There were ideal saiing conditions at Lough Derg Yacht Club for the 22 boats competing at this year's IDRA 14 dinghy national championships writes Philip Hackett.

I set off for this year’s nationals thinking that a fairly sedate affair was in store; light winds set to weaken and lots of 70th anniversary yarns to sit through...fool me. The unexpected moderate winds and sunny spells made for ideal conditions in a superb location. That combined with the excellent facilities and hospitality afforded to us by LDYC made this one of the best nationals for our class in my experience.

New build IDRA 14 #166 Wicked Sadie

A quiet few days on the Shannon away from the crowds?.... The start line was worse than the M50 on a Friday bank holiday weekend and far more exciting. All very bad for the blood pressure but the starts really helped to mix up the fleet and gave some people a taste of glory up front for a while (Gordon and Mark race 6) and made the front runners work hard for points, having to battle up from the back of the fleet in several races. That all helped to make this event very competitive with a tight fleet and lots of tussles, front, middle and rear. The exception being the #1 spot with Alan Henry and Simon Revill (#134 Dubious) dominating the front without any serious challenge until they got snarled up on the start line on the final race. A little more on that later.

134 Dubious ….sometimes it's lonely at the top

The first day ended following a double win for #134. Pat O’Neill/Oisín O’Conor (#15 Delos II) tied for second position with Alan Carr/Ian MC Cormack (#38 Starfish) and third position also tied between myself/Fiachra Collins (#163 Chance), Frank Hamilton/Marjo Moonen (#140 Dunmoanin) and Andy Sargent/Callum Maher (#4 Dusk) and several others in close position thereafter.

The second day saw 134 again with a double win and second position still tied between Alan Carr/38 and Pat O’Neill/15. Pierre Long/John Parker(#161 Dart) moved up into 4th place behind them. The second race on this day had to be restarted due to the leeward mark drifting….post race chat revealed that most people reckoned the race was theirs if only it hadn't been restarted….indeed. Other notable events of the day saw Jim Lambkin/Wendy Rudd(#1 Error) mistakenly returning to the line for someone else's individual recall and Pat O’Neill receiving a schelp from our boom following an inadvertent jibe on the start line (sorry again Pat).

Pat O’Neill and Alan Carr….stern chasing

The final day was showdown time for second place between Alan Carr and Pat O’Neil but both were badly hemmed in on the start line in the first race and they finished 5th and 6th respectively. Second place went to Frank Hamilton/140 and third to Pierre Long/161. Running into the final race Alan Henry/134’s winning streak remained unbroken and just one point separated Alan Carr ahead of Pat O’Neil. The Committee Boat end of the line had been particularly busy in several of the previous races and so several people decided that the pin end would be the smart place to be…...however the pin end in this final race turned out to be the veritable eye of the needle….several  of the leading contenders either coming into contact with each other or the the mark or else stalling in the general melee. Myself and Fiachra managed to stay clear of it and crossed the start line with good speed and time. We kept our clear lead for the rest of the race. Gordon Kelly/Mark Masterson(#129 Del) had a lengthy taste of potential glory holding a good second position for most of the race until suffering a capsize at the end of the final reach.  Pat O’Neill started at the very back of the fleet and  #134 helmed by Simon Revill with Alan Henry now crewing also trailed the fleet at the start. However both these boats battled their way up through most of the fleet with Pat finally finishing 4th and Simon 2nd. Alan Carr also worked hard to make his way up and finished in 7th. Another very notable result being that of 3rd place taken by Catherine Martin/Brian Murphy(#122 Diane). Catherine is new to the class and had little prior experience of spinnaker sailing.

The final results saw Alan Henry/Simon Revill take 1st, Pat O’Neill/Oisín O’Connor  2nd and Alan Carr/Ian McCormack 3rd.

One very welcome innovation at this year’s Nationals being a rescue boat with a sun deck and onboard bar facilities…..Donal Heney/Louise Coulter(#71 Atomic) being taken in tow and aboard by a spectating motor cruiser. Ageing boy scouts John Lynch/Stephen Harrison(#158 Stoked) lived up to the motto Be Prepared by having a spare tiller to hand when they also suffered similar equipment failure.

