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Sutton Dinghy Club Top Award for Alan Carr

15th December 2020
Ian Dickson (left) makes the SDC sailor of the year award too Alan Carr Ian Dickson (left) makes the SDC sailor of the year award too Alan Carr

Sutton Dinghy Club held its end of season prizegiving online last Sunday with almost 70 people taking part including junior, youth and parents writes the club's Andy Johnston.

Commodore Ian McCormack introduced the event to celebrate the achievements of SDC Junior and Youth sailors who between July and first week September managed to get in 29 races with 30+ different sailors, mostly youth but a few seniors too.

The youngest sailor and probably youngest crew was Katie Dwyer's daughter Sophie who had her first races with Katie in a GP14.

Sutton Dinghy ClubThe Sutton Dinghy Club Christmas Tree & a display of club trophies at its Dublin Bay clubhouse - COVID could not stop a virtual SDC awards night

Here is an outline of the Youth Club Racing Presentations

1) Most Improved Youth Sailor - The Starfish Trophy
Aoife Clarke (in an Opi..never sailed before start of the year and finished in 3rd in Regatta in September)

Aoife ClarkeAoife Clarke

2) Tenacity  - O'Tiarnaigh Tenacity Trophy
Helen Wilson (attended almost all the sessions, made big effort to get out on the race course and while not winning races should be acknowledged and lauded for her efforts considering travelled from the Naul North Co. Dublin to attend.)

Helen WilsonHelen Wilson

3) Topper (6 diff Boats) The B&I Trophy
1. Emer Flemming
2. Michel Clarke
3. Jack Beary

4) Laser 4.7 (11 diff Boats) Ben Eadar Trophy
1. Ciaran Durnford
2. Denis McCarrick
3. Sean O'Connor

5) Laser Radial (8 diff Boats) - Gibson Perpetual Trophy

1. Aidan L'Estrange
2. Sean Ryan
3. Luke Kellet

Aidan LestrangeAidan Lestrange

6) Overall PY Championship - Bronze Mariner Trophy
1. Ciaran Durnford
2. Aedan L'Estrange
3. Denis McCarrick
4. Sean Ryan
5. Emer Fleming

Ciaran DurnfordCiaran Durnford

'The Roy Dickson Afloat Award Trophy' 

Finally, SDC made a new award in 2020 - 'The Roy Dickson Afloat Award Trophy' - Club Sailor of the Year

The award is a Sailing Committee selection, related to sailing and racing but not for results alone but includes a contribution to on the water activities.

In honour of Roy Dickson who passed away in 2020 and who was an innovator in terms of boat design and setup and a champion sailor in many Classes while in SDC. He won a Home International invitation event in the UK in 1957 in Yachting World Hornets while a member of SDC. He introduced the first Fireball to Ireland in early 62's with SDC taking 8 wins from the first 12 National Championships winning the championship himself once in 1964. He is reputed to have introduced the spinnaker to the Fireball Class and finished third at Fireball World Championships in France in 1967 when there were 5 SDC boats on the start line.

He was also key to the introduction of Mirrors to SDC back in the early '70s, building Pink Panther and attending European Championship with his kids Alan, David, Gary and Ian. The Club went on to become a powerhouse in Mirrors launching Olympians such as Dan O'Grady and multiple National Champions from late 70' through to 2014. Roy was a former Commodore of our Club, in 1969.

Roy Dickson's old Afloat trophy was presented to SDC and lives on as a club sailor of the year awardRoy Dickson's old Afloat trophy was presented to SDC and lives on as a club sailor of the year award

Roy later went on to be one of Ireland's foremost offshore racers in the '80s and '90s with many notable achievements including leading Irish boat in Fastnet Race in 1987 and ISORA Champion. His grandson is Robert Dickson who is currently campaigning 49'er for a place on the Irish Olympic Sailing team.

The Trophy (An Afloat Award to Roy from 2001) was donated to the Club by his family. Following his passing earlier this year the Sailing Committee felt it would be appropriate to Honour Roy by having his trophy used as our new Club Sailor of Year Award.

