Traditional northern hospitality was strongly in evidence when the Irish Fireball fleet made their debut appearance at Strangford Lough’s East Down Yacht Club.

Situated a short distance round the coastline from Killyleagh, EDYC played host to 16 Fireballs, a similar number of Wayfarers, sailing their National Championships, and a group of Drascombe Luggers who were having a cruise in company.

For the Fireball Class the turnout was disappointing! We had hoped that a number of Scottish boats would make the regatta but they pulled out late Friday and a number of other entries also had to pull out at short notice. For some unknown reason the Ulsters don’t enjoy the same support as the other events which is very surprising because we always enjoy a superb hospitality when we go north. As with last year in Lough Neagh, the club put on live music on the Saturday night, which combined with an excellent barbecue and home made desserts meant that there was every incentive to stay on at the club for the evening.

Pic: Vivienne Beck

On the water, the wind and individual performances were of the Jekyll and Hyde variety, with certain, almost predictable exceptions. One combination got back to winning ways; another combination found that sailing in more tangible breeze presented a different challenge to the last Fireball outing when light winds dominated the entire weekend. One recent World Championship entrant had, by their standards a nightmare weekend and had to chalk the regatta down to a character-building exercise. Local Fireballers, Brian O’Neill, with Owen Sinnett crewing and father and daughter John & Karen Orr must have enjoyed the company of the visitors and they both had a superb 5^th race when the former led the race for a period followed closely by his clubmates. They slipped down the order but managed to post a single digit result.  For those who had gone to Barbados for the aforementioned Worlds, this was a first opportunity to wet their boats since they emerged from the UK-bound container last Wednesday morning (16^th).

Four races were sailed on Saturday and the wins were shared equally by Noel Butler/Shane McCarthy and Damien Bracken/Brian O’Hara. For the Clontarf-burgeed combination, hearing a winning gun is something they have been missing for a while so they were in very good form at the close of the racing as their last race win saw them top the leaderboard. Butler/McCarthy had their work cut out for them in all the races and indeed opened with a fourth in Race 1. However, order was restored when their count of the next three races was 1-1-2, though they didn’t lead these from the front.

Louis Smyth/Cormac Bradley had a good day on the water as well when a 5-9-3-3 sequence saw them in fourth place overall, three points adrift of Simon McGrotty/Ruairi Grimes of Skerries who had a 2-2-4-6 score.

Race Officer Roy Edwards set four races on Saturday, sailed in good trapezing breezes using a trapezoid course to keep the Fireballs and Wayfarers apart.  Exciting spinnaker reaches and long downwind legs were indicative of the racing on Saturday, sailed in sunny but slightly cool conditions.

Louise McKenna/Hermine O’Keefe, who had finished on the podium in Killaloe and have been doing well in DBSC with new-found boatspeed, found these conditions less to their liking – in terms of results anyway, posting results outside the top ten.

Five boats made up the silver fleet and here Stephen Oram and new crew Joan Mulloy put their stamp on the fleet on Saturday and had a comfortable margin over the rest.

By the time the fleet got ashore they knew that they had had a challenging day on the water – not excessive, but enough to know the sinews had been stretched a bit!

Sunday saw a complete change in the weather! The sun was still out, but the wind had disappeared! And so the early start was postponed while the fleet waited for the breeze to fill in. The Drascombe Luggers disappeared northwards under motor! Out of Killyleagh, six or seven Formula Ones enjoyed an early race before they too had to wait for the wind Gods!

Race 5 was sailed under light conditions with none of the crews getting out on trapeze, or if they did, it was only momentarily. Butler/McCarthy banged in another first, followed home by John Chambers/Francis Rowan who had been slightly off the pace the day before. Chambers, a debutant in Fireballs was enormously enthusiastic about the racing of the previous day, so must have been delighted with a second place. McKenna/O’Keefe started the Jekyll & Hyde comparison with a 3^rd, while Neil Colin/Margaret Casey scored a 4^th to start moving up the rankings overall. Bracken/O’Hara contributed to the Jekyll & Hyde syndrome by posting a 14^th, while Owen Laverty & Ed Butler posted the first of two DNFs. Smyth/Bradley also suffered with the first of two tenth places.

Race 6 saw an improvement in the conditions but the wind still wasn’t as healthy as the day before. McGrotty/Grimes took the race by the scruff of the neck to win, leading all the way round, with Chambers/Rowan 2^nd and Colin/Casey 3^rd. Bracken/O’Hara pulled off a Houdini act to recover to 6^th and save their position on the podium. Possibly because they knew they were safe, Butler/McCarthy posted their worst result of the weekend, a 5^th, which was discarded, to win the event overall. McGrotty/Grimes’ last race win saw them finish behind Bracken/O’Hara overall and 1pt ahead of Chambers/Rowan who took 4^th.

