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Shanahan's J109 Ruth is Overall Turkey Shoot Winner But Vespucci Takes the Prizes!

17th December 2018
The J109 Ruth emerged top of the DBSC Turkey Shoot after the seven race series The J109 Ruth emerged top of the DBSC Turkey Shoot after the seven race series Credit: Afloat.ie

The Shanahan family's J109 Ruth was the overall winner of the DBSC Turkey Shoot sponsored by Citroen South Dublin yesterday.

All the ingredients for a spicy winter series finale were dished up on the capital’s water for the concluding race with ten boats in the running for the overall honours. 

After a full-on seven race series for the 77–boat fleet, the National Yacht Club entry outwitted clubmate and sistership Jalapeno (Paul Barrington) to take the overall lead after yesterday's final race.

But under the 'novel' rules of the series, it was second place Sean O'Regan's vintage Dehler 31 that walked away with the top prizes at the RIYC because, according to DBSC Turkey Shoot tradition, 'you have to be there to collect' at the prizegiving festivities.

Ruth J109 Turkey shoot 3313The Shanahan family J109, Ruth Photo: Afloat.ie

Dehler 31 Turkey shoot Vespucci 4277Vespucci, Sean O'Regan's Dehler 31 Photo: Afloat.ie

Third overall was the 1720 sportsboat, Zelus.

Zelus 1720 16091720 Zelus Photo: Afloat.ie

The 2018 series was the first complete series in many editions of the 16-year-old event when the record winter fleet set sail from Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The seven races produced seven different overall leaders as the series progressed.

Overall results and the final race results are published below 

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Published in Turkey Shoot
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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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