The number of family members, over a 3 generation spread, racing with or against each other was also very notable this year...with the youngest competitor, SDC’s Caoimhe Fleming, aged 14 and the oldest being in his mid sixties. There was also a  big contingent of younger sailors from CYBC’s junior section attending the event with four boats either being crewed or helmed by them, Pat O’Neill’s crew, Oisín O’Connor, being one of these.

A thoroughly enjoyable and successful event. I am looking forward to returning to Lough Derg again soon.

Lough Derg Yacht Club..Race Officer John Leech with the IDRA 14 fleet

It takes a leap of the imagination to realise what a remarkable breakthrough the introduction of the Irish Dinghy Racing Association 14ft One Design represented in 1946 writes W M Nixon. But the 70th Anniversary celebrations of this ever-young classic dinghy at Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club on the weekend of September 3rd and 4th will be a reminder of the contribution of a very special boat towards making Ireland the sort of sailing nation where Olympic medals come within the range of possibility and achievement.

The new boat came like a breath of fresh air in the post-war time of uncertainty, when everybody knew that Irish sailing was going to have to go in a new direction if it was to go anywhere, but precisely what that direction might be was a matter of debate and uncertainty.

The formation of a specifically dinghy-sailing national body was a first step, and the importation of the new Uffa Fox-designed mass-produced 12ft–Firefly gave a glimpse of the future. But what was also needed was a slightly larger modern boat with a distinctively Irish tinge.

Fortunately a young Irish yacht and boat designer, O’Brien Kennedy, was working in England, and he was keyed in to the latest concepts in racing dinghies. He had produced plans for clinker-built dinghies for racing which reflected the latest hull design trends, and it was felt that one of his designs would - with several modifications - be suitable to provide the IDRA with a 14ft dinghy to go with the Firefly in spreading the concepts of modern dinghy racing throughout Ireland.

The first public appearance – O’Brien Kennedy’s drawings for the new IDRA 14 as they appeared in The Yachting Year Annual 1946-47.
In fact, such was the interest and enthusiasm reaching O’Brien Kennedy from would-be owners in Ireland that he produced what were in effect the plans of a new boat, and in a matter of weeks forty-six of the new IDRA 14s were in the pipeline, either from commercial builders, or from capable enthusiasts so keen to get the new class into being that they were game to have a go at building the boats themselves.

They were profoundly satisfying boats to build, as O’Brien Kennedy had produced a set of lines which resulted in beautifully sweeping clinker-planked hulls, something which has been shown to perfection in the most recent boat Wicked Sadie, amateur built to professional standards by a group at Contarf, and much admired wherever she goes since her launching on June 25th this year.

So it’s appropriate that Clontarf is going to be the setting for celebrating the Class’s 70h birthday, as it was a hotbed for IDRA 14 growth in the late 1940s, with one leading local sailor so keen to get the show on the road that he donated one of the new boats to be the prize in a raffle.

IDRA 14 Champions 1947 – 2015

The detailed listing of the Class Champions since 1947 deserves the closest study, for it shows just how central to the development of Irish sailing the IDRA 14 became. Just about every area of sailing, both inshore and offshore, dinghy and keelboat, has seen IDRA 14 sailors becoming involved to make a major contribution at the top levels, and the friendships formed have lasted down the years.

Thus the big party at Clontarf in the first weekend of September is going to work at many levels. And it even has an international aspect, as a sister class of the IDRA 14 is the Dragonfly at Waldringfield in Suffolk in eastern England. The newest Dragonfly – built last year – is going to be brought to Clontarf, accompanied by a party of eleven Dragonfly sailors.

Longtime IDRA 14 sailor and former Clontarf Y & BC Commodore Ian Sargent is at the heart of this remarkable celebration, which is going to lay on a major welcome for IDRA 14 sailors past and present. He can be contacted through [email protected], mobile 087-6791069, landline 01-8322196.

A class in good heart – the modern IDRA fleet, seen here racing in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, incudes both timber and GRP boats. Photo courtesy VDLR

Following the launch of the new build IDRA 14 wooden dinghy on Saturday, after a three year long project, the Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club team lead and novice boat builder Ronan Melling has thanked all of those involved in making the day so successful.

