The Flying Fifteens saw a significant increase in their numbers for Day 2 of VLDR 2023, and they were “rewarded” with three races in robust conditions.

“Rewarded” is used judiciously as the fleet gathered in the National Yacht Club to initiate the recovery process! Nobody offered to “get the party going”, such was the physical challenge on the water. As one very experienced Fifteener said, that was like a day at a World Championship, and I should know!

It was a day with a bit of drama, too, as a tiller detached itself from its rudder; though the rudder wasn’t lost, it meant curtains for David Gorman and Chris Doorly (4099) and a long tow home.

The Pied Piper also made an appearance in the first race, with Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (4028) credited with the role, and maybe amazingly, followed by Shane McCarthy & Alan Green (4085). As the fifth fleet to start on the South Bull course, closest to the Liffey mouth, it seems that while the preceding four starts had course 2A, not everyone twigged that the Fifteens were given Course 2B, racing to the inner weather mark rather than the further one.

Lee Statham and Andrew Paul from Waterford Harbour. Statham (right) went overboard in race three but was recovered Photo: Bob Bateman 

And finally, we had a man overboard incident at the penultimate mark of the third race, the unfortunate victim being Lee Statham, helm of 4070.

Race Officer David Wilkins set a long beat for the first race though some chose to sail an even longer one. Colin and McCarthy were the most prominent people who went astray, leaving the leaders at the right weather mark as Gorman, Statham, Niall Meagher & Nicki Mathews (3938) and the previous day’s winners, Tom Galvin & Cormac Bradley (3757).

The first two were very close at the finish with a good lead on Meagher, with Galvin following in fourth, with Alan and Lorcan Balfe closing out the top five.

The next two races were sailed to Course 2A, the outer windward mark, and in actual fact, the inner mark seemed to have been lifted altogether. The weather mark was also moved shore-wards, suggesting that the wind had gone a bit further southerly. However, this appeared to mean that it became a “Lake Garda drag race” – head inshore and tack on the layline. That meant that the choice of when to tack became the most tactical element of the race. Colin, in particular, seemed to master the inshore tack the best, and ultimately, he would be rewarded with two third places for his tactical acumen. Statham added another second in the middle race, but McCarthy & Green went one better and took two bullets to head up the leaderboard at the end of the day.

Phil Lawton & Neil O’Hagan (3803) came back from a sixth in the middle race to score a second in the last race of the day, and Galvin had an even better recovery from a poor start and middle race to add another fourth to his tally.

Phil Lawton and Neil O’Hagan

The nett effect of the day’s endeavours means that McCarthy & Green lead with four points, followed by Statham on eight, Galvin on nine, Lawton on eleven, Meagher on twelve and Colin on fifteen.

An amendment on Saturday evening will see the fleet return to South Bull and the race management of Mr Wilkins rather than a sojourn to the Colleen course and Mr Lovegrove.

Another three races are promised in what at 00:53 are projected to be the lightest of the regatta thus far – low teens to just under the 20knots mark. It is just as well we aren’t scheduled to sail at 07:00 when the gusts are due to get in the high thirties, according to XCWeather.

 The O'Leary Antix crew defending their Irish crown in style after the first day of racing in tough Dublin Bay conditions at the Cape 31 Irish Nationals at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

Antix, who were the UK's top Corinthian Cape 31 crew at Royal Lymington in June, are counting a 2,2,1 to be on five points and three points clear of Howth's Dan O'Grady sailing Aja.

Howth Yacht Club's Aja skippered by Dan O'Grady Photo: Michael Chester

Lying third in the six-boat fleet is Mike Bartholomew's Tokoloshe, the winner of the Cape 31 Class at the 2022 RORC Vice Admiral's Cup, is also on eight.

Mike Bartholomew's Tokoloshe Photo: Michael Chester

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth regatta.

Royal Irish Yacht Club Commodore Jerry Dowling leads the SB20 fleet at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta with three straight wins scored in blustery conditions on Friday. 

Lying second overall to Dowling's Bád/Kilcullen in the ten-boat fleet is clubmate Colin Galavan's Carpe Diem on eight points. 

In a one, two, three for the RIYC, Ger Dempsey's Venuesworld is third on nine points.

A discard applies after four races. Another five races are expected over the weekend to complete the series. 

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth regatta.

Scotland's leading offshore skipper Jonathan Anderson seems to have gone native in Dun Laoghaire, as he registers himself and his J/122 El Gran Senor as racing for the Royal Irish YC in the crack Offshore Class of the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta with 25 top-level boats battling for the honours.

The RIYC will be happy to have him on board, for although Frank Whelan's big canting-keel Elliott 57 Opal from Greystones took line honours in the 30-mile offshore seafest, it was El Gran Senor that corrected into BCT under IRC.

The first race of the VDLR offshore fleet saw a start at Omega; Muglins (S); Bray Outfall (P); South Burford (S); East Kish (S); Bray Outfall (S); South Burford (P), and a Finish between Dun Laoghaire's pier heads, a distance of 32 miles

Various outfall buoys are proving so useful in providing distant turning marks for this very special division that it's surely not beyond the wit of the powers that be to give them a new (fresh?) name that better fits their perception for sailors.

Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom sports a flying jib on her close reach in from the South Burford to a finish line between pier heads at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in the first offshore race of the the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Michael Chester

Be that as it may, with three big boats in the first four, John O'Gorman's "little" Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie (National YC) did well to place second, ahead of the First 50 Checkmate (Dave Cullen & Nigel Biggs, Howth YC) in third, and their clubmate Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom in fourth.

The First 50 Checkmate (Dave Cullen & Nigel Biggs, Howth YC) Photo: Bob Bateman

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth regatta.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta organisers released a bird's eye view film of an action-packed day two of sailing on Dublin Bay.

Ireland's largest yacht racing event was captured by drone by Dun Laoghaire sailor Mark Nolan of Lotus Media when southerly breezes topped 20 knots.

The 18-minute video features many of the competing 22 classes from the combined fleet of almost 400 boats.

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

You'll sometimes hear complaints that the impressive JPK range from France are marginally under-canvassed boats, but what's not to like about that when racing on Friday's slowly easing rough and tumble?

Paul O'Higgin's well-proven JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (RIYC) took it all in her stride to keep a clean sheet in IRC 0 of the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta ahead of Pete Smyth's slightly lower-rated Sun Fast 3600 Searcher (NYC), with third going to Johnny Treanor's new J112eGP (NYC) in the first race of three sailed.

Pete Smyth's Sun Fast 3600 Searcher (NYC) lies second by a single point after three races sailed at the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

And those overall scores were maintained at the close of play on Friday after two more windward leeward courses, with O'Higgins one point clear of Smyth on six points. Treanor trails Smyth by five points on 12 points.

Johnny Treanor's new J112eGP Valentina lies third overall after three races sailed at the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

Former and current champions in various major regattas are battling for honours in IRC 1 in the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

Mike & Richie Evans's well-starred J/99 Snapshot (Howth YC) got the best of it in today's first race ahead of John Maybury's frequently-winning J/109 Joker (RIYC), with northern star Final Call II, John Minnis's A35 helmed by Gareth Flannigan (RUYC & RNIYC) in third. 

Mike & Richie Evans's J/99 Snapshot (Howth YC) lying second overall after three races sailed in IRC One at the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

But Minnis, who told Afloat before the regatta that he wasn't coming down from Belfast to 'make up the numbers', made good on his intent by taking the overall lead after three windward-leeward races were sailed.

The 1,2 scored in the subsequent races gave the Royal Ulster crew the lead and an overnight cushion of four points over the Howth J99. 

In third is Richard and Timothy Goodobdy's White Mischief from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the first of a strong turnout of 17 J109s in the IRC One fleet. 

Richard and Timothy Goodobdy's White Mischief lying third overall after three races sailed in IRC One at the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

The defending champion Maybury dropped to fifth overall when he counted an untypical 13th place in the day's closing race in the 24-boat fleet.

The testing conditions saw many broaches downwind as winds gusted over 20 knots.

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

The tough first race of IRC Two at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta saw the rugged veteran X-302 Dux (Gore-Grimes family, HYC) loving it, but as things settled down a bit, Olympian Andy Beadsworth in James Dwyer's legendary Half Tonner c (Royal Cork YC) found his mojo to record 4,4,1 against Dux's 1,7,3, while Stephen Quinn's J/97 Lambay Rules (HYC) lies third on 2,1,10.

Nicholas And Caroline Gore-Grimes in the Howth Yacht Club X-302 Dux lie second overall after three races sailed at the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

Stephen Quinn's J97 Lambay Rules from Howth Yacht Club lies third overall in the 2023 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

The strong southerly winds are expected to continue for Saturday's races before moderating for Sunday's conclusion of the biennial event.

The Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, and Royal St. George Yacht Club are organising the ninth Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

Dublin Port Harbour Master Capt. Michael McKenna, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Events Director Paddy Boyd and Dun Laoghaire Harbour Master Capt. Harry Duggan were at the opening of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta today ahead of the first races of the biennial event.

Dublin Port, the regatta organisers from the four waterfront yacht clubs and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have overseen a safety plan for the duration of Ireland's biggest sailing event on Dublin Bay.

To ensure the safety of all concerned and to facilitate the management of such a large sailing event, Dublin Port's South Burford Traffic Separation Scheme will be closed to all commercial traffic on Thursday, 6 July, between noon and 6.30 pm, and Friday 7, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July between 10 am and 6.30 pm.

Dublin Port, the regatta organisers from the four waterfront yacht clubs and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council have overseen a safety plan for the duration of Ireland's biggest sailing event on Dublin Bay Photo: Jason Clarke

Although around 400 boats and 2,000 sailors went to sea on the first day, the organisers had to cancel racing due to the gale force winds before the first warning signals.

Dublin Port Company issued a notice to mariners of navigational changes for the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, which began on Thursday (6 July).

As Afloat reported earlier, vessels arriving or departing Dublin Bay, including to/from the anchorage, during these times must use the North Burford Traffic Separation Scheme.

In addition, the port company has also issued a notice regarding the five temporary yacht markings that will be deployed in Dublin Bay for the duration of the regatta.

