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DBSC Turkey Shoot Attracts New Sponsor for 2018/19 Winter Series

10th October 2018
Breezy conditions for a race in last year's DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay Breezy conditions for a race in last year's DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay Credit: Afloat.ie

Time goes quickly, here we are again for another DBSC Turkey Shoot of winter racing!

Below is a Notice of Race and Entry Form. Also, entry can be made online here.

The series starts on November 4th but one slight change this year is for the second race on 11th November when there will be a first gun of 1410. This is to allow for numerous centennial commemoration events and services that are taking place that morning.

"The series is now sponsored by Citroen South Dublin"

As you will notice, the series is now sponsored by Citroen South Dublin, a sister company of Rathfarnham Ford. Our many thanks to Paul Molloy for his strong continuing support of our sailing.

Also, many thanks again to our supportive weekly sponsors - Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin (Pat Rigney), North Sails Ireland (Prof O'Connell) and UK Sailmakers Ireland (Barry Hayes and Graham Curran).

All our sponsor's involvement in our series is much appreciated by us all!

Again I am lucky to be able to call on the usual crew of volunteers for the event - more craic again on the committee boat!

Please get your entries in asap as it would be a great help to have before we go racing!

Looking forward to seeing you all out there again. Tell your friends.

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Published in Turkey Shoot
Fintan Cairns

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Fintan Cairns

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Dublin Bay sailor Fintan Cairns is a former Commodore of Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Irish Cruiser Racing Association. He is the organiser of the very popular annual DBSC Turkey Shoot and Spring Chicken Series on Dublin Bay

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Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

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