In the Silver fleet, Oram/Mulloy also had a good Sunday seeing their lead stretch to 7pts after discard and a 8^th place overall. McKenna/O’Keefe finished second in the Silver fleet, with the home clubs’ Brian O’Neill and Owen Sinnett in third.

Challenging conditions were married with superb hospitality from EDYC and at the prize-giving Gordon Jess was commended for his work in the planning of this three-class event weekend. EDYC have maintained the tradition of northern hospitality enjoyed by the Fireball Class!

History (the following information and image courtesy of the National Squib Class Owners Association) 

The Squib was designed in 1967 by Oliver Lee as a successor to his Ajax 23. The protoytpe was built in cold moulded wood and sailed extensively over the winter of 1967-68. After successful proving trials she was used as a plug and the first GRP Squib was launched in June 1968. By the end of that year there were six Squibs racing on the Crouch and they had grown into a substantial fleet by 1969 with new fleets forming at Waldringfiled, Brixham, Abersoch and Aldeburgh. At the Yachting World Keelboat Rally held in 1969 the Squib was pronounced to be the most interesting entry. When numbers passed 300 in 1972 the Squib was granted national status.

While the UK fleets expanded, interest began to spread abroad. A couple of Squibs went to Tortola as day charter boats and a fleet grew there. Other groups grew in South Africa, Greece, Germany and Australia. Many of these boats were either club owned, operated on charter or used in sailing schools.

By 1974 sail numbers had approached the 400 mark despite growing economic gloom. That November an event called the Squib Symposium was dreamed up by Simon Fraser, and that country's leading yachting journalists came to Burnham-on-Crouch to race Squibs against one another. The resulting press comment further enhanced the Squib's reputation as did the Design Centre's decision to put the Squib on its index of selected designs.

The Class has now spread to all parts of the British Isles, where there are 27 active racing fleets, ten of which muster more than 20 boats. The most recent fleets to be formed were at Royal Ulster YC in 1998, East Antrim YC in 2000 and Kinsale YC in 2001. The Royal Ulster YC fleet now embrace Squibs from Ballyholme YC and the combined fleet is called the Bangor Fleet. Over 810 Squibs have been built and the National Squib Owners Association has over 640 members. A National Championship has been held at a different venue every year since 1972. In 2002 it was held at Royal North of Ireland YC with an entry of over 80 boats. A Match Racing Championship which was instituted in 1988 was held at Howth in 2000 but was not sailed in 2001. In 1995 Rutland SC instituted an Inland Championship which attracted 34 entries and proved so popular that it has been held every year since and in 2002 attracted 43 entries. Squibs race as a class in Aldeburgh Week, Medway Week, Menai Strait Fortnight, Oulton Week, Tay Week and racing with a PY of 115.

Until his death in 1993 Oliver Lee was the sole licenced builder of Squibs. The licence lapsed on his death and in 1994 it was granted to Barker Brewer Boats Ltd but they relinquished it in 1996 after having built 12 Squibs. In 1997 the licence was granted to parker Sailboats who built 40 squibs up to the end of 2001.

What is a Squib?

Just under 20 foot long, the Squib is a two person racing keelboat with 50% ballast ratio. That means it is big enough to race at sea and small enough to trail comfortably behind a family car. It also means that it needs only two of you to race and it is very safe in a blow. The Squib is sailed by all sorts and by all ages, primarily because it is, and feels, so solid and safe. You sit in a Squib, not on it – though we do hike out!

It is particularly suitable for mixed crews. About 10% of helms at the Nationals are female as are 25% of all participants in the Nationals. The 2007 National Champion crew is Penny Fenwick. Jenny Riley has been twice National Champion crew and recently won Oulton Week as a helm. There are very many married couples racing in the Squib Class.

The Squib seems to suit all ages as well. The youngest crew at the Nationals in 2007 was 13. The youngest helm we have seen was 12 (Holyhead 2004.) Prizes are awarded for first boat with crew combined age over 120. (To win this, the boat would have to be in the top third of the fleet.) The oldest Nationals competitor we are aware of was 85 at the time.

About 80–100 Squibs attend the National Championships which take place at a different venue each year (2008 Lowestoft, 2009 Weymouth, 2010 Dun Laoghaire.) 55 attend the Inland Championships which are held at Rutland and there are usually about 35 Squibs racing in Cowes Week.

There are many other championships – the Irish, Northern Irish, Scottish, North of England, East Coast, South Coast and the Welsh Championships. Squibs sail in many regattas around the country – Oulton Broad, Menai Straits, Aldeburgh, Bridlington, Abersoch, Dart and several others.
 

