After a great turnout for the first race last Sunday, the AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot Series has been boosted by another five cruiser-racer entries for this Sunday's second of seven races on Dublin Bay.

The combined Dun Laoghaire Harbour fleet of 75 will have some adjustments to its five start lineup this weekend.

The First 27.7 Jigsaw, First 36s7 Karukera and Hanse 312 Kudos will move to the first start. The Sigma 33s Boojum and Elandra and the Sun Odyssey 490 Conquestador will start second. 

A full breakdown of starts for race two is downloadable below.

Light winds are forecast for this Sunday with revised Handicaps calculated and also available to download below.

Race Organiser Fintan Cairns reports a great atmosphere in the Royal Irish Yacht Club Wet Bar and the Terrace after racing, subject to COVID guidelines.

It was J/109s all the way on Sunday in the first round the cans race of the AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot with John Maybury's Joker II taking the first gun on modified ECHO.

The sistership Dear Prudence was second and the 1720 sportsboat entry, The Conor K was third.

As Afloat reported previously, the race was a tonic for Dublin Bay sailors even though it didn't all go to plan for some crews.

The Royal Irish Yacht Club hosted fleet sailed in the northwest of the Bay and for the first time, there were five separate starts such is the range of boats now competing. 

Download results below as a PDF file.

Race two starts next Sunday at 10.10hrs.

The large 70-boat turnout in perfect conditions for the first race of the AIB sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot Series was a tonic for Dublin Bay sailors yesterday even though it didn't all go to plan for some crews.

The fleet sailed in the northwest of the Bay and for the first time, there were five separate starts such is the range of boats now competing. 

Maybe Royal Cork set the trend with its 'White Sails only' rule for its Winter League because there's evidence of at least one yacht leaving their spinnaker for safe-keeping on the Outfall Buoy at the back of Dun Laoghaire's west pier as pictured above.

Onboard J/109 Joker II in the first race of the DBSC Turkey Shoot Series Photo: Maurice O'Connell

Results are being computed under the 'FECHO' rule (modified ECHO) handicap and will be available on Afloat.

The impressive 70-boat Turkey Shoot fleet picked up by the Dublin Bay live webcam

The second start of DBSC's AIB Turkey Shoot Series on Sunday will be the biggest, with 20 boats lining up for the first race of seven on Dublin Bay.

This year organisers are running five different starts for the 69-boat fleet that sees six 40-footers racing for the first time. As Afloat reported here, the fleet includes the past double winner Seamus Fitzpatrick's Mermaid V, a Beneteau 50-footer. 

The big boats will start last in start number five. (Starts and Handicaps are downloadable below)

First to start on Sunday morning is a 19-boat fleet that includes the 2019 overall winner, Eleint, a Trapper 300. 

Sailing instructions are here. 

In a change to the race officials for the 21st series, Henry Leonard, who has officiated at all the Turkey Shoots over the past 20 years, has retired, and Brian Mathews is replacing him.

The normal four-start race sequence will be expanded to five for this Sunday's first race of the impressive 70-boat fleet in the AIB-sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay.

The 2021 entry of several 40-foot and above entries (including the past double winner, Seamus Fitzpatrick’s First 50 Mermaid V from the Royal Irish Yacht Club) has led Race Organiser Fintan Cairns to consider a fifth gun, for a combined fleet comprising an eclectic mix of sailing cruiser types.

While largely a Dun Laoghaire Habour based event, there are boats coming from as far as Sligo to compete.

Seamus Fitzpatrick’s First 50 Mermaid V passes the Muglins Light on Dublin Bay, a typical mark of the Turkey Shoot Series

The fleet reached its bumper turnout close as the entry deadline was reached this week for the pre-Christmas fixture celebrating its 21st edition. 

Jonathan Nicholson's EL Pocko

Joining Mermaid V is former DBSC Commodore Jonathan Nicholson's EL Pocko, a German Frers Puma 42 from the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

Another forty-footer is a former DBSC boat of the year, Patrick Burke's Prima Forte of the RIYC.

Patrick Burke's Prima Forte

While the growth of the big boats might make the Turkey Shoot headlines, equally impressive is the solid number of one design keelboats types joining the short sharp seven-race series.

As well as J109s there are six J80s, eight 1720s and six 31.7s one-design keelboats competing. The J80s include a keen turn out of RSTGYC boats including the all-girl 'Jeorgettes' crew.

John Maybury's National Championship winning J109 Joker II is one of five entered.

Michael Blaney's After U too, is one of six 31.7s entered

There is strong representation too from the offshore fraternity with ISORA's Sunfast 3600s, Hot Cookie (John O'Gorman) and Yoyo (Brendan Coghlan) both in along with the latest 3600 Searcher skippered by Pete Smyth. So is Grzegorz Kalinecki's First 310 More Mischief.

The series is scored under modified ECHO handicap and runs until December 19th with First Gun each Sunday at 10.10 hrs.

The early forecasts for Sunday show west north winds of 15 knots gusting to 20, ideal conditions for cruiser-racing.

The entry fee is €70 and includes temporary membership of DBSC and the Royal Irish Yacht Club who are hosting the Series.

The First Gun of the 2021 DBSC Turkey Shoot is this Sunday at 10.10 hrs

With a week to go to the first of a series of seven races on Dublin Bay for the 2021 DBSC Turkey Shoot Series, organisers are reporting a strong entry with more entries in the pipeline next week.

