Displaying items by tag: Frank Whelan

2nd July 2019

Greystones’s Frank Whelan is June’s “Sailor of the Month (Inshore)”

Frank Whelan (on the wheel) skipper of Sovereign's Cup winner Eleuthera with six straight firsts

The Greystones-based Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera (Frank Whelan) is a byword for enthusiasm, both for the dedication of her amateur crew in preparing the boat for the season, and in the way her owner/skipper and his top lieutenants lead them to success. This reached a new height at the end of June in the Sovereign’s Cup Regatta at Kinsale where Eleuthera achieved a clean sweep of five wins in Class 0 to emerge as the popular winner of the overall trophy, the Sovereign’s Cup itself.

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Frank Whelan

How Greystones Sailing Club's Grand Soleil 44 'Eleuthera' Conquered Cork Week

Cork Week's Class Winner Eleuthera. The Grand Soleil 44 also made a clean sweep of the Dublin Regattas this season

Early 2018 season success in ISORA racing revealed the potency of the new Greystones Harbour Cruiser, Eleuthera. In its former life, this Grand Soleil 44 had a strong pedigree and skipper Frank Whelan and his young 11–man crew set about capitalising on this with straight wins on the Dublin Regatta circuit. But the County Wicklow crew knew that July's Cork Week and the biggest Cruiser One gathering of the season would be a tougher nut to crack. Here, Whelan describes how his high–handicap entry conquered Crosshaven last week.

Day three of Cork Week was our low point. Monday and Tuesday we had sailed well, but each had a mid-race reset due to loss of breeze, and then a building breeze at the end resulted in not being able to dig out the time gap we needed as a high–handicap boat. Wednesday, we again sailed well in a steady breeze and had the race in the bag coming onto the last leg, a long beat to the finish, which usually is a strong point for us. We did not execute that beat well and ended up down the rankings. We were lying sixth overall from nine.

"The team is a mad mix of ages (17 to over 60) and experience (3 years to over 40)"

We have a briefing on board Eleuthera before and after each race. And we were all thinking that our efforts to date had well repaid us for the work put in. Even those four weekends of training in the freezing howling winds of November had shown through in our racing to date, and one lousy leg doesn’t change that mindset. So the briefing coming out for the Thursday morning was focused on the fact that we hadn’t even reached the mid-point of the regatta, there were 3 races down, and 5 or 6 races to go. It was comfortable, we just had to win all of them. That might sound like a tall order, but at least it was in our hands, and we had some experience of doing it before, the last 3 regatta’s in Dun Laoghaire were 2 race affairs and we had a bullet in all 6, albeit that there was greater competition in Cork Week. The team is a mad mix of ages (17 to over 60) and experience (3 years to over 40), with almost all locals from Greystones, and despite the differences, we really gel together both on the water and in the festivities after.

eleuthera Grand soleil Eleuthera's core crew are Frank Whelan (skipper), Barnwell, Gary Hick, Conor Clery, Kevin O'Rourke, Killian Fitzgerald, Andrew Smith, Matt Sherlock, Gavin Laverty and Shane Hughes (North Sails Ireland) Photo: Bob Bateman

So, Thursday morning briefing was all about short race tactics, there were to be 3 that day, so clean starts is the primary goal, try to get out fast and in the right direction, then cover the fleet if you get into position to do so. There ended up only two races that day but we achieved the goal, two bullets. Friday morning strangely was exciting, but no apprehension, we were all just delighted to be back in contention, we were lying third overall. The same drill for the day and the reality of it was that we didn’t make any serious mistakes, three bullets.

"...but in truth, it is the craic we have as 12 disparate individuals who work together as a team..."

It kind of took a while for the win to even register, but it really is the result of a lot of things. Shane Hughes of North Sails Ireland has been training us since last November, and he is an uncompromising taskmaster, but we wouldn’t have achieved half of what we did without him! Paddy Barnwell’s attention to detail and management of boat prep and crew has been an eye-opener for me. Every member of the team gets out there and works on the hull sanding and polishing and general maintenance requirements, but in truth, it is the craic we have as 12 disparate individuals who work together as a team, slag and support each other in almost equal measure, and just enjoy it.

Frank Whelan Cork week prizegiving Frank Whelan (left) receives his Cork Week Class One Trophy from David Thomas of Volvo Photo: David Keane

If we hadn’t won it wouldn’t be quite as enjoyable, but it wouldn’t have been far off, we like sailing together.

Eleuthera's Cork Week Winning Crew

Skipper\Helm Frank Whelan

Nav\Main Paddy Barnwell

Tactics Daragh O’Sullivan

Main Andy Verso

Trim 1 Shane Hughes

Trim 2 Kevin O’Rourke

Pit 1 Gary Hick

Pit 2 Killian Fitzgerald

Mast 1 Conor Cleary

Mast 2 Matt Sherlock

Bow 1 Gavin Laverty

Bow 2 Andy Smith \ Brian Hare

Published in Cork Week

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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.