Squib Class, c/o Jill Fleming, President, Rathdrum Cottage, Ballycorus Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin. Email: [email protected]

In March 2009, Graham Smith wrote the following review of the class for Afloat: "According to the stats, the Squib national fleet stands at 85 which represents an increase over the previous year so the appeal of the boat – affordable, easily trailed and easily sailed – is clearly catching. Indeed, the Irish fleet represents a fair percentage of the total fleet in the British Isles.

Interest has been growing over the years so that it’s no longer a Howth and Cultra monopoly, with burgeoning fleets in Killyleagh, Arklow and Glandore in West Cork.

That said, the northerners still tend to dominate proceedings on the race course and John Driscoll from RNIYC won the national title from a healthy fleet of 36 boats, sailed in Kinsale. National Champion 2009: John Driscoll, RNIYC
 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here  

The Dublin Bay Mermaid class was designed by JB Kearney in 1932 and still going strong today. From the oldest Amy (No. 1) to the youngest Azeezy (No. 189), this 17ft clinker built wooden dinghy provides challenging and exciting sailing for three person crews in all weathers. Click here for the latest Mermaid news and updates.

Mermaids can be found in Dun Laoghaire, Clontarf, Skerries, Rush, Wexford, Foynes and Sligo.

Mermaid Sailing Association, c/o Paddy Archer, President, Sandy Lane, Rush, Co Dublin. Tel: 01 843 7089

or

R. Galbraith, Hon. Sec., email: [email protected]

or, if you have any photos or other material for the Mermaid website, contact Peter Scallan at [email protected]

(Above details courtesy of Mermaid Sailing Association)

Graham Smith, in Afloat's March 2009 issue, wrote: "Not too many new Mermaids are built these days but while the class might be categorised under the heading ‘static’, with 189 boats on the register, it’s a very healthy static!

Although turnouts at regional events only manage the mid-teens, the National Championships generally sees a big effort from all the Mermaid clubs. Last year even saw an increase on 2007, possibly because Rush in north county Dublin is more convenient for more sailors than Tralee the previous year. Niall McGrotty of Skerries, who won that championship for the first time, retained his title from 33 other Mermaid crews.

On the regional front, Jonathan O’Rourke of NYC won the Southerns in Foynes and Wexford’s Derek Joyce took the Easterns at Skerries. National Champion: Niall McGrotty, Skerries SC." 

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

GP's have the largest and most active two person senior dinghy racing fleet in Ireland and we can prove it, by counting active boats and fleets. The GP is a one-design 14ft dinghy, raced by a crew of two. It is a three sailed 'mid-performance' boat which can be sailed safely in a wide range of sea and weather conditions, by moderately competent crew or it can be enjoyed while racing on the edge with spinnaker up in force 5 and 6 winds or tactically gaining inches, in a large championship fleet in a flat calm. It is a forgiving boat, easy to learn in and tolerant of a wide range of crew weight or experience.

There are seven national sailing events organised each year by the Class in Ireland. Each month from May to October there is at least one Open Meeting or Championship with attendances varying from 20 to 60 boats, depending on time of year, venue etc. On the water places are hotly contested by crews of the Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets from all around the country and off the water yarns and tips are just as hotly traded and good humored banter is the currency. Anyone who is even a little competitive soon gets hooked on the circuit and quickly makes new friends right across the spectrum of sailors both male and female. The GP14 has been popular here for 40 years and currently has fleets in 17 clubs around the country, where crews of all ages enjoy racing in brand new or older fibreglass or wooden boats costing from €1000 to €12000. The International Class Association keeps the GP14 up to date by continuous development and improvements, carefully designed not to prejudice older boats, while at the same time improving its appeal and ease of maintenance. Cost of ownership is kept down by a special class insurance scheme and restriction on the prices of major items such as sails and spars.

The GP14 Class Association of Ireland

There are about 400 GP's in Ireland with nearly 200 Association members and a strong organisation that looks after their interests with the help of the International Class Association, based in England. Our association provides a lot of help and guidance for members in areas such as Insurance, boat buying, boat tuning, race training, boat building, clubs where GP14s are sailed, World, National and Area Championships and Open Meetings etc.

In Ireland each year there are seven sailing meetings organised around the country including a Junior and Youth Championship, with entries ranging from 30 to 80 boats, most clubs are represented together with frequent visitors from the UK. There is a high standard of competition in the Class in Ireland, which has produced two World Champions and many ISA Champion of Champions and Irish boats regularly feature at the top of British Championships.

The Gp14 Class association of Ireland is organised on a regional basis by a volunteer committee who give of their time to ensure quality racing for all GP14 sailors. 

