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#Rowing: Cork Regatta has been called off for this weekend. The two-day Grand League event has been re-fixed for next weekend (June 29th and 30th).  The forecast for this weekend was for high winds and heavy rain on Sunday, with conditions deteriorating on Saturday afternoon and evening. Declarations will be on Wednesday evening, but while crews can withdraw, no new entries will be accepted.

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#Rowing: Two strong senior composite crews took home the Division One quadruple titles as the action concluded late into the evening on the first day of Cork Regatta at the National Rowing Centre. The women’s final saw Margaret Cremen join Skibbereen’s Lydia Heaphy, Denise Walsh and Aoife Casey to good effect, and the men’s winners were the prospective Ireland Under-23 lightweight quad. Workmen’s and Shandon junior 18 crews were good runners up in the women’s and men’s races.

Cork Boat Club won the Division One men’s coxed four title, while Trinity took the women’s.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Div Two: Neptune (club two) 6:22.95; 4 Trinity (nov) 6:34.32; 5 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 6:35.63; 6 Shandon (jun 18B) 6:43.79.

Four – Div One, coxed: Cork (inter) 6:34.299; 3 Enniskillen A (jun 18A) 6:39.299. C Final: 2 Neptune (club one) 6:48.37.

Pair – Div One: 1 UCD (S Mulvaney, D O’Malley; sen) 6:53.31, 2 Skibbereen (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll; sen) 6:59.98, 3 Enniskillen (jun 18A) 7:06.75; 6 Cork A (inter) 7:23.68. B Final: 6 Neptune A (club one) 7:24.50.

Sculling, Quadruple – Div One: 1 Tara, UCD, Commercial, UCC (sen) 6:00.93, 2 Shandon (jun 18) 6:10.96

Double – Div Two: CRCC (jun 18B) 7:06.99; 5 Cork A (jun 16) 7:15.37. B Final: Cappoquin (club two) 7:20.43

Single Sculls: 1 Skibbereen (P O’Donovan; sen) 6:59.73. B Final: UCC (H Sutton; lwt) 7:20.63. C Final: 1 Shandon (E Gaffney; jun 18A) 7:28.92; 2 Queen’s (N Hull; inter) 7:29.86

Women

Eight- Div Two: Trinity A (club two) 6:52.696; 6 Commercial (jun 16) 7:15.45. B Final: 1 Queen’s (nov) 7:19.09.

Four, coxed – Div One: 1 Trinity (inter) 7:25.63, 2 Commercial (sen) 7:30.06; 5 Shandon (club one) 7:46.78.

Pair – Div One: 1 Skibbereen (A McCarthy, N Casey; sen) 7:49.73; 4 Col Iognaid (Jun 18A) 8:07.86; Shandon (club one) 8:08.78. C Final: 4 Shandon (inter) 8:36.00.

Sculling, Quadruple – Div One: 1 Skibbereen/Lee 6:50.49; 2 Workmen’s (jun 18A) 7:05.596. Div Two: 1 Cork A (club two) 7:50.05; 3 Carlow (jun 16) 8:03.97. B Final: Carlow (jun 18B) 8:13.43; 4 Queen’s (nov) 8:25.47.

Double – Div Two: 1 Killorglin (jun 18B) 7:41.63, 2 New Ross (club two) 7:56.41, 3 Carlow (jun 16) 8:00.41

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Paul O’Donovan won his heat of the single sculls in an excellent time of seven minutes 7.8 seconds in glorious sunshine at Cork Regatta today. The Skibbereen man had 2.7 seconds to spare over heavyweight oarsman Ronan Byrne of UCC. Gary O’Donovan wont the previous heat in the third-fastest time, with Sam McKeown not far behind, setting the fourth fastest time overall.

Lisa Dilleen of Cork Boat Club was the fastest women’s single sculler in the heats, with Denise Walsh of Skibbereen second.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Skibbereen/UCC composite won the women’s eights with the final few strokes at the Cork Grand League Regatta today. NUIG led them coming up to the line, but the winners finished faster to win by three tenths of a second. Cork were the best junior 18 eight.

UCD won the men’s eights by holding off NUIG. The finish was close, but UCD had led down the course and refused to yield. Neptune took the junior 18 honours by holding off St Joseph’s of Galway in the B Final.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Cork, Day Two (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Division One – A Final: 1 UCD (N Farrell, R Thompson, E O’Connor, C O’Riada, E Gleeson, A Griffin, T Doherty, M Murphy; cox: O Reid; senior) 5:51.05, 2 NUIG (sen) 5:51.91, 3 UCD (inter) 6:05.098; 4 Cork (club one) 6:05.46. B Final: 4 Neptune (Jun 18A) 6:13.69.