"Three years ago I had a crazy idea to build a boat. It was crazy because I have never attempted anything like it before. I didn’t know then that it would take a team of amateurs almost three years, over six thousand hours, three different types of wood and almost 2000 rivets to build this boat. I couldn’t have comprehended how much I would learn. I didn’t know how many incredible people would respond to my calls for help, advice and support. I didn’t realise how many of these people, after willingly offering what they could, would stay with the project - through ups and downs, setbacks and challenges, breakthroughs and milestones.

"All of the blood (mostly Donal Heney’s) sweat and tears culminated in the launch of Wicked Sadie on Saturday the 25th of June.Wicked Sadie is a boat with soul. Her soul, my soul, the soul of the incredible build team, of the IDRA14 class, of CY&BC.

It was a passion for the sea, for wooden boats that inspired me to attempt this project but it would not have been possible without the support of my club and its Executive and membership. The Club provided the space for us to complete the project and our Commodore led others in promoting and supporting the project and all of the club members who lent a hand, particularly with the riveting and sanding. We also had huge support from other clubs, particularly the East Wall Water Sports club who shared their boat building expertise.

I owe all of these supporters and contributors a huge debt of gratitude. We wouldn’t be here without you.

"We were so delighted to see so many people turn out for the launch on Saturday – to sail off in Wicked Sadie and look back and see so many family, friends, supporters and visitors line along the sea wall to wave us off was incredible. A huge thanks to all of the IDRA14s who accompanied us on that first sail around – it was amazing to have such company on the water.

"This boat is all about family, not only mine who bore all my absences with patience and good grace, but the IDRA14 family. The work that we have done here in building Wicked Sadie, developing the plans, recording the stages, marking the best practice is all there for future generations, for all of those brave fools who want to pour their souls into a newbuild IDRA14. We have played our part and got our own Pearly Queen, our very own Wicked Sadie, who is a testament to the strength of the past and the potential of the future."

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the wooden dinghy IDRA 14, a group of amateur boat builders from Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club (CY&BC), led by Ronan Melling have built the first boat in almost 50 years.

The clinker boat has taken three years to build so the launch on the 25th of June at 12:30pm will be an historic occasion for CY&BC.

Speaking in advance of the launch, project lead and first-time boat builder Ronan Melling said, "The IDRA14 dinghies have a unique Irish history. They are single design wooden boats that were designed by an Irish naval architect, George O’Brien Kennedy in the winter of 1938 in Dorset. The design was adopted and adapted by the Irish Dinghy Racing Association in 1945 to regulate small boat sailing and encourage more people into the sport.

“The first IDRA14s were launched in the summer of 1946 and the first races were held in Clontarf and Dun Laoghaire so it is fitting that the first one built in almost 50 years will be launched from the same slipway.

"It has taken over 6,000 hours, the work of 30 plus volunteers and the incredible help and support of so many people from within Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and outside to get us to this point so we are really excited about sharing our official launch with boats from clubs across Dublin who will join our new IDRA14. There is a lot of excitement and speculation about the name of the new boat, which will be revealed on the day."

The Harold’s Cross Brass Band will be there to provide music for the launch. Afterwards from 3pm Bryan Smyth will entertain guests in the Club with live music. There will also be face painting and food available.

Date: Saturday 25th of June
Time: 12:30pm
Location: Slip opposite Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3

June bank holiday weekend now features a joyous experience every year – driving down the main street in Warrenpoint, boat jangling on trailer behind, to emerge to the glorious panoramic vista of Carlingford Lough. A few miles further along the road to Rostrevor and Carlingford Lough Yacht Club welcomed the IDRA14 fleet for the 21st occasion spanning 20 years. Dubbed ‘Roastrevor’ this year, we were treated to stunning weather, warm sunshine and fresh sea-breezes.

