After losing the first two races of the 2015 Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Series, team Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School on board their 1720 Sportsboat Oi! were keen to get racing last Sunday. With a less than favourable forecast, but more manageable conditions on the day, race officer Henry Leonard & event organiser Fintan Cairns made the call early that we were going racing!

With 11 1720s entered, there were only five who made it to the start line of the first race. Oi! (Team INS&PS Skipper Kenneth Rumball) took the committee boat end of the line with Déjà Vu! (Skipper Ben Cooke) and Lady A (Skippered by RIYC Instructors) taking the pin end, at first it looked like Oi! may have made the right call but Déjà Vu! and Lady A got the early cross ahead of Oi!. By the weather mark, Déjà Vu, and Lady A had a comfortable lead over Oi!, Key Events was not far behind with George (1720 IRL 1780) a little bit late for the start but now in the mix. Down the first run, Déjà Vu and Lady A headed out to the right of the course while Oi!, took an early gybe out to the left of the course into a big gust where the team jumped on the 1720 express train down to the bottom mark where they had closed the gap between them and Lady A to only a few boat lengths. 2 more laps of the gusty windward leeward saw Déjà Vu extend their lead while Oi! managed to overtake Lady A on the last downwind and then extend upwind.

All in all a great windy days racing with a great course and sensible shortening by the race committee.

Three generations of the Goodbody family from the Royal Irish Yacht Club collected prizes at DBSC's annual prizegiving on Friday night. Tim Goodboby, was the winner of both Thursday and Saturday racing overall in the Sigma 33 class. Son Richard also won both Thursday and Saturday DBSC series in the Dragon class. Grandchildren Max and Georgia Godbody were the RS Feva September Series winner of the Mitchell Cup. 

DBSC Hon Sec and Historian, Donal O'Sullivan told the annual gathering 'We start tonight with a slight departure from the usual practice. We're marking this evening a most extraordinary and unheard of event - awarding prizes to three generations of the same family - The Goodbodys - Tim, the grandfather, who has graced the podium before on innumerable occasions, Richard, the son, likewise and now the grandson, Max, for the first time ever at a Dublin Bay event. Grandaughter Georgia shared Max's achievement'.

The prizes awarded were: Timothy Goodbody (in the Sigma 33 /White //M//ischief/) Fireseal Sigma 33 Trophy; J.B. Stephens Trophy; Bective Lights Crystal Trophy Richard Goodbody (with partner Rick Johnson) in the Dragon Diva: Oxford & Cambridge Cup; Old Time Cup; RIYC Cup Max Goodbody in the RS Feva 5241 The Mitchell Trophy

The Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) prizegiving was a highlight of the Dun Laoghaire sailing season and held at a packed Royal St.George YC clubhouse on Friday evening. Prizes, including an array of ancient yachting silverware, were awarded in all of DBSC's 22 classes by Commodore Pat Shannon.

Full list of DBSC Prizewinners HERE. 

In what has turned out to be an inauspicious start to the 2015 DBSC Turkey Shoot series, organisers seek to get their first race this Sunday after two cancellations – and no racing so far – for the 53–boat fleet. Undaunted by this weekend's breezy forecast DBSC will not give a cancellation notice on Saturday (like last weekend) but instead are to make a call from the race course on Sunday morning, all in the hope of getting the first race of the series underway.

Racing starts and handicaps for Sunday's racing are downloadable below.

Meanwhile the winners have been announced for tonight's DBSC prizegiving at the Royal St. George Yacht Club. All the winners are listed here

The Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) prizegiving highlight of the Dun Laoghaire sailing season will be held tonight at what is expected to be a packed Royal St.George YC clubhouse. Prizes, including an array of ancient yachting silverware, will be awarded in all of DBSC's 22 classes by Commodore Pat Shannon. 

DBSC Premier Awards include the Waterhouse Shield and in 2015 it is awarded to Cruisers II yacht Peridot (J.McCann, Y.Charrier, P.Cadden and H.O’Donnell) for the most successful yacht in handicapped classes.

The George Arthur Newsom Cup trophy for the most successful yacht in one-design classes goes to Michael O'Connor's SB20 Sin Bin (pictured above)

The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Trophy for the most successful new yacht in DBSC racing goes to Conor Ronan's Ruthless.

The Dr. Alf Delany Memorial Cup, for the most successful boat racing on dinghy courses goes to Tom Murphy's  Ok Dinghy.

