Irish Sailing Life in the Rare Old Times

29th March 2020

WM Nixon

Cover of Irish Yachting & Motorboating for May 1970, showing the International Dragons in a club evening race at RNIYC at Cultra on Belfast Lough with Jeremy Hughes in Medusa leading Credit: Lindsay Orr

Once upon a time, when life followed some sort of a plan, Irish sailing was getting into early action in April. In looking back at Irish Yachting & Motorboating – the predecessor of Afloat.ie – for the editions of April and May 1970, we find that at this time of the year it was all systems go for putting in place a fund-raising Boat Show at the RDS in Dublin, and then at Easter, the dinghy classes gathered for the long-established Easter Meeting – inherited from the Irish Dinghy Racing Association - which for 1970 was staged in Wexford.

The 505s were the stars of the fleet, though the Fireballs were doing mighty well too, and in the 505s the winner was Wic McCready crewed by Nevile Lindsay racing Miss Betty V, which had previously been owned by Clayton Love Jnr.

Wiclif McCready 505 Wic McCready and Neville Lindsay powering along to 505 victory and the lead photo in IY & MB’s report of the 1970 Easter Meeting at Wexford. Photo: W M Nixon

Published in News From the Afloat.ie Archive

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Irish Sailing

About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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