When it was announced that the three-day Howth Wave Regatta 2024 would be in the last full May weekend of Friday 24th to Sunday 26th, there was a certain thoughtful sucking of the molars among the waterfront pundits. For this was clear evidence that the over-crowded cruiser-racing programme had led the Howth event organiser Brian Turvey into going head-to-head with the Scottish Series for the timing of his home event, which has Porsche as the classy lead sponsor.

Thus the most basic metric of the wisdom (or not) of his decision lay in two simple outcomes – which way would John Minnis’s A35 Final Call II from Belfast Lough go, and which way would Pat Kelly’s J/109 Storm from Rush incline her attention?

HARD-HEADED CHOICES

For both boats have found the Scottish Series to be a very happy hunting ground for conspicuous success in recent years. They are the form boats. Yet both boats and crews are noted for making very hard-headed decisions about where they’ll get their best competition in this time-precious age, resulting in something of a zero sum situation when events precisely clash.

So although it was the solidly reliable First 50 Checkmate XX (Nigel Biggs & Dave Cullen) which led the way in becoming Entry Number One for Wave, it was when Final Call II came in at Entry 22 and Storm came in at Entry 68 that the Waterfront Brains Trust agreed the Turvey Team had successfully made the crucial cut – the show was definitely on the road.

John Minnis’s Archambault 35 Final Call II from Belfast Lough on her way to success in Dublin Bay. She is headed south again for Howth Wave 2024 in ten days’ time. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien

John Minnis’s entry was especially fulsome, as he’d enthused about the quality of racing he’d experienced in previous visits to Howth. Yet the 2023 ICRA National’s event success at Howth had been achieved despite a very disobliging weather pattern, so it seems that it’s the general atmosphere - in addition to the quality of racing when available - which is Wave’s USP. and it has also attracted a representative Cork contingent.

“Ya just gotta learn to live with it” – Pat Kelly in the midst of his crew shrugs his way through another Storm success at the Scottish series, but for 2024 Storm is Entry 68 in Howth Wave. Photo: Marc Turner

HOWTH ENTERTAINMENT RATING A CONSTANT

But the entertainment value of Howth Yacht Club’s setting in a picturesque and hospitable fishing/sailing port is more or less a given when you add in the hectic social programme available. Thus in the end it’s the quality of the racing which is the ultimate factor, and it’s Howth’s race team – whose talents are regularly hi-jacked off around the corner of Howth Head by Dublin Bay Sailing Club – that gives the greatest and most continuous attention to improving the product.

Now, wouldn’t this be quite the place for a party? Howth Yacht Club and the village by night. Photo: HYC

Then too, with this major regatta being so conveniently provided right on the threshold of Dublin means that the organiser’s tolerance in accepting entries up to just three days in advance causes the weather situation and its immediate prospects some ten days hence to be a factor in some crew and boat participation decisions.

Let’s hear it for the big one! Checkmate XX racing at the ICRA Nationals 2023 in Howth. Owners Dave Cullen and Nigel Biggs find that a boat of this size provides added opportunities to give dinghy sailors their first serious keelboat experience. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

PLUS CA CHANGE……..

Thus it’s a matter of things changing all the time in order to stay the same, as Wave is ultimately based around Howth Yacht Club’s signature event, the Lambay Race. Originally using a trophy donated by the Stokes family in 1899, it was first known to have been eventually maiden sailed in 1904 (it didn’t do to rush into new things back in them days), and since then its mystique has increased with every year.

CENTENARY? WHAT CENTENARY?

Yet its Centenary in 2004 passed with little enough fanfare, as Howth may have been experiencing some “Centenary Fatigue”, what with the hundredth of Howth YC in 1995, and the big hundred of the ancient Howth 17 class in 1998. You can have enough of centenaries, whatever they may celebrate.

