Displaying items by tag: Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
Phew! 7-12 knots Forecast for Dun Laoghaire Regatta Racers
#vdlr2013 – As all Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta competitors know only too well, the centre of this high pressure is bang over the top of Dublin Bay today, but fortunately it looks like it will slowly slide off to the south west over the weekend allowing for slightly stronger thermal breezes to develop. That's according to top UK forecaster Mike Broughton this lunch time.
Overall, the good news is that the front that looked like it was going to impinge on our lovely summer in Dublin in the early part of next week now looks like it won't ever make it and the high looks set to move east again giving us yet more sunshine.
According to Broughton, who runs the specialist sailing forecast website winningwind.com, a strong inversion has been partly responsible for the lack of sea breezes, but hopefully we should see 7-12 knot south east winds today and tomorrow.
#vdlr2013 – Dun Laoghaire regatta organisers will take a fresh look at the coastal course today in view of this morning's light wind forecast and the fact yesterday's finishers in this new 16-boat division did not get back to harbour until well after 7.30pm, an hour or more after the rest of the 393-boat fleet. 'Even the race office had gone home!', joked one competitor last night.
The coastal series accommodate those offshore sailors and larger cruisers who prefer to take part in races where the distances between marks are greater.
Last night, all times taken were declarations recorded by the competitors themselves at the last mark on the course, a feature of some offshore courses such as the ISORA series.
The first course: Muglins, Killiney, the Volvo Regatta mark, XC60, and the 40 foot mark, off Sandycove point was modest enough but proved a leg too far.
Due to the light conditions the fleet, with a handicap rating span of 15 minutes in the hour, all ended up rafted together, waiting for the time limit to arrive so that times rounding Killiney mark would apply.
This morning, there are moves afoot to have the regatta's Sailing Instructions changed so any boat retiring would be recorded to their last mark.
The new division is designed to facilitate a large number of standard cruiser designs not suited to prevailing tight inshore courses and who cannot compete on handicap with some of the out and out racing machines but yesterday the longer course just ran out of wind.
#vdlr2013 – Inshore and offshore campaigner John Maybury's J109, Joker II, continues her winning form this season after victory in this afternoon's light and shifty opening race of the 2013 Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta.
Nearly 3000 sailors are afloat on Dublin Bay for the four day regatta that is the biggest sailing event in the Irish Sea area. The event hit the headlines yesterday with a full page entry list of all competing boats in the Irish Times. The value of the event is estimated by organisers to be worth €600k to the local economy.
The regatta got off to a prompt start in spite of forecasts of no wind, with all 25 classes completing the first day's programme.
Local sailor Maybury, from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, who was a class winner in June's Sovereign's Cup, took the first race of the 14–boat J109 fleet by a considerable margin, making every use of multiple Olympic keelboat helmsman Mark Mansfield on board.
Second was John Collins in Jet Stream from Pwllheli Sailing Club. His club mate, the ISORA offshore champion, Sgrech, sailed by Stephen Tudor was third.
Conditions could not have been more different than the first race this time two years ago when strong southerly winds gusted to gale force in the biennial event.
Today was equally as testing but for completely different reasons as sailors struggled to keep sails filling in the gentle sea breeze and strong sunshine that prevailed. 'It was light and shifty, you really had to keep your head out of the boat' said Mansfield, a veteran of the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics in the Star keelboat.
Racing is being staged until Sunday over eight separate courses and a combined fleet of 393 boats, with 120 visiting yachts.
An impressive line up of 12 class zero boats has made Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta the biggest turnout this year for the 40-footers.
Ten are visiting boats, but first race honours are staying local with Howth's well campaigned Mills 36 Crazy Horse (Alan Chambers and Norbert Reilly) taking a win from the Clyde based First 40, Zephyr (Stephen Cowie). Third this afternoon was Swansea's Dark Angel, a Dubois 37 skippered by Anthony Ackland.
In Class one's 16–boat fleet the recently crowned Irish class one champion Bon Exemple, a new Xp33 design, is on top again beating Fairlie's Mat1010 in the opening round. Third was Paul O'Higgin's Rockabill from the Royal Irish Yacht Club.
Yachts are sailing different courses including trapezoid, windward–leeward, and triangular configurations. This year for the first time there is also a coastal division but no winners details are available so far, with this 16-boat division only returning to harbour last night (under engine) at 1930.
The 2011 winner of the overall Volvo trophy Ken Lawless is back in contention again but in a different boat.
His new vintage quarter tonner Cartoon was fifth in today's opening race in one of the regatta's biggest fleets today but taking the gun in this 24-boat division is the IRC Class three National Champion Quest, skippered by Barry Cunningham of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.
In the one design and dinghy divisions, sailing in the centre or the north west of the bay, there were plenty of familiar names at the top of the fleets.
Tim Goodbody leads the Sigma 33s, Ian Mathews the Flying fifteens, Gerry O'Connor the Squibs and Michael O'Connor in the SB20s.
Sailing in Seapoint bay with a 120 degree wind, a nine boat Fireball fleet sailed two races with winds strong enough for marginal trapezing. Both counting a 1 and a 2, the Clancy Brothers are tied with Brian Byrne and Stephen Campion for first place. More on the Fireball racing here.
Racing continues tomorrow (Friday).
Day one provisional selected results
IRC CLASS 0 1. Crazy Horse (Chambers/ Reilly) 2. Zephyr (S Cowie) 3. Dark Angel (A Ackland)
IRC CLASS 1 1. Bon Example (X Yachts GB) 2. Now or Never 3 (N Stafford) 3. Rockabill V (P O'Higgins)
IRC CLASS 2 1. Checkmate XV (N Biggs) 2. Scenario Encore (S&J Fitton) 3. Tribal (L Burke)
J109 1. Joker II (J Maybury) 2. Jet Stream (J Collins) 3. Sgrech (S Tudor)
SIGMA 33 1. White Mischief (T Goodbody) 2. Leaky Roof 2 (A Harper/ E&K Robertson) 3. Rupert (R&P Lovegrove)
BENETEAU 31.7 1. Eauvtion (J&D Corlett) 2. Twister (Byers/ Fletcher/ Fair) 3. Prospect (C Johnston)
#vdlr2013 – A weather expert has allayed fears of a windless start to Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta tomorrow in spite of the current calm on Dublin Bay.
An area of high pressure hangs over Ireland on the eve of the event and with little wind on Dublin Bay all week, the question on the lips of over 3,000 sailors in 390 boats gathered in Dun Laoghaire for Ireland's biggest sailing event is; 'will there be wind?'