This year being the 70th anniversary, the IDRA14 ethos of “Classic & Progressive” was very much in evidence, with classic wooden boats looking lustrous (SDC’s Alan Carr’s ever immaculate 14/38 “Starfish” and CYBC’s Donal Heney’s resplendent 14/71 “Atomic”) and a variety of new controls (some new spinnaker pole arrangements, some trying centre-sheeting for example) implemented across the fleet. With a decent turn-out of nine boats, the sailing promised to be good. And of course there was a big turn-out of friends, family, kids and dogs ashore, so spirits were high as the sun was soaked in, BBQs lit and pints were savoured.

Day 1 featured light winds with a clear divide amongst the fleet, with 134 taking two firsts and 38 and 140 swapping second/third for both races. Further back, the competition was tight in battling for best positions. Clontarf’s Ian Sargent and Dave Tillotson assisted in being Race Officer and Rescue on the day.

A strengthening breeze picked up for Day 2, as evidenced by four boats capsizing throughout the first race. For Race 3, a pin bias seemed apparent with both 134 and 142 starting on a port tack and slipped ahead of any oncoming boat on starboard. The windward mark was rounded first by 134, then 38, 142, and followed closely by 140 and 126. Close quarters sailing with the spinnakers aloft, but 142 tipped over following a gybe near the leeward mark. Both 160 and 71 slipped by, having both recovered rapidly from earlier capsizes.

The long race to Warrenpoint started promptly thereafter. 14/142, now drained post-capsize, again took a port start and executed a rapid tack in advance of the hollering starboard boats. After a short upwind leg, the windward mark was rounded in order of 134, 38, 142, 140, 126, 160 and 71. Sweeping around the mark, bows were pointed towards the steeple in Warrenpoint and the then invisible mark approximately three miles distant. Spinnakers were hoisted, set and filled and the boats surged forward, tearing down the Lough in chase of the local club Lasers starting earlier. At a broad reach, near run, the boats surfed down the waves rolling up the Lough. 134 extended their lead and 140 slipped into third place, with 142 and 126 rounding the leeward mark in close pursuit. Hardening up into the long beat back, 142 opted for the outer route into the middle of the lough while 140 and 126 tacked back inland. The finish line was out of sight, with just the mast of a giant moored trimaran being a reference point in the hazy sunshine. Crews leaning far out on trapeze, helms hiking over the side, everything stretched to keep the boat flat and slicing through the oncoming swell. With the fleet dispersed, it was difficult to gauge relative progress, with both 134 and 142 opting to sail slightly higher courses to allow to reach at speed for the line. With a clean sweep for the weekend, 134 crossed the line in first place followed a minute later by 38. Both 142 and 140 courses converged towards the line with the tiniest of margins separating them – 142 took 3rd place with 140 crossing 4 seconds later. 126, 160 and 71 took the remaining positions after a tough close-hauled sail up the lough.

Alan Henry / Simon Revill (14/134) of Sutton Dinghy Club claimed first place, with Alan Carr / Dana Kilroy (14/38) also of Sutton Dinghy Club in second place and Frank Hamilton / Jennifer Byrne (14/140) of Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club in third place. Proving that blood is indeed thicker than water, Charles Sargent and granddaughter Caoimhe Fleming (14/126) of Sutton Dinghy Club took home the Warrenpoint trophy on handicap. Overall a fantastic weekend of superb sailing conditions, fabulous weather and relaxing atmosphere, all graciously hosted with thanks to good folks in Carlingford Lough Yacht Club.

#idra14 – The IDRA14 National Championships at Carlingford Lough concluded on Sunday. A good representation from Royal St. George, DMYC, Clontarf Y&BC and Sutton Dinghy Club saw eighteen crews attending. Results sheet downloadable below.

Pat O'Neill and Jim O'Hara (pictured) of Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club sailed to an almost perfect score of 6 points with 4 bullets over the 6 races on board Delos II.
Second overall were former National Champions Alan Henry and Simon Revill of Sutton Dinghy Club scoring 12 points on board "Sunshine"
In third place just one point behind were Julie Ascoop and Heather Keenan of DMYC sailing "Chaos"
In the Silver fleet former Class Commodore Stephen Harrison took line honours along with crew Stephen Johnston on board "Squalls" also sailing out of DMYC.
In the Crew's Race Calum Maher of Sutton Dinghy Club was first home. Star of the future potentially.
Race Officer Ian Sargent with support from Carlingford SC volunteers ran 7 races over 3 days in sometimes very challenging conditions.
The IDRA14 Class wishes to acknowledge the great welcome, hospitality and assistance shown to members both on and off the water by all member of Carlingford Sailing Club. Vice Commodore Erin Finnegan has invited the class to return with the event again in the future.