The popular winter fixture has attracted 54 boats for the short sharp races and this year that runs from 7th November to 19th December with First Gun each Sunday at 10.10 hrs.

Turkey Shoot Chief Fintan Cairns says he has a 'broad spread of cruiser types' including five J/109s and a big fleet of sport boats including J80s and 1720s among the 2021 fleet. 

Cairns is hopeful the INSS's Kenny Rumball will join the fray, fresh from this week's Meditteranean exploits. The pro sailor finished second in class on the Matt 12 Sailplane in the Middle Sea Race.

As Afloat previously reported here, racing is under modified ECHO. Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race combine for the short sharp racing.

The entry fee is €70 and includes temporary membership of DBSC and the Royal Irish Yacht Club who are hosting the series.

Sailing instructions will issue next Wednesday.

With the ink still drying on September's final race results of the 2021 Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Summer season, the country's biggest yacht racing club has already unveiled its 2021/22 Winter AIB sponsored programme and Turkey Shoot Series.

A series of seven races will be held on Sunday mornings on the Bay under modified ECHO. Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome.

The popular series can attract as many as 70 to 80 boats for the short sharp races and this year it will run from 7th November to 19^th December with First Gun each Sunday at 10.10 hrs.

The entry fee is €70 and includes temporary membership of DBSC and the Royal Irish Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour who are hosting the series.

A Notice of Race is downloadable below. Entries are online here.

Great racing at the 2017 Turkey Shoot Series in Seapoint Bay. Photo: Afloat

Any hope for DBSC Turkey Shoot Series racing on Dublin Bay this Sunday was dashed last night when three pre-Christmas training sessions off Dun Laoghaire Harbour were also ruled out.

It had been suggested that the move to reduced Covid-19 restrictions to Level 3 on Tuesday may have provided an opportunity to run racing even though the club's Hon Sec Chris Moore had posted a notice here on Nov 29th to confirm the club was not in a position to race. 

Moore told members "DBSC is committed to, and indeed eager, to run racing for our members. Should the current position change we will be ready to run Turkey Shoot racing as soon as the guidelines permit". 

Last night, however, Turkey Shoot organiser Fintan Cairns confirmed in a notice to competitors that neither the event itself or any training sessions operating within the new COVID-19 guidelines would not go ahead after consultation with DBSC Flag Officers. 

Cairns thanked supporters of the popular winter sailing series and all those involved in seeking a pre-Christmas workaround for the cruiser-racer event.

"I would like to thank Barry MacNeaney, chairman of the Dun Laoghaire Combined Clubs, for all his effort in dealing with the powers that be in an attempt to get training".

"In the 20th year of DBSC winter racing, this is very unfortunate", Cairns added.

Expectations are raised that winter sailing for cruisers in addition to two-handed dinghies will be possible in December if COVID restrictions are lifted later this week. 

Sailing was part of a joint submission made to Government a fortnight ago that included 24 other non-contact sports that argued for the re-introduction of competition under Level 3 and Level 4 in the mixed households, pod system. There has been no definitive response to the submission and insiders say it is still very much '50:50'. 'A lot rests on what the Taoiseach says this Friday', Afloat was told.

The country's biggest winter race series organiser, Fintan Cairns of Dublin Bay Sailing Club says he is "hopeful our own NGB will retract its prescription re sailing under Level 3 and that this healthy, safe, non-threatening pastime can get going again". 

Winter yacht racing could return to Dublin Bay as soon as December 6th if restrictions are lifted Photo: Afloat

"We have to be optimistic that we will get sailing again after December 1st - to sail Sundays 6th, 13th and 20th December," he added.

Cairns says that Turkey Shoot competitors, that regularly attracts entries of up to 60 boats, will need to be prepared to move quickly if racing is reinstated. He has urged skippers to organise boats and crew this week in anticipation. 

He also says DBSC are ready to sail with Sailing Instructions and handicaps ready to go for the cut short series.

Cork Harbour Winter Racing

In Cork Harbour, Royal Cork Yacht Club was in the middle of its Autumn League when restrictions hit, cancelling the rest of the league along with the scheduled annual O'Leary Insurances Winter League from November 1.

When racing was cancelled on October 6th, it was expected RCYC would attempt to salvage some racing pre-Christmas with RCYC Rear Admiral Keelboats Daragh Connolly telling competitors at the time 'the club aims to resume racing when the guidelines allow'. 

However, fast forward two months, the winter league is scheduled to conclude on December 6th and with many boats now hauled out, it is unclear what might now be feasible.

Racing in a previous edition of Royal Cork Yacht Club's O'Leary Insurances Winter League Photo: Bob Bateman

The popular Dublin Bay Winter sailing series may be postponed due to Level 5 restrictions but DBSC Turkey Shoot organiser Fintan Cairns believes there is still scope for a resumption of sailing before Christmas

On the day the 2020 Turkey Shoot Series should have started last Sunday it was heartening nevertheless to see boats back on the water at Dun Laoghaire and going for a sail on the Bay in a good outdoor healthy atmosphere without contaminating themselves or others.

Hopefully, the powers that be and the civil servants will support us and can see their way to let us go sailing again?

As the Government advertisements say, such activity is good for our personal and collective resilience and well being:- "Outdoor activity is important for physical and mental health. Sport Ireland will support people to stay active through the winter"!

#Join the Turkey Shoot!