After two years of planning, organisers fears of a repeat of the inaugural 2005 event, when the event was becalmed for four days, are, it appears unfounded.
UK Met guru Dr. Simon Keeling says, 'hang in there, the winds are coming!'
Last Saturday for DBSC racing, the bay produced a sparkling 15-20 knot sea breeze in bright sunshine (photos and results here) but since then there's been nothing, but glassy calm, heavy, humid air plus a lot of local theories as to why the sea breeze has disappeared.
The good news, according to Keeling of Weatherweb.net, who supplies regular weekly forecasts to Dun Laoghaire marina berth holders, is that conditions look more favourable for a sea breeze tomorrow, although only light.
By Friday, the UK based Keeling says 'winds will turn to the NW around F3 or F4 as high pressure retreats leaving a residual ridge behind'.
We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Final Entry List for Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2013
#VDLR2013 – Scroll down this page for the full entry of 390 boats in 25 classes equalling the inaugural 2005 regatta.
Class | Boat Name | Owner | Club |
---|---|---|---|
IRC 0 | Jezebel | Guy Cowper | Royal Dee YC |
Eos | Rod Stuart | Clyde CC | |
Impetuous | Richard Fildes | South Caernarvonshire YC | |
Dark Angel | Anthony Ackland | Swansea Yacht & Sub Aqua Club | |
Roxstar | Findlay and Anderson | Clyde CC | |
Grand Cru II | Jamie McGarry | Clyde CC | |
Mighty Max 2 | Neil Thomas | Liverpool YC | |
Loose Change | Morris Mitton/Peter Redden | Royal Irish YC | |
Zephyr | Steven Cowie | Clyde Cruising Club | |
Jacob | John Stamp | Port Edgar | |
Elf too | Christine Murray | Clyde CC | |
Crazy Horse | Chambers/Reilly | Howth YC | |
IRC 1 | Injenious | MG SAILING [Crompton/Hallworth] | South Caernarvonshire YC |
Carmen II | Alan Jeffrey and Paul Scutt | Helensburgh SC | |
Boomerang | Kirwan Family | Royal St George YC | |
Black Velvet | Parnell Family | Royal Irish YC | |
What's the Rush 2 | Ernie Kelly | Ballyhenry Boat club | |
Animal | Debbie Aitken | Clyde CC | |
Bada Bing | Andy Napper, Andy and Annie Farrell | Liverpool YC | |
Now or Never 3 | Neill Sandford | Fairlie YC | |
Axiom | Michael J ONeill | Royal Irish YC | |
Megalopolis | Peter Allman | Royal St George YC | |
Rockabill V | Paul OHiggins | Royal Irish YC | |
Adrenalin | Balfe/McDonald/OMalley | National YC | |
Flashback | Paddy Gregory, Don Breen | Howth YC | |
Raptor | Denis Hewitt & Ors | Royal Irish YC | |
Gringo | Tony Fox | National Yacht Club | |
Bon Exemple | X Yachts GB | Royal Irish YC | |
Eazi Tiger | Connolly/Kyffin/Oliver | Liverpool YC | |
IRC 2 | King One | David Cullen | Howth YC |
Kamikaze | Peter Nash | Royal St George YC | |
Movistar Bleu | Raymond Killops | Killyleagh YC | |
Jester | Declan Curtin | National YC | |
Cor Baby | Ryan, Lattimore and Kiernan | Royal Irish YC | |
Viking | Kevin Darmody/Mark Patterson | Howth YC | |
Dux | Anthony Gore-Grimes | Howth YC | |
Graduate | Barron, Dunne, Merrigan O Keeffe | Royal Irish YC | |
Checkmate XV | Nigel Biggs | Royal St George YC/Visiting Cowes | |
Witzend 2 | Peter Conlon | Royal St George YC | |
Bendemeer | Lindsay J Casey and Denis Power | Royal St George YC | |
Tribal | Liam Burke | Galway Bay SC | |
MiniMumm | Ronan Cobbe and Niamh McDonald | Howth YC | |
Scenario Encore | Stuart/Julie Fitton | Blackpool and Fleetwood YC | |
The Big Picture | R and M Evans and B Heffernan | Howth YC | |
Maximus | Paddy Kyne | Howth YC | |
Cherubino | Yves Letertre | Carlingford SC | |
Fifty shades | Stuart cranston | Strangford lough yc | |
Dick Dastardly | Brian Cusack and Others | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Peridot | Yannick Charrier / Jim McCann / Paul Cadden / Hugh O'Donnell | Royal Irish YC | |
Impetuous | Fergal Noonan/Robert Chambers | Howth YC | |
Helter Skelter | Adrienne and Averil Jermyn | Royal St George YC | |
Significant | Ian Macdonald | Clyde CC | |
Karukera | Gerry Harvey | Royal St George YC | |
Sunburn | Ian Byrne | Howth YC | |
Red Rhum | Jonathan/Christopher Nicholson | Royal St George YC | |
IRC 3 | Tango | Andy Dunn | Douglas Bay YC IOM |
NYAH | Stefan Hyde | Royal Cork YC | |
Wynward | Wyn McCormack | Royal Irish YC | |
Chouskikou | Declan Ward | DL Marina | |
Supernova | Timbs/Costello/McStay/Monaghan | Royal Irish YC | |
Cacciatore | Mairead Ni Cheallachain | National YC | |
Alliance II | Vincent Gaffney | Howth YC | |
Hard on Port | Flor ODriscoll | Howth YC | |
Pamafe | Michael Costello | Royal Irish YC | |
Cri-Cri | Paul Colton | Royal Irish YC | |
Asterix | Boushell/Counihan/Meredith | DL Marina | |
Jaws | Jaime Bergin, Brendan Foley, Others | Dublin Bay SC | |
Grasshopper 2 | Kevin and John Glynn | National YC | |
Challenger | Paul Rossiter | Howth YC | |
Goyave | Russell Camier | Malahide YC | |
Gossip | Meredith, Kerins, Barron, Rowley | Royal Irish YC | |
Carrabeg | D.L.Martin | Royal St George YC | |
Flash | Graeme Noonan / Brian Flahive | Wicklow SC | |
HyFlyer | John Barnard | Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club | |
Apache | Jonathan Gifford | Quoile YC | |
Saki | Ryan and McCormack | Royal Irish YC | |
Don Giovanni | Cillian Macken | Howth YC | |
Taiscealai | Brian Richardson | Royal Irish YC | |
Triple Seven | D.Fitzgerald/S.Gardiner | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Gung-Ho | Grainne and Sean OShea | Royal Irish YC | |
Cartoon | Joe Brady/Sybil McCormack/Ken Lawless | Royal Irish YC | |
