The Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) summer racing season got a kick start with a Pre-Season Race Training Day initiative for its keelboat classes on Saturday.

Conditions were light and shifty and a bit misty on the bay, so perhaps not optimum for race training, but there was still plenty of opportunity for video footage on mark roundings, start line tactics and sail trim.

Held in conjunction with UK Sailmakers, the Offshore Racing Academy, and INSS, the session was held by Sailmaker Barry Hayes and offshore sailor Kenny Rumball.

A variety of craft participated with J80s, Beneteau 211s, J109s, 31.7s and some of the bigger DBSC Cruisers Zero too.

UK Sailmakers and Irish Offshore Academy crew were on the water, observing and videoing boats in different race scenarios such as start lines, beating to the weather mark as pictured here with the DBSC Class Zero entry, the First 40, Prima Forte Photo: Afloat

The morning started in light airs with a briefing followed by on-the-water training, including windward leeward course simulations.

The team looked at improving performance based on what they saw on the water.

The next stage in the Dublin Bay 21 restoration project is getting out on the water and racing the Naneen, Garavogue, Estelle and Geraldine in their original sailing condition.

And that’s exactly what will be happening later this month with the launch of the 2023 DB21 season, racing on Tuesdays and Saturdays from the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire with the DBSC fleet.

Experienced sailors, competent crew and even novices are all welcome to take part, with a complement of three to five per each of the four boats that have been restored to their 1902 glory.

For the modest sum of €500, you can subscribe to a 2023 season ticket which will allow access to the 40 DBSC races, and every effort will be given to fairly meeting subscriber preferences.

All subscriptions go solely towards annual maintenance of the fleet, with all capital costs met by the Dublin Bay 21 Footer Class Association.

For more details on the season, see the Eventbrite page HERE.

The ILCA/Laser class has responded in 'massive' numbers to the Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) call for early entries to their summer race series.

At the last count, a staggering 48 entries were listed from clubs across the Dun Laoghaire waterfront. The ILCAs 4, 6 and 7 rigs will race, thanks to DBSC, on a Tuesday evening in Scotsman’s Bay and on ten selected Saturday afternoons.

The ILCAs now represent the largest class entry and are looking forward to some very tight racing throughout what will be a fleet with huge depth.

Many sailors will be looking forward to the warmer weather and conditions outside the harbour, having completed the DMYC Viking Marine Frostbite series.

In a new initiative, the Dun Laoghaire ILCA class has formed a group to support sailors taking to DBSC racing for the first time this summer or having very little racing experience.

This will kick off with a session in the Royal St George YC on April 18th covering starting sequences, courses, planning your race, basic rules and what to expect in Scotsman’s Bay. Sailors will be supported during the season with ongoing advice and help. Sign ups are rolling in; please email [email protected] for more information and signup.

The first DBSC Tuesday is April 25th, and to celebrate the whopping entry, sailors are invited to the bar of the RSTGYC after sailing for a warm welcome, spot prizes and sailing supper.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) have 17 plus entries for their new Tuesday women on the water series and is now looking to expand this to include two more classes.

As regular Afloat readers know, the country's biggest yacht racing club recently announced the new initiative to increase female participation in sailing.

Should there be interest, the plan would be to open the series to the Third start, including the Shipman, Cruiser 3 and Dragon classes.

DBSC Commodore Ed Totterdell said the club was delighted with the response to date and reminded members who sail in the Sportsboat, SB20, FF15, B211 & Ruffian classes who have joined for the season but not opted into the series they can still do so by emailing [email protected].

“It is great to see the enthusiasm from our members, and I think Tuesdays will become a hotly contested WOW series with plenty of fun in the clubs afterwards”, commented Totterdell.

The 1720 sportsboat crew of Optique, skippered by Colin Byrne of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, were the overall winners of the 2023 AIB DBSC Spring Chicken Series at the National Yacht Club today.

A final light race decider on Dublin Bay saw Byrne come from ninth overall to win overall by a single point under modified ECHO.

As Afloat reported previously, in a competitive climax to the series, the top 14 boats in the 37-boat mixed cruiser-racer fleet were separated by just ten points.

Just Jasmin, Phil Smyth's Bavaria Match 35, was second on 57 points with race two winner, the First 31.7  Avalon third on 59.

Final race and overall results are downloadable below.

A 37-boat fleet will fight for the AIB Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Spring Chicken Series title on Sunday morning, with the J80 Derry Girls leading into the last race.

As Afloat reported previously, in a competitive climax to the series, the top 14 boats in the 37-boat mixed cruiser-racer fleet are separated by just ten points.

