The Olympic authorities see the Laser as the floating equivalent of the pole-vaulter’s vaulting pole, thereby making Laser sailors into proper individual athletes, and very worthy of Olympic inclusion.
But meanwhile, some in the upper echelons of Olympic decision-making see two-person boats as being group-operated machines, thereby precluding double sailors from serious consideration as true Olympic athletes unless it’s with a boat that is a gymnastic challenge in itself. Step forward the 49er.

As for three-person boats….forget it. This would be all well and good were the Olympics in a self-contained bubble. But the reality is that it is the Olympic imprimatur which brings sailing more effectively to public attention than any other branch of the sport – and we don’t exclude the America’s Cup from that grouping.

Thus the glorification of solo dinghy sailing as the ultimate ideal of sailing sport has trickled through to become the accepted group-think in much of sailing, and there are indications that this tough-minded attitude – one thinks of the Spartans leaving newborn babies on the hillside overnight as a quick and convenient selection process to weed out the weak – is really off-putting for shy and mildly introverted kids.

"the glorification of solo dinghy sailing as the ultimate ideal of sailing sport has trickled through to become the accepted group-think"

They like the idea of going sailing, but are put off by the general gung-ho attitude of the more competitive helms, and the possible sense of loneliness in being sent forth solo alone in an Optimist. For this provides all the challenges of being alone, while at the same time having your efforts conspicuously on display in front of one of the toughest-minded bunch of kids in the country.

Spartans afloat - the sharpest sharp end of the Optimist fleet is not for the faint-hearted or shrinking violets, as seen here at Balyholme

The huge national Optimist fleet in Ireland is a force of nature, while - as several clubs have discovered – the International Optimist Dinghy Association of Ireland is so powerful and effective it can function successfully more or less as a law unto itself. And the fact of the matter is that when the demanding Optimist system of encouraging rising talent works, it works very well indeed. But we’d be kidding ourselves if we tried to pretend that it isn’t ultimately elitist, and inevitably causes the elevation of individual talent at the expense of a team approach.

That said, when the situation arises that a top Optimist sailor has to sail in a crewed boat, it’s rarely that they don’t quickly learn the ropes in every sense. And the recent National Junior Championship at Schull was dominated by present or past Optimist sailors who not only adapted to two-person sailing – in some cases almost overnight – but showed clever strategic thinking in selecting crews who were of a size to match their own weight in order to provide the optimum all-up weight to race a TSR 3.6.

That’s the way it is in the fast track. But by its very nature, most potential recreational sailors are never going to be in the fast track, yet they can find their pleasure in sailing by choosing the right boat in an environment in which they feel comfortable when they go afloat.

Yet as soon as you move up from a one-person junior boat to something requiring two or even three to sail, the logistical and expense problems expand exponentially. Nevertheless, at the more competitive level, there are shrewd observers who bewail the thin spread of the International 420 in Ireland, despite Doug Elmes of Kilkenny and Colin O’Sullivan of Malahide winning the Bronze in the Worlds in Malaysia back in 2016.

Doug Elmes and Colin O’Sullivan after winning Bronze in the 420 Worlds in 2016

It certainly seemed inspirational at the time, yet apart from a few notably enthusiastic clubs with keen 420 fleets, you could hardly say the 420 is a nationwide success. But even with the demands implicit in sailing a 420 locally and occasionally campaigning it nationally, there are those throughout Ireland who think that any family that finds itself becoming involved in 420 racing through junior participation deserves every encouragement.

One such is Pierce Purcell, former Commodore of Galway Bay SC, where the small but keen 420 feet has found itself raised to new heights of enthusiasm by the success of their top 420 duo of Adam McGrady and Alistair O’Sullivan, who won the 420 Nationals at Rush at the end of August.

The 2022 420 Nationals at Rush SC at the end of August. Photo: M Gosson

Much and all as Galway is the centre of the universe, the McGrady/O’Sullivan team know they have to travel for top competition, and it really is team travel with their fathers Paul and Gerry totally committed to providing logistics support.

