Following a successful outing for Irish Cape 31 interests at the Vice Admiral's Cup on the Solent last weekend, there is confirmation this week that the 2023 Irish National Championships will be raced at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR) this July.

As Afloat reported earlier this month, this is a change from the original programme, which first saw the eight-boat Cape fleet scheduled to race for National honours a week after the VDLR.

Cape 31 action comes to Dublin Bay this July when the new high speed sportsboat fleet races for Irish honours as part of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: James Tomlinson

The news comes as the defending Irish champion took fifth overall and top Corinthian boat at the class's-biggest-ever turnout of 25 boats on the Solent last weekend. 

At least half that number is expected to race on Dublin Bay from July 6. Currently, five are entered. See the current VDLR entries here

Current Cape 31 entries for VDLR 2023 include Irish champion Antix from Royal Cork Yacht Club 

Anthony O'Leary of Royal Cork, who won the inaugural Cape nationals in 2022 (that raced as part of Cork Week Regatta), has entered the big Dublin Bay biennial that received its official launch last week.

The Vice-Admiral's Cup winner, Michael Wilson, skipper of Shotgunn, who hails from the Isle of Man, is also entered in the VDLR.

Wilson has an extraordinary crew racing Shotgunn: Ben Batchelor, Mike Wilson, Stu Bithell, Dave Chapman, Phil Hardisty, Simon Potts, and Peter Greenhalgh. Wilson comes from a dinghy racing background, including Flying Fifteens, 505s and National 18s.

Meanwhile, the only Dun Laoghaire Cape 31 'Blast' has come up for sale, as Afloat reports here.

Tributes have been paid to outgoing Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta administrator Ciara Dowling, who has retired after 16 years. 

Regatta Chairman Don O'Dowd made a special presentation at last Wednesday's launch of Ireland's biggest regatta that takes place this July. 

"Since 2001, she has steered, bossed, and minded numerous chairmen whilst making them and the event the success it is today. All I can say is," Thank you" Ciara; it was such an absolute pleasure to work with you, fight with you, laugh with you and above all, learn from you; you are The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta!" O'Dowd told the gathering. 

Dun Laoghaire's waterfront yacht clubs saluted Dowling and presented her with a token of appreciation at the 2023 launch in the National Maritime Museum that Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Cathoirleach Mary Hanafin officiated. 

Dowling said in response: "I am so grateful and humbled for the VDLR Chairman and Committee recognition for my contribution to the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta as Event Co-ordinator & Administrator between 2005 to 2021. Little did we realise in 2005 how successful and international this event would become." 

Dowling worked with Chairmen Brian Craig for the inaugural event in (2005 & 2007), Phil Smith in (2009), Adam Winkleman in 2011 & 2013, Tim Goodbody (2015 & 2017) and also the current chair Don O'Dowd from 2019. 

The event is Co-hosted by the four waterfront Yacht Clubs in Dun Laoghaire (Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Royal St. George Yacht Club). It is set to welcome upwards of 400 boats across 36 competing classes of boats this July. 

Volvo Ambassadors Amy Huberman, Author and Actress, and Dermot Bannon, Architect, were ‘onboard’ to help launch the ninth Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, Ireland’s largest regatta, which takes place from Thursday, July 6th to Sunday, July 9th 2023 - now a major international sailing event, with craft travelling from as far afield as Hong Kong and South Africa to participate.

Reflecting the event’s growing international profile, more than 41 different sailing clubs are represented, including the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, amongst others.

Growing steadily since its inception in 2005, the event is eclipsed in scale only by the UK’s Cowes Regatta, one of the longest-running regattas in the world.

Volvo Ambassadors and Dermot Bannon, Architect and Amy Huberman, Author and Actress at the launch of the 9th Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Marc O'Sullivan

Co-hosted by the four waterfront Yacht Clubs in Dun Laoghaire (Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Royal St. George Yacht Club), this biennial four-day event is set to welcome upwards of 400 boats across 36 competing classes of boats, ranging from small 14-foot dinghies up to ocean-going 50-footers, with no less than 2000 individual crew members travelling from all over the world to participate in the event.

VDLR Event Director, Paddy Boyd, speaking about the much-loved event, which showcases the very best of Irish (and international) sailing action on the water, said, “The tide is rising once again for Dun Laoghaire Port, and we’re hugely proud of the role that the VDLR has played in this upward trajectory over the last number of years. With over 300 sailing races across 30 classes, and 2,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world-class professionals to weekend sailors, there is a growing acknowledgement of the role of sailing as an economic driver in the harbour town. Aside from this, there are no less than 200 cruise liners due to visit the port this Summer. Watersports are thriving with over 40 different organizations operating within the harbour walls, home to the country’s largest marina with 800 pleasure boats, a new site for the Sport Ireland National Watersports Campus and the permanent base of the Irish Olympic Sailing Team” He continued, “Our Town and waterfront communities have been working hard to plot a new course for Dun Laoghaire – the culmination of which will be celebrated during our Regatta this July and the town’s inaugural Coastival Festival”

This year’s Regatta coincides with ‘Coastival’, a brand new, week-long family-focused festival for all, celebrating Dun Laoghaire’s incredible maritime heritage with various events, including Maritime Movies on the Green, Coastival Nights with live music and comedy, boat cruises, and free sailing, kayaking and paddle boarding.