Jamais Encore | JP McCaldin | Lough Erne Yacht Club | |
Jelignite | Finbarr Ryan | Lough Ree YC | |
Triple Seven | D.Fitzgerald/S.Gardiner | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Quest | Barry Cunningham and Johnny Skerritt | Royal Irish YC | |
J Guevara | Hasson Family | Lough Swilly YC | |
Euro Car Parks Kilcullen | Howth YC K25 Team | Howth YC | |
Starlet | Bourke, Maher, McGirr | Howth YC | |
Borraine | Ean Pugh | Royal Irish YC | |
Beneteau 31.7 | Extreme Reality | P McSwiney/ E ORafferty | Royal Irish YC |
Prima Nocte | Deirdre Kennedy/Patrick Burke | Royal Irish YC | |
Levante | Michael Leahy/John POwer | National YC | |
Levana | Jean Mitton | Royal St George YC | |
Prospect | Chris Johnston | National YC | |
After You Too | Michael Blaney | Royal St George YC | |
Dies Irae | Patrick D Rowan | Royal Irish YC | |
Kernach | Eoin ODriscoll | National YC | |
Bluefin Two | Michael/Bernie Bryson | National YC | |
Fiddly Bits | PJ Timmins/B.Quigley/G.Murray/ D.Breen | Royal St George YC | |
Avalon | Conan/Fox | Royal St George YC | |
Magic | Donal O'Sullivan, David Espey | Royal Irish YC | |
30 Something | Brian Kavanagh | Royal St George YC | |
Eauvation | Jason and Debbie Corlett | Douglas Bay YC | |
Twister | Byers/Fletcher/Fair | Royal Ulster YC | |
Attitude | Sugars/Milner | Royal Irish YC/Royal St George YC | |
Legally blonde | C.Drohan/P.Egan | Royal St George YC | |
J109 | Indecision | Declan Hayes | Royal Irish YC |
Ruth | Liam Shanahan | National YC | |
Joker 2 | John Maybury | Royal Irish YC | |
Powder Monkey | Chris Moore, Mark Byrne,Others | National YC | |
Something Else | John and Brian Hall, Sue McDonnell | National YC | |
Jump The Gun | Michael Monaghan/John Kelly | Royal Irish YC | |
Sleeper | Alasdair Davidson | Liverpool YC | |
Mojito | Peter Dunlop/Vicky Cox | Pwllheli SC | |
Jeepster | David Lean | South Caernarvonshire YC | |
Storm | Pat Kelly | Rush SC | |
Sgrech | Stephen Tudor | Pwllheli SC | |
Jalapeno | Barrington/Burke/Phillips | National YC | |
Jedi | Sarratt and Austin and McGuiness | Royal Irish YC | |
Jetstream | John Collins | Pwllheli SC | |
Non Spinnaker | Vespucci | Sean & Kristina ORegan | Royal St George YC/Royal Irish YC |
Eden Park | Liam Farmer | Royal Irish YC | |
Bite the Bullet | Colm Bermingham | Howth YC | |
Humdinger | Michael Mc Cabe | Carlingford SC | |
The Great Escape | Patrick & Denise Rigney | Royal Irish YC | |
Syledis in Blue | John & Brenda Hayes | Bray SC | |
Gannet | Brian McCann | Carlingford Lough YC | |
Chase Me | John Raughter | Bray SC | |
More Mischief | Eamonn Doyle | DL Marina | |
White Lotus | Paul Tully | DL Marina | |
Demelza | Stephanie Ennis | Howth YC | |
Jokers Wild | Gordon Knaggs | Howth YC | |
Persistance | Charles Broadhead, Ian Stuart, Jerry Collins | Royal Irish YC | |
Spirit | Colin OBrien et al | Royal St George YC | |
Excalibur | Bart Connolly | Bray SC | |
Sea Safari | Jacqueline Smith | Royal Irish YC | |
Calypso | Howard Knott | Royal St George YC | |
Afternoon Delight | M.Bennett, M Brennan, JP Mackay, G Begley | Royal Irish YC | |
Brazen Hussy | Barry/Stirling | Howth YC | |
Katie | T.Dunne/F.Fahy/CMcGuinness/D.Grace | Royal St George YC | |
Orna | Philip Dilworth | National YC | |
Nirvana | Bernard Neeson | Royal St George YC | |
To Infinity and Beyond | Kieran Crowley | Royal St George YC | |
Dragonfly | Alo McGoldrick | Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club | |
Act Two | M Oleary/T Roche/D Andrews | Royal Irish YC | |
Aurora | Ray Conway | National YC | |
Emir Herr | Liam Shanahan | National YC | |
Nauti-Gal | John and Jason Crawford | Royal St George YC | |
Setanta | Gavin Denn | National YC | |
Zephyr | Ross Cahill-OBrien | National YC | |
Just Jasmin | Philip Smith | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Xerxes | Dan ONeill | Royal Irish YC | |
Big Deal | Derek Dillon | Foynes YC | |
Effex II | Frank Friel | Royal Irish YC | |
Moonshine | Team Foynes Partners | Foynes YC | |
Roaring Water | Jack Coffey | Royal Irish YC | |
Eblana | Roger Aplin | ||
Pure Magic | Steve Hayes | Bray SC | |
Windermere | Joe Taylor | Greystones SC | |
IRC Coastal | Lula Belle | Liam Coyne | National YC |
Ulula III | Nick Ogden | Liverpool YC | |
Lively Lady | Derek Martin | Royal Irish YC | |
Adelie | Peter Hall | National YC | |
Lady Rowena | David Bolger | Royal St George YC | |
Aquelina | Sheila Tyrrell/James Tyrrell | Arklow SC | |
Wow | George Sisk | Royal Irish YC | |
African Challenge | Dirk van Breda | National YC | |
Tsunami | Vincent Farrell | National YC | |
Soufriere | Stephen OFlaherty | Royal Irish YC | |
Mermaid IV | Seamus Fitzpatrick | Royal Irish YC | |
Windshift | Brian Gillen | DL Marina | |
Coirin | Finn Lyden | Royal St George YC | |
Polished Manx | Kuba Szymanski | Douglas Bay YC IOM | |
Rebellion | Hughes/Hanlon/O'Mahony | National YC | |
Miss Behavin | Alan Bell and Others | National YC | |
Sigma 33 | Popje | Ted mcCourt | National YC |
Enchantress | Larkin/Bonner/Nichol | National YC | |
Marauder | Dr P Milner/Dr T Saunders | South Caernarvonshire YC | |
Leaky Roof 2 | A.Harper/EandK Robertson | Cove SC | |
Gwili Two | Dermot Clarke/Paddy Maguire | Royal St George YC | |
Saphoenix | Ken Roberts | Liverpool YC | |
Leeuwin | Robert Kerr/H and C Leonard | Royal Irish YC | |
Springer | Ian Bowring | Royal St George YC | |
Pippa IV | M.O'Brien/G.Kinsman/E.McMahon | DL Marina | |
Pastiche | Thomas J O Neill | Royal Irish YC | |
