Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI was requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard at 5:57 pm this evening (Thursday 17 September) after a member of the public reported a swimmer who appeared to be in difficulty off Blackrock

The inshore lifeboat was launched swiftly at 6:00 pm by Helm Nathan Burke who had been at the lifeboat station doing routine equipment checks. A further two crew members Andrew Sykes and Ronan Adams arrived minutes later and with the lifeboat already in the water the crew headed for the reported location, arriving on scene at 6:05 pm.

On arrival, the crew quickly assessed the situation and swiftly pulled the person from the water. Without delay, the person was casualty care assessed and seen to have been in a hypothermic state and slipping in and out of consciousness. A decision was made to return the person to Sea Point Beach immediately, with the National Ambulance Service and Irish Coast Guard’s Rescue 116 helicopter en route to provide further medical assistance. With the help of Dun Laoghaire Irish Coast Guard Unit our crew handed the person to the National Ambulance Service, the person’s condition had started to improve on handover.

Weather conditions at the scene were described as sunny clear with a warm breeze and a choppy sea swell.

Speaking following the call out, Nathan Burke, Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat Helm said: ‘The timing was crucial tonight and I’m very glad I was at the station when the call-out came in. The other two crew members arrived very quickly which ultimately resulted in a successful outcome. This evening showed that it is very important for swimmers not to overestimate their ability and underestimate the unseen currents and cold water that make swimming in the sea in Ireland more challenging’.

While out on their first training exercise since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place in March, Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI yesterday evening (Monday 31 August) was requested by the Irish Coast Guard to respond to a kayaker who had capsized.

The all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:55 pm under Duty Coxswain David Branigan with seven crew on board and was carrying out routine training within the vicinity of Killiney Bay when they received an immediate tasking call. The crew quickly diverted course at 7:20 pm to search the area of coast between Dalkey and Colliemore Harbour.

The lifeboat used the tidal and wind direction as an indicator and located the two kayakers who had left Bullock Harbour together, one of which was in difficulty after capsizing and losing their paddle. The second kayaker helped the person in difficulty to right their kayak and assisted them until the lifeboat crew arrived on scene.

The casualty was transferred on board and casualty care assessed by the volunteer crew and deemed in good health and was then taken ashore at Dun Laoghaire lifeboat station rather than Bullock Harbour due to the mid-tide at the time. The other person involved made their way back to Bullock Harbour unassisted.

Dun Laoghaire Irish Coast Guard shore unit and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 were also on scene.

Weather conditions at the were described as fresh with a southerly wind.

Speaking following the call out, David Branigan, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Duty lifeboat Coxswain said: ‘ This was our first training exercise since covid-19 restrictions were put in place, and by chance, a call from the Irish Coast Guard was received over the radio. Following a quick search of the area, we were very glad to find the kayakers. It was reassuring to find the person in difficulty had stayed with their kayak and bunched up with the second kayak, this made it much easier for us to find them. They also had a means of calling the Coast Guard for help which is very important. Our crew were very pleased with the outcome and happy to have safely returned the person to shore’.

When the Dublin Bay Water Wags started racing 133 years ago in 1887, every boat had a Spinnaker Guy, and a vital role he played too in dealing with the eternal contest with Tidal Eddy. So far, however, there’s no word that a Lazy Jack or a Bob Stay has been seen racing aboard any of these historic boats. But it seems that the Guys are now to be found everywhere, even on the helm, and of course they’re all Good Guys to a man - or indeed a woman, should it be Mrs Guy.

This all came to a weird sort of peak yesterday (Wednesday) evening, when perfect sunlit racing conditions rounded out a classic ridge day, providing sailing prospects so encouraging that, despite the dampening effects of social distancing and whatever, the class had its best turnout of 2020 thus far, 25 boats being on the line for two races sent off by the ubiquitous Con and Cathy Murphy.

The “weird peak” emerged from the fact that the first race was won by Guy O’Leary, while the second – after a slight kerfuffle towards the finish line with that Howth guy Ian Malcolm racing the 1915-vintage Barbara – was won by Guy Kilroy. Other guys and gals figured in the top results, but for the moment it’s enough to be contemplating this Guyfest at the front of the fleet, when you remember it was in a fleet already deploying 25 Spinnaker Guys.

Classic summer evening in Dun Laoghaire as 27 guys are busy downwind in the Water Wags. Photo: Con Murphy

Dun Laoghaire RNLI is appealing to businesses in the community to become RNLI local ambassadors by sharing key water safety advice to help keep people safe.

On average, 175 people lose their life around the coast of Ireland and the UK each year. Tragically, these deaths are accidental. But together, the RNLI and the community can do something to change it.

Liam Mullan from Dun Laoghaire RNLI explains: ‘Our local businesses are always very supportive of the RNLI and we are deeply grateful to them for that. Like our volunteer lifeboat crews, our local businesses live and carry out their work beside the sea. They help others to enjoy the water and like us, they care about keeping people safe around it.

