The 2023 DBSC season was a mixed bag of weather for everyone and the Flying Fifteens were no exception. We had Saturdays when we were blown off due to too much wind or dangerous seas only to find the following Thursday that we didn’t have enough wind to warrant going afloat. On another Thursday, we had a peasouper of an evening where only two boats bothered to try and find the committee boat – we did – before the Race Officer called the whole affair off. We also had the windiest Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta that I can recall where five Flying Fifteens “distinguished” themselves as being the only boats in a 400+ fleet to get a race in on the very blustery Thursday.

The Dun Laoghaire fleet was well represented at all the regional and National events, with a big turnout in Connemara in particular. Having seen the National title go West (Congrats Niall & Ronan) and another pedigree boat go west from Dun Laoghaire (followed up by a win in the closing Lough Derg regatta), the East Coast home of Flying Fifteens now has a challenge on its hands from our West Coast brethren.

After the close of the season, with the Frostbites a recent memory (Congrats Shane & Alan), and the deck at the National Yacht Club devoid of all the summer boats bar a couple of hardy Fifteens the fleet congregated for its 2023 prize-giving dinner.

The MC for the evening was Class Captain Robin Hilliard with able assistance from his daughter and crew Dasha, with guests in the form of Rosemary Cadogan, Vice Commodore of the National Yacht Club and Rosemary Roy, Honorary Secretary of DBSC.

A large number of prizes were awarded on the night, with quite a few acknowledged by specific trophies.

Frank Burns Trophy DBSC Thursdays 1st Crew Hugh McNally
Godkin Trophy DBSC Saturdays 1st Crew Chris Doorly
Siobhan Trophy DBSC Saturdays (Apr & May) David Gorman & Chris Doorly
Ross Doyle Tankard DBSC Thursdays Series 2 Shane McCarthy & Hugh McNally
Heineken Plate DBSC 1st Overall Neil Colin & Margaret Casey
Lady Crew Trophy* DBSC 1st Lady Crew Overall Margaret Casey
Lady Helm Trophy* DBSC 1st Lady Helm Overall Jill Fleming.
*New trophies presented by Mrs Rosemary Roy.
Cooper Trophy DBSC 1st Silver Fleet Adrian Cooper & Joe McNamara
Hellsgate Trophy DBSC 1st Bronze Fleet John O’Sullivan & Pat Kiersey
Halfway Mug DBSC Saturdays, 1st Silver Fleet Peter & Alex Sherry

Gold Fleet (Overall)
1. Neil Colin & Margaret Casey
2. Tom Galvin & Keith Poole
3. Alastair Court & Conor O’Leary

Silver Fleet (Overall)
1. Adrian Cooper & Joe McNamara
2. Peter & Alex Sherry
3. Jill Fleming & Richard O’Rahilly

Bronze Fleet (Overall)
1. John O’Sullivan & Pat Kiersey
2. Caomhan McKernan & Maurice Collins
3. Robin & Dasha Hilliard

Endeavour Trophy – Peter Murphy & Ciara Mulvey
Chase Trophy – Robin & Dasha Hilliard – Dalkey Island Chase
Captain’s Prize – Schull Harbour Race – Alan Green & Caroline Hannify
DAF Traveller’s Trophy – Niall Meagher & Nicki Matthews.
Neophyte Trophy (Newcomer to the fleet) – Gavin Hall.

Following the prize-giving, NYC Vice Commodore Rosemary Cadogan addressed the dinner in the absence of the Commodore, who was on the other side of the world.

The final formal act of the evening saw the outgoing Captain Robin Hilliard exit the office with a huge commendation for his efforts over the past 12 months and the “anointing” of his successor Joe Hickey with the donning of the Captain’s peaked cap.

The fixture list for the 2024 Flying Fifteen regatta circuit has been released within the past few days, and readers are reminded that this will be a qualifying year for the UK-hosted Worlds in 2025.