(Above details courtesy of the GP14 Class Association of Ireland) 

GP14 Class Association Of Ireland, c/o Tania MacHale, Secretary, Beech Cottage, Dromahair, Co Leitrim. Email: [email protected]

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here 

Afloat's Graham Smith wrote, on March 2009: "If 2007 had been a good one for Sligo’s Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan, 2008 was even better as the Western crew dominated the GP14 class, winning everything in sight.

They won the Leinsters at Blessington and then the Ulsters at home in Sligo before going on to retain their National Championship title with success at Newtownards. These results saw them win the Traveller’s Trophy and they also won the Speed Sail League, one of the class’s special annual awards.

Gerard Healy won the Youth Championship while Curly Morris headed the Master’s Championship.
Four new additions brought the national fleet up to 87 this year, with 60 of them racing regularly at the 17 established GP clubs, while turnouts at open events averaged the mid-20s. National Champions 2009: Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan, Sligo YC"

The Enterprise is a 4 metre, two sail sailing dinghy designed by Jack Holt. Its popularity is due to its excellent qualities both as a cruising and a two-man racing boat. The International Enterprise Class Association is based in the UK (also the UK Enterprise Association). There is also an active Irish Enterprise Association. For those who like to race, there is serious competition at both National and International level with some top names in sailing having passed through the class (eg, Shane McCarthy – now a professional sailor, Sean Craig, and Richard Estaugh).

The Enterprise Class is annually represented in the ISA Helmsman’s Championships. There are close to 23,000 registered boats world-wide and about 40 active Irish Enterprise boat owners. The Enterprise is an active and exciting chime-construction boat to sail. It has one mast and two sails (the mainsail and gib). It has neither spinnaker nor trapeze, has plenty of space, is simple in layout and is exceptionally smooth in handling. A large proportion of new boats are glass fibre. Alternatives are the composite boat for those who like wooden decks without the fuss of fitting out a wooden hull.

(Above information courtesy of Enterprise Class) 

Contact, Irish Enterprise Class Association, c/o Mr Richard Graves, President, 51 Carysfort Downs, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Email: [email protected], website: www.enterpriseclass.ie (inactive as at 23/9/09)

Afloat's Graham Smith wrote the following in the March 2009 issue: "Once the leading dinghy class in Ireland and the provider of many of Ireland’s leading sailors over a couple of decades, the Enterprise is now a pale shadow of its former self yet still provides close racing for the stalwarts who maintain an interest.

The national fleet has dwindled to around 25 dotted around six or seven clubs, with Bray – one of the pioneers of the class when it was formed 50 years ago – still the major supplier, so it’s no surprise to see Ger Dempsey from the County Wicklow club as the dominant figure in the class.

He won the two regional events – one on home waters and the other at Cullaun – before regaining his national title which Greystones’ Roy Van Maanen had taken the previous year when the event formed part of the Worlds in Dun Laoghaire.

National Champion as at March 2009: Ger Dempsey, Bray SC."

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here 

First introduced in England in 1963, the Mirror quickly became the most popular one-design dinghy class in the world. The design allows the boat to be built from a kit, at home, with a basic knowledge of carpentry in about 120 hours. Since its introduction, over 70,000 Mirrors have been built around the world. Click here for all the latest Mirror Sailing News.

In 1990, the Mirror dinghy achieved "International status", recognized by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF – the international governing body of the sport) as a class to be promoted for active international competition.

The Mirror Class is administered by the ISAF and the International Mirror Class Association. Member countries of the IMCA include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Holland, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Graham Smith wrote, in the February 2009 issue of Afloat: "Rumour has it that the Mirror is no longer the force it once was in Irish sailing but the numbers suggest it is still in good health, even if fleets at the various championships appear to be down on previous years. The Class Association knows of 100 boats but is well aware that there a lot more which are under-utilised. Ten clubs were represented at Mirror events during the year although there are other centres where Mirrors are active.

With 27 boats, Sligo has a particularly strong fleet, reflected in the biggest fleet of the year at the Westerns, won by locals Mark and Ronan Armstrong ahead of 40 rivals. The Skerries pair of Mark Boylan and Eoin Hickey did the Easterns and Southerns double while Michael and Sarah Hill from Cultra took the Northern title before finishing fourth overall at the Europeans in Sweden. In fact, two other Irish entries finished in the top ten at that event.

But pride of place went to Adam and Toby McCullagh of Royal North of Ireland who ended the year as Irish Mirror Champions having beaten 31 other boats on their home Belfast Lough waters. Champions: Adam and Toby McCullagh, RNIYC" 

International Mirror Class of Ireland – IMCAI

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

Other Afloat Mirror posts:

Mirrors start World Championship  

Mirror Worlds – Light and flukey on day 3