#idra14 – The June bank holiday weekend again saw the IDRA 14's head north to Killowen, near Rostrevor in Co. Down writes Ian Sargent. Carlingford Lough Yacht Club's location is nestled on the shore with the majestic Mourne mountains behind and stunning views of the Lough and the Cooley mountains to the front – surely the most scenic sailing location in Ireland.

The small number of boats (8 this year) was augmented by the Class entourage and a large number of tents, camper vans etc took up residence on the Friday. Sadly two of our regular attendees – Killain Sargent & Yvonne Murray (14/157) and Paddy O'Kelly (14/51) have emigrated to Australia since last year. They did however send their regards from Oz to us for the event on facebook.

The hospitality of the Club bar was enjoyed at length each night into the early hours of the morning – thank you Seamus McNally (the barman). On the Saturday evening were were entertained by the CLYC Choir who were followed by our young musicians Ronah Lonergan, Hazel O'Kelly & Emma Richardson,

Our racing schedule for the event is different than most Classes – we only want two one hour back to back races each day in the afternoon each day. This format has made the event very popular with the Class as the time spent on the water is not too long and so everyone brings their kids and grandkids etc which results in a great atmosphere on shore.

The sailing on the Saturday was a mixed bag as the renowned vagares of the winds in Carlingford again made themselves known – large patches of calm interspersed with other patches of wind that constantly varied in direction and later even rising enough to have one capsize. Also there were the usual early season gear failures. The race officer succeeded in getting the two races completed and the competitors happily returned to shore. Race 1 was won by 14/163 (Philip Hackett) and race 2 by 14/112 (Alan Henry).

On the Sunday afternoon we had two more races – one near the club and the second the usual long race taking in a mark at Warrenpoint. This long race is eagerly awaited each year as it can become a test of endurance if the wind gets up – and it did! More capsizes and gear failure followed. Two boats found a mark closer than the one at Warrenpoint and arrived back elated only to find they had not completed the full course. Everyone arrived back quite exhausted and were delighted that was the last race. The 3rd race was again won by Alan Henry and the long 4th race by 14/140 (Frank Hamilton) after a closely fought battle with 14/126 (Charles Sargent) and 14/38 (Alan Carr).

The prizegiving was held outside th Club in warm sunshine – in total contrast to recent years.

Special presentations were made to the Commodore of CLYC Philip O'Connor and to our Ciaran Browne who is emigrating shortly to the USA. Sadly emigration is now becoming more than an occasional event in our sport.

Next year will be our 20th visit to CLYC. Very few Classes have an away event in one location that has continued unbroken for such a long number of years. We have also built up a great rapport with thr CLYC members – many of whom come down each year to join us in the shoreside activities.

We would like to express our thanks to Carlingford Lough Yacht Club for their hospitality and continued support for this event. So now roll the 20th visit in 2015.

Northern Chanmpionship Results:

1st 14/112 "Sunshine" Alan Henry / Simon Reville SDC / HYC
2nd 14/140 "Dunmoanin" Frank Hamilton / Jennifer Byrne DMYC
3rd 14/38 "Starfish" Alan Carr / Dana Kilroy SDC
4th 14/126 "Smurfette" Charles Sargent / Fergal O'Flaherty SDC / DMYC
5th 14/163 "Chance" Philip Hackett / Fiachra Collins CY&BC
6th 14/31 "Shearwater" Ciaran Browne/ Peter Dignam CY&BC
7th 14/160 "Dragon" Ronan Melling / Lorraine Smith CY&BC
8th 14/71 "Atomic" Donal Heney / Louise Coulter CY&BC

Warrenpoint Trophy Race:
14/140 "Dunmaonin" Frank Hamilton / Jennifer Byrne DMYC

#dbsc – CRUISERS 2 - 1. Borraine (Ean Pugh), 2. Bendemeer (L Casey & D Power)

