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Dublin Bay Sailing Club's (DBSC) Thursday evening racing was cancelled tonight due to strong westerly winds.

Winds measuring gusting over 20 knots meant the eighth Thursday race of the 2024 AIB summer season was scrubbed in all classes at Dun Laoghaire.

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Paul O'Higgins's JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI is now five points clear at the top of the Dublin Bay Sailing Club AIB Thursday Summer Series IRC Zero division leaderboard after scoring his fourth win last night on Dublin Bay.

The Royal Irish yacht finished in a corrected time of 1 hour 02 minutes and 48 seconds, beating second overall clubmate Sean Lemass's First 40, Prima Forte, by one minute and 14 seconds. In third place was RIYC's Tim Kane's Extreme 37, Wow, finishing on 1:14:26 corrected. Five competed.

Rockabill VI is one of several bay entries that will miss this weekend's ISORA race from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire. The ISORA champion will compete in the Round Ireland Race from Wicklow on June 22nd.

In an eight-boat turnout, Richard and Timothy Goodbody took victory in IRC One by over two minutes on corrected time. The RIYC crew beat the National Yacht Club sistership, Something Else (Brian Hall). Third was the series IRC One Summer Series overall leader, Colin Byrne, in the XP33, Bon Exemple, who has a ten-point lead after seven races sailed.

In the DBSC one-design fleets, Beneteau 31.7 overall leader Chris Johnston earned his fourth win from six sailed, beating Michael and Bernie Bryson's Bluefin Two.

In a 13-boat turnout, Niall Coleman's Flyer won the Flying Fifteen race from Tom Galvin. Third was the series leader, Phil Lawton. 

Full results in all DBSC classes below

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Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Race Officer Harry Gallagher set a two-round course for the 18 dinghies competing in the first race on Wednesday evening in the AIB DBSC Water Wag series at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

In a blustery NW breeze gusting over 20 knots at times, the results were as follows:

1st: Mariposa - Cathy Mac Aleavey / Con Murphy
2nd: Moosmie - John O’Driscoll / Sarah Dwyer
3rd: Mademoiselle - Adam Winkelmann/ Shirley Gilmore.

A second race comprised the postponed Water Wag Women At The Helm event. With the breeze increasing to 24 kts, some competitors sometimes chose to go for an early bath between races, and 12 boats battled it out in the challenging conditions.

The results were as follows:

1st: Mariposa - Cathy Mac Aleavey / Con Murphy
2nd: Badger - Ann-Marie Cox / John Cox
3rd: Shindilla - Judy O’Beirne / Frank O’Beirne

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Dublin Bay Sailing Club's sixth AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season was sailed on June 1st in light to medium easterly winds on a sunny Dublin Bay.

In a seven-boat turnout in IRC One, under Race Officer Barry MacNeaney, it was a one-two-three for Royal Irish Yacht Club J109s with White Mischief (co-skippered by Richard and Tim Goodbody) taking the gun by 28 seconds from Barry Cunningham on Chimaera on a corrected time of one hour forty minute and 48 seconds. Bobby Kerr in the sistership Riders on the Storm was third on 1:42:58 corrected.

In a three-boat Cruisers Zero race, Sean Lemass's Prima Forte makes six wins from six this season, beating Tim Kane's Xtreme 37 Wow by over a quarter of an hour on corrected time. John Treanor's J112e Valentina was disqualified.

Cruisers Two IRC was won by Lindsay Casey's J97 Windjammer from Jim McCann's Mustang 30, Peridot. Third was the Lovegrove family's Sigma 33 Rupert in a five-boat turnout.

Myles Kelly's Senator 22 Maranda of the DMYC was the only stater in IRC Three division.

In Class 5a ECHO (White Sails), Colin O'Brien's Jeanneau 39DS, Spirit won from Johnnie Phillps Elan 333, Playtime. Third, in a six-boat turnout, was Tim Costello's Bavaria 35, Just Jasmin.

In the one-design fleets, the four-boat restored Dublin Bay 21 class saw a win for Geraldine from Garavogue, with Estelle third.

The National Yacht Club's David Gorman scored a 1, 2 in the two-race Flying Fifteen class that saw a 13-boat turnout.

Royal St. George's Michael O'Connor won a six-boat SB20 race from Royal Irish's Ger Dempsey. Richard Hayes was third.

Results in all DBSC classes are detailed below.

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Paul O'Higgins's ISORA champion JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI, which missed last weekend's cross-channel race, was on form in a blustery northwesterly on Dublin Bay last night, winning Dublin Bay Sailing Club's sixth AIB-sponsored Thursday evening race of the season.

The Royal Irish yacht finished in a corrected time of 1 hour 26 minutes and 54 seconds, beating clubmate Sean Lemass's First 40, Prima Forte, by one minute and 22 seconds. In third place was Johnny Treanor's National Yacht Club J112e Valentina, making its 2024 Thursday night debut on the Bay.

