Dun Laoghaire's Inaugural 'The Bay' Race: How a Record 200 Boats Set Sail Across Dublin Bay

15th July 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Nearly 200 boats raced in Dublin Bay for the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta inaugural Bay Race Credit: Michael O'Carroll/Lens from above

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Race (VDLR) director Con Murphy describes the build-up to last Thursday's 200-boat inaugural Bay Race, featuring a spectacular downwind start.

It was the Harbour Race in Cork Week last year that led to subsequent discussion with my colleagues on the VDLR Committee about a ‘feature race’ on the Thursday of the regatta and agreement to call it simply ’The Bay Race’.

VDLR 2025 Race Course: Dublin Bay is approximately 70 sq kilometres

Cork's Harbour race upwind beat from the start to a mark 2.5 miles outside the entrance to the Harbour had successfully spread out the 130 boats and resulted in little or no congestion at the first mark, so my initial plan was to do something similar in Dun Laoghaire, e.g. have an upwind start with a long first leg.

However, a down tide start and general recall of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race on 11th June put paid in my mind to any down tide start for the Bay race - I realised that there was no way over 200 boats in the Bay race could be started cleanly going with the ebb tide off Dun Laogahire Harbour - high water was at 1230, the race was scheduled to start at 1400.

A general recall for June's 39-boat Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race led Con Murphy to rethink plans for the 200-boat inaugural 'The Bay' Race a month later Photo: Afloat

So a start into the ebb tide it was going to be. Down to Kinsale then for Sovereign’s week, and Anthony O’Leary put me as start RO for the two combined fleets doing the Jeanot Petch Sovereign’s Races on Thursday 26th June. We set a 600m long line at right angles to the course for a downwind start with all 90 boats on Starboard, and it worked perfectly. The first fleet had a 10-mile run, so there was no issue with congestion at the first mark, but the second fleet had a 2.5nm run to KYC’s E mark to leave to port, which made for a busy rounding there.

So back in Dublin with these factors in mind, the Bay Race course planning continued. A start into the tide off the Harbour was necessary to get the fleets away from the line, but gave a shorter than ideal first leg to the west, the furthest mark, South Bull, being just 2.1nm away. Not much I could do about that, but a short second leg to Seapoint Mark would at least stop the fleet leaders from coming back through the fleet.

A review of the options and videos from the Cork, Dingle, and Kinsale races, along with my start committee boat owner, Brian Craig, in the NYC bar on the Sunday afternoon before the race, and subsequent chats with Peter Ryan of ISORA and my regatta RO colleagues, were very helpful in finalising the course configuration.

A Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta race management team briefing Photo: Paddy Boyd

With the help of the RYA’s IRC speed table, we agreed on a length for the 2-3 hour race of approximately 13nm for the Group 1 Fleet and 9 nm for the Group 2 Fleet. Other course decision criteria included taking in the Muglins (how could you have a Bay Race and not include the Muglins!) and avoiding Killiney outfall mark given the probability of a lack of wind in Killiney Bay in a light SE’ly. Additionally, venturing out to South Burford could be a stretch for some classes and result in an overly long course.

So late on Wednesday night, with the help of my iPhone's Garmin Avionics app, the two courses were finalised and saved as screenshots for a final review at the following morning’s 9 am Race Management Meeting in the race office with my IRO colleagues who would be assisting that day, Eddie Totterdell and Michael Tyrrell.

The Bay Course Course for Fleet 1

Start (near Pier Mark)
South Bull (P)
Seapoint (P)
Island (P)
Poldy (P)
New Ross (S)
EX30/Volvo 5 (S)
Muglins (S)
Finish (near Pier Mark)

The Course for Fleet 1 was 14 nautical miles, and for Fleet 2, it was 10 nautical miles. Both had an offset leg to Seapoint mark after South Bull mark, before a beat to Island mark for Fleet 1 and Omega mark for Fleet 2. From there, both had offset legs to Poldy and East marks, respectively, to break and keep the final upwind legs true. From Poldy mark, Fleet 1 headed downwind to New Ross mark before rejoining Fleet 2’s course at the Regatta's Volvo 5 mark and then onto the Muglins and the finish.

The Bay course for Fleet 2

All present were happy with them, and so having posted the course and associated picture on the Regatta Information WhatsApp group, we headed over to The Royal Irish YC for the competitors' briefing at 11 am.

Sailors gather for The Bay race briefing at the Royal Irish Yacht Club Photo: Michael Chester

The briefing done from the steps of the RIYC to a great turnout of competitors on the platform, we headed back to the RStGYC and put to sea in our start committee vessel, Ann & Brian Craig’s Dufour 455 Concerto - only to see fog rolling in from the east and visibility reduced to less than 200m! That led to AP being displayed ashore at 1245 - there was no point in having almost 200 boats sailing around the start area outside the harbour in 200m visibility.

As The Bay Race course was being prepared fog rolled in from the east and visibility reduced to less than 200m! Photo: Afloat

About an hour later, the fog cleared as quickly as it had arrived, AP ashore was lowered, and a 700m long start line was set between Concerto and DBSC’s committee boat Corinthian. As forecast, a SE’ly sea breeze 130/10-15kts had filled in earlier and fortunately, remained relatively steady for the afternoon.

Race director Con Murphy starts 'The Bay' race, the first race of the 2025 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta on Thursday July 10 and his start video (below) Photo: Michael Chester

The two committee boats anchored adjacent to Molly and Pier marks, at right angles to the first leg to the South Bull mark, giving the fleets a downwind start on starboard, as in Kinsale two weeks earlier. Inner limit tetrahedral marks were dropped close to the committee boats by Paul Barrington and Mal Nowlan and the countdown to the starts began. Both fleets had clear starts at 1450 and 1500 respectively to the sound of the Artillery Corps guns on the East Pier.

The Bay Race fleet starts under Spinnaker Photo: Michael Chester

The races were an amazing spectacle for those of us privileged to have been out on the Bay that afternoon, not just the starts and first downwind leg to South Bull, but the sight of almost 200 boats subsequently beating across the Bay and then running back from the Muglins to the finish was equally spectacular.

The fleet beats back from South Bull Photo: Michael Chester

While the Fleet 2 boats started 10 minutes after Fleet 1, their shorter course had the two fleets meeting at the end of their respective beats near the Muglins and running together to a very busy finish line between the two committee boats off the Harbour.

First boat across the line after 1hr 45mins racing was Montreal 1976 Olympian Robert Dix in his 1720 ‘Elder Lemon’, and first of the Group 1 boats to finish was Nigel Biggs' First 50 Checkmate 10 minutes later. One hundred seventy-three boats in 22 different classes finished. It was a memorable race that will undoubtedly be included in the regatta calendar going forward.

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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.