So the annual Lambay Race has gradually and rather quietly become a cornerstone of the architecture of the Fingal sailing programme. And traditionalists would argue that all they should have to do is fire a starting gun from the Howth pierhead when the tide is flooding north through Howth Sound, and send the fleet of multiple classes on the most basic course round the always slightly mysterious Lambay (please don’t call it Lambay island, “island” is implicit in that “ay” ending), and then time them home again when the ebb hustles them south.

The original Lambay Race course was very basic, but since 1904 various zigs and zags have been added

LENGTHENING THE COURSE

But that results in a course of only fifteen or so sea miles when something special is needed, so they’ve introduced all sorts of variants in order to provide extra length and ensure there’s a good beat or two. But whether or not you agree with what they do is rather dependent on how well you did.

I did my first Lambay on Johnny Pearson’s 8 Metre Cruiser/Racer Orana in 1970, when she was still smelling of roses thanks to having been overall winner of the RORC Beaumaris to Cork Race of 1966, a triumph achieved by the genius tactics of Brian Hegarty. Quite how we did round Lambay four yearslater is long forgotten, so obviously we didn’t win, but the good news is that the 1960-built Orana has since been meticulously restored by an owner in the south of England, and has been cutting a dash at the Morbihan Festival in Brittany.

The late Johnny Pearson of Howth’s 8 Metre C/R Orana is now based in the English Channel, and here is showing her well-maintained condition at the Morbihan Festival in South Brittany.

Subsequent Lambay Races have been done in boats as small as a Squib – you could keep racing flat-out sustained by an easily-handled diet of Superquinn of Sutton Cross’s superb Scotch eggs and a screw-top bottle of cider, something that kept you going on a Howth 17 too – while at the other end of the size scale, the serious biggies like Perry Greer’s 57ft Helen of Howth and Otto Glaser’s all-varnish Tritsch-Tratsch II tried to outdo each other in the style of their mid-race lunch.

The Howth 17s Aura (Ian & Judith Malcolm) and Pauline on the north side of Lambay. Photo: John Dean

USING THE ZIGS TO CHANGE SAILS FOR THE ZAGS

Naturally a bit of us inclines to go along with the traditionalists who say the course should be simply there and back. But it has to be admitted our big win came in 1981 thanks to the zig-zag nature of the course set from Lambay south. It was our first year with the Hustler 30 Turtle (bought in a Leeson Street night-club around 4 o’clock in the morning, but that’s another story) which had lovely Hood sails, but the jibs and genoas were hanked on. Yet with a strong but steadily easing sou’wester, coming back fro Lambay the zigs while screaming along under spinnaker enabled us to change up from working jib through No 2 (a really wonderful sail) to face the beats on the zags with the right cloth set, until the last zag leg to the finish was close-hauled under the No 1, going like a train.

The Hustler 30 Turtle racing with her hanked-on Hood No 2 genoa set. She managed to win the new-syle Lambay Race 1981 thanks to being able to change up on the headsails during the short spinnaker legs.

BAD CAREER MOVE

It was beginner’s luck. But it was a very bad career move to have had it right in such a major scenario, as our ECHO handicap went so stratospheric that it continued to penalize us when we moved on up to a 35-footer ten years alter. So with both boats, for any subsequent sniff of the silverware we had to go to the then-considerable expense of getting an impartial Channel Handicap rating and subsequently going IRC, with the latter being no cake-walk as they wouldn’t allow us to be weighed for measurement with the chain locker filled with the 45 fathoms of seven-eighths tested cable we reckoned made her a proper cruiser-racer.

All of which seems rather a long way from the Lambay Race 2024 and Howth Wave 2024 enveloping it, but then the Lambay can attract some odd boats, everything from the hottest new things to boats as old as Methuselah. Memorable in the latter category is a Lambay Race aboard Adrian “Stu” Spence’s 1873-vintage pilot cutter Madcap which – despite her supposedly speedy pilot cutter pedigree – managed to be beaten boat-for-boat by the mighty Clondalkin-built Galway Hooker Naomh Cronan, helmed in considerable style by Paddy Murphy who’d come across from Renvyle on Connemara’s Atlantic coast, and made his journey well worthwhile through this success.