The result confirms Rockabill VI's place at the top of the Summer Series Zero leaderboard. She now leads Prima Forte by four points.

In IRC One, Richard and Timothy Goodbody, having competed at last weekend's Wave Regatta in Howth, returned to the Bay race track to take victory in IRC One by three minutes and 23 seconds on corrected time. The RIYC crew beat the National Yacht Club sistership, Something Else (Brian Hall), in her first race back since competing in last weekend's Scottish Series on the Clyde. Third was the series IRC One Summer Series overall leader, Colin Byrne, in the XP33, Bon Exemple.

Full results in all DBSC classes below

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Dublin Bay Sailing Club's fifth AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season was sailed on May 25th in blustery south easterly winds on a sunny Dublin Bay.

There were several reasons that turnouts were down outside of this afternoon's European Rugby Champions Cup in London. Not least Howth Yacht Club's Wave Regatta that drew DBSC IRC one Saturday Series leader, White Mischief (skippered by Tim Goodbody) northside for the Lambay Race along with Royal Irish Yacht Club clubmate Barry Cunningham on Chimaera.  DBSC regular Brian Hall is competing in the Scottish Series on Loch Fyne.

Also at play today were two offshore races featuring DBSC boats in the 90-mile ISORA race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire and a win on the south coast for DBSC's Chris Power Smith in Kinsale's 230-mile Inistearaght Race.

There was no racing in Cruisers Zero, and in a two-boat IRC One race, Tom Shanahan took the gun in the J109 Ruth from Bobby Kerr in the sistership Riders on the Storm.

Cruisers Two IRC was won by Jim McCann's Mustang 30. Peridot from Lindsay Casey's J97 Windjammer and William Despard's Blacksheep scored OCS in the three-boat turnout.

In an unbeaten run so far this series in the two-boat IRC Three division, Edward Melvin's Sonata One Design, Ceol na Mara of the National Yacht Club beat Myles Kelly's Senator 22 Maranda of the DMYC. 

In Class 5a (White Sails), PJ Timmins in Misfits won from Peter Richardson's Dehler 36 Deliverance. Third, in a five boat turnout, was Tim Costello's Just Jasmin.

In the one-design fleets, the four-boat Dublin Bay 21 class did not race.

The National Yacht Club's David Gorman scored a 2, 1 in the two-race Flying Fifteen class that saw a ten-boat turnout, down from last week's fine 18 as the Western Championships are on in Connemara.

Royal Irish's Ger Dempsey was the winner of a three-boat SB20 race from Grzegorz Kalinecki. Charlotte O'Kelly was third.

Results in all DBSC classes are detailed below.

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Sean Lemass's First 40 Prima Forte was the winner of Dublin Bay Sailing Club's fifth AIB-sponsored Thursday evening race of the 2024 season as Royal Irish Yacht Club boats took the Cruisers Zero IRC podium.

The Lemass boat took the victory in a heavy north-westerly of 16 to 23 knots in a corrected time of 1 hour 38 minutes and 13 seconds from last Thursday's winner Kyran McStay's X-35 D-Tox by a margin of 11 seconds. Third was Tim Kane's X-Treme 37 in 1:52:14. Overall IRC Zero leader for the Thursday Series, Paul O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 scored 'OCS' in the race run by Race Officer and Club Commodore Eddie Totterdell.

Prima Forte is one of the latest entries into Friday's (May 24th) Wave Regatta at Howth Yacht Club as Afloat reports here

Full results in all DBSC classes below

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Dublin Bay Sailing Club's fourth AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season was sailed on May 18th in sub-ten knot northerly winds on a hazy Dublin Bay.

In a nine-boat turnout, J109s took the top three places in IRC One with Barry Cunningham's Chimaera of the Royal Irish Yacht Club finished in 1 hour 28 minutes and 03 seconds corrected from Brian Hall's National Yacht Club (NYC) Something Else on 1 hour 31 minutes and 05 seconds behind on corrected time. Third was RIYC's Richard and Tim Goodbody's White Mischief which finished in 1 hour 32 minutes and 36 seconds corrected.

Overall, the Goodbodys lead Hall in the Saturday Series by a point.

Cruisers Two IRC was a one, two, three for the Royal St. George Yacht Club with Lindsay Casey's J97 Windjammer winning the five boat race in 1 hour 39 minutes and 52 seconds corrected from the Lovegrove family's Sigma 33 Rupert on 1:41:56.  Third was another Sigma 33, Moonshine skippered by David O'Flynn. 

Overall, Casey leads O'Flynn in the Saturday Series by four points.

In an unbeaten run so far this series in the two-boat IRC Three division, Edward Melvin's Sonata One Design, Ceol na Mara of the National Yacht Club beat Myles Kelly's Senator 22 Maranda of the DMYC . 

