Dun Laoghaire Harbour hopes to create 1000 new jobs according to the new Consultation Harbour Masterplan, on public display this Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 6pm at the Terminal building in the harbour. Mr Leo Varadkar, T.D., Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport visited the Harbour Board today to view the Masterplan model and the plans.

The Dun Laoghaire Waterfront Yacht Club's Submission to the Harbour Masterplan is Here.

"The Masterplan will position Dun Laoghaire Harbour as a marine, leisure and tourism destination of international calibre", says Gerry Dunne, Chief Executive Officer, Dun Laoghaire Harbour Board. "We need to spend an average of €5m a year on maintaining and developing the Harbour infrastructure. The Masterplan will involve investment of more than €230m, over the next 10-15 years and will result in 1000 sustainable jobs in areas such as tourism, marine service companies, select retail, and food and beverage."

Leo Varadkar TD, Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport said "I welcome the master-planning initiative being taken by Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. This is in line with international best practice and with measures to improve integrated transport planning more generally. I know there is very keen local interest in the future development of the harbour and I would encourage all the local stakeholders to participate positively in the process.

"In addition to being a successful commercial ferry port, this harbour is also the State's largest marine leisure amenity, an important maritime heritage site, and host to what is reputed to be the nation's most popular walk. The masterplan will help the company to successfully manage these multiple roles the future.

"I am particularly interested in making the most of the harbour's potential, both as a tourist attraction in its own right and as an attractive gateway for tourists to enter the country."

Major highlights of the Masterplan will be an International Diaspora Centre on the Carlisle Pier, which is expected to attract over 1 million visitors per year.  There will be other major commercial attractions, appropriate residential development and a new cruise berthing facility to enable Dublin Bay to welcome the Next Generation Cruise Ships to Dun Laoghaire.

There will be many improvements for the public and the many Voluntary Groups who use the amenities of the harbour, including a huge increase in public access to the waterfront, new slipways for the general public to use, and a new public marina.  The Masterplan is also making a specific commitment to enable Dun Laoghaire and Dublin Bay to host major International Sailing Events every year.

The Consultation Masterplan shows the Harbour Company's current thinking and asks people again for their views.  It takes into account all the ideas received by post and through the www.dlharbour.ie/masterplan website, the survey of people walking the East Pier as well as the meetings held over the last six months with different stakeholders who live and run businesses in the area.

"Dun Laoghaire harbour is one of the most beautiful man-made harbours in the world.  We want it to be recognised internationally as an exciting waterfront, marine and tourist destination – one which elegantly integrates the local town with a historic 200 year old harbour and offers a striking combination of modern amenities mixed with a traditional marine ambience in a Dublin Bay setting," says Dunne.

Dun Laoghaire's new Harbour master is Captain Frank Allen, according to an announcement by Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company this morning.

Captain Allen replaces Captain Simon Coate who is retiring.

A native of Cork, Captain Allen has spent all his working life in shipping. His first management role was as General Manager of Dundlak shipowners from 1986 to 1997. He was then appointed Ships captain for Carrisbrooke Shipping in the UK and subsequently worked as Operations Manager for Swansea Cork Ferries from 199 to 2003 before joining Dundalk Port as Harbour Master.

The Harbour Company is about to launch a Masterplan for the 200 year old harbour., the country's largest sailing and boating centre.

Already 380 boats have signed up for the regatta which will be the biggest sailing event in Ireland in 2011. The competing sailors are drawn from Dublin Bay yacht clubs as well as from across Ireland with added participation from English, Welsh, Scottish, Isle of Man, French, Spanish, German and Danish yacht clubs.

For many of the boats in the cruising classes, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2011 will be the culmination of hard training and participation first at the ICRA National Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven (17th – 19th June) and then the Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale (22nd – 25th June.) When the first starting guns are fired in Dun Laoghaire on the afternoon of Thursday 7th July, the fleet form should be clearer based on the results from the earlier regattas.

However star contenders that lined up for prizes at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009 are already in contention for prizes in 2011.

IRC Class Zero has attracted ten entries and will feature boats such as Aquelina, a J122 Arklow Sailing Club, Dopplebock, German-entry Dopplebock from Nordduscher Regatta Verein, a new J111 that is the latest 'WoW' from the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire and Cork's Jump Juice from the RCYC; all are expected to feature in the top results. Organisers are also expecting entries from Allan Hogg's, Argie Bargie from Royal Western Yacht Club, Kilrush, Co Clare and Vincent's Farrell's, Tsunami, from the National Yacht Club.