‘Sadly, one drowning is still one too many in the place we call home. At the RNLI, we are committed to keeping our community a place for safe and happy memories by the water. And, by becoming an RNLI local ambassador, businesses in the community through sharing our safety messages, can help us turn a preventable death into a life saved. Together, we can save every one.’

Appealing directly to local businesses, Liam continued: ‘As an RNLI local ambassador, you’ll be a real lifesaver in our community. The global outbreak of COVID-19 has forced us to be more innovative and creative when thinking about how we get our safety messages out in different ways this year. But with your kind help, we can spread our safety advice – in the simplest and easiest way for you – to protect more people by the water.’

To become an RNLI local ambassador, local businesses will be asked to display safety materials in and around their business.

‘We would ask that you sign up to be an RNLI local ambassador. Register your details and we’ll give you access to our safety materials that you can display in and around your business – whether that’s putting up posters in your windows or sharing a social media post. We’ll also let you know if there’s any water safety training happening in your area so, if you’d like, you can get more involved. We are so grateful for such support and know it will really help make a lifesaving difference’

To sign up, click on this link here

Dun Laoghaire RNLI launched both their lifeboat’s this afternoon (Tuesday 11 August) at the request of the Irish Coast Guard assisting two vessels in two separate incidents.

At 12:55 pm today, the all-weather lifeboat was launched under Coxswain Mark McGibney with a crew to reports of a yacht which had suffered steering failure two miles north of Greystones in County Wicklow. A local vessel, ‘Centurion’, sighted and confirmed the casualty vessel’s location. The volunteer crew made their way to the scene arriving at 1:21 pm and on arrival, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation. The person on board was in good health and the stricken yacht was taken in tow to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

As the all-weather lifeboat was on its way back to Dun Laoghaire Harbour the station’s inshore lifeboat was also requested to launch at 2:06 pm to a separate incident just outside the entrance to Dun Laoghaire Harbour. A report was received from the Irish Coast Guard of five people on a 23ft yacht with engine failure. The inshore lifeboat crew swiftly located the vessel arriving on scene at 2:14 pm, having assessed that all on board were in good health the volunteer crew took the yacht in tow bringing it into Dun Laoghaire Harbour arriving at 2:45 pm. The station’s all-weather lifeboat crew arriving after shortly after, at 3:00 pm.

Weather conditions at the time of both callouts were described as calm with a light wind with restricted visibility due to fog.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Coxswain Mark McGibney

Speaking following the call out, Mark McGibney, Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat Coxswain said: ‘The people in both incidents made the right decision in calling the Irish Coast Guard for help. Conditions today were calm on scene but visibility was restricted by fog, thank you to the crew of the local vessel, Centurion for sighting and confirming the vessel’s location which allowed us to respond with no delay’.

Also speaking alongside Mark McGibney following the callouts was Gary Hayes, Dun Laoghaire RNLI inshore lifeboat Helm, he said’ The volunteer crew and I are very happy to have returned everyone safely to shore today. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask everybody thinking of going out on the water to please check their vessel and safety equipment in advance’.

The new RS Aero fleet now comprises the biggest one-design class, racing in the DBSC PY fleet. From zero boats last year in DBSC, there are now six Aeros racing competitively and there are rumours of more boats on the way. Not only are the boats great in one design but also have demonstrated great handicap ability under the PY system with five of the Aeros holding the top 5 places overall in the Tuesday Series with Noel Butler in the lead and Brendan Foley’s Aero leading overall in the Saturday Series.

• Tuesday PY Series
• Saturday PY Series

Last night saw Noel Butler win both windward/leeward races showing excellent upwind speed and good race management to avoid the bunching on the short harbour based course. The rest of the boats traded places in the shifty winds with lightweight flyer ‘Skinny’ Sarah Dwyer and athletic Stephen Oram showing excellent speed, almost match racing each other around the track.

RS Aero DBSC racing at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Afloat

What is amazing is the variety of sailing styles witnessed as the fleet learn to sail the boats quicker. The high/low modes upwind can have huge gains or losses and being only 30 kilos heavy the boats really respond well to the small gusts with excellent acceleration. Downwind the boats run more by-the-lee than the Finns and the Lasers with some sailors choosing the big windward heel and others going flat to keep the chines out of the water.

The training clinics of Maurice ‘Prof’ O’Connell over the last few months have helped the fleet to come on with his knowledge and drills supporting the rise in the standard.

One of the features of the Aero class is sharing knowledge and the Dun Laoghaire Harbour fleet is no different with race winners sharing what worked and didn’t - the net effect has been a great rise in overall standard with any of the 6 boats capable of a top 3 placing.

This augers well for the RS Aero Irish Open Championship being held on the 19th and 20th of September 2020 at the INSC in Dun Laoghaire.

If you would like to sail an Aero and try it out ask any of the sailors with boats in the NYC or RStGYC. The class plan to have some open days for a try-out within COVID guidelines in the next few months.