Rupert | Richard V Lovegrove/Philip R Lovegrove | Royal St George YC | |
Moonshine | Ronnie Moloney | Royal St George YC | |
September Song | Barry Colleary | Royal Irish YC | |
White Mischief | Timothy Goodbody | Royal Irish YC | |
Beneteau First 21 | Capilano | Séamus Storan | Royal Irish YC |
eeZee Tiger | Paraic Bourke | National YC | |
Small Wonder | Hugh Kelly | Royal Irish YC | |
Isolde | Peter Carroll | Royal Irish YC | |
Yikes! | Joe Conway | Royal Irish YC | |
Syzrgy | Rowan Fogarty | Royal St George YC | |
Mon Reve | Brian Stewart | Malahide YC | |
Wild Thing | Louis Byrne/Declan Costello | Tralee Bay SC | |
Chinook | Andrew Bradley and Paul Morgan | Royal Irish YC | |
Carna | Stuart Spence | Scotland | |
Backchat | Karen Smith | DL Marina | |
Plan B | Kieran Kingston/Vincent Mulvey | Royal St George YC | |
Double Dutch | John Bickerstaff | England | |
Frutti di Mare | Niallo Carroll | DL Marina | |
Shipman | Whiterock | Henry M. Robinson | Royal Irish YC |
Bluefin | B Finucane | National YC | |
Curaglas | John Masterson | National YC | |
The Den | George Miller/Aisling Costello | Royal St George YC | |
Poppy | Peter Beamish and others | Royal St George YC | |
Malindi | Andrew Gray/Bernard Smith | National YC | |
Invader | Gerard Glynn | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Jo Slim | J.Clarke,BJ and G Maher | Royal St George YC | |
Viking | Mason,McCrohan,McWeeney Glynn | Royal St George YC | |
Twocan | David Freeman | Royal St George YC | |
Juniper | Nick Jones/Harry Byrne | Royal St George YC | |
Euphanzel 3 | John Simington/Graham Crisp/Colm Duggan | Royal St George YC | |
Brent Goose | Tony Vincent | Royal St George YC | |
Just Good Friends | Gerry O'Neill | National YC | |
Gusto | Christine Heath/Graham Miles | Royal St George YC | |
Euphanzel | John Simington & Others | Royal St George YC | |
Ruffian 23 | Paramour | Larry Power | National YC |
Ruff Diamond | Regina Regan/Wyn Hughes/ Peter McIntyre | Sailing in Dublin Club | |
Carmen | Brendan Duffy/Mike Hinkson | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Ruf Nuff | derek mitchell | Royal St George YC | |
Different Drummer | Declan Tonge | National YC | |
Icicle | Colm Murray | National YC | |
Diane 2 | Alan Claffey/Chris Helme | Royal St George YC | |
Riff Raff | Hilary Murphy-Fagan | National YC | |
Ripples | Frank Bradley | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Bandit | Kirwan/Cullen/Brown | National YC | |
Ruff Rider | Ronan Lee | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Ruff Justice | Pat ODowd,Jane Holland,Bryan Dobson | Royal Irish YC | |
Alias | Jonathan Ryan, Jim Woods, Fred Barry | National YC | |
SB20 | Venuesworld.com | Ger Dempsey | Royal Irish YC |
Sunday Brunch | David Dwyer/Richard Tate | Royal St George YC | |
Smoke on the Water | Bob Hobby | Royal St George YC | |
Should Be… | Michael O Connor | Royal St George YC | |
Sin Bin | Emmet Ryan | Royal St George YC | |
Bad-Kilcullen | Jerry Dowling | Royal Irish YC | |
Sin a Bhuifl | Gillian Guinness | Howth YC | |
Shockwave | Kevin Collins | Sligo YC | |
Ruby Blue | Pete Smyth/Aidan OConnell | Royal St George YC | |
Odin | James Gorman | National YC | |
TBC | Dorgan/Collins | Cove SC | |
Lia | Dave Barry | Royal St George YC | |
Alert Packaging | Justin Burke | National YC | |
ShamBolic | Allen/Kennedy/Ramsay | Royal St George YC | |
SacreBleu | Doug Smith | Royal Irish YC | |
Timber | Alan McNab | Royal Irish YC | |
Probably | Ian Simington | Royal St George YC | |
Rubadubdub | Nick Doherty,Rob Gavin | National YC | |
Seriously Bonkers 3 | Martin Cuppage/Peter Lee | Royal St George YC | |
BomChickaWahWah | John O'Driscoll | Royal St George YC | |
Dragon | Phantom | Peter Bowring/David Williams | Royal St George YC |
Jaguar | Martin Byrne | Royal St George YC | |
ZinZan | Dan OConnor | Royal Irish YC | |
Diva | Rick Johnson/Richard Goodbody/Rob Johnson | Royal Irish YC | |
Cloud | Clare Hogan | Royal St George YC | |
Scorcher | Greag Purcell | Royal Irish YC | |
Sir Ossis of the River | Denis Bergin | Royal Irish YC | |
Mstere | James Peters/Dave Cummings | South Caernarvonshire YC | |
Glen | Glencoe | RM Craig/P&F Sheehan/J Murphy/ B Cotter | Royal St George YC |
Glendun | Brian Denham | Royal St George YC | |
Glen Miller | Paul Cusack/Conor Ohanlon/Niamh Strathern | Royal St George YC | |
Glencree | John Bligh/Henry Roche | Royal St George YC | |
Glenmarissa | Frank Elmes/Wilf Higgins | Royal St George YC | |
Glengesh | Gearld Sands/Barry O Connor | Royal Irish YC | |
Glenshesk | Gena Walker/Liz Faulkner/Adrian Henderson/Mike Reid | Royal St George YC | |
Glenshane | Pete Hogan | Royal St George YC | |
Glenariff | Adrian Lee | Royal St George YC | |
Glenluce | Richard/Donal OConnor | Royal St George YC | |
Pterodactyl | Roderick & David McCaffrey | Royal St George YC | |
Howth 17 | Oona | Peter Courtney | Howth YC |
Isobel | Brian and Conor Turvey | Howth YC | |
Sheila | Mary Faherty | Howth YC | |
Pauline | Shane O'Doherty/Eoghan Ryan | Howth YC | |
RS Elite | Storm | John Gunning/Stephen Polly/ David Kelso | Royal Ulster YC |
Fullmarks | Mark Brien,Mark Ennis/Mark Mcneill | Royal North of Ireland YC | |
Toucan | Gavin and Mike Vaughan | Royal North of Ireland YC | |
Momentary Laps... | John Patterson | Royal Ulster YC | |
Sailfleet J80 | Northside 1 | Noel Davidson | Howth YC |
Northside 2 | TBA | Howth YC | |
Northside 3 | TBA | Howth YC | |
Northside 4 | TBA | Howth YC | |
