Continuing the celebrations of Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club's 150 years, as well as marking the 50th year of EBoats, the EBoat National Championships 2025 were hosted by the Dublin Bay club on 9th and 10th August.
A strong fleet of boats arrived from Skerries on Wednesday in preparation for the event: AOIFE, EAGLET and EASY-GO again helmed by class stalwart Paul Hicks.
EBoats were first manufactured in 1975 and have been in Clontarf since 1978, and then proliferated to Skerries in the late 1980s. At their peak in the late 1990s, there were 21 EBoats on the CY&BC start line.
E Boats championship racing at Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club
The racing on Saturday, 9th August, in challenging conditions, saw three races run by Race Officer Ian Sargent and his team.
The full length of the available space in the Tolka Estuary provided flat waters and two-mile windward-leeward courses, in SW winds gusting 28 to 30 knots with 20-degree windshifts in the gusts, which made for interesting spinnaker work among the fleet.
Sean Waddilove on the helm of E Boat Aoife
Several competitors experienced heavy broaches, particularly in the second race, with several lifejackets going off and one MOB who was swiftly recovered with no ill effects. The heavy gusts led to some gear failures, resulting in retirements for repairs. The sail plan was critical on Saturday; competitors with number 3 jibs generally fared well over those with bigger number 2 jibs.
There was plenty to discuss at the dinner on Saturday afternoon in the CY&BC club house.
- Race 1 (T) : 1st - Eaglet; 2nd - Equalizer; 3rd – Aoife
- Race 2 (T) : 1st – Easy-Go; 2nd - Eaglet; 3rd – Equalizer
- Race 3 (O 2rnds): 1st – Aoife; 2nd - Equalizer; 3rd – Smile E Too
Overall after 3 races on Saturday: 1st – Eaglet; 2nd - Equalizer; 3rd – Smile E Too
Racing on Sunday, 10th August, in perfect conditions. Winds from SE force 4 with flat seas. Some gusts but quite benign in comparison to the previous day.
- Race 1 (T) : 1st - Aoife; 2nd - Eaglet; 3rd – Equalizer
- Race 2 (T) : 1st – Aoife; 2nd - Eaglet; 3rd – Equalizer
- Race 3 (T): 1st – Aoife; 2nd - Equalizer; 3rd – Wile E Coyote
Overall after 6 races on: 1st – Aoife (Waddilove); 2nd – Eaglet (Grogan); 3rd – Equalizer (McConkey)
Skerries SC will host the 2026 EBoat Nationals.
