of many dinghy classes racing at VDLR next July before the restaging of its own class world championships in Skerries later that same month (July 25 to Aug 1 2021).

The only Irish GP14 event to sail so far this year was held in Blessington earlier this month as Afloat reported here. 

The committee says there is still hope, notwithstanding the Dublin and Donegal Level 3 lockdowns, that the annual 'Hot Toddy' event can still go ahead in East Antrim in Larne on October 10th.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour's combined waterfront yachts clubs have announced the continued title sponsorship by Volvo Car Ireland of next July's Dun Laoghaire Regatta and a new format for Ireland's top sailing event.

In order to facilitate social distancing and be Covid-19 compliant a new regatta format will comprise a One Design Championship (2nd – 4th July 2021) specifically tailored for sailors in the one-design keelboat and dinghy classes. This to be followed by an Open Cruiser Championship (8th – 11th July 2021) catering for the full range of Cruiser Handicap classes.

'The sponsorship announcement coupled with the significant format changes to VDLR 2021, will give sailors, sponsors, classes and the four waterfront clubs certainty in planning ahead for the 2021 season', says chairman of the organisers, Don O'Dowd.

Volvo Car Ireland has been the title sponsor of Ireland's largest sailing event since 2007 and is again joined by Spirit Motor Group, the premier dealership for Volvo.

Background to the event

Growing over the last 16 years, the regatta is now proudly one of Northern Europe's greatest shows on the water, eclipsed only by the UK's Cowes Regatta, one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world.

Since it first set sail in 2005, Dun Laoghaire Regatta has grown biennially and showcases the very best of Irish sailing action on the water. A regatta of this size also brings a lot of shoreside summer colour and significant economic benefit to the town of Dun Laoghaire.

The last edition in 2019 comprised over 300 sailing races across 30 classes, and 2,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world-class professionals to weekend sailors drawn from both across Ireland and overseas.

Meeting the COVID-19 challenges in 2021

Dun Laoghaire is unique in being able operate in this pandemic because of the extensive area within the harbour site and facilities provided by the waterfront clubs and organisations. The Regatta will utilise the full infrastructure of Dun Laoghaire Harbour venue to the best advantage and bring certainty to a calendar that has been hugely dictated by Covid-19 and the constraints imposed due to social distancing.

Format Changes planned for 2021

The focus of the new format will be to provide Regatta Sailing of the highest standard - taking advantage of the extensive shoreside facilities for the après sail enjoyment of the local and visiting sailors.

The new format Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta will comprise a One Design Championship (2nd – 4th July 2021) specifically tailored for sailors in the one design keelboat and dinghy classes. This to be followed by an Open Cruiser Championship (8th – 11th July 2021) catering for the full range of Cruiser Handicap classes.

The Regatta will provide competitive sailing, fun ashore and offer classes an exciting opportunity around which to plan their championships for 2021.

"Volvo Car Ireland, together with our retail partner, Spirit Motor Group are very proud to continue our relationship with the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in 2021. Together with Spirit Motor Group we work to support what we see as important events in the community where our customers live, work and engage in sporting activities as an important part of life. Sailing is a sport Volvo support at a community and international level.

The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta has grown to become the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and we are proud to be part of that team and to continue to be associated with the event", David Thomas, Managing Director, Volvo Car Ireland Ltd

"In these most trying and uncharted times, it is truly wonderful to have Volvo Car Ireland back on board for 2021. The VDLR regatta is now in its 9th edition over 16 years and Volvo's participation has been a key to its success. In light of Covid-19 and the possible constraints it will place on the event, we are currently working on a new format for the regatta which will see one-design classes racing on one weekend (2nd – 4th July) and keelboats the following weekend (8th – 11th July). Dun Laoghaire and its unique four waterfront clubs lends itself to facilitating social distancing and being Covid-19 compliant. It is this uniqueness that allows us plan for, what hopefully will be, another very successful Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta" Don O'Dowd, VDLR Chairman

The National Yacht Club’s planned two-day race weekend for its own 150th anniversary has been scaled down to a single-day event now known as the Sesquicentennial Race Day.

The decision was reached earlier this week following the latest Government announcements concerning the coronavirus pandemic.

Now scheduled solely on Saturday 5 September, the event will be on-the-water only with no social events or catering on land other than regular offerings available to club members by prior booking.

The NYC website has further details of the reconfigured event and how to enter.

Elsewhere, Wicklow Sailing Club has offered its apologies to the catamarans that were expected to visit the club next weekend as due to the current restrictions, the club is not in a position to host visiting boats.

The East Coast club, which last month was forced to cancel this year’s edition of the Round Ireland Yacht Race, says it hopes to welcome the catamarans again in 2021.

The Notice of Race and entry form are now available for next month’s Dun Laoghaire Regatta, celebrating the National Yacht Club’s 150th anniversary.

This special event, an initiative of all five Dun Laoghaire waterfront clubs, will take place over the weekend of 5-6 September and comprises the Rationel J80 National Championships and Shipman National Championships, as well as the respective Eastern Championships for the SB20 and 29er classes.

The Notice of Race is available to download below, and entry is online via the NYC website HERE.

It’s exactly a hundred years to the day from the establishment of the thriving Treardur Bay Sailing Club at its rocky cove in west Anglesey in North Wales on August 23rd 1919 writes W M Nixon. Back then, the world was only beginning its struggle to recover from the full horror of the Great War of 1914-1918, and events like the formation of a new sailing club were vital to assist the proper return to normal life.