Southside 1 | Mary O'Loughlin | Dun Laoghaire | |
Southside 2 | Kenny Rumball | Dun Laoghaire | |
Southside 3 | TBA | Dun Laoghaire | |
Southside 4 | TBA | Dun Laoghaire | |
Flying Fifteen | The Gruffalo | Ian Mathews | National YC |
Deranged | Alan Green | National YC | |
A Mere Triffle | Peter Sherry/Karl Ruddy | National YC | |
Flyer | Niall Coleman | National YC | |
Ash | Joe Coughlan | National YC | |
Out of the Blue | Fraser Mitchell | National YC | |
The Big Bow Wow | Niall Meagher/Nicki Matthews | National YC | |
Fflogger | Alan Dooley | National YC | |
Kooigjug | K Dumpleton | National YC | |
Snow White | Francis J Burgess | National YC | |
Perfect ten | Alan Balfe | National YC | |
HiFibre | Peter Murphy | National YC | |
Fflapjack | Robin Hilliard | National YC | |
Rollercoaster | Tom Murphy | National YC | |
UFO | Valerie Mulvin | National YC | |
Hard Currency | Charlie Boland | ||
Melliffluence | Ben Mulligan | National YC | |
As Good as it Gets | Ross Doyle | National YC | |
Fireball | Elevation | Neil Colin/Margaret Casey | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC |
License to Thrill | Louis Smyth | Coal Harbour DL | |
Tipsey McStagger | Conor and James Clancy | Royal St George YC | |
Blue Eyes | Henry Rice | Coal Harbour DL | |
TBA | McGuire/Chambers | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Sparkly Arkley | Ed Hyland | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Blind Squirrel | Frank Miller | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Let's Get Messy | Bryan Byrne | Royal Irish YC | |
Goodness Gracious | Louise McKenna/Francis Rowan | Royal St George YC | |
Funk Phenomena | Gavin Doyle/Dave Sweeney | National YC | |
Mermaid | The Message | Ross Galbraith | Skerries SC |
Gentoo | Brian Mc Nally | Skerries SC | |
Tiller Girl | Jonathan ORourke | National YC | |
Jill | Paul Smith, Pat Mangan | Royal Irish YC | |
Lively Lady | Geraldine ONeill and Mick Hanney | National YC | |
Bean Adhmaid | Martin OToole | Skerries SC | |
Dolphin | Seamus OToole | Skerries SC | |
Azeezy | Sam Shiels | Skerries SC | |
Aideen | Brendan Martin/Dan Brennan | National YC | |
Endeavour | Roger Bannon | National YC | |
Helen | Therese Rooney | Skerries SC | |
Argo | Darragh McCormack | Foynes YC | |
Mayhem | Enda Weldon | Rush SC | |
Squib | Perfection | Jill Fleming | Royal St George YC |
Anemos | Pete and Anne Evans | Royal St George YC | |
Pintail | M.Muldoon/B.Stevens | National YC | |
Why Not | Derek Jago | Royal St George YC | |
Periquin | Noel Colclough | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Chatterbox | Jeff Kay | Howth YC | |
Contender | Denis Todd | Royal North of Ireland YC | |
lola | Frank Whelan | Royal St George YC | |
Little Demon | Sheila Power | Royal St George YC | |
Kookaburra | Peter/Marie Dee | Royal St George YC | |
Toy for the Boys | Peter Wallace | Royal North of Ireland YC | |
BuzzLite | Gerry OConnor | Royal St George YC | |
Nimble | Brian OHare, and Alain Deladiennee | Royal St George YC | |
Black Amour | Sean OReilly | Howth YC | |
Kerfuffle | Jonathan and Hazel Craig | Howth YC | |
Hawkeye | Simon Hutchinson | Killyleagh YC | |
Fox | Michael Moran/Michael Shiel | Royal St George YC | |
IDRA 14 | Shearwater | Ciaran Browne | Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club |
Chimaera | Killian Sargent/Yvonne Murray | Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club | |
Doody | John Fitzgerald/Jennifer Byrne | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Diane | Fergal OFlaherty/Brian Murphy | Coal Harbour DL | |
Slipstream | Julie Ascoop/Heather Keenan | Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club | |
Dart | Pierre Long/Hazel Rea | Coal Harbour DL | |
Dunmoanin | Frank Hamilton | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Delos ii | Patrick ONeill | Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club | |
Sapphire | Lorcan OSullivan | Dun Laoghaire Motor YC | |
Water Wag | Little Tern | John Ross-Murphy | Royal St George YC |
Mollie | Cathy Mac Aleavey | National YC | |
Good Hope | Hal Sisk | Royal Irish YC | |
Swift | Guy Kilroy | Royal Irish YC | |
Marie Louise | John J Magnet | Royal Irish YC | |
Eros | Gail Varian | Royal St George YC | |
Chloe | Kate OLeary | Royal Irish YC | |
Pansy | Vincent Delany | The Water Wag Club | |
Coquette | Seymour Cresswell | Sailing in Dublin | |
Sprite | Adrian Masterson | Royal Irish YC | |
Freddie | David corcoran/ bairbre Stewart | Royal Irish YC | |
Marcia | Jim Foley and Yvonne Ryan | Royal St George YC | |
PY | Sky Bird | Paul McDermott | National YC |
The Return of the Milky Bar Kid | Hugh Sheehy | Royal St George YC | |
Laser Vago | Grace Lumsden | Sailing in Dublin | |
Laser Vago | Federico CardonaPons | Sailing in Dublin | |
Laser Vago | Stuart McBride | Sailing in Dublin | |
Mach 2 | John Chambers | Coal Harbour DL | |
Mach 2 | Annalise Murphy | National YC | |
Rihanna | Rory Fitzpatrick | None | |
Sailplan | Paul Keane | Royal Irish YC | |
888 | Anthony Clendinning | Coleraine Yacht Club | |
Fossatoo | Will Nesbitt | Royal Irish YC | |
Phooey | Richard Harding | National YC | |
The Pearse Allen | Sean Flanagan | Royal St George YC | |
Roubaix | Francis Barry | Royal St George YC | |
West Sails | Yannick Lemonnier | Galway Bay SC | |
#dragon – The Irish Dragon class has been unable to commit to 'more than a handful of boats' travelling to Bangor in County Down for the 2013 Irish National Championships in August.
