The First 31.7 Avalon will be crowned the 2022 DBSC Turkey Shoot Series champion Sunday at the Royal Irish Yacht Club, with the final race cancelled due to gales.

Avalon wins the six-race series by a single point. 

As Afloat reported earlier, Avalon was leading going into the final race on 57 points and top of the 78-boat mixed cruiser fleet. The J97 Windjammer takes second place with third overall, the 1720 sportsboat, Spurs on 59 points.

With only two points separating the top three boats going into the seventh race, the series was still up for grabs, so there is disappointment over the final race cancellation.

News of the cancellation came from DBSC's Fintan Cairns this afternoon, who informed competitors: "We have checked all forecasts and charts for tomorrow morning, all showing SE up to Gale 8. In light of this and rather than bring crews down in the morning, sadly, we have now CANCELLED RACING tomorrow, Sunday 18th".

Turkey Shoot festivities will commence at 12.30 in the Wet Bar of the RIYC.

Live Dublin Bay webcam 

In a good spread of boat types, the First 31.7 Avalon leads by a single point into Sunday's final race of the AIB-sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay. 

Avalon is on 57 points to be top of the 78-boat mixed cruiser fleet. The J97 Windjammer takes second place with third overall, the 1720 sportsboat, Spurs on 59 points.

With only two points separating the top three boats overall going into the seventh race, the series still has a turkey up for grabs.

Last Sunday's sixth race saw competitors clearing the decks of snow at Dun Laoghaire Marina before racing started in winter sunshine just after 10 am off Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The sixth race saw the fleet sail down to Dalkey Island and back to Dun Laoghaire Harbour and was won by the Bavaria 35 Match Just Jasmin, with the Sunfast 32 Kamikaze second and the J109 Joker II in third.

Overall results and race six results are downloadable below.

The always lively DBSC Turkey Shoot Series prizegiving will be held this Sunday after racing at the Royal Irish Yacht Club. Race organiser Fintan Cairns has told competitors: "If there is no sailing - very early to tell yet - prizegiving and festivities, draws, craic etc. will commence at 12.30. Please make all effort to be there, as I will not be going home with any prizes!".

There was a strong turnout for Sunday's penultimate race of the AIB-sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot Racing Series on Dublin Bay.

Forecasted northwesterly winds from eight to 15 knots for Sunday's race six of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Racing on Dublin Bay gave the bumper fleet a spinnaker reach from Dun Laoghaire to Dalkey Island on the south shore of the bay. 

Icy conditions saw competitors clearing the decks of snow at Dun Laoghaire Marina before racing started in winter sunshine just after 10 am off Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Clearing snow and ice off the deck before the start. Photo: Chris Power Smith

Dublin's 78-boat winter cruiser-racing fleet will race the series' final race next Sunday. 

Chris Power Smith is well wrapped up on the helm of the J122  Aurelia for the bright but chilly Turkey Shoot race Photo: Niall Smyth

After racing, the Royal Irish Yacht Club-hosted series witnessed the removal of Race Officer Brian Mathew's moustache shaving off in aid of Crumlin Children's Hospital 'Movember' appeal.

Turkey Shoot Race Officer Brian Mathews  has his moustache shaved off at the RIYC after sailing with a collection for Crumlin Children's Hospital Photo: Chris Power Smith

Race six and overall results will be available later this week 

After cancelling last Sunday's race five due to strong winds and big seas, the forecast for Sunday's race six of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Racing on Dublin Bay indicates more promising winds.

The forecast says Dublin's 78-boat winter cruiser-racing fleet can expect north-westerly winds from 8-15 knots.

Handicaps and start times for the sixth race of the Royal Irish Yacht Club-hosted series are downloadable below.

Brian Mathews returns to race officer duties from the Middle East for race six of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Series

As Afloat reported, the J70 crew Jambiya leads a group of sportsboats for the overall lead in the club's bumper series.

After four races sailed, one cancellation and one discard, Jambiya is on 19 nett points, some 13 points clear of rival 1720 sportsboat Optique. Third on 33 is another of the RCYC designs, Spurs.

The popular AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot suffered the first cancellation of its 2022 series this morning when 20-knot easterly winds blew on Dublin Bay. 