National Champions. Galway Bay SC’s 420 stars Alistair O’Sullivan & Adam McGrady (centre) with their fathers Gerry O’Sullivan (left) and Paul McGrady (right). Photo: Pierce Purcell

But even with Galway now the pinnacle of 420 sailing, there are still those there – and elsewhere in Ireland - who reckon that the ultimate contribution to the development of two-handed, sociable and accessible sailing here was provided by the advent of the Mirror dinghy. I yield to no-one in my admiration for the Mirror, it’s one of the cleverest boat designs ever conceived, and it’s a matter of wonder why someone doesn’t put a computer to work to analyse why the Mirror provided so much for so many people in such a little boat.

It should be possible to then provide a computer-aided design which may look like a contemporary boat of 2023, yet ticks all the boxes on the factors that made the Mirror so very special and useful.

One of the most effective boat designs of all time – sport for all ages in the Mirror dinghy

You’d be surprised how many people are thinking along these lines, and meanwhile look around to see what readily available production boat most nearly fits the bill. And that shrewd observer of the sailing scene, Bob Bateman of Cork, who is the patriarch of an active three generation sailing dynasty while somehow also finding the time to take great photos of just about everything that floats along the south coast, reckons he has found that boat, hidden away in plain sight.

It’s the RS Feva. But though this 12-footer has been around for some time, the performance potential has been so emphasised that casual observers overlook the fact that the Feva is also a low maintenance – almost zero maintenance, in fact – knockabout boat, one that can happily take a bunch of kids for a fun sail.

Yet like the Mirror, she’s an all-generation boat in which a sympathetic adult with the ability to provide kindly teaching – it’s a very special ability, and not given its proper respect – can bring shy young children into sailing and build their confidence in every way, both afloat and ashore.

In the weekend in which some of those who have reached the highest peaks of Irish sailing are contesting the Champions’ Cup in its 75th year reiteration of the Helmsman’s Championship, it is very timely to reflect on the other end of the sailing continuum, and on what – in an ideal world – would be a boat deserving more encouragement in playing its key role in making sailing seem more genuinely accessible.

And apart from that, like the Mirror – which served our family very well indeed for multiple purposes – the RS Feva is simply great fun to sail.

Hidden away in plan sight behind the apparently performance-oriented RS Feva is an excellent little all-round knockabout boat for fun sailing. Photo: Robert Bateman

The RS Feva Class is on the rebound in Dún Laoghaire thanks to the determined efforts of a small group of parents from the waterfront clubs and collaboration with RS Sailing agent MarineServices.ie. Last winter, plans were laid to see good numbers in the local RS Feva events and get boats not currently regularly on the water back racing, and Kenny Rumball was determined that the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School would play its part.

Heather from MarineServices.ie got to work and developed a one-stop Feva renewal clinic, assessing the current RS Fevas in the Dun Laoghaire waterfront clubs as well as the school to modernize control systems, rigging and sails.

As a result, there were six race-ready RS Fevas at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School, and when word was put out to parents and students of the summer and winter programmes about a 6-week coaching programme culminating in participating in the RS Feva East Coast Championships, all 12 opportunities in this double-handed class were filled in under two days.

Heather from MarineServices.ie joined the sailing school’s coach Ronan Mooney to deliver the six Saturday morning training sessions. The school’s programmes have always emphasized participation and enjoyment, and serious racing doesn’t often feature as it has to be accomplished in a manner where all those participating feel an accomplishment, regardless of the results. So when the group met for the first time, the emphasis was on enjoying the event as nearly all of the group had never participated in a competitive sailing event.

After six weeks of coaching, the final crews of the five boats received a huge boost with five brand new RS Feva XL sails ahead of their inaugural competition. Keen to support the National Yacht Club in running the event, a RIB and crew from the school were on the water to assist in safety and event coordination. This also provided familiar faces to the school’s sailing crews, helping to disperse nerves that understandably are associated with any competitive event.

Racing at the RS Feva Easterns at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

A major highlight for the coaches was watching the five boats round the windward mark and without hesitation all hosting their kites despite some hesitation from others in the fleet and catching up as many as 5 places. “ We could not be more proud of them. These children had never been on a start line before and despite this all managed to come away with a prize and lots of laughs a fantastic weekend all round.” said Heather Wright who assisted in the coaching delivered by school instructor Ronan Mooney.