As a result, the class has been forced in to a change of venue and the championships will now take place at the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay from August 8-11. The class has an entry of nine for this week's Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta.
Dun Laoghaire Regatta to Bring €600k into Local Economy
#vdlr – Irish sailing tourism is buoyant in the capital with 250 boats from all over the world visiting Dublin Bay over the last four months and this week 120 boats from outside the Bay area are expected for Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR).
The attraction of visiting Dublin City remains strong for visitors who arrive under their own sail into Dun Laoghaire Marina from all over the world including from the USA, Australia, Norway, Germany, France, Switzerland, Finland, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, UK, Spain, Italy. Dun Laoghaire Marina, the largest marina in Ireland, reports that 250 boats from overseas have visited its marina for varying periods of time since 1st April 2013.
These figures are being released in advance of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, the biggest sailing event in the country which will take place from Thursday 11th – Sunday 14th July. In addition to the 260 local boats that will compete in the Regatta, 120 will arrive to compete from other yachts clubs outside Dublin Bay, Northern Ireland and right across the British Isles.
Speaking about the influx of boats into Dun Laoghaire Marina, Paal Janson, General Manager said "the main reason we see such a flow of visitors into the Marina is because of the attraction of the capital city and the novelty of being able to visit a European city and stay in your own accommodation which is a relatively unusual offering. Dun Laoghaire Marina is also a safe and large marina with capacity for 820 boats, 24/7 access, full facilities and direct transport links."
Dun Laoghaire's 820 berth town marina has welcomed sailors from all over the world this season. Photo: Afloat.ie
The marina will also welcome all of the visiting boats from outside Dublin Bay for the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR.) The VDLR is the biggest sailing event in the country. 380 boats and 2,500 sailors will compete across 25 different classes of boats and the competitors will race across eight different courses over the four days of the Regatta.
Speaking in advance of the VDLR, Adam Winkelmann, VDLR Chairman said, 'We have been running this regatta every two years since 2005 and over that period of time have only seen a 7.5% decrease in entries which is not that dramatic considering the state of the economy. The regatta also brings a significant amount to the local economy. Using the Irish tourism multiplier the average expenditure per competitor will be €60 per day which for 2,500 competitors will be €150,000 per day and €600,000 for the four day event."
Dublin Bay Sailing on Target for a Summer Sizzler
#vdlr – The waterfront in Dun Laoghaire wears its history lightly. In observing it, you're immediately aware of the elegant pavilions which are the classically-designed premises of the three senior yacht clubs, places which are redolent of a long history. But because there is so much in the way of boats and sailing sharing the space with them, and bringing the harbour waters so brightly to life, these are not brooding edifices setting a sombre mood on all about them.
On the contrary, they're fun places, brimming with vitality. They speak of living in the present, even as they acknowledge their interesting past. And as their history has been intertwined with the history of Ireland for almost two centuries, perhaps it would be useful for the rest of the country to realise just how skillfully Dun Laoghaire's yacht clubs have steered themselves through times good and bad. For they've come through national changes which, you might think, would have swept away the clubs and much of what they represented. Yet now they are happily accepted as an integral part of the community, playing a key role in the life of one of Ireland's most vibrant regions, and functioning at a sporting level which gives them national and international significance.
With all four clubs combining in the four day Volvo Dun Laoghaire which starts next Thursday with summer settling in nicely in time on Dublin Bay, the importance of their shared role comes centre stage. But this past week, we highlighted the achievement of one club in particular, when the Mitsubishi Motors/ISA Sailing Club of the Year trophy was formally presented to the Royal St George Yacht Club on Wednesday evening.
Though its title is Club of the Year 2013, it's awarded for success in 2012, and it was first announced in March. However, clubs have their private side and their public side, and the presentation of the ship's wheel trophy (which has been part of the sailing scene since 1979) in the club's own premises makes the award complete, as it's an opportunity to celebrate the contribution made by all members to a club's success.
In fact, in the case of the George, it was people from all over Ireland who contributed to the success, as they volunteered to help with the main feature of the 2012 season, which was the Royal St George YC's position as the lead club in organizing the ISAF Youth Worlds in Dun Laoghaire in July. It was a massive effort, happily crowned with success and international praise. It was led by a formidable team in which Brian Craig managed to be a hands-on Chairman yet with a formidable talent for skillful delegation, so much so that on Wednesday night it was suggested he should write the definitive Delegation Manual. He shouldn't find the actual writing too onerous, as he could delegate that too.
But we could be sure he would do it in precisely the right way, for the thing that really impressed the adjudicators was the thoughtful way in which the George's ISAF team went out of their way afterwards to thank their many voluntary helpers, and to make sure they knew their efforts were truly appreciated. The club set a benchmark in organisational good manners which could be usefully emulated in every walk of Irish life.
However, there's much more to running a successful club than simply hosting events. The adjudicators look to sailing success by members as well, and in 2012 for the Royal St George it was Commodore Martin Byrne who set the pace – in his first year he had won the Edinburgh Cup in the International Dragons (first won by a George member with Jimmy Mooney in 1953), and in 2012 he was top skipper in the entire Irish Dragon class.
As for encouraging youthful talent, the George is almost notorious for its skill in recruiting the new sailors who come to Dublin from all parts of the country. The club goes out of its way to encourage university racing, and when UCD won the Irish title in March, and with it the right to represent Ireland in the Student Yachting Worlds in France in October, it was members of the George who pulled out all the stops to ensure that the UCDSC squad had the necessary boats and facilities to train for this major international event in which they were runaway winners.
And yet all this was happening under the umbrella of a club which can trace its history back to 1838. When the 900 delegates arrived in Dun Laoghaire for the International Sailing Federation's Annual Conference in November, those who had heard of the success of the ISAF Youth Worlds, but hadn't previously been to the venue, were surprised to find that at the heart of it is a stately clubhouse and an organisation going back 174 years.