Adrian “Stu” Spence’s Pilot Cutter Madcap on one of his Arctic cruises. Built 1873, she is believed to be the oldest boat ever to take part in the Lambay Race, but on the day……

…….Madcap was beaten boat-for-boat round Lambay by the Clondalkin-built Galway Hooker Naomh Cronan, helmed by Paddy Murphy from Renvyle in Connemara. Photo: W M Nixon

ENTRIES CLOSE MAY 21ST

Meanwhile, returning to prospects for Howth Wave 2024, we’re kept on tenterhooks by the fact that entries are being accepted right up to Tuesday May 21st. We can see this becoming a dangerous game, maybe even involving AI. As clubs become increasingly proud and sure of their race management equipment, we can see entries being accepted as they show up. Which, as it happens, was the way it always used to be:

“Didn’t you know we were coming? Sure didn’t we come last year? Of course were coming again this year – who’d have thought there was any need to tell you?

Olympians and former champions are set to compete in this year's ILCA Masters Championships at Howth Yacht Club. The event comes just nine months after the North Dublin club hosted the national championships for the 2023 class last August.

One of the main attractions of the event will be the ILCA 7 fleet, where defending champion Conor Byrne of the RStGYC is expected to face stiff competition from the likes of 1984 and 1988 Olympian Bill O'Hara. Byrne, who has taken fourth and second place in the regional ILCA events so far this year, is set to put up a strong defence of his title.

Nick Walsh of RCYC, winner of the 2022 Masters Championships and second place in 2021, will also be competing, along with Dan O'Connell of Cobh SC, who was second in the 2022 Masters Championships.

Royal St. George's Sean Craig of Dun Laoghaire Harbour competing in the 2023 ILCA 6 Grand Masters World Championships in Adelaide, Australia Photo: Jack Fletcher

In the smaller rig ILCA 6s, a strong Royal St. George Yacht Club turnout is expected, led by Sean Craig, who won the event in 2022 and 2021. Craig's clubmate Darren Griffin has also taken podium places in the past two years, while Hugh Delap, who was the first master at the recent Munster Championships, narrowly missed out on a podium place last year.

Shirley Gilmore is defending her Ladies Masters National Title and will be up against Mary Chambers, Great Grand Master who took line honours last week in DBSC. Also competing is Carla Fagan of the host club, Ali Pigott of the National Yacht Club and Judy O'Beirne, Dun Laoghaire ILCA Class Captain from the Royal St George Yacht Club.

The event will be overseen by Race Officer Neil Murphy, along with the rest of the race committee from the recent HYC Dinghy Frostbites. 

Howth Yacht Club in Ireland is set to receive a full container of 12 Melges 15s next week, as the class continues to grow rapidly.

This arrival will double the Irish fleet to 24 boats, with a strong fleet of 13 boats ready to sail in Howth’s Thursday dinghy racing, where a diverse range of owners ranging from the Oppie ‘Dad’ to the ‘Cruiser Racer’ will take ownership.

Many owners are reportedly returning to dinghy ownership after a long hiatus, while family is also a common theme with parents, partners, and siblings all set to sail and race on Howth waters this summer.

The Demo weekend off Ireland's Eye that led to the Melges 15 order of 12 boats for Howth Photo: Tom Ryan 

Irish promoter john sheehy says Tthe Melges 15 fleet is the fastest-growing dinghy fleet around the world, and with the arrival of these 12 boats, class numbers will top 800 internationally.

Boat numbers 796 to 807 will make their new home in the waters off Ireland’s eye, with one boat (805) owned by Howth Yacht Club itself, providing members more chances to get afloat. Club fleets have been popping up in the US over the last year, with Houston Yacht Club perhaps showing Howth Yacht Club the way forward with their own club-owned fleet of boats.

