Displaying items by tag: Puppeteers

2nd August 2016

Harlequin Rules Howth Yacht Club 14–Boat Puppeteer Fleet

Puppeteer keelboats racing for national honours at Howth Yacht Club

The Sutton Cross Pharmacy 2016 Puppeteer National Championships was won by Dave Clarke & Liam Egan and crew on “Harlequin” following two days of intense racing at Howth Yacht Club this weekend. They managed to beat 2014's winning boat - Colin and Kathy Kavanagh's “Blue Velvet” by the narrow margin of one point. The handicap prize went to Ciaran McAuliffe and crew on “Arcturus” who's two point win from second placed “Papagena” (Kieran Barker) earned them the silverware this year.

The six-race championships was always going to reward the most consistent results from the 14-boat fleet. A mix of light and patchy conditions on Saturday produced four different winners from the four starts, with some of the pre-race favourites well out of the reckoning prior to the Sunday starts. Mindful of forecast light conditions on Sunday, National Race Officer Harry Gallagher went for the option of a fourth race on the Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s two races were sailed in light but steady breezes and produced some great tacking duels and very close finishes throughout the fleet. Racing was completed at 14.00 approx. and was followed by prize giving before the tea-time celebrations in the clubhouse.

Winning helm Liam Egan paid tribute to all aboard “Harlequin”, congratulated them for their expertise and said that their contribution 'made all the difference.' He singled out the battle they had had with “Blue Velvet” and thanked them for their sportsmanship on the water. Celebrations continued long into the night……….

Puppeteer Nationals 2016 Prizegiving 2 Commodore Berchmans Gannon (left) and Puppeteer Class captain Kieran Barker (right) present the trophy to Liam Egan while Dave Clarke shows off his gold medals!

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27th August 2012

Eclipse Wins Puppeteer Nationals at Howth

#puppeteers – Robin Hegarty sailing Eclipse won the Puppeteer National Championships at Howth Yacht Club yesterday but only by half a point margin with former IDRA 14 champion Terry Harvery second. The Sutton Cross Pharmacy event attracted 17 entries. Full results downloadable below.

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24th August 2012

Howth Yacht Club to Officiate Tall Ships Send-Off on Sunday

#TALL SHIPS - Howth Yacht Club has announced that its vessels and race management teams have been asked to provide the official send-off for the Tall Ships Races fleet, which will take place in the centre of Dublin Bay at 6pm this Sunday.

HYC's members will be making a beeline for the bay after the completion of this weekend's Puppeteer National Championships in Howth - not to mention the spectcle of the Parade of Sail which kicks off at 1pm. HYC suggests the Howth Head cliff path between the summit and Redrock as a prime spot to watch the tall ships depart.

The club also urges members who wish to sail to the Liffey to see the Tall Ships Races fleet tomorrow to observe Dublin Port's notice to mariners for the festival.

Sightseeing craft will only be allowed past the Eastlink bridge for no more than 30 minutes at 10am, 12pm, 3pm and 7pm and may only navigate the Liffey as far as the Samuel Beckett Bridge. Extra toll bridge opening times may be added as demand dictates.

Dedicated escorting craft will be on hand to ensure a smooth procession. Sightseeing craft will not be allowed to go alongside the berths or vessels in the Tall Ships fleet, and no personal water craft such as Jet Skis or kayaks will be permitted.

Full details are included in the Dublin Port Company Notice to Mariners No 16 of 2012.

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23rd June 2010

May tops the HYC Puppeteers

Gareth May was top of the Puppeteer's in Howth Yacht Club last night. Second was Trick or Treat (A.Pearson) and third the Clarke/Egan partnership sailing Harlequin. Dan O'Grady won the Etchells class. More results here:

TUESDAY SERIES 2 (RACE) 22/06/2010 Puppeteer SCRATCH: 1, Ibis G May; 2, Trick or Treat A Pearson; 3, Harlequin Clarke/Egan; Squib SCRATCH: 1, Whipper Snapper M Cantwell; 2, Astrix M McGaughey; 3, Roxanne J Flynn; Etchells SCRATCH: 1, Kootamundra Wattle O'Grady/Reilly; 2, Fetching Quinn/O'Flaherty; 3, Jabberwocky S Knowles; SB3 SCRATCH: 1, Einstein's Nightmare J Wenski; 2, Dinghy Supplies S Murphy; 3, Lia D Barry; Puppeteer HPH: 1, Mr. Punch NiBhraonain/Wilson; 2, Apollo M & D Patton; 3, Sanderling D & B Jennings; Squib HPH: 1, Astrix M McGaughey; 2, Whipper Snapper M Cantwell; 3, Puffin E Harte TUE + SAT SERIES 2 (RACE) 22/06/2010 17 Footer SCRATCH: 1, Deilginis Deilginis Group; 2, Rita Lynch/Curley; 3, Rosemary Curley/Jones; 17 Footer HCAP: 1, Rosemary Curley/Jones; 2, Anita Cassidy/Young; 3, Deilginis Deilginis Group

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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.