Flying Fifteens Prize-giving photo gallery 2023

Margaret Casey (L) receives the 1st Lady Crew Overall DBSC from National Yacht Club Vice Commodore, Rosemary Cadogan, with 2023 Flying Fifteen Class Captain, Robin Hilliard looking on. This is a new trophy donated to the Class by Rosemary Roy Photo: Cormac Bradley

Jill Fleming (C) with the 1st Flying Fifteen Lady Helm Overall DBSC with Rosemary Cadogan and Robin Hilliard. This is a new trophy donated to the Class by Rosemary Roy Photo: Cormac Bradley

Keith Poole (L) and Tom Galvin (2nd from right) pick up a prize for 2nd overall in DBSC Flying Fifteen Gold Fleet Photo: Cormac Bradley

Shane McCarthy (C) accepts the Ross Doyle Tankard for winning DBSC Flying Fifteen Thursdays Series 2 Photo: Cormac Bradley

Shane McCarthy with the Frank Burns Trophy for Hugh McNally – DBSC Flying Fifteen Thursdays, 1st Crew Photo: Cormac Bradley

Chris Doorly – 1st Crew Flying Fifteen DBSC Saturdays Photo: Cormac Bradley

Chris Doorly and David Gorman (L), winners of the Flying Fifteen Siobhan Trophy – DBSC Saturdays April & May, with Rosemary Cadogan and Robin Hilliard Photo: Cormac Bradley

Alastair Court with prizes for 3rd in Flying Fifteen Gold Fleet DBSC Photo: Cormac Bradley

Joe Hickey makes his maiden speech as the incoming (2024) Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen Class Captain Photo: Cormac Bradley

Irish Flying Fifteens, one of the country's biggest one design keelboat classes, will be subject to a qualification protocol for the 2025 class World Championships in Weymouth, England if more than if more boats want to compete on the Dorset coast than spaces permit. 

Flying Fifteen International will decide on the country allocations for the biennial championships last held in Perth, Australia, in 2023. 

The 2025 Worlds will be hosted by Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy and will likely attract a strong Irish entry. 

The qualifying series consists of five events, the best of three to count for qualification. The two national championship results will be ranked +50%.

This is the same system used in 2008 leading into the Worlds hosted by the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. 

2024 Irish Flying Fifteen Worlds Qualification Events Calendar

• FFAI Westerns 25th + 26th May - Sruthan, Connemara
• British Nationals 19th - 22nd June - SLYC, Co Down. Rank +50%
• FFAI Champs of Ireland - 6th - 8th Sept – Dunmore Rank +50%
• FFAI East Coast - 21st - 22nd Sept - Dublin.
• FFAI South Coast - 12th - 13th Oct - Lough Derg

It didn’t look very promising when the Flying Fifteen competitors arrived at the National Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Saturday as the sea was flat calm with only an odd hint of wind and none forecast till later in the day. Despite this, the PRO Keith Poole headed out and set up station just to the north of the harbour mouth. Eight boats either paddled out or got a tow from the ribs it was that light. After a short postponement, a gentle breeze came in from the N/NW, and a course was quickly set with just one lap.

The first two positions overall were known before the start of the days racing, with Shane MacCarthy & Alan Green winning the trophy in first place and David Mulvin & Ronan Beirne in second. Third place was up for grabs. Green & MacCarthy alternated helming duties every second race so it was a successful joint effort.

Niall & Nicky Meagher sailed a great beat and were first to the weather mark, followed by Tom Galvin & Cormac Bradley and then a bunch led by Mulvin, O’Sullivan and MacCarthy in fifth. Galvin got very close to the Meaghers on the upwind to the finish bit the Meaghers prevailed to take the gun with Galvin & Bradley in second and John & Emmer O’Sullivan in third.

A downwind finish at the Flying Fifteen Frostbite Series at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Race 2 got off quickly as it was apparent that the wind would drop. The rib crews were on call and ready to shorten the course, and this was how it panned out as the boats finished at the committee boat on the first run with the help of the tide under them. It was a clean start, and Joe Coughlan & Andy Marshal sailed an excellent beat on the right of the course to get to the weather mark just ahead of Galvin & Bradley, who recovered well after getting squeezed out at the start followed closely by Mulvin & Beirne with Jill Flemming & Joe Hickey fourth and Green & MacCarthy in fifth. It looked all over and that Coughan would win, but as a small zephyr of wind came in from behind it all changed in the last 50m. Galvin sailed past Coughlin with Mulvin and Fleming also piping Coughlan to the line.

With a consistent day's sailing in tricky conditions, Galvin & Bradley had moved up to a well-deserved third overall.

In a competition that has been on the go since 1979, this was as good and enjoyable as any of them, and at the prize giving in the NYC, winners Green & MacCarthy thanked the PRO Keith Poole and all the volunteers on the committee boat, including the owners Ronan and Cameron Columb, and those in the mark laying ribs.