New Melges 15s are loaded in the factory. Next stop Howth Yacht Club!

The Irish national championships are set for Howth on August 24th and 25th, and with expected international entries, the event should be a competitive fair, pushing the fleet past 24 boats.

Bob Fannin Jnr feels most at home on the high seas. For as the Bristol-based writer, broadcaster and university lecturer told the members of the Cruising Group at his former club of Howth on Tuesday night, when sailing the sea, life is simple. There are basically just three very important matters that have to be handled very well indeed on a daily basis, with the ship tidy and properly shipshape - and the food good - well up the list.

Yet in trying to live a decent shore life, a natural seaman is constantly assailed by what seems like wave after wave of relative trivia that needs constant attention. But he or she soon learns that you can survive and get by with “a barely acceptable level of response”, however unsatisfactory that may seem. That said, he gave an understanding nod to the old dictum “that when a man gets to like a sea life, then he is not fit to live on land.”

Bob Fannin Jnr – “in the years he has been away, he has somehow ended up looking like Bruce Springsteen’s seagoing brother”

UNMATCHED SEA-GOING EXPERIENCE

His sea-going experience is off the scale, and in the years he has been away, this talented son of sailing cartoonist Bob Fannin Senr has somehow ended up looking like Bruce Springsteen’s sea-going brother. That’s as may be. But with skippers and shipmates like Arctic-pushing John Gore-Grimes and world-girdling Bill King on smaller yachts, combined with years of experience in the Caribbean and Mediterranean with classic big superyachts like Sumurun, Puritan and Tuiga, the depth of knowledge and tough experience he can draw on is mind-boggling.

Some of Bob Fannin’s best classic experience was gained on the renowned 15 Metre Tuiga

But out of all that, he says that the simple most important thing is something that he learned from Bill King, something that is sublime in its simplicity. The secret to keeping the sailing show on the road in a lengthy sailing project, says Bob, is to be found in straightforward kindness and thoughtfulness towards your shipmates.

KINDNESS IS ALL

He frankly admitted that this was something he personally had to learn, remarking that until he sailed with Bill King, it wouldn’t have been his first reaction in difficult times, or indeed in most times. But Bill King with his unrivalled range of experience knew how to get the best out of his shipmates through empathy, courtesy and the right level of tolerance.

Bill King of Galway – “in getting the best out of a crew, the right level of kindness is everything”

It was so central to his character that you got the feeling that this was the way he’d been born, but Bob says Bill King modestly claimed he’d had to learn it like most other truly successful skippers.

Since then, Bob has tried to carry this approach with him, even if it sometimes took quite a bit of personal adjustment. But it certainly has stood him to the good, as he was able to review a hugely-varied sailor’s life, a way of life that clearly has provided him with more experiences than the entire enthralled HYC Cruising Group combined.

The 1914-vintage Fife ketch Sumurun

The annual Brassed-Off Cup for Optimists which has been running in Howth for 21 years, was held on Sunday in breezy south easterly conditions over a relatively flat sea with some strong gusts to test the boat handling of the fleet. Eighteen enthusiastic sailors took part with the event being used by many as a final practice session before the Irish Sailing Youth National Championships in Royal Cork next weekend.

Given that the event schedule was three races without a discard, the PRO had hopes that the fleet might not be too aggressive on the start line and tried the first start on a Blue Peter. After a general recall, with at least half the fleet over, as promised in the briefing, the U flag was then broken out for all subsequent starts.

On the second race start, the tide under the fleet picked up pace and was a major factor in two general recalls. The race committee was beginning to anticipate a long day on the water and was relieved to get the race away on the third attempt. By the third race, the sailors seemed to have mastered the art of starting with tide under them and a clean start was achieved on the first attempt.

The overall and Senior Fleet winner with three bullets was Juliet Ryan HYC/MYC/Royal St George Yacht Club who built a commanding lead in each of the races. The Junior Fleet winner was Juliet’s younger brother Ollie Ryan MYC/RStG, who sailed consistently to finish 7th overall.