For competitors in the VDLR, the Volvo Trophy is on the line for the overall winner of IRC classes, and with 25 entries already in, two months before the first gun, Class One IRC looks like it's going to be a repeat of some of the hottest Irish Sea IRC action since before the Covid Pandemic.

Scottish boats are travelling to Dun Laoghaire under the RC35 class banner that will add to the Class One fleet, making it one of the most keenly contested battles of the season.

In addition to Class One, key classes in the line-up include an offshore class which will feature coastal races along the Dublin and Wicklow coasts, and competing ‘one design’ classes will include the brand-new Cape 31s, Beneteau 31.7s, Beneteau 211, Sigma 33, Ruffian 23s, and Dragons.

Dinghy classes will include the GP14, Wayfarer, Squib, Mermaid, Flying Fifteen, and single-handed Lasers and the heritage Water Wag class.

Alan Cowley, Commercial Director and Acting MD for Volvo Cars Ireland, added, “The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is an incredibly well-run, and professionally organised event, and we’re so proud to be title sponsor – an inherent part of the team and event since 2007. The Volvo brand is synonymous with sailing all across the world, both at a community and international level, through the Ocean Race, so VDLR is a natural fit for us here in Ireland. At Volvo, everything we do begins with people, from our commitment to safety, to innovation. We believe in the importance of supporting local organisations, particularly those that drive community engagement, where our customers live, work and engage in sporting activities as an important part of daily life. There is also synergy in that both VDLR and Volvo have shared commitments to minimising the impact of our activities on the environment – another reason why our collaboration on this event works so well”

The VDLR is kindly supported by

• Volvo Car Ireland in partnership with Spirit Motor Group (Title sponsor)
• Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
• Rationel Windows & Doors
• Helly Hansen
• Collen Construction
• Dubarry of Ireland
• The Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire
• UK Sailmakers
• Crane Hire Limited

With news that Ireland's largest regatta is closing in on a 300-boat entry with two and a half months yet to go to the first gun, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta organisers say they will use the digital info board app 'Sportity' as a means of communication during the four-day biennial regatta this July.

Sportty is an event or club-related information app that aims to keep information well-structured in one place. Any new information reaches all users instantly with a push notification.

"While our website is the official location for formal notices, we will primarily use the Sportity app to communicate regatta and social information, Event director Paddy Boyd told Afloat.

In order to use the app, you need to download the Sportity app using the barcode provided below.

The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta runs from July 6-9 and, for the first time, joins with the inaugural Dun Laoghaire town Coastival festival, adding a special element to the regatta that returns after an absence of four years due to covid.

The digital info board app 'Sportity' and the password required for Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023

240 entries have been received for this year’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta as of March 31st 2023, and organisers are reported 'pleased' with the take up to date both across the competing handicap and One Design classes. 

As Afloat reported previously, entries received up to this date were included in a draw for sailing kit kindly donated by event sponsors Helly Hansen and Dubarry.

Alan Jones of Greystones Sailing Club is the latest winner of a Dubarry kitbag and holdall, who has entered his Beneteau 285 Chouskikou in Cruisers 3. 

Thanks to title sponsor Volvo's generosity, VDLR organisers say they will extend the early bird closing date to midnight Sunday, April 16th.

All entries received by this time will be entered into a draw. The winner will receive a €500 voucher for the Volvo Lifestyle Collection, a sustainable range of clothing and accessories with a Scandinavian touch made to make your life less complicated. 

The last VDLR 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 Ireland and overseas.

Seven of the nine entries so far in the big boat class at July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR) are visitors, but a brand new J112e from the home port will add extra spice to the Cruisers Zero fleet (boats greater than 12 metres in length). 

The National Yacht Club's Johnny Treanor will debut the new J112 at the country's largest regatta from July 6-9.

Irish Sea regulars, the J125 Jackknife (Andrew Hall from Pwllheli in North Wales) and Howth Grand Soleil 44, Samatom (Robert Rendell), have both entered the biennial Dublin Bay event. Also coming from Howth is Nigel Biggs and Dave Cullen's First 50 Checkmate XX.

Both HYC entries are also entered into the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race that will be staged from the harbour a month earlier on June 7th and is also reporting a strong turnout.

ISORA has a busy offshore season planned in 2023 that includes Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's Coastal races Photo: Afloat

The offshore flavour of the big boat class is coming from ISORA's busy 2023 calendar. In conjunction with the Royal Dee Yacht Club, the offshore body is running the RDYC Irish Sea Offshore Championship again this year as part of the VDLR. This will include the Lyver Race and the four coastal races in the VDLR. As a result, Liverpool Yacht Club's Prima 38, Max Too (Neil Thomas) is an early entry. 

Two boats travel from Northern Ireland with Royal Ulster's John Minnis in Final Call II and Strangford Lough's Stuart Cranston sailing in the Ker 32, Hijacker. 

Over 150 entries are already in for the 22-class regatta. An early bird entry discount closes in five days and is available until midnight on 31st March. 