The Flying Fifteen class in Dun Laoghaire started its annual Frostbite series, which has been going since 1979, with PRO Keith Poole and his team getting in two races in ideal conditions. The tide was flooding, and the wind was a slightly shifty 13-14 knots from the NW.

Racing got off cleanly with a good start by Coughlan & Marshall in the middle of the line as most boats ventured towards the pin end and headed inshore.

Flying Fifteen Mach Five sailed by Alan Green and Shane MacCarthy 

Alan Green & Shane MacCarthy rounded the weather mark first, closely followed by David Mulvin and Ronan Beirne, Nicky and Niall Meagher and Robin Hilliard & Joe Hickey. Downwind was a great spectacle with places changing on a regular basis so much so that Mulvin rounded the leeward mark in the lead with the Meagher’s second and Green third. Upwind the Meagher got in front but by the weather mark, Green and MacCarthy were back in front a lead they kept to the finish line with Mulvin and Beirne finishing second, the Meaghers third and Hilliard and Hickey fourth.

Race 2 got going very quickly, all the boats were well off the line, and this time, MacCarthy helmed to lead for a comfortable win. There were plenty of changes behind, but Mulvin & Beirne prevailed to keep second, Murphy and Mulvey recovered from doing turns to finish third just in front of the Meagher, followed by Hilliard & Hickey and O’Sullivan. The series continues next week. 

Flying Fifteen class Dun Laoghaire Frostbite Series

With the Flying Fifteen national title going west for the first time this year, the 2023 season just finished on a high for the class's burgeoning Connemara fleet, with Galway boats taking first and second in Lough Derg Yacht Club's Freshwater Keelboat Regatta at Dromineer in County Tipperary.

Ros an Mhíl's Dermot Flaherty and Joe McDonagh sailing Phoenix were winners by four nett points from national champions Niall and Ronán O'Brien in a ten-boat fleet.

Four races were sailed on Saturday with one discard, but racing was abandoned on Sunday by Race Officer John Leech due to a lack of wind at Dromineer.

National Yacht Club trio Alan Green and Keith Poole finished third.

Ten Flying Fifteens competed.

Sailing for sport in Connemara has long tended to be in a world of its own with the local traditional craft, but 2023 is very much a breakout year. One of our “Sailors of the Month” for July was the west’s Aongus O Cualain’s, who brought his optimised classic gleoiteog Blat na hOige to the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Asgard Plate Race, and won overall against a fleet of every sort of gaff-rigged boat. And now in September, the growing Flying Fifteen fleet in Kilkieran has made it to the top, with Niall & Ronan O’Briain of Flying Fifteen Chonamara winning a very hard-fought Irish Flying Fifteen Nationals at County Antrim Yacht Club in Whitehead on Belfast Lough.

Whitehead is about as far from Connemara as you’ll get Flying Fifteen racing in Ireland, but if anything, the distance provided an added incentive to put down an important marker in the progress towards a more broadly-based outward-looking sailing picture in the far west.

After eight races sailed at the Flying Fifteen British National Championships at Weymouth, sole Irish competitor Shane MacCarthy from Greystones Sailing Club with Richard Rigg finished overall. 

MacCarthy, who counted four top ten results, travelled to the Dorset coast, having won the previous weekend's Irish East Coast championships with the same crew at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. 

Overall winners in the 48-boat British fleet were Ben McGrane and Russ Clark from Netley Sailing Club. Fiery Chariot, sailed by Andy McKee and Richard Jones were runners up. Richard Lovering and Chris Turner were third in Floaty McFloatface.

After four races sailed at the Flying Fifteen British National Championships at Weymouth, sole Irish competitor Shane MacCarthy from Greystones Sailing Club with Richard Rigg is lying seventh overall. 

MacCarthy travelled to the Dorset coast, having won last weekend's Irish East Coast championships with the same crew at Dun Laoghaire. 

Leading the 48-boat British fleet are Ben McGrane and Russ Clark from Netley Sailing Club. Richard Lovering and Chris Turner are second in Floaty McFloatface, with Fiery Chariot, sailed by Andy McKee and Richard Jones in third place.

Racing continues on Sunday.