Always having the Friday and Saturday of the last weekend of March as the "fixed fixture" for your annual event is usually guaranteed to provide lively conditions and Howth YC's Scorie Walls's regular yearly staging of the University Keelboats team champs, using the club's flotilla of J/80s, has again been appropriately rewarded in 2024, even if some of the racing had to be sailed with a mandatory reef in the main.

GOING MAD WITH THE COLOURED SAILS

As there was nothing said about restrictions on going mad with the coloured sails up front, the sailing students made full use of the offwind opportunities. And none more so than University College Cork, captained by Michael O'Suillebhain of Kinsale, with the UCC team heading home with the top prize.

"Sailing off the east coast in the mad March days...." Everything under control at this stage, but it's anybody's guess what might happen if that black squall finlly hits the fleet. Photo: Emmet Dalton

Those who are resident and with a sea view at Howth have become accustomed to seeing the local club-owned J/80s being used for HYC's extensive sail training and introduction afloat programme. And - not to put a tooth in it - in those circumstances, the boats aren't necessarily seen to be looking their best. But all credit to Ireland's student sailors, they were on top of the challenge from the get-go, there was exceptonally close racing throughout, and the J/80s were looking great in these past two days to remind us what a notably handsome little craft we have with this classic J/Boat.

The "Scorie Walls College Keelboat Champs" provided the opportunity for competent student sailors to demonstrate the J/80 at her handsome best. Photo: Emmet Dalton

The best laid plans often go awry - despite what was set to be a great turnout for the annual Howth Yacht Club Round the Island Race last Saturday at Howth, the weather gods didn't play ball, and a decision was taken 48 hours before the event in the face of an expected easterly gale to cancel the day's sailing (it was a very accurate call – on the day, the waves were sweeping the Howth East Pier almost as if it wasn’t there – Ed.). It meant great disappointment, not only for the series regulars who have been racing in HYC nearly every Sunday since November, but also for the strong visitor turnout. The event was due to see a variety of boats from all over the country, including Fireballs from Cork, RS Aeros from the North and Mermaids from North Dublin.

Here’s success for Ukraine – Oleksandr Bezpalyi of the Obolon SC in Kiev is in the frame at Howth

This one’s for West Cork – Rory Lynch of Baltimore SC made good on the East Coast

However, all was not lost, as the shore-side of the day's agenda could still proceed uninterrupted. The prizegiving for the both Frostbite series and the New Year's Day Race, followed by a lunch and the 6 Nations rugby matches on the big screen gave everyone plenty to look forward to on the day, but we’ll put the rugby down to experience

MANY VOLUNTEERS

Commodore Neil Murphy said a few words to welcome everyone. The main thanks of the event go to the volunteer race officer team, who share weekly duties among themselves and have done so for many years. Harry Gallagher, Jim Lambkin, Liam Dineen, Dave Jones, Richard Kissane, Ronan MacDonell and Neil Murphy as race officers, along with many more volunteers who manage the results, and the RIB crews all do a great job of ensuring that everyone gets great, safe racing done all winter long.

Rising star. Andrei Samoilov collected the trophy for most improved sailor

Special mentions were also given to the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the Frostbite series and Laser/ILCA racing in HYC next Autumn, where there will be a number of on and off the water events to mark the special milestone. Winter sailing in HYC has lots to look forward to - a growing PY fleet including GP14s, B14s and RS Aeros out every week set to be joined next year by a fleet of Melges 15s.

“Gee thanks Dad!” Series organiser and prize winner Conor Murphy with Mr Big

New talent - Charlie Robertson and crew took the Junior Title in PY

As the prizes were given out, great enjoyment was taken in identifying past winners of each of the trophies and reminiscing on years gone by, while also looking forward to the coming years. Most trophies saw new names being added to them this year, and there were many new visitors to the podium places in each class. While most of the prizes are given out for podium finishes in the series, one prize is given each year to recognise the most improved sailor among the participants. This year, Malahide's Andrej Samoilov won this prize in his second season at the HYC Frostbites, as this year he obtained podium results and led the fleet on occasion.