We welcomed his sons Gary and Ian and Ian family on the Zoom call. The award went to Alan Carr for his commitment to getting himself on the water throughout a challenging season and his ever-present support, coaching and encouragement of SDC youth sailors during its racing season..the Sailing Committee has unanimously selected Alan Carr as the inaugural recipient. 

Published in Dublin Bay
Published in Dublin Bay
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Dublin Bay

Dublin Bay on the east coast of Ireland stretches over seven kilometres, from Howth Head on its northern tip to Dalkey Island in the south. It's a place most Dubliners simply take for granted, and one of the capital's least visited places. But there's more going on out there than you'd imagine.

The biggest boating centre is at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the Bay's south shore that is home to over 1,500 pleasure craft, four waterfront yacht clubs and Ireland's largest marina.

The bay is rather shallow with many sandbanks and rocky outcrops, and was notorious in the past for shipwrecks, especially when the wind was from the east. Until modern times, many ships and their passengers were lost along the treacherous coastline from Howth to Dun Laoghaire, less than a kilometre from shore.

The Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea and is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south. North Bull Island is situated in the northwest part of the bay, where one of two major inshore sandbanks lie, and features a 5 km long sandy beach, Dollymount Strand, fronting an internationally recognised wildfowl reserve. Many of the rivers of Dublin reach the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay: the River Liffey, with the River Dodder flow received less than 1 km inland, River Tolka, and various smaller rivers and streams.

Dublin Bay FAQs

There are approximately ten beaches and bathing spots around Dublin Bay: Dollymount Strand; Forty Foot Bathing Place; Half Moon bathing spot; Merrion Strand; Bull Wall; Sandycove Beach; Sandymount Strand; Seapoint; Shelley Banks; Sutton, Burrow Beach

There are slipways on the north side of Dublin Bay at Clontarf, Sutton and on the southside at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, and in Dalkey at Coliemore and Bulloch Harbours.

Dublin Bay is administered by a number of Government Departments, three local authorities and several statutory agencies. Dublin Port Company is in charge of navigation on the Bay.

Dublin Bay is approximately 70 sq kilometres or 7,000 hectares. The Bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and seven km in length east-west to its peak at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the southside of the Bay has an East and West Pier, each one kilometre long; this is one of the largest human-made harbours in the world. There also piers or walls at the entrance to the River Liffey at Dublin city known as the Great North and South Walls. Other harbours on the Bay include Bulloch Harbour and Coliemore Harbours both at Dalkey.

There are two marinas on Dublin Bay. Ireland's largest marina with over 800 berths is on the southern shore at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The other is at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club on the River Liffey close to Dublin City.

Car and passenger Ferries operate from Dublin Port to the UK, Isle of Man and France. A passenger ferry operates from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Howth as well as providing tourist voyages around the bay.

Dublin Bay has two Islands. Bull Island at Clontarf and Dalkey Island on the southern shore of the Bay.

The River Liffey flows through Dublin city and into the Bay. Its tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac.

Dollymount, Burrow and Seapoint beaches

Approximately 1,500 boats from small dinghies to motorboats to ocean-going yachts. The vast majority, over 1,000, are moored at Dun Laoghaire Harbour which is Ireland's boating capital.

In 1981, UNESCO recognised the importance of Dublin Bay by designating North Bull Island as a Biosphere because of its rare and internationally important habitats and species of wildlife. To support sustainable development, UNESCO’s concept of a Biosphere has evolved to include not just areas of ecological value but also the areas around them and the communities that live and work within these areas. There have since been additional international and national designations, covering much of Dublin Bay, to ensure the protection of its water quality and biodiversity. To fulfil these broader management aims for the ecosystem, the Biosphere was expanded in 2015. The Biosphere now covers Dublin Bay, reflecting its significant environmental, economic, cultural and tourism importance, and extends to over 300km² to include the bay, the shore and nearby residential areas.

On the Southside at Dun Laoghaire, there is the National Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as Dublin Bay Sailing Club. In the city centre, there is Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club. On the Northside of Dublin, there is Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and Sutton Dinghy Club. While not on Dublin Bay, Howth Yacht Club is the major north Dublin Sailing centre.

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