Stately, Plump Dublin Bay Shines with Prosperity for Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

11th July 2025

WM Nixon

Stately lean cruiser-racers in close action, working the shore Credit: Afloat

Quite what stately plump Oliver St John Gogarty, aka Buck Mulligan in the Sandycove-based opening line of Ulysses, would make of Dublin Bay in these Dun Laoghaire regatta days is anyone's guess, other than that he would be sure it showed him in the best possible light.

The restored Dublin Bay 21 number 5 Oola pictured at the James Joyce Martello Tower at Sandycove Photo: Michael Chester

And as Friday's races brought the cream of the fleet close past the "Forty Foot Bathing Place" and Joyce's Tower in the Sandycove Martello, the links to Gogarty/Mulligan become too complex for contemplation on an intensely summery day.

SEA BREEZE

For it is only out in the bay, out there as the day's sea breeze builds, that there's any sense of life and action. Ashore, until the slight cool of the evening and the sound of music comes from the clubs, it's a matter of Patrick Kavanagh's Dublin experience of the "tremendous silence of mid-July".

We should be careful what we wish for. Through the winter and early Spring, as the preparatory work for VDLR 25 accelerated, there would be those who would allow themselves to dream of the perfect conditions, of high pressure July style, and enough life in the weather to provide good sailing.

Believe it or not, out of chaos will come order, and good racing

SEIZE THE DAY

Well, that's how it has come to be in this mid-July of 2025. Yet we're so accustomed to malignant weather upsetting the best of plans that we find that some of us lack the skills to seize the day. But those days are here right now to be seized, for this is when all the background work and effort that goes into keeping Ireland's sailing show gives generous return.

The fleet is in – Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta IRC Cruisers berthed at the RIYC Photo: Afloat

And that sailing show at the moment is an all-singing, all dancing affair, as the results from Friday's glorious two-races second day could well raise the thought that the first day, with its come-all-ye Bay Race, had some of the hotshots holding back while they sussed out the opposition.

Stepping out lively. Checkmate XX heads rapidly seaward past the Forty Fooot at Sandycove

GLORIOUS PROGRESS

That said, what more can be said about the continuing glorious progress of the First 50 Checkmate XX (Nigel Biggs & Dave Cullen Howth YC)? If there's another First 50 of this vintage on the planet scoring steadily and continuously in Checkmate style, then we have yet to hear of her, but Checkmate's Friday registered another win in coastal IRC, with Paul O'Higgins' JPK 1080 Rockabill VI (Royal Irish YC) finding 4th and second to keep her second overall.

IRC 0

Final call has found her form on Day 2 Final Call II has found her form on Day 2 Photo: Afloat

The Cruiser/Racers slugging it out round the cans saw some of the shrinking violets of Thursday blossoming forth with growing confidence and increasing success. John Minnis's A35 Final Call II from Belfast Lough had to make do with fourth on Thursday, but yesterday (Friday) there was no doubting her two wins, leading a blast of success for visitors as Ben Hodges Impetuous from Pwllheli now lies second overall while Michael Browne's Victric 3 from RNIYC & Strangford Lough YC holds third.

IRC 1

Richard Goodbody's J109 White Mischief Photo: Afloat

You'd be hard put to argue other than this is the hottest class in the regatta. Ireland's top J/109s, red in tooth and claw. Richard Goodbody (RIYC) got off to a flying start with an exemplary first race on Thursday for the family's White Mischef, and took the bullet again in Friday's first race. But by Friday afternoon for Race 3 of the series, the form boat Outrajeous (Johnny & Suzie Murphy, HYC) had got her mojo back sufficiently to win by just 11 seconds from Barry Cunningham's Chimaera, but White Mischief was still sufficiently there to be vying with Outrajeous for the points lead.

IRC 2

The 1976 vintage Swuzzlebubble (James Dwyer, Royal Cork) Photo: Afloat

The Classic Half Tonners battle with sundry smaller J/Boats and X Boats of continuing competitiveness in IRC 2, but it was the most classic of all the classics, the 1976 vintage Swuzzlebubble (James Dwyer, Royal Cork) which has been finding Dublin Bay most to her taste. Yet it's close enough, for at the regatta's halfway stage in terms of time, The Bubble is on 6 pints to the 7 of Colin Kavanagh's J/97 Jeneral Lee (HYC) and the 8 of Brendan Foley's all-black First Class Allig8r (RStGYC).

IRC 3

Conor Haughton of Wicklow in the J24 Jupiter Photo: Afloat

Here be J/24s and other exotica, but Conor Haughton of Wicklow has lost none of his edge, he's sitting on three wins with the cherished J/24 Jupiter, putting him well clear of Santoku (Daithi O Murchadha, Tralee Bay SC) on 9 and Archie Malcolm of Howth on 12 with Kilcullen.

DRESSING THE PART WITH THE TIES THAT BIND

Doubtless today (Saturday) will see the heat hitting the heights again, and clothing will be minimal generally along the waterfront. But some spirited soul in the Royal Irish YC has persuaded the powers that be that the RIYC should host a proper dinner tonight, with jacket and tie mandatory.

We do hope that some joker doesn't avail of the opportunity to turn up in a jacket and tie and nothing else. But meanwhile we wonder if the example set by the Cruising Club of America at the conclusion of the Bermuda Race might not be followed, in which an array of well-turned and smoothly-tanned knees revealed close below Breton red Bermuda shorts seems to fill the bill for keeping cool.

The knees have it, the knees have it. Possibly acceptable attire for semi-formal club dinners in heatwave weather as revealed at the 2024 Bermuda Race prize-giving

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.