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 NUIG (sen) 6:16.41. Four, coxed – Div Two – A Final: 1 Queen’s B (club two) 6:53.69, 2 St Michael’s (jun 18B) 6:56.53; 6 Presentation, Cork (jun 16) 7:33.61.

Sculling,

Quadruple, Div Two, coxed – A Final: 1 Carlow (jun 18B) 6:43.70; 3 Castleconnell (jun 16) 6:53.53; 4 Shandon (club two) 6:54.67.

Double – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan; sen) 6:25.51, 2 Commercial, UCD (N Beggan, A Goff; sen) 6:27.62, 3 Skibbereen (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll; sen) 6:37.997; 5 Three Castles A (jun 18A) 6:49.76. B Final: St Michael’s (inter) 6:51.20.

Single – Div Two – A Final: 1 Three Castles (A Keogh; jun 16) 7:29.64, 2 Cappoquin (S Landers; club two) 7:35.39; 6 Killorglin (J McCarthy; Jun 18B) 7:52.86.

Women

Eight – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen/UCC (O Hayes, F O’Keeffe, A Casey, E McCarthy A Keogh, E Hegarty, N Casey, D Walsh; cox C O’Connell; senior) 6:37.94, 2 NUIG (sen) 6:38.30; 5 NUIG (club one) 6:58.38. B Final: 1 Cork (jun 18A) 7:00.93; 2 Shandon (inter) 7:02.79.

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen, UCC (N Casey, E Hegarty, A Keogh, D Walsh; sen) 6:59.0. B Final: Col Iognaid (jun 18A) 7:39.68. Div Two, coxed – A Final: Trinity (club two) 7:41.79.

Sculling, Double – Div One – A Final: 1 Cork (inter) 7:19.591, 2 Lee (jun 18A) 7:23.45. B Final: 2 Carlow (club one) 7:40.31. Div Two – A Final: 1 Neptune (J Poh; club two) 8:40.47, 2 Kenmare (E Crowley; jun 18B) 8:42.76; 3 Neptune (N Clarke; jun 16) 8:46.62.

 

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Niall Beggan and Andrew Goff gave Gary and Paul O’Donovan a good battle in the Division One double sculls at Cork Regatta today. The Ireland under-23 lightweights, drawn from UCD and Commercial, placed second behind the Ireland senior lightweight double, ahead of Shane O’Driscoll and Mark O’Donovan.

NUIG won the men’s fours and the Skibbereen/UCC composite the women’s four by convincing margins. Cork won the women’s double, while Lee’s juniors took second.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Cork, Day Two (Selected Results)

Men

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 NUIG (sen) 6:16.41. Four, coxed – Div Two – A Final: 1 Queen’s B (club two) 6:53.69, 2 St Michael’s (jun 18B) 6:56.53; 6 Presentation, Cork (jun 16) 7:33.61.

Sculling, Double – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (G O’Donovan, P O’Donovan; sen) 6:25.51, 2 Commercial, UCD (N Beggan, A Goff; sen) 6:27.62, 3 Skibbereen (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll; sen) 6:37.997; 5 Three Castles A (jun 18A) 6:49.76. B Final: St Michael’s (inter) 6:51.20.

Single – Div Two – A Final: 1 Three Castles (A Keogh; jun 16) 7:29.64, 2 Cappoquin (S Landers; club two) 7:35.39; 6 Killorglin (J McCarthy; Jun 18B) 7:52.86.

Women

Four – Div One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen, UCC (N Casey, E Hegarty, A Keogh, D Walsh; sen) 6:59.0. B Final: Col Iognaid (jun 18A) 7:39.68.

Sculling, Double – Div One – A Final: 1 Cork (inter) 7:19.591, 2 Lee (jun 18A) 7:23.45. B Final: 2 Carlow (club one) 7:40.31.

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#Rowing: Paul O’Donovan set a new personal best as a  single sculler at Cork Regatta today. The Skibbereen sculler won the Division One A Final in six minutes 50.819 seconds. Gary O’Donovan was 13 seconds further back in sunny conditions with a cross-tailwind.

Sanita Puspure pulled out of the women’s single sculls final, but she had already won the heat, beating Monika Dukarska by six seconds. Dukarska won the final.

Mark O’Donovan and Shane O’Driscoll beat Shane Mulvaney and David O’Malley by 3.4 seconds after a good race in the men’s pair.

Cork Regatta, National Rowing Centre, Day One (Selected Results)

Men

Eight – Div Two – A Final: 1 UCD B (club two) 6:22.449, 2 Shandon (jun 16) 6:36.97; 4 Trinity (nov) 6:41.7.