IRC Class 1 has already attracted 22 entries and will feature Afloat's Sailor of the Year 2010 Anthony O Leary with Antix Beag (RCYC), a modified 1720 which in the right conditions is unbeatable. Paul O'Higgins's Rockabill V (NYC/ RIYC) was IRC 1 champion at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009 is also a key contender. Organisers say Rockabill is an extremely well crewed boat and could be in contention for the overall event prize.

IRC Class 2 has already attracted 24 entries and the star contender is David Cullen's King One, a half tonner from Howth Yacht Club which although a classic boat is very well sailed. Red Rhum, Jonathan and Christopher Nicholson's Dehler DB1 from the Royal St George Yacht Club which won on ECHO at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009 is also in this class.

IRC Class 3 also has a strong entry with 33 entries so far and Flor O'Driscoll's Hard on Port (RStGYC) was the only boat in 2009 which achieved race wins across the regatta and is obviously the star contender in this class.

The non spinnaker classes (White Sail 1 and White Sail 2) which demonstrate the true spirit of sailing, have already attracted 25 entries, especially from visiting entries.

Philip Dillworth's Orna, a Grand Soleil 40 from the National Yacht Club which will sail in Non Spinnaker class 1 is a wonderfully consistent boat that wins everything. Other boats to watch out for in this class are Persistance from the RIYC which won on ECHO in White Sail 1 class at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009 and Katanca from RIYC and MacMagic from HYC who both achieved line honors two years ago.

So far 12 J109's are registered to race at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2011 and John Hall's 'Something Else' from NYC is widely regarded as the boat to beat in that class. Other 'one design' classes will include the Beneteau 31.7s, the Sigma 33s, the Ruffian 23s and the Shipman 28s.

The dinghy classes will include Laser SB3s sportboats. Squibs, Mermaids, Dragons, Flying Fifteens, Fireballs and Lasers single-handed.

Ben Duncan and Brian Moran's SB3, Sharkbait from Howth YC is already sitting at top of its class. But another a key competitor in that class will be Annalise Murphy who is currently ranked 9th in the world by the ISAF (International Sailing Federation), is a 2012 Olympic sailing campaigner and has kindly taken on the role of 2011 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta ambassador. Annalise will be sailing the SB3, Bluebird. In the Dragon class, a former Olympic boat, Martin Byrne is currently the national champion on Jaguar, so is the boat to beat in that class.

The classic boat classes will include Glens, Howth 17s, IDRA 14s, Water Wags, Wayfarers and Etchells and may be consolidated into a single race area, depending on the turn out. The UK and Irish national championships for the Wayfarer class will also take place during the event, with 40 to 50 boats expected in this fleet alone.

Organisers are also trying to build a relationship with the kite boarding class, which may become an ISAF Olympic class by 2016. The Regatta will have a prize for a kite boarding event in Sutton, and will have a kite boarding demonstration on one of the regatta days.

In addition to the overall winners and runners up, special trophies will be awarded for Best IRC, Best One Design/ Keelboat, Best Dinghy/ Small Keelboat, Best Visiting Boat and the Irish Open White Sail Champion.

Behind the scenes, there'll be more than 300 volunteers making sure that the event runs smoothly and organisers say they will process more than 6,000 sets of results (including handicap combinations) over the four days.

The regatta will take over the entire waterfront at Dún Laoghaire for the event, using the four yacht clubs and benefiting from Dublin Bay Sailing Club's expertise and equipment.

With less than a week to the start of the the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race 29 boats are entered for the 320-mile classic. 2009 race winner Legally Brunette is entered and there will be a two boat two handed match race. The final race entry list is below.

A combination of an impossibly tight deadline, the high cost of entry and an appalling vista for sailing sponsorship in Ireland this season has halted any chance of an Irish entry into the La Solitaire du Figaro race when it sails in to Dun Laoghaire harbour on August 10th.

Competitive race entry costs ranged from anywhere between €60-250,000.