Ciara McMahon is yet another branch of the top sailing clan

The tops! Daragh Sheridan led a successful solo charge with the RS Aero.

All prizes awarded and photos are below.

2023 HYC Pre-Christmas Series

• ILCA 7 (Courtney Cup): Rory Lynch (Baltimore SC), Daragh Kelleher (SSC), Dave Kirwan (MYC)
• ILCA 6 (Stafford Trophy): Tom Fox (Rush SC), Darragh Peelo (Malahide YC), Peter Hassett
• ILCA 4 (Frazer Casey Firefly Cup): Oleksandr Bezpalyi (Obolon SC), Harry Dunne (Howth YC), Stan O'Rourke (MYC/HYC)
• PY: Daragh Sheridan (RS Aero, Howth YC), John Phelan (RS Aero, Howth YC), Jeremy Beshoff & Declan McManus (B14, Howth YC)
• PY2: Charlie Robertson

2024 New Year's Day Race

• ILCA 7 (New Year's Day Mug): Colm Cunningham (Malahide YC)
• ILCA 6: Peter Hassett
• PY: Daragh Sheridan

2024 Post-Christmas Series

• ILCA 7 (Rowan Trophy): Conor Murphy (Howth YC), Dan O'Connell (Cobh SC), Rory Lynch (Baltimore SC)
• ILCA 6 (Elliot Cup): Tom Fox (Rush SC), Vikor Samoilov (MYC/HYC), Ciara McMahon (Howth YC)
• ILCA 4 (Fitzpatrick Cup): Stan O'Rourke (MYC/HYC), Oleksandr Bezpalyi (Obolon SC), Charlie Power (Howth YC)
• PY: Daragh Sheridan (RS Aero, Howth YC), Alan Blay & Hugh McNally (GP14, Howth YC), Sam Street & Josh Lloyd (GP14, Blessington LSC)

Peter Hassett was in the frame in ILCA 6s

All welcome. Commodore with Daragh Peelo of Malahide

Dave Kirwan was another of the Estuary Invaders from Malahide

Young Stan O’Rourke successfully carried the banner for a renowned Dublin sailing name

Commodore with John Phelan, whose successes come inshore and offshore, winter and summer

Howth Yacht Club has cancelled Saturday's (March 9th) Round the Island Dinghy Race due to strong easterly winds, going against a large ebb tide.

The Round the Island Race typically marks the end of the winter dinghy season in HYC.

The traditional Frostbite prizegiving and luncheon will go ahead as planned, according the club's Conor Murphy.

The nine weekend post-Christmas series at Howth drew to a close on Sunday morning 3rd March, and for the first time in 2024, properly gentle winds and warm sun greeted the sailors as they arrived on the race course. Despite it being the end of the nine-weekend series, the winter season isn't finished just yet - the annual Round the Island Race is set for Saturday, 9th March, where all ILCAs and PY classes are welcome to compete to see who can circumnavigate Ireland's Eye the fastest, with the pro- and anti- clockwise fans getting a free rein.

With all fleets having podium places open to compete for on Sunday, everyone had to be at their best to close out the series well and sea a total of 14 good races in the can. Race Officer Ronan MacDonell set two windward-leeward courses for this final day in the gentle westerly breeze, and with a flooding tide, the races got away.

Sam Street of Blessington (seen here in an earlier race at Howth) finished on a high with the two wins ahead of a strong GP14 contingent in the PY Division

GOOD DAY FOR GEEPS

The PY fleet had a strong turnout, and the light breeze and flat water obviously suited the GP14s, taking five of the available 6 podium places. Sam Street's GP14 came away with two wins, followed by Conor Twohig's GP14 and Daragh Sheridan's RS Aero in race 1, and in race 2 he was followed by Alan Blay and Conor Twohig.