At the start of COVID 19 pandemic, the sailing community in Dun Laoghaire began planning for one event to replace the four individual waterfront yacht club regattas.

The original regatta plan had two potential dates July 31st/ August 1st - or Sept. 5/6th. The event is an initiative of all five of Dun Laoghaire's yacht clubs as a response to the COVID-19 interrupted season.

In the light of recent delay to Phase 4 of reopening, the later date is being chosen and an event is being designed to meet the COVID-19 protocols.

The event will be hosted by the National Yacht Club who are celebrating their 150th year.

It is being supported by the other Clubs – RIYC, RSGYC and DMYC, whose members will take part.

In what is turning out to be a bumper September for Irish sailing, the event will run a fortnight after the Round Ireland Race from Wicklow (August 22nd) and a week before the ICRA National Championships at Howth as part of the North Dublin Club's WAVE regatta on 11/13 September.

National Yacht Club Commodore Martin McCarthy

The event will also have a trophy to mark 100 years since the renaming of the town to Dun Laoghaire and will be supported by Davy Group who will provide prizes and support.

National YC Commodore, Martin McCarthy commented: “We are thrilled that the other clubs have so generously given us the opportunity to celebrate our 150th with a Regatta, in a year where sailing time has been very condensed. The event is being designed to meet the requirements of the battle against COVID 19, so Apres Sail will be restricted.

"We will have 10 Commemorative medals struck for race winners across the waterfront and a singular trophy to mark 100 years of Dun Laoghaire for the finest Classic boat taking part".

"We especially thank Davy Group whose loyalty and ongoing sponsorship during this pandemic has contributed greatly to running this event.
It will be an important step on the road to “new normal” and which we hope will finish with a rowing race in Dublin Bay".

At 10:21 am today (Saturday 18 July), Dublin Coast Guard requested Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI to assist three people on board a 35ft yacht which had its propeller fouled approximately two miles of the Dublin coast.

The all-weather lifeboat was launched under Coxswain Mark McGibney with six crew onboard and made its way to the scene arriving at 10:55 am. The all-weather lifeboat took the vessel in tow and brought it to Dun Laoghaire Harbour arriving at 12:00 pm.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a slight wind and good visibility.

Speaking following the call out, Mark McGibney, Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat Coxswain said: ‘This can happen to anyone but it’s great to see the people involved wearing lifejackets and have the correct means of communication to call the Irish Coast Guard for help, which was the case today. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to make sure that their vessel engines and safety equipment are checked and in working order before taking to the water.’

Dun Laoghaire RNLI Take Motorboat Under Tow

It was the second shout for leisure boats this week for the Dun Laoghaire lifeboat crew. On Wednesday the all-weather lifeboat was called to assist a 35-motorboat off the County Wicklow coast at Bray as pictured below

Dun Laoghaire RNLI tow a motorboat back to the harbour Photo: Afloat

We think of the venerable Dublin Bay Water Wags as being the quintessential Dun Laoghaire Harbour class. But when the results of their first race of the delayed 2020 season yesterday (Wednesday) evening were analysed, it was noted that the top performers in the turnout of 13 gleaming varnished classic boats included many from outside the leafy confines of South Dublin.

Former Olympian and current classic boat pace-setter Cathy MacAleavey was unable to race owing to having had a hip replaced on Monday (we wish her well), but she made sure her boat, No 42 Molly, was in with a chance through being raced by Olympians Finn Lynch (originally of Blessington SC) and her daughter Annalise Murphy (NYC), Silver Medallist in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sailing is really going again when the Water Wags make their first appearance – William Prentice’s Tortoise (42), Adan Winkelmann (46) and the O’Driscolls from Lough Derg (15) in perfect first race sailing conditions

The 1915-built Barbara (Ian & Judith Malcolm), crossed the in-harbour line to take fourth

The hotshots duly obliged by winning, but the top placings thereafter indicated that interest in Water Wag racing is at the very least a Leinster-wide matter, for although Guy KIlroy of Dun Laoghaire was second with Swift, he’s no stranger to the more remote hidden waters of the North Shannon, while third was also Shannon-oriented, as the O’Driscoll family of Lough Derg YC – noted Shannon One Design sailors – have added a Water Wag to their boat portfolio. To make the spread complete, fourth place was snatched by “the Howth boat”, the 1915-built Barbara campaigned by Ian and Judith Malcolm, who are best known for their links to the Howth 17 class and other classics from the board of their local designer Herbert Boyd.

The classic Water Wag image to launch the 2020 season - Adrian Masterson brings his boat to the mark.

Dun Laoghaire’s local authority has extended the deadline to take part in its summer flag-making initiative.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, locals of all ages are invited tell their own Covid-19 story with a flag of their own making.

Submitted flags will then be flown from the masts of boats among Dun Laoghaire’s sailing community which will display them in a flotilla on Dublin Bay.

Hundreds of flags have already been received by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, but the authority said there are lots more stories to tell so they have pushed the deadline back to the end of summer.

For more details on how to take part and create your own flag, click HERE.