Displaying items by tag: 505 Irish Nationals

28th October 2010

Barry and Kenny on Top form in Cork 5o5 Nationals

12 boats took part in the years 505 Irish Nationals and British Isles Championships. Following a delayed Swansea Cork ferry, the four UK boats made it to MBSC at 12 30pm on Saturday.

Racing on Saturday was held in Cuskinny with the breeze touching 25 knots on the downwind leg to the race area. The OOD team of Ciarán McSweeney and David Barry got racing underway at 3 15pm with the north westerly breeze softening to 12 to 15 knots. Ewen Barry and Simon Lake(8945) lead at mark one followed by Charles Dwyer and Conor Kelly (8961). Dwyer and Kelly's race came to an end at the first gybe mark with an impressive capsize( their first of two in the race). Barry and Lake showed impressive upwind speed with Barry and Kenney flying on the downwind in perfect reaching conditions. Barry and Kenney eventually took the lead on the top reach of the last leg and managed to hold on to take first, Barry and Lake second and Ronan Kenneally and Denis Cartwright taking a well deserved third place.

In race two, Barry and Kenney lead all the way round with some great battles for the 2, 3, 4 positions going on behind. Brian Jones and Gary Frost sailing 7771 came out ahead taking 2nd place with Ewen and Simon in 3rd. With the sun going down and a beat home the OOD team made the call to head for home and the warmth of the clubhouse.

Day 2 again brought great sailing conditions with a cold Northerly breeze and brilliant sunshine, racing got underway again in Cuskinny at 11 30am. Three races were held, in 8 to 12 knots. Denis Cartwright was joined by the third Barry brother Colin for the rest of the weekend as Ronan Kenneally had laser sailing commitments. Barry and Kenney again showed their pace on the day and with two firsts and a fourth were going to be hard to catch. Dwyer and Kelly found their footing with a 3, 1, 2 winning the second race by a considerable margin. Colin and Denis had a very consistent day with a 2, 3, 3 and had some extremely close battles with Dwyer and Kelly. Jones and Frost struggled in the lighter breeze posting a 5, 6, 5 leaving some work to do to catch back up to the group battling for second. Wade and Robert Cuppage added another boat to the racing today in Ethel, possibly one of the most famous 505's around and still sporting a deck stepped mast. Damage to Mikie and Josh's boat caused them to retire from races 4 & 5 with redress granted later as they were found to be not at fault. This meant that the battle for the junior title with James and Lisa O'Brien was hotting up and all to play for on the last day.

Going into the last day, with a gale warning in place for Monday, Alex and Adam lead on 4 points, Charlo and Conor in second on 10 points, Ewen & Simon and Colin & Denis tieing for third on 11 points.

Sunday night brought the usual banter with plenty or arm wrestling, chair jumping and general tough man competitions in the bar and stories of days gone by from Jim.

Monday morning brought new conditions with a strong southerly breeze filling in to the bay. As there were big winds forecasted and ferries to catch, Dave and Ciarán decided to hold racing in the bay. Conditions were good for the 505 with flat water and 18 to 22 knots of breeze. There was no catching Barry and Kenney again with their downwind pace proving to be the winning factor. They posted another two firsts to take the title counting all 1sts. Charlo was joined by Ronan Kenneally this time and despite a lightweight crew they took two seconds on the day to cement their second place overall. With Ewen and Simon breaking an outhaul in the first race they now had to count a 7th and a 3rd in the final race was not enough to fight off Colin and Denis. Brian and Gary's big breeze pace was back and the posted a 3rd and a 4th. Jim and Barney had a great first race taking 5th but a capsize in the second race but them out of the race.

In the juniors, Mikie and Josh posted a 6th and a 7th to take the junior title with Lisa and James' equal 6th and a 7th not enough to catch up.

505 Irish Nationals and British Isles Championships – MSBC 23rd to 25th October 2010

1 IRL/GBR           8945 Alex Barry & Adam Kenny 1 1 1 4 1 1 1
2 IRL                8961 Charles Dwyer & Conor Kelly 7 4 3 1 2 2 2
3 IRL               8497 Colin Barry & Dennis Cartwright 3 5 2 3 3 4 5
4 IRL/GBR           8955 Ewen Barry & Simon Lake 2 3 4 2 7 12 3
5 IRL               7771 Brian Jones & Garry Frost 4 2 5 6 5 3 4
6 GBR                8907 Jim Berry & David Barnes 6 7 6 5 10 5 10
7 IRL               8552 Michael O'Brien & John O'Gorman 5 6 7 8 4 12 13
8 IRL               8380 Charles & Jeannie McCarthy 8 8 8 7 6 12 8
9 IRL               8*08 Mike O'Brien & Josh Barrett 10 10 9 APA8.4 APA8.4 6 7
10 IRL              8679 James & Lisa O'Brien 9 9 11 10 8 7 6
11 IRL              8216 Joanne McCarthy & Steven O'Reilly 13 13 10 9 9 12 13
12 IRL              7852 Wade & Robert Cuppage 13 13 13 11 11 13 13

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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.