The Howth Yacht Club Grand Soleil 44, Samatom of Robert Rendell Photo: Afloat

With less than a week to go until the reduced early bird entry fee for July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta expires, you could be in with a chance to win a Dubarry holdall and backpack set in the regatta's latest competition prize.

To avail of this opportunity and discounted entry fees, enter here before March 31st, and you will be entered into the raffle for some of the latest Dubarry kit.

All paid-up entries received by midnight Friday, March 31st, will be entered in the draw.

"Early entry is not only a great help to us as we plan for this year's VDLR, but it is so much cheaper for entrants and gives them a chance to win some great kit too!, Event Director Paddy Boyd told Afloat.

Over 140 entries are now in for Ireland's largest regatta that runs from July 6-9, according to Boyd.

The early bird entry discount for Ireland's largest regatta at Dun Laoghaire closes on March 31st 

As an added incentive, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta organisers will raffle off a great high-capacity Duffel Bag between all paid-up entries received before midnight Sunday, March 19th.

Ireland’s largest regatta will take place from Thursday, July 6th to Sunday, July 9th 2023 and is planned to coincide with ‘Coastival’, a new week-long festival celebrating Dun Laoghaire’s Maritime heritage.

One Designs Dragons and Sigma 33s lead the early entries, with IRC classes reporting entries across the Irish Sea area. 

Regatta Director Paddy Boyd told Afloat, "Entries are building, but, as with all events of this nature, it greatly helps the planning process to have as early an indication as possible of the final entry-level". 

Enter here

July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta aims for a 400-boat fleet when Ireland's biggest sailing event resumes for the first time since 2019, today's ICRA Conference heard.

COVID forced the cancellation of 2019 and 2021's biennial event, but Dun Laoghaire's waterfront yacht clubs will welcome the massive fleet again this July from 6-9.

New VDLR Event Director Paddy Boyd has been in charge of some new developments for 2023 and told ICRA that there would be 36 competing VDLR classes ranging from small 14-foot dinghies up to ocean-going 50-footers.

In a strengthening of ties between the clubs and the local community, VDLR 2023 will dovetail with a weeklong 'Coastival' festival at the south Dublin venue starting July 1.

Boyd described it as an 'amazingly positive thing for marine leisure in Dun Laoghaire' to have Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council involved as a regatta supporter and also in charge of the town's harbour.

Cape 31

Boyd also told Saturday's conference the event will see the Irish Cape 31 class centre stage when it makes its high-profile debut at the regatta. As Afloat reported previously, up to ten Cape 31s are expected to compete.

The Cape 31s will launch off the town's Carlisle Pier for Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Afloat

Manage2sail

In a drive towards a paperless regatta, the organisers are now using the international Manage2sail programme for entries with an early bird discount operating before the end of March. 

VDLR will also employ the 'Sportity' app, a digital info board that keeps all event or club-related information in one place and well structured. Any new information reaches all users simultaneously, which can be deployed for changes to the four-day programme.

MarkSetBot

On the water, VDLR plans to deploy the world's first robotic buoy on Dublin Bay. Boyd says the 'MarkSetBot' offers robotic buoys and integrated course-setting technology for yacht racing, making race management simple, accurate and sustainable. It is likely the new marks will be deployed by a race officer via mobile phone on one VDLR course, most likely the RS21s. 

So far, the biggest early entries are coming from across the IRC classes with a champion Quarter tonner and Northern Ireland boats already signed up. In the one-design fleets, Sigma 33s and Dragons lead the early bird entries.

Boyd was speaking at the Royal St. George Yacht Club hosted ICRA Cruiser-Racer Conference at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, where key Irish regatta organisers unveiled 2023 sailing season plans.

Courtown Sailing Club's 2021 ICRA Class Three Champion Snoopy returns to Dublin Bay this July, where she is an early entry for Ireland's biggest regatta, the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. 

Martin Mahon's Wexford campaign boat (with Royal Ulster connections) became the ICRA Divison 3 National Champion at the first attempt last September after a superbly sailed series on Dublin Bay in 2021.

The 1979 Joubert-Nivelt Quarter Tonner is entered into Cruisers Three IRC (between the rating of 0.820 and 0.912) for the four-day event co-hosted by all of Dun Laoghaire's waterfront yacht clubs. 

Sailing with Mahon will be his regular crew of Joanne Hall, David Switzer, Jonathan Sutton, Brian Allen and Sean Mahon. 

Martin Mahons' Quarter Tonner Snoopy leads IRC 3 in the 2021 ICRA Nationals. The boat returns to Dublin Bay in 2023 for July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Afloat

In her 2021 campaign, Snoopy was also runner-up in Calves Week in West Cork and Greystones East Coast Regatta.

VDLR Cruisers Three division looks like it is shaping up to be a strong contest with four boats already entered, including Charisma, a Mini Tonner from West Lancashire.

As well as Dun Laoghaire, Mahon told Afloat, "Team Snoopy is back to take on all the big events in 2023, including the Sovereigns' Cup, the Quarter Ton Cup [at Royal Cork], the ICRA Nationals and maybe HYC's Autumn League".