The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School would like to say a huge thanks to all involved in the event and for making the novice racers feel so welcome. “While the school might be new to this, don't you worry, this is just the beginning,” said Kenny Rumball, centre Principal and Irish RS Sailing agent.

Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Team Results

• 11th Overall: John Healy& Daniel Burns
• 12th Overall: Finn Byrne & Joe Gaffney
• 19th Overall: Kealan Reilly & Oisin O'Reilly
• 20th Overall: Orla Casey & Carla Williamson
• 21st Overall: Theo Homan & Manus O Baoighill

At the weekend, a fleet of twenty-six boats and fifty-two sailors descended on the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire for the RS Feva East Coast Championships.

Race Officer Larry Power delivered six races in sunny sailing conditions over two days. The wind off Scotsman’s Bay was light on Saturday, with the first race reaching a maximum of 12 knots but dropping dramatically as the day progressed. Day 1 tested the teams to the full with light, shifty winds making it very tricky for sailors not used to racing in light winds. Sunday brought more consistent wind reaching 10+ Knots, with the Feva Spinnaker bringing many colours to Dublin Bay.

Dun Laoghaire sailors Mia – Mai Hooper and Tom Flannery from the RIYC were in top form over the two days and took 1st Place in the Gold Fleet.

National Yacht Club Commodore Conor O'Regan (left) with First in Bronze, Silver & Gold fleets were Lewis Mc Connell & Maxim Zaramenskiy, Isabella Clarke - Waterman & Aoibhe Killeen, Mia Mia Hooper & Tom Flannery  Photo: Michael Chester

Runners up were Jules Start and Grace Gavin from RStGYC, followed up by local sailors at NYC, Lucas Browne and Felix Dion, who took third place in a very completive finish. To say the racing at the top was tight would be an understatement. Indeed, the standard across the fleet improved dramatically over the two days.

RS Feva events have become more popular across Ireland, with a major emphasis on enjoying the events and having fun. We had sailors from seven clubs from across Ireland compete in three Fleet categories, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Competitors praised the well-organised event, which was sponsored by Marine Services, and the warm welcome they received from the National Yacht Club.

Overall RS Feva East Coast Championship Results

Gold Fleet

1 Mia Mai Hopper & Tom Flannery (RIYC)

2 Jules Start & Grace Gavin (RSGYC)

3 Lucas Browne & Felix Dion (NYC)

Silver Fleet

1 Isabella Clarke – Waterman & Aoibhe Kileen (RCYC)

2 Jacob Browne & Zara Whelan (NYC)

3 John Healy & Daniel Burns (INSS)

Bronze Fleet

1 Lewis McConnel & Maxim Zaramenskiy (GSC)

2 Eliot Wright & Hugo McConnell (GSC)

3 Kealan Reilly & Oisin O Reilly (INSS)

RS Feva East Coast NYC Prizegiving Photo Gallery by Michael Chester  

Irish sisters Kitty and Lily O’Halloran reached the podium twice at the RS Feva Worlds in Weymouth last week.

Based in Cornwall, the siblings race under the flag of Ireland — according to their father Donal, they only have Irish passports — and recently claimed the Irish title at the RS Feva Nationals in Dun Laoghaire, just weeks after finishing sixth overall (and first among females) at the UK Nationals in May.

They followed up that convincing victory with third place among female entrants and third among families (siblings) in the RS Feva World Championship 2022 at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, which concluded on Wednesday (27 July).

With their 17th placing overall out of 186 entries in Weymouth, not to mention their Southerns success in Monkstown Bay this past Easter, win Kitty and Lily are “adamant” to further represent Ireland on the international stage, Donal says.

Elsewhere at the Worlds, there were respectable results in the Bronze Fleet for the Ridout siblings out of Ballyholme Yacht Club, with Emily and Annabel finishing 24th and their brothers Matthew and Peter in 25th. Full results are HERE.

At the beginning of 2022, eager parents from Dun Laoghaire’s waterfront yacht clubs came together to build the RS Feva fleet in the harbour.

With a two-year gap for the majority of young sailors and the growth spurt that goes with that, many young sailors were no longer small enough for their Optimists.