The last “salt-water” regatta for the Irish Flying Fifteen fleet was hosted this past weekend by the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. Early in the week beforehand, the forecast was for a robust Saturday and a more genteel Sunday…….and so it proved. Saturday was projected to see winds in the high teens with gusts in the twenties from a northerly direction and on arrival at the club this appeared to be the case. In his regatta briefing IRO, Con Murphy, advised the fleet that out in the Bay the wind was blowing in accordance with the forecast. He suggested that he would be racing windward-leeward course of two rounds and they would monitor the wind during the course of the day.

Launching off the NYC slipway isn’t the easiest in a northerly, but a reduced fleet from the 26-boat entry got away without too much drama. Outside the harbour it became apparent that not only was the wind a possible issue but there was an ugly sea running as well. An early casualty of the conditions was a broken kicker, with the crew retiring to shore and re-emerging from the harbour in a RIB to supplement the rescue team. Another combination sailed to the starting area, did their own assessment and returned to shore.

With the tide still flooding, the wind was effectively blowing at right angles to the main tidal stream and this created a lumpy sea with cross waves the order of the day. The port tack was reasonably comfortable as there was greater sense of “going into the waves,” but the starboard tack was less so.

The first race and subsequent races got away punctually without the use of either a U-flag or a Black Flag.

Peter Kennedy & Stephen Kane (3920) claimed the first win of the day, with the new National Champions, Niall & Ronan O’Briain (4902) finishing second and Shane McCarthy & Richard Rigg (4085) closing out the podium places. While the upwind legs were hard work, the downwind legs were exhilarating, with big swells helping the Fifteens surf easily downwind. At the leeward gate, the majority preference was to go to the left and head off to the open area of the Bay for the subsequent beat. Nineteen boats finished this first race, which had some excitement in it with a few keels being shown off in the robust spinnaker conditions.

McCarthy & Rigg took control of the first day with two race wins in the second and third races, but the National Champions kept in touch with a third and a second and Kennedy & Kane scored a second and a fifth. This left these three at the top of the table with McCarthy & Rigg on 5, O’Briain & O’Briain on 7 and Kennedy & Kane on 8pts. Class Chairman Hammy Baker and Class Secretary Peter Chamberlain (3756) led the chasing pack with a (4,5,4) with Ian Mathews & Keith Poole (4093) scoring 7,6,6, and visitors Andy McCleery & Colin Dougan (4037) scoring 13,4,3.

The attrition rate grew as the afternoon went on – Phil Lawton & Neil O’Hagan (3803) had scored a 5th in Race 1 but a broken main halyard in Race 2 left them with an early shower and a no-show in Race 3. Spinnaker complications also “did” for David Gorman and Chris Doorly (4099) and Lee Statham & Andy Paul (4070), which left each of them with a high 27pt score in the third race.

Back ashore, the wind speed recorded for the day was in the range 20 – 25knots.

Saturday evening was taken up with an AGM, dinner and the small matter of Ireland V Tonga at the Rugby World Cup. The AGM discussed potential venues for the 2024 regatta calendar which, if it comes to fruition, will see visits to the South Coast, the West Coast, the East Coast, the British Nationals in Strangford and two options for a Northern Championship and, potentially, the “freshwater water regatta” in Lough Derg (subject to invitation). Other matters to get an airing were the issues of membership numbers and membership fees (which impact on places at the next Worlds [UK]) and the need for new blood on the committee. The financial report indicated a stable condition with the prospect of some additional income from a hosted event earlier this year. Given the day on the water, the attendance at the dinner was modest and even fewer lasted the eighty minutes of play in the rugby.

Sunday was a completely different day, light airs, a glimpse of sunshine, and heavy rain as boats were being packed up. Race 1 saw the fleet split between inshore and offshore with the majority favouring the inshore route. However, as the fleet made its way upwind more boats started defecting to the middle and left of the course. Niall Meagher & Nicki Matthews (3938) led the way in Race 1 but were overtaken by Lawton & O’Hagan and McCarthy & Rigg. Interestingly, while the majority of the fleet went inshore on the downwind legs, those who played “chicken” by going right were rewarded for their ambition. Mathews & Poole and Tom Galvin & Cormac Bradley (3757) were among those who benefitted by this tactic.

Light airs for Sunday's racing  at the NYC hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Con Murphy

For the final race, it seemed that both hard right and hard left on the beat paid and those in the middle were left to take the crumbs from the wind gods’ table. Gorman & Doorly scored spectacularly by staying hard left to lead the race by a comfortable margin. Behind them came Kennedy & Kane and Baker & Chamberlain. In the fading breeze, Race Officer Murphy signalled a shortened course at the leeward gate by showing an “F” flag. Nobody seemed to be aggrieved at the idea of an early finish.