Le Grand Fromage. The Marquis of Conyngham was the Royal St George YC's first Commodore
The club's extraordinary history, and its intertwining with the national story, was equally surprising for the visitors to grasp. After all, here was an organisation successfully reaching out to young sailors from every corner of the globe. Yet it was doing so from a clubhouse which, once upon a time, had been the almost exclusive preserve of the arrogant offspring of Cromwellian land-grabbers.
The Marquis of Conyngham's schooner Constance in the harbour, 1855.
Indeed, the membership was so extensively drawn from the wealthy land-owning classes that at one stage around the 1870s, the total tonnage of the large yachts owned by Royal St George YC membership rivalled those of the Royal Yacht Squadron itself. Yet further to complicate the story, the conference in the early 1900s which set in place the Land Commission which was to end the dominance of the Ascendancy landlord class was actually chaired by one of their own, Lord Dunraven, a member of the Royal St George YC since the mid 1880s.
The rare ould times. Royal St George YC Regatta in 1871, when the tonnage of the club's fleet of yachts was exceeded only by the fleet of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
So it's a club which knows when to move on as much as it is aware of the need to acknowledge its rich and colourful history. Certainly it has moved on from membership dominance by a certain kind of yachtsman. The first Commodore was the Marquis of Conyngham, and he was succeeded by others of similar style. But these days, with a greatly expanded clubhouse and the most modern sailing facilities, the flag officers are more likely to acknlowledge descent from remote princes of Breffni, and wild chieftains of the ancient Wicklow hills.
Sailing Club of the Year 2013. RStGYC Commodore Liam O'Rourke (left) receives the trophy from Frank Keane, Chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Ireland.
The names may have changed, but the sailing goes on more busily then ever, and the club is rightly making much of its 175th Anniversary this year. Commodore Liam O'Rourke is leading his members in a programme in which the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta will be the season's highlight, and the George's own special contribution will be hosting the finish of the first stage of the Clyde Cruising Club's Blue Water Trophy Race, which started from Troon in Scotland last night, with the leaders expected in Dun Laoghaire tonight and tomorrow.
This will be bringing a significant contingent of Scottish boats south with many of them then lining up to take part in the VDLR, where the total entry at close of the list at midnight Thursday was 377 boats, including more than 120 visiting ones. Yet any overview of the entry list for this year's Regatta from Thursday 11th July to Sunday 14th July, suggests a new maturity, a sensible coming-of-age. Organisers and participants alike are accepting the social limitations imposed by the fact that most participants will be sailing from their home port. It's one very suburban seafest. And the reality of several years of global recession, biting harder in Ireland than most other places, means that the excitement of completely new boats making their spectacular debut will be conspicuous by its absence.
In looking at the lineup and considering the spirit of the event generally, one word springs irresistibly to mind. This is an unpretentious regatta. Not in any derogatory sense, we hasten to add. It's just that times are tough, so it's simply a case of keeping the head own, and making the best of things. And once you've accepted that, then things aren't so bad after all. There are stacks of boats about, just waiting to be sailed. And though some top crews have left Ireland as economic emigrants (Australian sailing has become even noisier these past two years), there are still plenty of good sailors about. And thanks to the boom years, facilities are better than ever – so let's get out there, and use them.
The result is an entry list pushing towards 380 boats, with an interesting spread which sees the local fleets putting on their best show, while the intriguing array of visiting boats is drawn almost entirely from the Irish Sea/St George's Channel and the North Channel/Clyde areas, with some gallant supporters from the improving facilities in South Wales.
But if you're expecting significant numbers from Ireland's self-styled capital of sailing, good old Cork, well, as they'd say in Manhattan – fuggedaboudid. There's just former Helmsman's Champion of Ireland Stefan Hyde with his J/24 Nyah, and that seems to be it for the Rebel County. But thanks to the marvellous new road from Galway, they too have one representative, the appropriately-named Corby 25 Tribal (Liam Burke). Otherwise, the visitors come sailing from as far away as Coleraine and the Clyde to the north, and Swansea to the far southeast, plus virtually all ports in between.
Clyde sailors have a happy history of involvement with Dun Laoghaire regattas, and they are well-represented in the good turnouts in IRC 0 and IRC 1. It was the most telling indication that recession was upon us when the new First 40, successor to the great First 40.7, made her debut with first and second overall in the 2010 Sydney-Hobart Race. For not one has yet been seen in Irish ownership. But thanks to Clyde Cruising Club skipper Christine Murray, we'll have a chance to see her new First 40 Elf Too in action in Class 0 in Dublin Bay.
Lined up against her will be regular contender Richard Fildes from Abersoch with his Corby 37 Impetuous, and the Howth duo of Alan Chambers and Nobby Reilly with their Mills 36 Crazy Horse, while the home fleet has George Sisk's Farr 42 WOW leading the charge in a comprehensive turnout of a dozen IRC 0 boats.
With 18 boats, IRC 1 has a particularly good representation from the North Wales/Liverpool fleets. And like IRC 0, it has more visitors than locals, so Dublin Bay star Paul O'Higgins with his Corby 33 Rockabill V will be on his mettle to defend the honour of Leinster against visiting dominance.
IRC 2 will provide a sporty start with 25 entrants, 15 of them non-Dun Laoghaire boats. Top of the list is Dave Cullen's 30-footer King One from Howth, which was the Half Ton World Champion under the command of Paul Elvstrom a very long time ago. But there's life in the old King yet – last year she was top boat in Kent in Ramsgate Week, which has become a happy hunting ground for the Cullen crew. Another hot former Half Tonner is Nigel Biggs' Checkmate XV, which has strong North Wales and Cowes connections interwoven with her Dun Laoghaire/Royal St George YC links, while the Brian Cusack team from DLMYC are also into the vintage Half Ton scene with Dick Dastardly.
With 32 boats drawn from 19 different clubs, IRC 3 tops the variety stakes in every way, and includes such classics as the She 31B She Too from Abersoch and the Nich 31 Saki from Dun Laogahaire. Last season, Vincent Gaffney from Howth moved up a couple of feet by changing his successful 26ft Albin Express Alliance for Alliance II, a rare breed Laser 28 with which he has been getting in the frame, definitely a boat to watch, particularly if lighter airs dominate the regatta.