 With this in mind, the Feva Dun Laoghaire initiative was established where parents came together with the class association with the goal of getting as many young sailors out racing as possible.

This started with a racing series in May, followed by a busy summer season of the National Championships and Club regattas. The events have become more popular with a major emphasis on enjoying the events and having fun.

As a result, the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat has, for the first time, decided to take the leap and join in on the fun, with six RS Fevas available and a keen bunch of sailors, they have developed a programme to get these youngsters with no racing background out on the water.

INSS has developed a programme to get youngsters with no racing background out on the water 

The programme is off to a great start, with three boats being booked within hours of launching. It consists of six weeks of training with the goal of entering in the RS Feva Easterns held by the National Yacht Club on the 17th and 18th of September, along with the September series.

If you have a young sailor who would be interested, please do not hesitate to contact the INSS.

Irish National Marine Services, the RS reps for the republic of Ireland, are supporting this initiative by offering a major discount for the year that's in it, in order to try and encourage the growth of the fleet both locally and nationwide, for any information on buying a Feva or parts or servicing please contact Heather on
[email protected].

The RS Feva Irish National Championships from 1-3 July attracted 26 entries from Dun Laoghaire, Howth, Malahide, Greystones and the UK to Dublin Bay, writes Stephen Breen.

Three days of racing out of the Royal Irish Yacht Club saw all weather conditions for the 52 sailors, many new to the Feva class — making the championship both challenging and a test of skill and learning.

Day one on Friday 1 July saw three races completed, in varying conditions from zero to 25 knots of breeze — a challenging opening day.

Tom Flannery with sailing partner Sam in an RIYC charter (centre) look for the edge against the NYC’s Daniel Blake-Hickey Zach Kelly on Cabin Feva (right)

The Saturday brought light and variable Dublin Bay conditions and despite numerous attempts to start, no races were finished.

There was patience, persistence and a considerable amount of non-racing fun on and between boats — a glimpse of the benefits of two-handed sailing.

Sunday’s final day saw the 25-knot squalls settle down to a steady 15-20, allowing three solid races and a full result.

An Irish family entry from the UK, the O’Halloran sisters, became convincing Irish National Champions with six bullets and are planning to represent Ireland at the RS Feva Worlds in Weymouth.

The Royal St George’s Donnacha Sheehy and Arthur Glavin

Royal St George pair Patrick Foley and Seth Walker came second, while club mates Thea Daly and Ava Ennis came third. The National Yacht Club’s Lizzie and James Hall took the Silver fleet, while the George’s Amelie Hennessy and Molly McGlew took the Bronze fleet.

It seemed to the race officers that fleet separation reduced dramatically throughout — meaning essentially that everyone was a winner, with happy faces and broad smiles all round. Full results can be found below.

If you are interested in purchasing a Feva to join in the fun, Marine Services currently have four in stock with a discount to anyone who has or wishes to compete in the Feva. Contact Heather for more information at [email protected].

Starting this Sunday 8th May, Dun Laoghaire Waterfront clubs are on the water from 2-5 pm for inter-club sailing and coaching sessions in RS feva dinghies.

The aim of the harbour training is to 'encourage all skill levels to join the course, covering boat handling skills and basic racing, teaching how to go fast with fun!' according to Stephen Breen of the RS Feva class.

With over 70 boats across the country, Fevas are fun, fast and perfect for both girls and boys from 10-15+yrs working in teams. The boats, according to Breen are 'ideal to learn how to sail, have fun and progress competitively on lakes and coastal areas all across Ireland and beyond'.

The training is available through an online booking system on the club websites and the RS Feva Class Captains in Dun Laoghaire are: 

National Yacht Club - Tim Bourke - [email protected]
Royal Irish Yacht Club - Caoimhe Lowe - [email protected]
Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club - [email protected]
Royal St. George Yacht Club - Robbie Walker [email protected]

For more info check out the class website 

The RS Nationals were recently held at Rush Sailing Club. The event included the RS400, RS200, and Feva classes.

Three days of racing were scheduled under David Lovegrove and Harry Gallagher and the Rush racing team. 

