Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2025 Will See Competition Reflect Ancient and Modern Rivalries

5th July 2025

WM Nixon

Top class. The Flying Fifteens, seen here in a DBSC evening race, will be the most numerous keelboat class at VDLR 2025 Credit: Afloat.ie

The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2025 gets under way next Thursday July 10th, introducing four days of racing to provide a continuation of rivalries which have been bubbling along with increasing vigour since the Scottish Series in May. Back then, the Hall family's J/109 Something Else from the National Yacht Club emerged as top boat overall, with clubmate Johnny Treanor's newer J/112eGP ValenTina next in line.

Before that, the new Irish Sea Four Nations Cup was sort of started with the Welsh IRC Championship in early May at Pwllheli. But with the inevitable absentees so early in the year, it means that a further good showing at the Scottish Series puts England ahead at the halfway stage as we head into the VDLR 2025, the competition completing with the Northern Ireland IRC Championship on July 19-20 at Royal Ulster YC on Belfast Lough.

The epic Prize-Giving at the conclusion of VDLR 2025 will be staged at the Royal St George Yacht Club on Sunday July 13th. Photo: Afloat

Meanwhile, the Kildare Innovation Campus Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale (reached by several superstar boats with a really first class NYC Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race), may not have been part of the four nations, but it provided a new set of performance data to heave into the results blender.

FINGAL RAID TO SOUTH MUNSTER

As Afloat.ie is launched into cyberspace from the very heart of SoCo in Dun Laoghaire, in one wild and woolly part of the country we could only note with quiet satisfaction, while refraining from comment, that one of Afloat.ie's reports on June 28th showed just how dominant the Fingal raid had been in South Munster.

For in the ICRA National Championships raced within the Sovereigns series, the only non-Fingal first-prize-winners were Mark Thompson's J/97 Jac Y Do from Pwllheli, and Kieran Kelleher & Colman Garvey's Quarter Tonner Diamond from the host club.

PROMINENT FINGALLIONS

As for those up in lights for first, the most prominent were the First 50 Checkmate XX (Nigel Biggs & Dave Cullen, Howth YC), the J/109 Outrajeous (Johnny & Suzie Murphy, HYC), the Classic Half Tonner 2Farr (2Farr Partners, Rush SC), and the Dufour 40 Splashdance (Andy George & John Beckett, HYC).

Fingal's Flagship – the First 50 Checkmate XX is a bust and sccessful ship. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

But now with the focus turning to Dun Laoghaire and Dublin Bay racing, the scenario changes in every way. The fact is, some of the best boats in Dun Laoghaire never feel the need to go elsewhere for their racing – after 197 years of staging regattas (of which more anon) - they know that, over time, the competition will come to them.

GREAT SPORT RIGHT ON THE DOORSTEP

And they know that with the talent involved in running the VDLR 2025, they'll get great sport right on their doorstep. For the experience in the Committee, chaired by Don O'Dowd with Paddy Boyd as Event Director, includes Con Murphy, Peter Ryan, Brian Craig, Colin O'Brien, and Grainne Ryan. In other words, it's genuinely world class.

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE FLYING FIFTEENS

As to entries, they're healthy with 300 boats, and it will see the spotlight swing to a class which has been part of the scene for so long that it sometimes is mistakenly taken for granted. Yet they're numerically the biggest class at the VDLR 25.

Step forward the Flying Fifteens. They'll be mustering 31 boats in Dublin Bay, and with their newest growth area in Connemara where the 2025 Westerns at Rossaveal produced home winners in Niall O'Brien & Ronan O'Brien, they've become sailing's Heineken class in reaching parts the others can't.

CLASS WARFARE?

It shows how out of sight the F/F numbers are when we realise the next class in terms of numbers are the J/109s, with thirteen boats lining up. The problem – if it is a problem – is that their impact is dissipated, in that while most of them will be racing in one class of 17 boats of all types in the round-the-cans division, the remaining J/109s will be found racing with the coastal division, again in a class that numbers 17 boats in all.

Local heroes. The Goodbody family's J/109 White Mischief (RIYC) has an impressive record on Dublin Bay. Photo: Afloat.ie

This means that the hottest J/109s won't necessarily be going head to head, as boats of the calibre of D2D and Sovereign's winner Outrajeous (Johnny Murphy, HYC) and the Goodbody family's White Mischief (RIYC) will be canning it, while Tom Shanahan with Ruth (NYC) will be coasting.

The J/109 Ruth (Tom Shanahan, NYC) has a win list including the 2015 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race, and the 2024 Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour Race. Photo: Afloat.ie

WEATHER PROSPECTS

Despite improved modern weather forecasting, nearly six days in advance is pushing it a bit for anticipating conditions. But at the moment it looks like a healthy Atlantic airstream between southwest and west will be in place on Thursday 10th July, which natives of this damp island find easier to live with than weird disease-laden weather coming out of the Sahara.

BIG BICENTENARY COMING UP

As for talking of 197 years of Dun Laoghaire experience in running regatta, we were referring back to the first regatta in the new harbour on July 22nd 1828. Centenaries have been high on the agenda lately, but enthusiasm has to be maintained through the Fastnet Race Centenary this year. Yet there's still no escaping the fact that just three years remain before the Bicentenary of the truly ground-breaking 1828 event.

The first regatta in the new harbour at Dun Laoghaire, July 22nd 1828

Since then we've seen annual regattas in Dun Laoghaire which developed into the great schooner racing days of the 1860s with the wonderful Egeria dominant, the cutters with John Jameson's Irex setting the pace in the 1880s, the One Designs and the Restricted Measurement Classes taking over in the 1900s, and on through the years until the Bicentenary of work starting on the harbour in 1817 was celebrated with an extra-special VDLR in 2017.

The "wonderful Egeria", owned by John Mulholland of Belfast, was the star of Dun Laoghaire regattas in the 1860s

2028 will of course not be a VDLR year, and the temptation would be to suggest a one day event on July 22nd. But as it's a Saturday, perhaps the weekend could be allocated to improve the chances of at least one good day of racing.

Cutter-rigged yachts racing in Dublin Bay in the Royal Irish YC regatta of 1873. From a painting by Richard Brydges Beechey

WHEN DJ MEANT DOUBLE JIB……

But that's for consideration in due course. Right now, the focus closes in on VDLR 2025 July 10th – 13th, with its hectic races and high voltage après sailing entertainment. Stylish and historic yacht club buildings, places where once upon a time DJ meant double jib and referred to cutter rig as opposed to sloop, will take the contemporary meaning in their stride to put on a show for the times we live in. There's nothing quite like the Dun Laoghaire summer scene, and it's better enjoyed than analysed.

Ready to roll – the National YC in Regatta mode

Published in Volvo Regatta, W M Nixon

Published in Volvo Regatta

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.