The J/109 has settled in very well as one of the VDLR's premier classes. Photo: Gareth Craig
Dublin Bay is of course the home of One Design racing. When the J/109 made her debut some years ago, sage observers reckoned that here was the perfect boat for a new Dublin Bay OD class. The J/109 has been there or thereabouts as an established class in the bay for a while now, and they certainly make their mark in ISORA racing. But a solid turnout of 14 boats from both sides of the Irish Sea for VLDR 2013 is just the vote of confidence these attractive boats deserve, and this will be one of the hottest fleets with current ISORA Champion Sgrech (Stephen Tudor, Pwllheli SC) very much the boat to beat.
With 16 boats, the growing strength of the First 31.7s is evidence of continuing enthusiasm for one design racing, and recognition of good value for money. Admittedly in the early days of the class, when boats were being bought in Celtic Tiger enthusiasm, the time spreads across the fleet spoke of wildly varying levels of expertise, but things have settled down and there's genuine competition, such that the numbers involved now exceed the longer-established Sigma 33s by three boats.
The fleet of First 31.7s now outnumbers the Sigma 33s. Photo: Gareth Craig
One design classes making the most of this opportunity of four days of intensive racing will include the Squibs and the Mermaids. Photo: Gareth Craig
Older production cruiser-racers sailing as one designs continue to have their adherents, and it's a special year for the Ruffian 23s as 2013 marks their 40th Anniversary, while the Limerick-built Shipman 28s – which should see their 40th in the next couple of years – can still attract a dozen adherents.
There'll be an element of a local derby about the racing for the eight boats in its SailFleet J/80 flotilla, as four will be raced by Northside crews, and four by Southside. We hear no word of any Eastside crew, which would be the pedantic definition of a team from Howth, but doubtless they'll be involved.
Some of the longer-established one design classes are only a shadow of their former selves, but they all have an ability to make come-backs in impressive style. Perhaps the Flying Fifteens are showing us how to do it. They've a solid entry of fifteen regularly raced boats – and every one of them sails from the National YC. The boost of having a single post-race social focus seems to be the secret of success here.
With all owners and crews concentrated in one club, the Flying Fifteens have been thriving as a local one design. Photo: David O'Brien
The classic IDRA 14s make the VDLR a feature of their season Photo: Gareth Craig
We end our preview of VLDR 2013 on an interesting note. A couple of weeks ago, we were enthusing in this blog about the "new Dublin Bay 21" – in other words, the Beneteau First 21 in its several variants, which will be racing as a class in VDLR for the first time this year. At the time, we did a quick trawl of boat sales notices, and found that you could expect to get a reasonable First 21 in the UK or France for between €14,000 and €17,000, which made for an interesting proposition for convenient ready-to-go one design racing in Dublin Bay.
But since then, a 1993 First 210 in Crosshaven has come on the market, advertised on Afloat.ie for €10,500. At that price, she can't be perfect. But heaven knows there's enough boat re-fitting talent around Crosser to get her up and ready to race in Dublin Bay next Thursday, thereby doubling the number of Cork boats racing in VDLR.
It's an interesting challenge. After all, when the new South Coast One Design Class suddenly started hitting the spot down in Cowes in 1956, Max Aitken became enthusiastic and challenged that very fine boatbuilder Clare Lallow, leading builder of the new boats, to build him one within a week. Lallow and his men did it in style. If they could do that from scratch with a timber 26 footer, surely the many talents of Crosshaven could make a slightly tired 21-footer race-ready in three days?
#dlregatta – In the week preceding Ireland's biggest sailing event, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta, the Royal Irish Yacht Club is staging a coaching event with video de-briefings on sail trim and upwind and downwind techniques.
The day long event on July 6th will use a Beneteau 31.7 for demonstration purposes. The objective is to spend 50% of the day shore-side and 50% afloat, focusing on practical tips and 'go fast' techniques.
The programme is below, and an entry form is attached and downloadable as an MS word file below:
Sat 8.30am: Briefing RIYC with slides and video on 1,2 & 3 above.
10.00am: Using a B31.7 (or similar) alongside, we will demonstrate practical applications onboard. Full participation and discussion is expected!
1245pm: Finish shore-side session and head on the water
2.00pm: DBSC race start, race will be observed and video recorded
4.30pm: Video de-brief in RIYC
5.30pm: Finish (perhaps later if discussions are in full flow!)
New Dun Laoghaire Regatta Coastal Course Entry Proves Organisers Are on the Right Tack
July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is running a coastal series as part of the fifth edition of the combined club's event and judging by entries to date (see below) there it looks like the initiative is getting a good response.
Entry in the class this year is expected to reach approximately 15 boats with the list of entries to date below.
Some say organisers are on the right tack with the new coastal course and may have in fact underestimated demand from crews looking for a change of scene.
There are plenty of standard cruiser designs not suited to prevailing tight inshore courses and who cannot compete on handicap with some of the out and out racing machines. Instead this coastal series will accommodate those larger cruisers who prefer to take part in races where the distances between marks are greater.
Already DBSC regular Lively Lady, a Beneteau 44.7 is signed up as well as the Nicholson 58 Rebellion. Smaller boats are also involved including Lulabelle, the Beneteau 36.7.
It is hoped that this will attract the increasing number of boats that are opting to race offshore as evidenced in part by the work of Peter Ryan running a 20-boat ISORA fleet from the National Yacht Club.
The courses for the VDLR series will take place outside of the Burford Bank and in an area north of the "Bray Outfall" buoy and south of the "North" Howth Yacht Club race mark.
The courses will be set on the day of the July race and will reflect the conditions prevailing at that time, boats will race one long race per day.
Ashore the plan is those taking part in the Coastal Series will be able to enjoy the fantastic social scene around Dun Laoghaire as much as their inshore competitors as the race duration and time limits will get all boats back at the same time as the inshore fleets
Boat Name | Boat Make | Owner | Club |
---|---|---|---|
Polished Manx | Sigma 33 OOD | Kuba Szymanski | Douglas Bay YC IOM |
Rebellion | Nicholson 58 | Hughes/Hanlon/O'Mahony | National YC |
Lula Belle | Beneteau First 36.7 | Liam Coyne | National YC |
Ulula III | Corby 36 | Nick Ogden | Liverpool YC |
Lively Lady | First 44.7 | Derek Martin | Royal Irish YC |
Adelie | Beneteau First 34.7 | Peter Hall | National YC |
Lady Rowena | Sadler | David Bolger | Royal St George YC |
Aquelina | J122 | Sheila Tyrrell/James Tyrrell | Arklow SC |
Tsunami | Beneteau First 40.7 | Vincent Farrell | National YC |
Soufriere | Spirit Yacht | Stephen OFlaherty | Royal Irish YC |