Four – Div One, coxed – A Final: 1 NUIG (inter) 6:22.49; 4 UCD B (sen) 6:28.46; 6 Neptune (jun 18A) 6:38.53.

Pair – Div Two – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (sen) 6:36.43; B Final: 2 Cork (jun 18A) 7:03.17. C Final: 5 Neptune A (club one) 7:16.46.

Sculling,

Quadruple – Div One – A Final: 1 UCC, UCD, Skibbereen (sen) 5:57.88; 2 Three Castles (jun 18A) 6:11.99. B Final: UCC (club one) 6:38.49.

Double – Div Two – A Final: 1 Shandon (jun 18B) 6:57.74; 3 Waterford (club two) 7:04.61; 4 Castleconnell A (jun 16) 7:11.77.

Single – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (P O’Donovan; sen) 6:50.82. B Final: 3 Shandon (D Begley; inter) 7:19.11; 4 Castelconnell (J Quinlan; jun 18A)

Women

Eight – Div Two – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (club two) 6:54.5; 5 Trinity (nov) 7:21.92; 6 St Michael’s (jun 16) 7:26.8.

Four, coxed – Div One – A Final: 1 Cork (sen) 7:22.85, 2 NUIG (club one) 7:27.0; 4 Shannon (inter) 7:36.13.

Pair – Div One – A Final: UCC/UCD (sen) 7:35.97; 5 Trinity B (inter) 7:53.23. B Final: Lee (jun 18A) 8:00.457. C Final: Belfast BC (club one) 8:08.607.

Sculling, Quadruple Div One - A Final: Lee (Jun 18A) 6:50.22

Div Two – A Final: 1 Shandon (club two) 7:28.86, 2 Castleconnell (jun 16) 7:31.09; 5 Shandon (jun 18B) 7:54.69.

Double – Div Two – A Final: 1 Carlow (jun 16) 7:44.19; 5 Graiguenamanagh (jun 18B) 8:17.88; 6 Killorglin (club two) 8:23.69.

Single – Div One – A Final: 1 Killorglin (M Dukarska; sen) 7:40.23; 3 Skibbereen (A Casey; jun 18A) 7:56.17; 4 Skibbereen (O Hayes; lwt) 7:59.73. C Final: 2 Skibbereen (L Heaphy; inter) 8:11.60; 6 Garda (J Ryan; club one) 8:44.57.

 

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: NUIG's senior eight led in the intermediate crews from UCD and UCC in the division one men's final at Cork Regatta today. Cork took fourth - the fastest junior eight. The UCC/Skibbereen composite crew were far and away the best women's eight at the National Rowing Centre. Behind them, Commercial won their battle with Galway Rowing Club to take second and prove the best of the junior 18 eights.

Cork Regatta (Coillte Grand League), National Rowing Centre, Sunday

Men

Eight - Division One - A Final: 1 NUIG (sen) 5 mins 52.609, 2 UCD (inter) 5:56.374; 4 Cork (jun 18) 6:03.13; 5 Commercial (club 1) 6:04.72.

Four - Div One - A Final: 1 NUIG (senior) 6:15.798. Div Two, coxed - A Final: 1 Cork (club 2) 6:45.96; 4 Presentation (jun 18) 7:01.82. B Final: 5 Pres (jun 16) 7:45.27.

Sculling - Quadruple - Div Two, coxed - A Final: 1 Lee (club 2) 6:38.53; 4 Shandon A (jun 16) 6:50.31; 5 Workmans (jun 18) 6:58.04. C Final: 2 New Ross (nov) 7:16.61.

Double - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll; sen) 6:35.19, 2 Shandon/Clonmel 6:42.47; 6 Shandon A (inter) 7:07.91. B Final: 2 Shandon (jun 18) 6:51.83. C Final: 5 Cork (club 1) 7:51.21.

Single - Div Two - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (K Mannix; jun 18) 7:30.79, 2 Carlow (J Keating; jun 16) 7:32.62; 4 Lee (H Sutton; club 2) 7:38.78.

Women

Eight - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen/UCC (sen) 6:38.217, 2 Commercial (club 1) 6:56.12, 3 Cork (jun 18) 7:01.12. 

Four - Div One - A Final: 1 UCC (sen) 7:08.25; 3 Shandon (jun 18) 7:17.69. Div Two, coxed - A Final: 1 Fermoy (club 2) 7:25:19.