At the prize-giving, NYC Commodore Peter Sherry (and competitor) again welcomed everyone to the National Yacht Club and presided over the presentations, capably assisted by the Dun Laoghaire Class Captain Robin Hilliard.

Additional prizes were awarded to 1st Lady Crew, Margaret Casey, 4028, 14th Overall and 1st Lady Helm, Geraldine O’Neill, 3706, 24th Overall.

2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships results. See full results sheet below

Thank-you gifts were presented to IRO Con Murphy and the sixteen volunteers who had given their time to the regatta over the weekend.

Shane McCarthy closed out the prize-giving by thanking everyone who had contributed to the success of the event – his crew, his fellow competitors and the volunteers without whom the event would not have taken place.

Richard Rigg (L) with National Yacht Club Commodore Peter Sherry and Shane McCarthy (R), 1st Place, Gold Fleet at the NYC hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley

Peter Kennedy (L) and Stephen Kane (R ), 2nd Place Gold Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley

Niall (L) and Ronan O’Briain (R), 3rd Place Gold Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley

Lee Statham (L) and Andy Paul (R), 1st Place, Silver Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley

Neil O’Hagan (L) and Phil Lawton (R), 2nd Place, Silver Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley

With only two weeks gone since the last Flying Fifteen regatta, the Nationals, hosted in great style by County Antrim Yacht Club in Belfast Lough, the penultimate regatta of the summer season takes place this weekend on Dublin Bay, hosted by the National Yacht Club, the East Coast Championships. As of Tuesday past, the entry was at a modest 20 boats considering the number of Fifteens across the Dun Laoghaire waterfront. The current XCWeather forecast suggests that there will be more wind than at the Nationals, with wind on Saturday at a peak of 17 knots at 10:00 and dropping during the course of the afternoon.

Gusts are forecast at 16/17knots. The forecast is for 12/13knots with gusts in the mid-twenties on Sunday. That should give Race Officer Con Murphy plenty to work with.

The Nationals Title went west for the first time in my memory when the O’Briain cousins, Niall and Ronan, sailed a consistent series with some covering tactics in the last race to ensure there was no late hiccup in their quest for the title. Theirs has been an amazing story, considering they made their class debut at the Connemara Trial Regatta of 2022. Their Nationals win makes them strong contenders for this weekend’s event.

Ian Mathews and Keith Poole were second in Whitehead and will have the advantage of sailing in home waters, assuming Ian is still in the country to sail. They had a spectacular Saturday at the Nationals, and while they came a little unstuck on the Sunday, one can never dismiss them.

Peter Kennedy and Stephen Kane had only one result outside the top five in Whitehead, and Peter will not be put off sailing in Dublin Bay, considering he took away the National Title in 2022 sailing in Dublin Bay with his daughter.

Shane McCarthy & Alan Green didn’t have the best Nationals regatta by their standards and will be keen to regain a place in the upper echelons of the pecking order come Sunday evening. Having said that, most of us would give our eyeteeth for a top-five finish at a Nationals.

Lee Statham and Andy Paul regularly finishing at the upper end of the fleet and took the Gerry Donleavy Trophy home to Dunmore East for the first race win at the Nationals.

Flying Fifteen duo Dave Gorman and Chris Doorly from the National Yacht Club

A conspicuous absentee at the Nationals was the combination of Dave Gorman & Chris Doorly, who, one imagines, will be keen to make a go of it this weekend in their home waters. Another absentee from Whitehead was Phil Lawton, so again, if he is entered, he must be regarded as a serious contender.

Phil Lawton (right) and Neil O'Hagan of the Royal St. George 

Of the potential northern visitors, Andy McCleery & Colin Dougan had a race win in Whitehead, but three big number results undid their challenge. Hammy Baker & Peter Chamberlain also had too many big numbers in their score to be at the top of the pile but were still comfortably inside the top ten. Both these combinations will be looking to make amends from their Whitehead endeavours.

Hammy Baker & Peter Chamberlain

The home fleet in Dun Laoghaire is well populated with combinations who are likely to have good individual race results, which should ensure that the racing is very competitive this weekend.

I also believe that a Class AGM is planned, but I don’t have the details to hand to highlight the time of the meeting.