Up to 100 local moored boats make good use of an existing pontoon facilty at Dungarvan quay for embarkation and disembarkation. The good news is that the town council plans to extend the pontoon which will enable boats to sail right into the centre of the town. Dungarvan is one of the most sheltered harbours on the south coast. Dungarvan Harbour sailing club has a modern clubhouse is situated right on Dungarvan Quay in the harbour and is in the centre of Dungarvan town, adjacent to the pontoon.

#ANGLING - Ireland's south coast will play host to the first Irish Bass Festival this July.

Created and organised by Absolute Fishing, the lure angling event is open to all shore anglers at various venues between Tramore and Dungarvan in Co Waterford, which provide some of the best bass fishing in Europe.

The Irish Bass Festival will operate on catch-and-release rules, with anglers having to photograph their fish, using their own measuring board combined with a unique ID card provided by the organisers.

Competing anglers are also free to roam and fish anywhere along the coastline from Wexford to Cork - provided they're back in time to register their fish!

Details on requirements, reception and fishing times are available on the Irish Bass Festival website HERE.

#WINDSURFING - Oisín van Gelderen is all but confirmed as Irish Speed Sailing Champion for the second year running.

His national record speed (44.23 knots by 5x10 second average and 43.96 knots over 500m) puts him far ahead of his nearest competition in the rankings.

But his competitive spirit would not let him rest on his laurels.

"Ever since setting that record in February, I have been trying to beat it," he said, "and we had a really good day on Thursday in Dungarvan."

Though he did not beat his averages, he did set a new Irish record for peak speed at 47.89 knots (verification pending).

Van Gelderen dedicated his previous national title win to to the memory of Surfdock founder Alan Harris and Irish 500m speed record holder John Kenny, who both passed away in 2010.

Meanwhile, his Surfdock teammate Noelle Doran has taken the women's title for 2011 with a very impressive set of times for the year.

Her Irish women's peak record of 38.17 knots was complemented by third overall place for 2011 by 5x10 second average and first in the world over 500m.

"I'm so delighted for her," said Van Gelderen. "She had a nasty injury a few years ago, where she dislocated her hip while windsurfing. The resulting nerve damage put a stop to her competing in Waves and Freestyle, where she had multiple national titles."

A sperm whale that beached on a sand spit in Dungarvan, Co Waterford on Friday has died.

The male whale had been spotted off the coast in the 24 hours before it was discovered 'live stranded' on Cunnigar Strand.

Rescuers said there was "no effective way" of refloating the 10+ metre long whale from what became its final resting place.

"Once they come this far inshore they are pretty much doomed," the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group's (IWDG) Pádraig Whooley told the Irish Examiner.

No decision has yet been made regarding disposal of the whale carcass, but Irish Weather Online quotes Whooley as saying it is "a wasted opportunity when these magnificent specimens are simply hauled off for incineration".

The Irish GPS Speedsailing record fell again last Friday in Dungarvan when Oisin Van Gelderen broke all previous speeds, becoming the fastest sailor ever to sail on Irish waters.

The speed is ratified by the WGPSSRC (World GPS Speedsailing Records Council):  
http://www.gps-speedsurfing.com/default.aspx?mnu=records, who issue GPS records based on the best 10 second run of 45.02 knots, and a distance travelled of around 270 metres in this time.

The 5 x 10second run average, currently puts him in fourth overall on the 2011 GPS speed ranking list and 23rd overall in the all time rankings.
Peak speed for the day was 46.32 knots (84 kmph), and 500m speed was 43.96knots.

Even though Van Gelderen broke the late John Kenny's 500m speed, he retains that title for now, as the WSSRC (World Speed sailing Records Council) issue National records for that distance, and do not yet recognize GPS.

The rise in popularity in GPS speedsailing has made the competition a worldwide phenomenon, as people from different countries compete year round to push their personal and international speeds. Over 4000 members subscribe to the gps-speedsurfing.com website.