Sculling, Double - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (E Hegarty, A Casey; jun 18) 7:13.15, 2 Bann (jun 18) 7:22.69; 5 Belfast BC (club 1) 7:34.93. B Final: 2 Commercial (inter) 7:47.37; 3 Skibbereen (sen) 7:47.68.

Single - Div Two - A Final: 1 Kenmare (G O'Brien; jun 18) 8:25.59; 3 Skibbereen (A Keating; jun 16) 8:27.898; 6 Queen's (R Brown; club 2) 6:49.93.

 

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: NUIG and UCC won the division one men's and women's fours by big margins in the first set of Sunday finals at Cork Regatta at the National Rowing Centre. The division one doubles provided a stage for junior crews with international aspirations. In changeable conditions, Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty won in an excellent time and Ronan Byrne and Daire Lynch were second to senior internationals Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan.

Cork Regatta (Coillte Grand League), National Rowing Centre, Sunday

Men

Four - Div One - A Final: 1 NUIG (senior) 6:15.798. Div Two, coxed - A Final: 1 Cork (club 2) 6:45.96; 4 Presentation (jun 18) 7:01.82. B Final: 5 Pres (jun 16) 7:45.27.

Sculling - Double - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll; sen) 6:35.19, 2 Shandon/Clonmel 6:42.47; 6 Shandon A (inter) 7:07.91. B Final: 2 Shandon (jun 18) 6:51.83. C Final: 5 Cork (club 1) 7:51.21.

Single - Div Two - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (K Mannix; jun 18) 7:30.79, 2 Carlow (J Keating; jun 16) 7:32.62; 4 Lee (H Sutton; club 2) 7:38.78.

Women

Four - Div One - A Final: 1 UCC (sen) 7:08.25; 3 Shandon (jun 18) 7:17.69.

Sculling, Double - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (E Hegarty, A Casey; jun 18) 7:13.15, 2 Bann (jun 18) 7:22.69; 5 Belfast BC (club 1) 7:34.93. B Final: 2 Commercial (inter) 7:47.37; 3 Skibbereen (sen) 7:47.68.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Young, ambitious, crews impressed in the second set of finals at Cork Regatta at the National Rowing Centre. The Ireland under-23 lightweight quadruple were outstanding in their win - setting a time of six minutes 4.37 seconds - and the prospective women's Coupe de la Jeunesse quadruple also had plenty to spare in their victory.

 UCD's men and Commercial's women won the division one coxed fours. Skibbereen, with a mix  of experienced and younger oarswomen, won the division two eight.

Cork Regatta (Coillte Grand League), National Rowing Centre, Day One

Men

Eight - Div Two - A Final: 1 UCD (Club 2) 6:10.51; 3 Neptune (jun 18B) 6:26.949; 5 UCD (nov) 6:35.449; 6 Shandon (jun 16) 6:36.01.

Four, coxed - Div One - A Final: 1 UCD (inter) 6:35.94; 3 UCC (sen) 6:43.51; 4 Cork (jun 18) 6:43.94. B Final: 1 Commercial (club 1) 6:49.11.

Pair - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll; sen) 6:47.31, 2 Portora (inter) 7:00.21, 3 Portora (sen) 7:03.97. B Final: 4 Methodists (jun 18A) 7:27.72. C Final: 5 Cork (Club 1) 7:39.03.

Sculling, Quadruple - Div One - A Final: 1 UCC, Tara, UCD, Skibbereen (sen) 6:04.368; 3 Portora (inter) 6:21.93; 4 Lee (jun 18) 6:23.62. B Final: 4 Lee (Club 1) 6:44.75.

Double - Div Two - A Final: 1 Queen's A (club 2) 7:09.19, 2 Workmans B (jun 18) 7:17.83, 3 Neptune A (jun 16) 7:21.53.

Single - Div One - A Final: 1 UCD (P O'Donovan; sen) 6:55.78, 2 Skibbereen (G O'Donovan; sen) 7:03.98, 3 Portadown (S McKeown; sen) 7:20.81; 4 Shandon (R Byrne; jun 18) 7:21.20; 5 St Michael's (D O'Connor; inter) 7:21.58. B Final: 6 NUIG (T Dillon; lwt) 7:39.37. C Final: 2 Carlow (L Keating; Club One) 7:30.86.

Women

Eight - Div Two - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (club 2) 6:58.49; 3 Shandon (jun 18) 7:11.02; 6 Col Iognaid (jun 16) 7:19.29. B Final: 4 Neptune (nov) 8:22.96. Four, coxed - Div One - A Final: 1 Commercial (sen) 7:27.80, 2 St Michael's (inter) 7:35.00, 3 Fermoy (club 1) 7:36.35.