RIGHT TO THE WIRE FOR PY

There was remarkably close competition in Race 2 between the GP14s, with all 3 crossing the finish line within 11 seconds of each other. The PY fleet continues to show great diversity with an Enterprise, B14, and RS600 all on the water in addition to the GP14s and Aeros. In the series overall, however, Daragh Sheridan did enough to seal his win overall, closing the series with 17 points. Alan Blay and Hugh McNally came second with a Geep, and Sam Street came third similarly kitted.

Another one we made earlier – Daragh Sheridan’s consistency in the RS Aero in the earlier races in the 14-race series ensured he won the PY Division overall

ALL TO PLAY FOR IN ILCA 7s

The ILCA 7s had a lot on the line coming into the final day's racing, with all podium places available depending on how the racing went. In Race 1, Dan O'Connell (Cove of Cork), Conor Murphy (Howth) and Dave Kirwan (Malahide) battled around the course, all swapping places on the beats and runs, with ultimately O'Connell taking the win followed by Kirwan and Murphy. In Race 2, O'Connell again established a lead, this time followed closely by Murphy and Darragh Peelo, with positions changing around the course.

Fighting for the ILCA7 title – Dave O’Connell of Cove, Conor Murphy of Howth, and Daragh Kirwan of Malahide were glued together for the two final races. But though O’Connell won both, Murphy was right there and had enough points from earlier in the 14-race series to win overall. Photo: Neil Murphy

FLEET COMPRESSES IN FALLING WIND

But after a big drop in breeze on the final run, the 3 boats compressed, and on the short beat to the finish, O'Connell took the win, followed by Murphy and Peelo. Murphy did just about enough to obtain the series win by a single point over O'Connell, followed by Rory Lynch in 3rd.

The ILCA 6s saw series leader Tom Fox of Rush SC return to make sure his results came good at the end. Ciara McMahon excelled in the light and shifty conditions in race 1, taking the win followed by Glenda Gallagher and Fox. Race 2 saw Fox take the win, followed by Carla Fagan and Ciara McMahon. Tom Fox won the series overall, followed by Viktor Samoilov and Ciara McMahon.

Ciara McMahon (Howth, third OA ILCA6), Viktor Samoilov (MYC & HYC, second OA ILCA6) and Richard Tate (Royal St George YC) battling for clear downwind air as the breeze eases. Photo: Neil Murphy

The ILCA 4s saw Harry Dunne (Howth) win the first race, followed by Oleksandr Bezpalyi (Obolon SC) and Stan O'Rourke (Malahide & Howth). But Race 2 saw Harry Dunne OCS, with O'Rourke and Oleksandr Bezpalyi taking first and second respectively, which confirmed Stan O’Rourke as overall winner.

Some of Friday’s snow is still evident on the distant Wicklow Hills as Glenda Gallagher (Malahide) sails towards a 2nd and an 8th in the ILCA 6s in the final series races at Howth. Photo: Neil Murphy

HOWTH LASER FROSTBITE 50TH PARTY IN AUTUMN

That marks the end of a great series, with a special thanks to the volunteer race management team that make it all possible. The Round the Island Race marks the end of the winter dinghy season in HYC, and with all visitors welcome, it's bound to be a great race. Next season of the Frostbites in October/November marks the 50th anniversary of the event. Stay tuned for updates on the events which the club plans to run to mark the occasion – we may even see some of the golden oldies from the first series in 1974 taking part.

Full results available below

The beginnings of a new breeze from the south are already making in as the boats return to Howth Harbour after a good morning’s racing, with Ireland’s Eye out beyond the harbour, ready and waiting for special sport in Saturday 9th March’s two-way circuit

With chilly conditions and a building easterly breeze very accurately forecast, the penultimate Sunday of the post-Christmas series of the HYC Dinghy Frostbites kicked off at the weekend to fight it out for the remaining races, and build on any late attempts to climb the leaderboard writes Conor Murphy.