CRUISERS 3 Tuesday - 1. Syzrgy (R Fogarty), 2. Grasshopper II (K & J Glynn), 3. Maranda (M Kelly)

Ensign - 1. RIYC 1 (Tim Goodbody), 2. RIYC 2 (Mark McGibney)

FIREBALL - 1. No Name (S Oram), 2. Elevation (N.Colin/M.Casey), 3. Blind Squirrel (Frank Miller)

GLEN - 1. Glendun (B.Denham et al), 2. Glenmiller (P Cusack), 3. Glenshane (P Hogan)

IDRA 14 FOOT - 1. Dunmoanin (Frank Hamilton), 2. Doody (J.Fitzgerald/J.Byrne), 3. Slipstream (Julie Ascoop)

PY CLASS - 1. R Kenneally (Laser), 2. Colin Galavan (Laser), 3. Gary O'Hare (Laser)

RUFFIAN 23 - 1. Cresendo (L Balfe), 2. Alias (D.Meeke/M.McCarthy), 3. Ruff Diamond (D.Byrne et al)

#dmyc – With only ten boats on the water there was a little more room than usual on the start line in Race 1, which Sheehy's OK Dinghy took advantage of with a clean pin end start, tacking and crossing the fleet. Half way up the first beat the lead had gone. Results for both races are downloadable below.

Pierre Long had picked a good left shift and was coming across on port in his IDRA14. He had caught right up but only saw the now starboard tack OK Dinghy at the last moment. A slam tack resulted in an extremely unwanted capsize, mere minutes after the start. Ouch.

Frank Hamilton took advantage and sailed out to another race win with Des Fortune's Finn - ably sailed by Colin Galavan - only 40 seconds behind in 2nd. With discards kicking in the Finn and Hamilton's IDRA14 ended the race 1st and 2nd, and joint first overall. Meantime Long had righted the capsized IDRA and fought back to finish 7th!

In Race 2 the start was marred by a windward/leeward between Long's IDRA and Sheehy's OK Dinghy in the seconds before the gun. The OK Dinghy's protest will be heard next week. McCarthy won the start this time, with another clean tack and cross just after the gun showing excellent timing.

In the race itself, McCarthy's Solo sailed off to a solid win, with Galavan taking Des Fortune's Finn to another second place. Long was 3rd (pending protest) with Hamilton unusually far back in 4th.

As in the Laser race there were gains in the corners - but big losses too. In race 1 Hamilton threaded his way through every shift correctly and was clearly the fastest boat out there. In race 2 McCarthy did the same, avoiding big losses and sailing fast and clean to the win.

#dmycfrostbite – Winter ought to be over by now and the DMYC Frostbite series has come to the end of its 42nd year. Quite an institution. However, winter doesn't seem to be finished with us quite yet so 25-35 knot winds and temperatures of 2 degC confronted the fleets instead of the hoped-for Spring warmth.

The organisers and sailors left the decisions as long as possible in the hopes of one last race. There was no let up in the conditions and racing was cancelled for the day so the OK Dinghy didn't have to protect its lead in series 2. In any case, conditions at the RSGYC's slipway meant there was no way that the OK Dinghy could be launched. Enough of the easterly swell was reaching the slip to render any attempt at a launch both foolish and potentially dangerous....on that slipway at least.

However, the fleets took advantage of the lousy weather by heading for the DMYC where pints, prizes and Irish Tapas were the order of the day – along with some interesting announcements about the summer sailing.

In the PY fleet there were two sets of results up for grabs; the post-Xmas races in Series 2 and the Overall 2012/13 series.

The results in Series 2 were as follows:

OK Dinghy / Sheehy
GP14 / O'Brien & Sheridan
IDRA14 / Long & Rea

While the overall 2012/13 DMYC Frostbite series results were;

OK Dinghy / Sheehy
IDRA14 / Long & Rea
IDRA14 / Hamilton & Byrne

There was also a quick introductory talk about the activities of the Dún Laoghaire Dinghies team and the soon to be launched "Island Trial". These will be exciting additions to dinghy sailing on Dublin Bay in 2013