Pair - Division One - A Final: 1 Cork A (jun) 7:49.19, 2 UCC (sen) 7:53.55, 3 Bann (inter) 7:59.863. B Final: Queen's/UCC (sen) 8:01.37. C Final: St Michael's 8:21.57.

Sculling, Quadruple - Div One - A Final: 1 Belfast, Bann, Lee, Skibbereen (sen) 6:53.96; 3 Carlow (jun18) 7:29.68. Div Two, coxed - A Final: 1 New Ross (jun 16) 7:40.26, 2 Cork B (Club 2) 7:41.14; 5 Carlow (jun 18B) 7:48.997. C Final: 3 Castleconnell (nov) 8:24.174.

Double - Div Two - A Final: 1 Clonmel (jun 18) 7:53.74; 3 Workmans (jun 16) 8:06.90; 4 Lee Valley (club 2) 8:10.26.

Single - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (D Walsh; sen) 7:51.57, 2 Tribesmen (S McCrohan; sen) 8:04.30, 3 Skibbereen (O Hayes; sen) 8:09.94; 4 Belfast BC (O Blundell; inter) 8:21.16. B Final: Belfast BC (C Deyermond; club 1) 8:25.96; 2 Neptune (C Feerick; jun 18A) 8:28.71. C Final: Carlow (A Byrne; lwt) 9:05.89.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: Paul O'Donovan was far and away the fastest single sculler at Cork Regatta at the National Rowing Centre today. The 22-year-old UCD man had a clearwater lead by halfway and beat his younger brother, Gary into second by over eight seconds. The O'Donovans form the Ireland Olympic lightweight double. Paul will go on to represent his country as a lightweight single sculler at the World Championships.

 Denise Walsh was a convincing winner of the women's senior single, well ahead of Siobhan McCrohan, while the very promising Cork Boat Club junior crew of Amy Mason and Tara O'Hanlon won the Division One women's pair. Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan took the men's senior pair, ahead of the Portora intermediate crew of Ryan Ballantyne and Barney Rix.

 The New Ross junior 16 crew had a stirring victory in the women's division two coxed quad, while UCD's club two crew won the men's division two eight.

Cork Regatta (Coillte Grand League), National Rowing Centre, Day One

Men

Eight - Div Two - A Final: 1 UCD (Club 2) 6:10.51; 3 Neptune (jun 18B) 6:26.949; 5 UCD (nov) 6:35.449; 6 Shandon (jun 16) 6:36.01.

Pair - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (M O'Donovan, S O'Driscoll; sen) 6:47.31, 2 Portora (inter) 7:00.21, 3 Portora (sen) 7:03.97. B Final: UCC 7:09.969; 4 Methodists (jun 18A) 7:27.72. C Final: 1 Commercial B (sen) 7:19.64; 5 Cork (Club 1) 7:39.03.

Sculling, Single - Div One - A Final: 1 UCD (P O'Donovan; sen) 6:55.78, 2 Skibbereen (G O'Donovan; sen) 7:03.98, 3 Portadown (S McKeown; sen) 7:20.81; 4 Shandon (R Byrne; jun 18) 7:21.20; 5 St Michael's (D O'Connor; inter) 7:21.58. B Final: Clonmel (D Lynch; jun 18) 7:20.48; 6 NUIG (T Dillon; lwt) 7:39.37. C Final: Shandon (D Begley; inter) 7:29.43; 2 Carlow (L Keating; Club One) 7:30.86.

Women

Pair - Division One - A Final: 1 Cork A (jun) 7:49.19, 2 UCC (sen) 7:53.55, 3 Bann (inter) 7:59.863. B Final: Queen's/UCC (sen) 8:01.37. C Final: St Michael's (inter) 8:21.57.

Sculling, Quadruple - Div Two, coxed - A Final: 1 New Ross (jun 16) 7:40.26, 2 Cork B (Club 2) 7:41.14; 5 Carlow (jun 18B) 7:48.997. B Final: Waterford (jun 18B) 7:54.796. C Final: Commercial (club 2) 8:18.91; 3 Castleconnell (nov) 8:24.174.

Single - Div One - A Final: 1 Skibbereen (D Walsh; sen) 7:51.57, 2 Tribesmen (S McCrohan; sen) 8:04.30, 3 Skibbereen (O Hayes; sen) 8:09.94; 4 Belfast BC (O Blundell; inter) 8:21.16. B Final: Belfast BC (C Deyermond; club 1) 8:25.96; 2 Neptune (C Feerick; jun 18A) 8:28.71. C Final: Carlow (A Byrne; lwt) 9:05.89.

 

Published in Rowing
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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

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

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

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.

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.

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

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

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

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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