As late as February National Yacht Club organisers were touting the possibilities of two Dublin entries in to the race. It was a scenario that would have added extra spice for an Irish audience during the Figaro's only foreign stopover at the Irish east coast port.

A 71 boat fleet is expected to stay in Dun Laoghaire for four days and the National Yacht Club is staging a special festival around it.

Latest La Solitaire du Figaro news here

Dun Laoghaire will play host to two new and exciting events this coming August.

The first annual Dublin Bay Taste & Music Fest takes place at the Peoples' Park from 26-28 August.

Pitched as a 'back to basics' celebration of Ireland's culinary heritage, the weekend will feature a 'boulevard' of chefs doing live demonstrations using the finest of local ingredients - as well as guest chefs from San Francisco providing the best of US west coast cooking.

Earlier in the month, on 1 August the inaugural DLR Bay 10k road race kicks off near Dun Laoghaire DART station.

The runners will follow a route that takes in Seapoint, Monkstown, Sallynoggin, Glenageary, Sandycove and Glasthule.

For more details visit www.dlrbay10k.ie.

New plans for the Dun Laoghaire Baths are due to be displayed shortly in County Hall.

Proposals for the project, which is estimated to cost up to €21 million, include the retention and refurbishment of the existing baths pavilion to provide access to swimming and a paddling pool for children.

Also planned is a new structure behind the pavilion with toilet and changing facilities, storage lockers, and a café and restaurant. 

Facilities for thalassotherapy (sea water therapy) are also being mooted, as is a proposal to cover the DART line to provide a new forecourt to the People's Park.

For more information visit www.dlrcoco.ie.

Dun Laoghaire Lifeboat is set to appoint Mark McGibney as Coxwain with effect from 1 June. Eamon O'Leary will become second Coxwain from the same date.

A well-known Dublin Bay and racing sailor, McGibney is the sailing manager of the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dun Laoghaire's waterfront.

The Dun Laoghaire station is among the busiest in the Irish division.  A Trent-class all-weather lifeboat (ALB) 'Anna Livia' and smaller D-Class inshore lifeboat (ILB) are based in the harbour with a crew-panel of 28 local men and women supported by shore-crew and fund-raising volunteers.

Dun Laoghaire's future lies in tourism and leisure, according to a submission on the new 'master plan' for the busy harbour.

The Irish Times reports that the town's top sailing and yacht clubs, who have come together under the banner of Dun Laoghaire Combined Clubs, are putting aside their individual interests "in favour of a larger and longer-term vision for the harbour".

The clubs' submission urges a rethink on public access to both the shore and water sides of the harbour. Inprovements in linking the town with the harbour area are already a goal of the master plan.

"Properly developed with a marine tourism and leisure focus [Dun Laoghaire] can generate new and sustainable sources of income." they said.

Dun Laoghaire Combined Clubs comprises the 'big four' waterfront clubs - the National, Royal Irish, Royal St George and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club - as well as the Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Royal Alfred Yacht Club.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

Dublin Bay it set to burst alive with 'joie de vivre' during the only foreign stopover in the world-famous Solitaire du Figaro yacht race.

Dun Laoghaire will be the only international stop in the race, considered the unofficial world offshore solo championship, between 11 and 14 August.

To celebrate the visit of the iconic 3,390km race, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (dlrcoco), the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and the National Yacht Club have joined forces to create the Festival des Bateaux.

The harbour will be a magnificent tapestry of colour as the boats arrive for this international event. Dun Laoghaire will be resplendent with fireworks, music and the sights, sounds, foods and ‘joie de vivre’ of France.

How Dun Laoghaire will look in August

Fireworks will light up the sky at 10pm on Friday 12 August. There will also be a festival village with public access to visiting boats, a colourful and authentic French market and exhibition, a festival stage at Harbour Plaza and activities throughout Dun Laoghaire, not to mention a spectacular farewell as the boats depart early on Sunday 14 August.

Meanwhile, plans to berth the 45 or so competitors expected are well underway, according to the National Yacht Club.

Funding was secured between dlrcoco and Fáilte Ireland, and the tender for the supply and delivery of 18x11.5m pontoons and associated service bollards was won by McNiven Marine, Irish agents for Ronautica Marine.

The gangway contract was secured by Tynes Gangway, and the last contract for the installation and de-commissioning of the infrastructure is currently underway.