In Class 5a (White Sails), Johnnie Phillips's Elan 333 Playtime won the ECHO handicap race from Colin O'Brien's Jeanneau 39DS, Spirit. Third was Peter Richardson's Dehler 36 Deliverance.

In the one-design fleets, under Race Officer Jim Dolan, Geraldine (number 7) won from Estelle (number 3). In third place was number six, Naneen in a four-boat Dublin Bay 21 race.

David Mulvin won the 18-boat Flying Fifteen races from Niall Coleman with Alan Green third. 

In a five-boat scratch race for the Beneteau 31.7s, Christ Johnston's Prospect won from Brian Geraghty's Camira. Eoin O'Driscoll's Kernach was third.

The Dun Laoghaire Cup at the Royal Irish Yacht Club, incorporating championships for the 1720, SB20, B211 and J80 classes, meant DBSC racing was not held in these classes on Saturday, May 18. Results after day one at the Cup are reported here.

Results in all DBSC classes are detailed below.

Summer racing continues on Dublin Bay next Tuesday.

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Kyran McStay's X-35 D-Tox was the winner of Dublin Bay Sailing Club's fourth AIB-sponsored Thursday evening race of the 2024 season as Royal Irish Yacht Club boats swept the Cruisers Zero IRC podium.

The McStay boat took the victory in a light north-westerly of four to eight knots in a corrected time of 1 hour 39 minutes and 02 seconds from the overall IRC Zero leader Paul O'Higgins, JPK 10.80 (Paul O'Higgins) in a time of 1:39:24 corrected. Sean Lemass's, First 40, Prima Forte was third overall in 1:44:50 corrected.

Full results in all classes below

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After some late April cancellations, Tuesday night AIB-sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) dinghy sailing is off to a gentle start in May with some good turnouts across ILCA 6 and 7, Fireball, IDRA 14, PY and a DBSC debutante Melges 15 class. Four races have been sailed with three to count after discard with Royal St. George boats on top in several of the competing classes. 

Frank Miller, sailing IRL 14915 Ballderdash from the DMYC, leads a six-boat Fireball class in the Tuesday night AIB sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy sailing Photo: AfloatFrank Miller, sailing IRL 14915 Ballderdash from the DMYC, leads a six-boat Fireball class in the Tuesday night AIB sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy sailing Photo: Afloat

Miller leads Fireballs

Frank Miller, sailing IRL 14915 Ballderdash from the DMYC, leads a six-boat Fireball class by four points from Louise McKenna's Pink Fire on 7. Third, on tie break is another lady helm Cariosa Power of the DMYC on seven.

O'Beirne has three-point margin in ILCA 6

Royal St. George's Judy O'Beirne, on six points, leads a 16-boat ILCA 6 class from clubmate Mary Chambers on nine. Michael Norman of the Irish National Sailing Club is lying third on ten. O'Beirne finished second last weekend at the ILCA 6 Masters Championships at Howth Yacht Club.

The Melges 15 class are enjoying a debut season in the Tuesday night AIB-sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy racing Photo: Afloat

Flying Tiger is three points clear in Melges 15s

Class promoter John Sheehy leads the way in a seven-boat Melges 15 class that makes its DBSC debut in 2024. In a clean sweep so far for the Royal St. George Yacht Club, Sheehy's Flying Tiger (No 564) has two race wins to put him three points clear of Theo Lyttle's Surf Baby (566) on seven. Lying third is David Williams (637) on eight.

There is an 11-boat ILCA 7 fleet competing in Tuesday night AIB sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy sailing Photo: Michael ChesterThere is an 11-boat ILCA 7 fleet competing in Tuesday night AIB sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy sailing Photo: Michael Chester

Cowman on top in ILCA 7

In another top three for the Royal St. George in the ILCA 7s, Niall Cowman, on five points, leads Gavan Murphy on eight in an 11-boat fleet. Ross O'Leary is lying third on 11.

Aeros are PY Class winners

The National Yacht Club's Noel Butler in an RS Aero, Orion is clear at the top of the DBSC PY scoreboard on three points from clubmate Damien Dion on 8.5 in another Aero. Third is Brian Sweeney's Royal St. George Dutch Gold.

Dart leads three IDRA 14s

Pierre Long, sailing number 1612 Dart, leads a three-boat IDRA 14 class (all from the DMYC) but is tied on points after four races sailed with Frank Hamilton sailing number 140, Dart.

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About The Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a 'must do' race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.

The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.

In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.

George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7

The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.

So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC's longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.

Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race "must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?"

In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard's brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America's Cup with Moro di Venezia.

Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP's of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.

The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.

World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.

The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany's Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.

THE COURSE RECORD

The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.

However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2024

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 19 October 2024.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST Saturday, 21 October 2024

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth

Main Trophies

Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy – overall race winner under IRC Time Correction

Boccale de Mediterraneo – winner of ORC category

RLR Trophy – winner of monohull line honours

Captain Morgan Trophy – winner of multihull division on corrected time (MOCRA)

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