Day 1

Friday started light and shifty and took a while for the breeze to settle. After a few false starts with fickle winds racing eventually got underway. Only RS400 and RS200s were racing on Friday. A full programme of three races were conceded with some very tight and competitive racing. In the RS400s it was very close racing at the top with the venerable Robert Espey & Richard McCullough leading by a slender margin of 5 point just ahead of Christopher Eames & Rachel Tilley fresh from competing in the UK RS400 Nationals in second with 6 points, followed by Barry McCartin & Andrew Penney in third on 8 points.

In the RS200s Frank O'Rourke & Rachel O'Leary dominated proceedings with 1,1,2 - followed by David Jones & Rob Keal, Sarah Dwyer & Henry Start, Tadgh Donnelly & Meabh Ryan, and Martin & Vicky Dews at their first event having recently joined the RS200 fleet!

Dying breeze and strong tides made conditions challenging for both the race committee and competitors with up to 4 marks drifting at various stages due to strong tides. 

Barry McCartin & Andrew Penney in the RS400 Photo: Sean Weldon

Day 2

Day two dawned with the promise of more wind. It didn’t disappoint! The competition was fierce from the start with UFD flags very quickly being deployed for all starts as the battle for position on the line intensified.

In the RS400s Robert Espey & Richard McCullough continued to dominate with two race wins from 4, closely followed by Christopher Eames & Rachel Tilley who secured a race win in the last race where the wind shut down completely at times on the last leg. Paul McLaughlin & Owen McKinley won race three proving that the fleet is tough and competitive and the leaders will have to work hard to stay ahead.

A similar story unfolded for the RS200s with Frank O'Rourke & Rachel O'Leary extending their lead, but not without challengers as Tadgh Donnelly & Meabh Ryan won the first race of the day, and Martin & Vicky Dews won the last race with some impressive “ferry-gliding”/tactical use of strong tide and no wind!

RS Feva racing at Rush Sailing Club Photo: Sean Weldon

The Fevas had their first day of racing with Isobel Bloomer & Oscar Legge keeping their noses in front on countback from Emily Ridout & Annabel Ridout with 2 race wins as both teams were tied on points. Siofra O’Donnell & Saoirse Corry followed in a close third meaning that it was all to play for in the final day of racing. Isobel Bloomer & Oscar Legge continue their strong form after winning the RS Feva Inlands and Emily Ridout & Annabel Ridout are serious contenders after a 3rd place at the RS Feva Northerns.

Day 3

The final day of racing was going to be a challenge - the forecast was not looking great coupled with strong tides in Rush. After an initial postponement ashore a whisper of breeze developed above what was forecast and David Lovegrove and Harry Gallagher pulled the trigger to proceed. One final race was sailed enabling an additional discard for the RS400 and RS200 fleets.

Marty O’Leary & Kevin Johnson secured the win throwing a cat among the pigeons wich might have seen Christopher Eames & Rachel Tilley win the event on countback had they secured the win, so they had to settle for 2nd. Robert Espey & Richard McCullough secured a 3rd ensuring a 2nd National title in a row. Barry McCartin & Andrew Penney had a tough day finishing 6th, but this did not affect their 3rd place finish.

Frank O'Rourke & Rachel O'Leary also had a tough day finishing 6th but this did not change their dominant performance on previous days to secure another National title. Tadgh Donnelly & Meabh Ryan made the best of the conditions to secure a final race win cementing their 2nd place overall. Sarah Dwyer & Henry Start managed to fend of a last-ditch 3rd place finish by David Jones & Rob Keal to secure 3rd place overall on count back, pushing the Cork lads to 4th.

Sarah Dwyer & Henry Start Photo: Sean Weldon

Isobel Bloomer & Oscar Legge stamped their authority on the event with a final race win after a disappointing 5th in the last race on Day 2. Ronan Blake-Hickey & Hugh Meagher secured a 2nd to cement a solid 4th place overall. Jane Collins & Noah Doherty from Cullan SC had their 1st podium finish which is great to see different teams securing top spots. Emily Ridout & Annabel Ridout and Siofra O’Donnell & Saoirse Corry had a tough last day but they had both done the hard work on Day 1 to secure 2nd overall and 3rd overall respectively. 

