Sailors, sponsors and volunteers launched Volvo Dún Laoghaire Regatta 2023 in fine style at the National Maritime Museum of Ireland on Wednesday night.
This ninth edition of the regatta event promises to be one of the biggest sailing events in Northern Europe this year and is attracting many visiting entries from around the Irish Sea and further afield.
As Afloat reported earlier, almost 300 boats are already entered, and 400 are expected to be the final number for the first gun on July 6.
The significance of the event for the town was evident from the gathering of councillors and official representatives at the launch by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Cathaoirleach Mary Hanafin and the County Manager, Frank Curran.
Reflecting the event’s growing international profile, more than 41 sailing clubs are represented, including the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, among others.
Co-hosted by the four waterfront Yacht Clubs in Dun Laoghaire (Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Royal St. George Yacht Club), this biennial four-day event is set to welcome upwards of 400 boats across 36 competing classes of boats, ranging from small 14-foot dinghies up to ocean-going 50-footers, with no less than 2000 individual crew members travelling from all over the world to participate in the event.
Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023 Launch Photo Gallery by Brian McEvoy
VDLR Event Director, Paddy Boyd, speaking about the much-loved event, which showcases the very best of Irish (and international) sailing action on the water, said, “The tide is rising once again for Dun Laoghaire Port, and we’re hugely proud of the role that the VDLR has played in this upward trajectory over the last number of years.
With over 300 sailing races across 30 classes, and 2,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world-class professionals to weekend sailors, there is a growing acknowledgement of the role of sailing as an economic driver in the harbour town. Aside from this, there are no less than 200 cruise liners due to visit the port this Summer.
Watersports are thriving with over 40 different organisations operating within the harbour walls, home to the country’s largest marina with 800 pleasure boats, a new site for the Sport Ireland National Watersports Campus and the permanent base of the Irish Olympic Sailing Team” He continued, “Our Town and waterfront communities have been working hard to plot a new course for Dun Laoghaire – the culmination of which will be celebrated during our Regatta this July and the town’s inaugural Coastival Festival”