The National Yacht Club's Tom Galvin and Cormac Bradley were the winners of Thursday's first Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta race in the Flying Fifteen class.

As southerly winds topped 30 knots, only five starters from a fleet of 22 came to the startline of the Salthill course area in the northwest of Dublin Bay. 

Where nearly every other Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta class was cancelled, five hardy 20-foot Flying Fifteeens battled it out on the Salthill course with Lee Statham and Andrew Paul to windward and race winners Tom Galvin and Cormac Bradley furthest left Photo: Bob Bateman

Over a trapezoid course, shortened by international Race Officer Peter Van Muyden, one of the favourites, Shane McCarthy and Alan Green were second, with Royal St. George's Phil Lawton and Neil O'Hagan finishing third.

Shane McCarthy and Alan Green go downwind in 30 knots of breeze in the first race of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

Lee Statham and Andrew Paul (closest to camera) chase Shane McCarthy and Alan Green downwind Photo: Bob Bateman

A race protest is pending, however, as one skipper says that en route to the race area, he was asked by a race committee RIB to "return to shore as all racing was cancelled".

In a protest against the race committee, Conor Cronin, skipper of the Flying Fifteen 'Fast Idiots' from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club, in his protest description, claims he "confirmed this with a committee boat and another rib vessel, and we're confirmed as n/a [racing cancelled] for all fleets".

RACE REPORT

Perseverance pays off for five Flying Fifteens at VDLR

An “alleged declaration” that the Race Officers would set courses for Day 1 of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta and allow competitors to make their own decision on racing did nothing to dispel the pessimism ashore that racing would be possible writes Cormac Bradley. The Volvo flags flying at the bandstand on the East Pier were flying “stiff as a board” all morning and the tricolour at the end of East Pier was also advising that there was lots of wind further out as were the numbers from the Dublin Bay Buoy.

Despite all these signs there was a sense that boats wanted to sail, and a collection of boats across all the classes exited the harbour. Included in this expression of enthusiasm for racing were five Flying Fifteens – Shane McCarthy & Alan Green (4085), Tom Galvin & Cormac Bradley (3757), Chris Arrowsmith (he of ILCA 7 pedigree) & Conor O’Leary (3753), Lee Statham & Andy Paul (4070) and Phil Lawton & Neil O’Hagan (3803). Galvin & Bradley flew the spinnaker to the start area but, in the squally conditions, broke the end of the pole at the inboard end. It limited their options for the race, which, it turned out, wasn’t the end of the world.

Phil Lawton and Neil O’Hagan are well in control under spinnaker in the big breeze of the first day of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Photo: Bob Bateman

The start was not contested between the boats, Galvin had a loose hold on the pin, Arrowsmith was halfway between the pin end and the committee boat and the remaining three boats were closer to the committee boat.

Arrowsmith powered over Galvin but wasn’t sailing with the same height as the latter and when they crossed tacks, Galvin had the starboard rights. At this stage Statham was looking good but McCarthy wasn’t a million miles away and Lawton was showing his pedigree by staying in close company. Conditions inshore were slightly flatter and the three boats that had chosen this side of the course seemed to have gained an advantage. Given the very blustery conditions, it was quite surprising that the fleet was as condensed as it was at the first weather mark, where the order was (I hope) Statham, McCarthy, Galvin, Lawton and Arrowsmith.

Statham and McCarthy flew spinnaker and looked very comfortable doing so until Mother Nature intervened and both crews found themselves in dinghy mode, but rather than standing on a centreboard, they were standing on a keel. Lawton too had spinnaker issues while Arrowsmith gybed early and sailed down the inshore side of the run and appeared to be rewarded for doing so. Galvin sailed the early part of the run goose-winged but when the gybe was called, this configuration no longer worked.

Shane McCarthy and Alan Green going well upwind in 30-knot gusts on the Salthill course Photo: Bob Bateman

At the leeward mark, three boats headed inshore, Statham, Arrowsmith and Galvin. Arrowsmith was first to “bail” and followed by Statham shortly thereafter. Taking the advice of a prominent Flying Fifteener to go to land when the wind is South or South-East, Galvin persisted with a port tack to shore before putting in a starboard tack to get up to the windward mark. At this stage, Lawton and Arrowsmith were closest to Galvin but both were to leeward of him. The other two then came inshore, having pursued a starboard tack-biased beat. Galvin tacked just short of the port lay-line with Lawton and Arrowsmith sailing a parallel course but to leeward. The question then was whether McCarthy & Statham had done enough to get ahead of Galvin? The answer was No! Galvin’s last tack for the weather mark alerted him to the fact that a shortened course signal was flying, and he crossed the line with McCarthy a very short distance behind, followed by Lawton, Statham and Arrowsmith. Simultaneously, the weather mark rib signalled that racing for the day was finished.

Wind strengths were recorded at 34 knots by the windward mark rib and a severe rain-induced squall on the second beat certainly rattled the rigging, which was rattling quite readily already and as the fleet sailed through the harbour on the way home, another severe squall offered a final test of endurance for the returning fleet.

Results are provisional