Thus we extend our warmest good wishes across the Channel to a keen group of sailors who brought two boat classes – the Myth 14ft dinghy class founded in 1920, and the Seabird Half Raters from 1898 – to be a much-appreciated presence at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2019 in July, and we wish them well as they launch into their second century tonight.

Vintage boats in Dublin Bay – at the VDLR 2019 are Treardur Bay Seabirds (1898), Howth 17s with jackyard topsails (1898), and Dublin Bay Mermaids (1932)
And if you wonder what it’s like to sail from a southwest-facing rocky cove on the Welsh coast protected only by reefs, rocks and islets, then this vid from 2018 gives some idea of what sailing can be like when the wind eases a bit after a period of heavy onshore weather at Treardur Bay. The red sails are on the Myths from 1920, and there’s a glimpse of the historic Seabirds out at sea beyond the rocks.

In the IRC Non-spin 1 division of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta today, the Elan 333s are having a fine old time of it, with the overall placings now putting Colm Bermingham’s Bite the Bullet from Howth first, while Paul Tully’s White Lotus (DM) is third, but in between is Terry Fair from Balyholme YC with his Sigma 33 Cariad.

IRC Non-Spinnaker 2

In the IRC Non Spin 2 class, Paul Conway’s stylish veteran Contessa 32 Cevantes revelled in it today to log more wins in every race, next best was the UFO 31 Menapia (James & Sue McSweeney), whole the Holland-designed Super Seal Gung-Ho (Grainnne & Sean O’Shea) was third.

The Elan 431 Percy (John Roberts and Julie Jefferson) from Whitehaven in the UK

Michael O'Leary's Act Two

Eamonn Doyle's Royal St George Yacht Club Shearwater, a Dehler 36SQ

Merryjack, an Oceanis 37 (Gerry & John Bell) from Ballyholme

They gave the offshore wannabes a real run for their money today in the Coastal Race of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, yet there was still a certain sameness about the final results, as Seamus Fitzpatrick’s attractive First 50 Mermaid IV was first again while George Sisk’s Xp 44 WOW was third again, but in between them this time was the little J/109 Mojito (Peter Dunlop & Vicky Cox, Pwllheli & Royal Dee), though overall it’s Mermaid first, WOW second, and Paul O’Higgins’ JPK 1080 Rockabill VI third in Div A, while Div B is led by Mojito with another J/109, Nigel Ingrams’ Jet Stream from Holyhead, in second, and the veteran Mills 36 Raptor (Denis Hewitt RIYC & all the usual suspects) at third.

Just in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s the glorious Twelfth of July through all classes, and northern boats at VDLR 19 have been celebrating with particular style in Class 3, where Rory Fekkes' souped-up Beneteau First 8 from Carrickfergus was in top form to take a couple of firsts while discarding a 2nd, putting him on a very competitive 3pts overall against the 7 points of Howth’s Ger O’Sullivan with the Formula 28 Animal, while in third slot is another northerner, Charlie McAllister from Antrim Boat Club on Lough Neagh with the Quarter Tonner Fait Accompli - a year ago, Charlie was very much involved in organising the International Atlantic Challenge for a fleet of Bantry Boats from both sides of the Atlantic on Lough Neagh, now it’s his turn to be on the podium on his own account.

Brendan Foley's highly optimised Impala, Running Wild from the Royal St George Yacht Club

Charlie McAllister from Antrim Boat Club with the Quarter Tonner, Fait Accompli

Class Four

Jonathan Fawcett’s S&S Classic She 31 She Too from Abersoch found things very much to her liking, she’s first overall after a couple of firsts today while the DMYC Trapper 300 Eleint (Michael Matulka) stayed in touch with a couple of seconds, third place going to the Frazer Meredith syndicate with the Sonata Asterix  

Nigel Biggs was in top form among the Half Tonners to register 2,4, 1 with Checkmate XVIII, while Ronan and John Downing from Royal Cork were feeling their journey was very well worthwhile through now lying second overall with Miss Whiplash, with Colin and Cathy Kavanagh from Howth with the J/97 The Jeneral Lee finding that 4th and 3rd with a discarded 10th had them moving into third overall ahead of some very fancied boats in a class where the competition is razor sharp – overnight leader Mata (Wright brothers) is now back in 6th.

A Class Two start with (red hulled) Antix Beag the weather boat

Harmony

Checkmate XV

Miss Whiplash

With a gently rising barometer and a nor’west breeze coming out of a soft grey sky (fifty shades and counting), most folk expected that the wind would fade on Day 2 of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2019 writes W M Nixon. But on the contrary, the breeze became decidedly brisk to push up to 20 knots here and there, with some boats providing entertainment with the old “She’d turn round and look at you” routine, making for a very welcome change after yesterday afternoon’s crawlathon.

In Class One, Class 1 there are J/109s in profusion, and Richard Colwell and Johnny Murphy – with Mark Mansfield on the strength – were in sparkling form on Outrajeous. After yesterday’s single 9th place, they logged two firsts and a third today, putting them one point overall ahead of Tim and Richard Goodbody with White Mischief, while the J/109 parade continued with John Maybury’s Joker getting third, sixth and fourth after being overnight leader to lie in third, close ahead of Pat Kelly’s Storm.

A fantastic turnout in Class One. Overall leader 'Outrajeous' (IRL 19109) prepares to start in the middle of the line to take advantage of Dublin Bay's shifting northwesterly

Tim and Richard Goodbody's J109 White Mischief

The XP33 Bon Exemple (Colin Byrne) is back on the water after mast repairs this month

At the Leeward mark ...

Defending champions, Joker II

RC35 Champion Animal

Outrajeous takes the win at the finish line of race three