Displaying items by tag: First 50

18th March 2022

New Race Boats Arrive for Irish Sailing Season Including an X-Treme 37, a J122 & a Sunfast 3300

Quarter Tonner movements may have stolen the new boat headlines over the past month but that's not to say there haven't been some other new race boat arrivals around the Irish coast too.

While the move certainly seems to be into the smaller boat sizes or Cape 31s, there is nevertheless some change in the 40-foot bracket too.

The X-Treme 37 on the RIYC pontoon

X-Treme 37

The Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay has a new X-Treme 37 among its fleet. The X-Treme 37 (RP Design No. 142) was designed by Reichel/Pugh for G-Force Yachts. The new arrival is expected to join the DBSC racing fleet when the summer racing season starts next month.

Howth Yacht Club J/122 The J122e at Howth Yacht Club is the latest addition to the Irish race fleet

J/122

Howth Yacht Club has seen the arrival of a J122 to the North Dublin Harbour. It brings to three the number of J122s now racing in Irish waters. This latest version was trucked in from continental Europe in early February.

There are unconfirmed reports of another big boat coming to north Dublin too. A First 50 could be on its way subject to survey, Afloat understands.

For quite some time, Chris Power Smith's top ISORA contender Aurelia was the only J122 racing in Ireland but all that changed in 2021 with the arrival of Greystones sistership Kaya.

J122 Jelly Baby

J/122 Jelly Baby - ex Kaya - now flying the Royal Cork flag in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman

The performance of the Wicklow boat, which had a remarkable championship-winning season in 2021, meant it was snapped up when it went on the market last November.

It was sold to Cork Harbour and becomes the new 'Jelly Baby' of the Royal Cork's Jones family. As regular Afloat readers will know this move follows an accident last October where the original Jelly Baby (a J109) ended up on the rocks.

Among improvements made by her new skipper, Brian Jones, is a revolutionary new antifouling system.

All is not lost for this J109 however with social media reports stating that the boat is now in Northern Ireland waters and undergoing repairs and hopefully a return to the race course in 2023?

It is reported that the Cork Harbour J109 Jelly Baby will be joining the Strangford Lough cruiser-racer fleet this season or next

Sunfast 3300

As Afloat reported previously, Ireland will have a second Jeanneau Sunfast 3300 for next season's offshore yacht racing calendar.

As regular Afloat readers know, the first of the new range, Cian McCarthy's Cinnamon Girl, debuted at Kinsale Harbour in 2020 but this second one, a used and high specification one is coming into Dublin Bay.

Due to its light, powerful hull, twin rudders and straight keel, this Sun Fast can combine speed and stability in most sea conditions.

It's not clear what Irish events the boat will compete in but as 2022 is a Round Ireland Race year and the boat is set up for double-handed sailing it might well take its place on the Wicklow start line next June.

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