The Brendan Ebrill Memorial Cup is awarded to Royal Irish skipper Colin Byrne sailing the Xp–33 Bon Exemple.

A full list of DBSC's 131st season prizegiving is below:

Strong wind warnings issued for Dublin Bay tomorrow have led DBSC to cancel the DBSC Turkey Shoot series for the second week running. Organsiers took the decision to cancel early rather than leave it until tomorrow morning. 
'This is a great pity as we had the totally opposite last week' said DBSC's Fintan Cairns.

Dun Laoghaire's winter sailing fixtures nearly fell victim to the fine weather yesterday but 'miraculously', according to the Fireball facebook page, DMYC race officer Stuart Kinnear got two races in for the opening of the DMYC Frostbites.

Unfortunately, the DBSC Turkey Shoot sailors were abandoned yesterday morning even though an impressive 50–boat fleet had assembled in otherwise beautiful conditions off the West Pier. Yesterday afternoon the DMYC harbour frostbites for PY, Laser, RS (200&400) and Fireballs got away in only light winds but just enough to set a harbour course. In the Fireball class race mug winners were Noel Butler and Luke Malcolm for race one and Frank Miller and Cormac Bradley in race two.

Cormac Bradley of the Fireball class adds:

Two races, 6 boats, 16 degrees. Mirror conditions initially but light breeze developed from west for first race. 3 lap trapezoid. Frank Miller & Cormac Bradley led the fleet to the first mark but were overtaken on the second spinnaker leg by Noel Butler and Luke Malcolm. Places remained this way to the finish with Alistair Court and Peter Doherty.

Wind swung for 2nd race and a new course was set. Miller/ Bradley went right on the first beat while the balance of the fleet went left. Miller/Bradley led by a modest distance and stayed ahead of the pack until the last weather mark when Butler/Malcolm briefly took the lead. However Miller/Bradley sailed through their winward side to retake the lead which they held to the finish. Butler/Malcolm were then put under pressure by Cariosa Power and Marie Barry who had closed up on the second placed boat. Ultimately, the ladies succeeded in taking secobd place in a very tight finish.
Given that the conditions looked so unfavourable at the start of the day, Race Officer Stuart Kinnear and his team did exceptionally well to get two races in – the 45th Frostbite Series is under way.

Squibs, 1720s, A35s, an X–37 Sport, a Farr 42 and a First 50 are just some of the 53 yachts entered for Sunday's first race of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay. Handicaps and Start times for the Rathfarnham Ford sponsored event have also been published and are downloadable below as excel files. The sailors have received a warning to steer clear of submerged rocks near Dalkey Island.

Competitors in this weekend's first race of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Winter Sailing Series on Dublin Bay are being warned to stay away from rocks at the North end of Dalkey Island with Sunday's first race starting two hours after low water. While it may appear obvious for sailors to steer around all rocks this particular outcrop has 'given some trouble' this season, say organisers, who have issued a useful reminder of the submerged hazard. Known locally as 'Leac Buidhe', the rocks in Muglins Sound are at the following approximate GPS co-ordinates: 53 16.64 N 06 05.13 W 

A note published in this year's DBSC yearbook also refers to the rock:  When approaching Muglins Sound from Scotsman's Bay, boats are advised to keep to the port-hand side of the Sound, avoiding the Leac Buidhe rock on their starboard side at 53 16.616N, 06 05.149W

ISORA sailor Peter Ryan has been in touch (scroll down) to warn of other rocks to the south–west of the Muglins.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) will again include an incentive to get people sailing this winter, especially newcomers, in its seven race Turkey Shoot 2015 series. Racing starts on Sunday, November 1. Racing is under modified ECHO (aka FECHO).

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are welcome to participate.

Any competitor boat that takes out a non–sailor (new to sailing) as a crew member will get a 2% discount on it’s FECHO handicap that day. The non-sailor will qualify as such for three races if taken. DBSC accepts that there may be overlaps with

non-sailors so rules will again evolve in the spirit it is meant. Names will be registered before sailing each day.

Entry fee €70.00 – includes temporary membership of Dublin Bay S.C. and the Royal Irish Y.C.

Entry forms are downloadable below.

Sailing instructions will be available on Sunday 1st November and will be emailed to entrants beforehand.

After sailing, food will be available to competitors in the Royal Irish Y.C.

Entries to: Donal P. O’Sullivan, 72 Clonkeen Drive, Foxrock, D.18 before Friday 30th October.