DBSC Race organiser Fintan Cairns has released handicaps and start times for the final race, which are downloadable below.

The J80 Derry Girls leads on 46 points from the J109 Dear Prudence on 47.00 with three boats tied for third place; the J122 Aurelia, the J97 Windjammer and the Sunfast 3600, Hot Cookie.

The six-race series was held on Sunday mornings from 5 February to 12 March (first gun 1010 hrs), using a progressive handicap on a time-to-time basis.

Download Handicaps and starts for the final race below

The final race of the six-race series takes place on Sunday off Dun Laoghaire Harbour at 10.10 am

The prizegiving will be held in the dining room of the National Yacht Club immediately after sailing.

Prizes will be made to overall and weekly winners.

In a competitive climax to Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Spring Chicken Series this Sunday, the top 14 boats in the 37-boat mixed cruiser-racer fleet are separated by just ten points.

The final race of the six-race series takes place on Sunday off Dun Laoghaire Harbour at 10.10 am

The J80 Derry Girls leads on 46 points from the J109 Dear Prudence on 47.00 with three boats tied for third place; the J122 Aurelia, the J97 Windjammer and the Sunfast 3600, Hot Cookie.

Six races are being held on Sunday mornings from 5 February to 12 March using a progressive handicap on a time-to-time basis.

DBSC Race organiser Fintan Cairns has released results for the fifth race and overall, and these are downloadable below.

The J/80 keelboat Ram Ram was racing in the DBSC's Spring Chicken Series and videod by fellow competitor Pat Rigney

 The prizegiving will be held next Sunday after racing at the National Yacht Club.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Committee Vessel, MacLir, is for sale. 

The Blyth 33 Catamaran is identified with Dublin Bay's regular yacht racing scene and is regularly on duty at the capital's big sailing events, including the biennial Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. 

The boat is on the market for €25,000 through broker Leinster Boats. 

The semi-displacement hull is fitted with twin Ford Mermaid diesel engines. The boat has a large aft deck, and a pilot house with railed observation platform over the coachroof.

The aft deck has wheelchair access by side gates. Large sliding glass screen door aft of pilot house.

The multiuse Blyth 33 Catamaran Mac Lir working as a DBSC Flagship for yacht races on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

According to broker Ronan Beirne, the cat has the potential for pot fishing or as a tourist-related "dolphin watch" vessel.

The vessel is not coded.

See the full advert for MacLir on Afloat boats for sale here

With a light wind forecast for the penultimate race of the AIB-sponsored DBSC Spring Chicken Series, the 38-boat cruiser-racer fleet heads into its fifth race on Dublin Bay this Sunday (5th March).

As Afloat reported earlier, J boats have a firm grip on the podium at the National Yacht Club after one discard has been applied.

Handicaps and starts for Sunday's race are downloadable below.

Chris Power Smith's Royal St. George J122, Aurelia is the new overall leader. The ISORA offshore racer leads the 37-boat fleet by three points overall from John Maybury's J109 Joker II from the Royal Irish Yacht Club on 21 points. 

The J109 Dear Prudence lies third on 26 points. 

AIB-sponsored DBSC Spring Chicken Series has attracted a buoyant fleet of 38 cruiser racers for the six-race series Photo: Finnie Kennedy

Six races are being held on Sunday mornings from 5 February to 12 March (first gun 1010 hrs), using a progressive handicap on a time-to-time basis.

Download Handicaps and starts for the fifth race below

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC), Ireland's largest yacht racing club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, want to promote younger keelboat sailing teams, so much so that they are giving a discount of 25% on the normal entry fee!

Teams consisting entirely of sailors who are 30 or under on the 1st of April 2023 can enter and will receive a 25% discount on normal fees.

DBSC provides weekly racing for upwards of 360 yachts, ranging from ocean-going forty-footers to small dinghies for juniors and has over 20 participating classes for year-round racing on Dublin Bay.

All DBSC Green Fleet, Blue Fleet and Red Fleet entries are included in this initiative. 

Commodore Ed Totterdell feels that this will appeal particularly to classes like the SB20s and Sportsboat class but also knows of some interest in other keelboat classes.

DBSC Commodore Ed Totterdell has launched a special Under 30s discount for Dublin Bay racing this summer Photo: Michael Chester

DBSC has also formed a special subcommittee of younger sailors to look at ways to make this season exciting and fun for members aged 30 and under. They are planning some great events for the 2023 season.

"It would be great to see a big turnout of young keelboat sailors, so get your team together and enjoy the craic and competition for 2023", Totterdell said.