The strong winds produced an 'awful' sea state (as seen on the 3 x Afloat webcams) that led to the scrubbing of the fifth race of the seven-race series for the 78-boat cruiser-racer fleet.

Racing six of seven will be sailed next Sunday morning from the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

After more unstable offshore wind conditions for last Sunday's race four, the forecast for Sunday's race five of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Racing on Dublin Bay indicates winds from a new direction.

The forecast says Dublin's 78-boat winter cruiser-racing fleet can expect easterly winds gusting to 23 knots.

Handicaps and start times for the fifth race of the Royal Irish Yacht Club-hosted series are downloadable below.

As Afloat reported, the J70 crew Jambiya leads a group of sportsboats for the overall lead in the club's bumper series.

After four races sailed and one discard, Jambiya is on 19 nett points, some 13 points clear of rival 1720 sportsboat Optique. Third on 33 is another of the RCYC designs, Spurs.

The J70 crew Jambiya who was recently presented with this summer's DBSC Saturday Sportsboat Trophy has moved into the overall lead of the club's bumper Turkey Shoot Series.

After four races sailed and one discard, Jambiya is on 19 nett points, some 13 points clear of rival 1720 sportsboat Optique. Third on 33 is another of the RCYC designs, Spurs.

Optique won last Sunday's 61-boat fourth race in the north-west of the Bay, which did not live up to its heavy weather billing as per the weather forecast. 

The J80 Sante was second, with the Frist 310 Nauti Gal in third place. 

National Yacht Club skipper of Sneaky B, Charlotte O'Kelly, captured the fourth race from the back of the East Pier. 

With three more races left to sail, racing continues this Sunday from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, and some early leaders have dropped down the leaderboard. 

Onboard Chris Power Smith's J122, Aurelia

Leader after two, Barry Cunningham's Cape 31 Blast is now lying 23rd overall after a disappointing 47th scored last Sunday. Tim and Richard Goodbody in the J109 White Mischief, who led into last Sunday's fourth race are now joint seventh overall.

Royal Irish skipper Pat Rigney took this fleeting vid of clubmate Cunningham in Blast.

After some unstable offshore wind conditions for last Sunday's race three round Dalkey Island, the forecast for Sunday's fourth race of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Racing on Dublin Bay indicates more medium to strong westerly winds.

Handicaps and Starts for the fourth race of the Royal Irish Yacht Club hosted series are downloadable below.

As Afloat reported previously, the Sun Odyssey 349 Little Rascal was the third race winner in a fleet of 47 boats.

Overall after three races sailed and no discard in the six-race series, Tim and Richard Goodbody's Royal Irish J109 White Mischief leads overall on 46 points. Royal St. George's Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia, a new entrant to the Turkey Shoot this year, is lying second on 49.

The Sun Odyssey 349 Little Rascal won Sunday's third race of the AIB-sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot Racing on Dublin Bay. 

Second was the Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie, with third place in the 47-boat race round Dalkey Island in a gusty southwesterly going to the Hunter 701, Chillawee. 

Overall after three races sailed and no discard in the six-race series, Tim and Richard Goodbody's Royal Irish J109 White Mischief leads overall on 46 points. Royal St. George's Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia, a new entrant to the Turkey Shoot this year, is lying second on 49. 

The J109 Joker II (yellow spinnaker), the Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie (red) and overall series leader, the J109 White Mischief (blue) during the third race, round Dalkey Island, of the AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot Series Photo: Afloat

Leslie Parnell's Beneteau 34.7 Black Velvet from the RIYC and Lindsay Casey's J97 Windjammer from the Royal St George Yacht Club are joint third on 50 points.

Racing continues next Sunday from the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

DBSC organisers are gearing up for a breezy third race in this Sunday's annual Turkey Shoot Series at the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Forecasted Westerly winds gusting to 30 mph on Dublin Bay may yet see the bumper fleet race around its classic Dalkey Island course from 10 am on Sunday morning.

A change in the start sequences will see Stardust and Sea Monkey move to the first of five starts this Sunday. Handicaps have also been adjusted.

Handicaps and start times for the 'all-in' third race are downloadable below.

The Cape 31 'Blast' leads the fleet after two races sailed, as Afloat reports here

78 boats are now entered, exceeding even last year's 75-boat record for the AIB sponsored Series.