Results

RS400

RS400 winners - Robert Espey & Richard McCullough

1 - Robert Espey & Richard McCullough

2 - Christopher Eames & Rachel Tilley

3 - Barry McCartin & Andrew Penney

RS200

RS200 winners - Frank O'Rourke & Rachel O'Leary

1 - Frank O'Rourke & Rachel O'Leary

2 - Tadgh Donnelly & Meabh Ryan

3 - Sarah Dwyer & Henry Start

Feva

Feva winners - Isobel Bloomer & Oscar Legge

1 - Isobel Bloomer & Oscar Legge

2 - Emily Ridout & Annabel Ridout

3 - Siofra O’Donnell & Saoirse Corry

Next Events

Marty O’Leary will represent the RS400s in the Senior Champion of Champions event in the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Conor Galligan will represent the RS400s in the Junior Champion of Champion event in Schull. The next event will be the RS Southerns in Baltimore on October 2nd/3rd and the final national event will be the RS Easterns in Greystones on October 23rd/24th

Only a handful of spots remain for youth sailors in spring training programmes for Optimist, Topper and RS Feva sailors organised by the National Yacht Club for the 2020 season.

Spring training for Oppys runs for five Sunday afternoons beginning on 1 March. Only two places remain as of time of writing — to register (and optionally charter a club boat) see the NYC website HERE.

The Topper spring coaching programme is already under way, but a handful of places remain in the Advanced Racer and Improvers groups. More details and online registration can be found HERE.

And coaching for RS Feva juniors begins later this month on 23 February, with only two spots to spare. Details and registration HERE.

This month will also see a team racing clinic at the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 February during the upcoming midterm break.

The Irish Sailing-supported initiative for team racing is offered at the special price of only €25 for the two days of training, and is open to anyone (including non-club members) who has a competent level of sailing experience but is most suited to at least Level 3 or equivalent.

Sign-ups are still open for the Dun Laoghaire Youth Laser spring training programme, which continues this month with a focus on preparing 4.7 sailors for Easter trials and Radials for the Europeans at Ballyholme in July.

And dates have been finalised for NYC’s junior summer courses, each of two weeks’ duration:

• Course 1: Tuesday 2 to Friday 12 June
• Course 2: Monday 15 to Friday 26 June
• Course 3: Monday 29 June to Friday 10 July
• Course 4: Monday 13 July to Friday 24 July
• Course 5: Monday 27 July to Friday 7 August

These will involve the full suite of Irish Sailing levels (Start Sailing, Basic Skills, Improving Skills, Racing, Advanced Boat Handling, Adventure) over each course.

Leonie Judge and Madison O'Conaill from the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay are Ireland's sole representatives at the RS Feva World Championships 2019 in Follonica, Italy this week. 

The second day of racing at the 195-boat Championships 2019 greeted the sailors with glassy conditions. As the sun warmed up to over 35 degrees a light breeze filled in.

Before heading on the water, the Chinese team talked about how, at the very last minute their visas were approved, and they arrived in Italy with only one day before racing started.

“We are so excited to finally be here and be able to race. We came 2 nd at Hong Kong race week so jumped at the chance to come to the RS Feva World Championships “explained the
Chinese team from Guangzhou Sailing Club.

The fleet launched into another glamourous day of racing in Follonica Bay. Raulf Berry and his crew Ollie Peters continued their momentum, posting two bullets and a 10 th . “In three
words the RS Feva Worlds are competitive, sociable and hot!” Ollie described as he came off the water wearing a very fetching pink bucket hat.

Simon Cooke, multiple 470 champion, and Oscar Masfen had another solid day but as they arrive on shore they described the tense racing out on the course. “The British girls were so quick upwind!” explained Simon, “we are racing well and really enjoying ourselves!” With a grin on his face, Oscar added “It is so great to race against other countries and people
speaking other languages. The RS Feva Worlds have been so amazing, fun and entertaining!”

Millie Irish/ Tasmyn Green and Gabriella Clifton/ Daisy Weston are currently battling it out in 5 th and 6 th place respectively for the first female title heading into the final series. William
Pank and Sebastian Gotto from Norwich School, GBR, had a strong day posting a 1. 4, 3 after a rocky start.

It's a wrap on the qualification series as the fleet are split in gold, silver and bronze where the real racing begins! 

Results here