Race Officer Neil Murphy and team set two Olympic courses, and despite a general recall for the ILCAs due to the tide pushing them across the line, the rest of the starts got away cleanly. With wind against tide, and both increasing, the sea state got lumpy and challenging as time went on.

Spinnakers have more fun…..Sam Street (Blessington) and Conor Twohig (Sutton) in their GP14s

CONSISTENT O’CONNELL

The ILCA 7s saw consistency in Dan O'Connell from Cove of Cork leading each lap of each race, despite pressure from the host club’s Conor Murphy and Colm Cunningham. O'Connell took first in both races, as did Murphy with second, while Colm Cunningham took third in Race 1, and Andrejs Samoilovs took third in race 2, a strong showing for the Malahide contingent.

Looking like a winner – Dan O’Connell notched two bullets for the Rebel County

Rory Lynch of Baltimore on 13 still leads the series, although his absence has shortened the gap to second place Conor Murphy (16) and Dan O'Connell (20). With one more weekend scheduled, anything could happen at the top of the ILCA 7 leaderboard.

Conor Murphy of the host club took two seconds on a busy morning

The ILCA 6s saw a new race winner in Dave Kirwan of Malahide – usually an ILCA 7 sailor, he dropped to the ILCA 6 fleet, and came away with two race wins. He also finished fourth on the water overall in the combined ILCA fleet in both of the races, showing remarkable speed against the ILCA 7s despite the smaller rig.

Dave Sheridan made a shrewd choice in a scale-down to the ILCA6

By scaling down to the ILCA 6, Malahide’s Dave Kirwan won twice – and was ahead on the water of some ILCA7s while he was at it
Ciara McMahon and Viktor Samoilovs took 2nd in a race each, while Glenda Gallagher took 3rd in each. Tom Fox (Rush) still leads the series on 13 points, with Samoilov (22) and McMahon (28) filling out the rest of the podium spots.

The ILCA 4s had remarkable consistency in their results for both races. Current Irish Optimist National Champion Harry Dunne (Howth) continued his successful transition to ILCAs by winning, followed by Stan O'Rourke, Oleksandr Bezpalyi and Charlie Power in both races.

TOP COACHES REAP REWARDS

Their coaching from Luke Turvey and Rocco Wright is still paying dividends, as the ILCA 4s featured in the first batch of sailors around the top mark, demonstrating great starts and first beat speed & tactics. Overall, O'Rourke (14) leads Bezpalyi (18) and Power (29) heading into the final weekend.

Daragh Sheridan was Aero and overall dominator in PY, and will be the man to beat in the enlarged Aero fleet at the Island Race on 9th March

The PY Fleet saw Daragh Sheridan continue his run of form, making it five firsts in a row after winning both races. The triangular courses with fast reaches benefitted the light planing RS Aero, enabling Sheridan to win by nearly 2 minutes on corrected time in one of the races.

The GP14s of Alan Blay and Conor Twohig swapped 2nd and 3rd in each race. Despite winning one of the races by over 3 minutes on the water, the fierce handicap on Jeremy Beshoff's B14 unfortunately meant they didn't feature on the podium. Sheridan (11) leads the series, followed by Alan Blay (16) and Sam Street (26).

It’s a blast….Conor Twohig’s GP14 making the best of the rising wind and steepening sea

RS AEROS AMONG THOSE TARGETING ISLAND RACE ON SATURDAY MARCH 9th

One weekend of the regular Sunday series remains, after which all focus shifts to the Round the Island Race on Saturday, 9th March. This iconic race marks the end of the winter season in HYC, and all dinghies with a PY handicap are welcome to take part. With a strong RS Aero entry already, it's shaping up to be a great event. Details and entry are available on www.hyc.ie.

Full results for the Dinghy Frostbites are available below