#sb20 – DBSC SB20 Sunday races got off to a great start on Sunday in glorious sunshine and a shifty 10-15knts NE breeze writes Class Captain Michael O'Connor.

Thankfully, someone upstairs is looking down on the SB fleet (please don't stop!) and the storms of Saturday had passed through overnight leaving only the residual lumpy sea for the competitors to contend with. Barry O'Neill and his Committee Boat team of Fionnuala, Cathy and Michael on the other hand really had their work cut out trying to get marks in position and a fair course set in a breeze that was clocking left all day...

Three WL courses were scheduled with the first gun sounding at 12.30pm - unfortunately, despite previous warnings the prompt start to proceedings caught one or two boats out and they were late for the start of the first race - no doubt they will be the first on the course next weekend! 11 boats made it out to the race course today and having so many boats out early on in the season, added to the fact that we were missing some die-hard Munster supporters, augers really well for the rest of the season.

A notable mention goes out to Dinghy Supplies (Daragh, Shane and John) who braved the trip around the head from Howth to join us, and with a 2,2,2 scoreline, it looks like it was a worthwhile trip as they put some manners on the DL fleet! Other honourable mentions go out to Odin (James, Ted and Tooler), Rubadubdub (Nick Doherty and "the lads"), Pubs Global (Enda, Gerry and Marty), Smoke on the water (Bob Hobby, Louise McKenna et al) and Lupi d'Irlanda (Marco and the team - welcome back!) who were all making their seasonal debuts today, Ben Fusco (Sacre Bleu) who made his seasonal helming debut in the fleet today and Dave Barry who was back to his best on the helm of Seriously Bonkers.

The racing was the usual tight SB20 stuff of legend with meters separating the boats at the finish and plenty of place changes on every lap... Race 1 started with a pin-end bias and the fleet were clean away at the first time of asking... Should Be... (Michael, Owen and Anonymous - he has asked that his identity remain secret and Dinghy Supplies led 1, 2 around the first mark and managed to get a jump on the fleet down the first run - the pair battled it out but it stayed that way until the finish... Odin showed a clean pair of heels to the rest of the fleet coming in third followed by Sacre Bleu in fourth.

Race 2 started with a boat end bias but a 20 degree left hander a minute after the start meant a very bunched fleet up the beat and at the top mark. As the wind speed decreased slightly, the emphasis turned to soaking downwind with Seriously Bonkers storming up through the fleet to tussle with early front runners Dinghy Supplies and Should Be... down the run. In the end, Should Be... took the gun (provisionally) by approximately 12 inches from Dinghy Supplies with Seriously Bonkers in a close third and Alert Packaging (Justin, el Presidente, and large ensemble cast) in fourth.

Race 3 saw another pin-end bias start and once again Dinghy Supplies were quick out of the blocks at the pin however it was Venuesworld.com (Ger, Chris and Rory) that led at the first mark followed by Dinghy Supplies in close pursuit and the chasing pack only a few boatlengths further back. By the leeward mark Dinghy Supplies had taken the lead with Should Be... up in second 1/2 boatlenth behind and Venuesworld in a close third a further 1/2 boatlength back... the wind had dropped to about 9knts and both Dinghy Supplies and Should Be... went right with Venuesworld going left hoping for the wind to clock further left. Unfortunately for Venuesworld, they ran out of the steadier breeze on the left and both Dinghy Supplies and Should Be... pulled away up the beat with Should Be... sneaking around the weather mark just a couple of meters in front of Dinghy Supplies. It stayed that way to the finish with Venuesworld taking third from Smoke on the Water in fourth.

Finally, some important points to note:

Next Sunday, 4th May, is SB Sunday 2, and the following Sunday, 11th May is SB Sunday 3 so make sure that you are entered (www.dbsc.org for online entries) and out on the course in plenty of time (12.30pm first gun...we will be starting on time if the course is laid so you have been warned (again!))

As next Monday 5th is a bank holiday, we plan on meeting up after racing next Sunday 4th May for a few pints (thank you James Gorman for reminding us of this important SB tradition!). We will meet up in the Royal Irish after racing (c. 4pm onwards) so I hope to see as many of you as possible on the day. Anyone not racing but interested in a few pints on a Sunday afternoon (present and past SBers) would be more than welcome, the more the merrier!

Any visitors wishing to join in with DBSC racing over the next two weekends (as a warm up for the Easterns in the NYC in three weekends time perhaps?) would be welcome to join us. Darren Martin and crew will be joining us in his new toy, Sharkbait. DBSC have a great offer of a limited 14 day temporary visitor membership of DBSC for €50 (excluding parking fees in the clubs). This will, weather permitting, include 6 WL courses over two Sundays on Dublin Bay and two Thursday evening races... If anyone is interested in availing of this offer, please contact me and we can check parking availability and pricing structures in one of the waterfront clubs for you.

See you on the water this coming Thursday 1st May.

#dbsc – The country's largest yacht racing club is surveying members on dinghy sailing requirements and has also moved to correct a perception that it operates an 'age bar'.

It follows a national debate on the state of dinghy racing that has led to sweeping change at the Irish Sailing Association.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Commodore Pat Shannon says that the perception the club does not cater for under 18s has taken hold but it is not the case. 

Writing on the DBSC website Shannon says 'The DBSC committee would like to make it clear to members, potential members, junior organisers and the wider community generally that such emphatically is not the case. It's a perception but an incorrect one.'

Shannon points to the fact that many boats on the DBSC register (of which there are over 300 and 1200 members) are crewed and sailed by young people under 18. At least three members of the current DBSC committee have sailed on DBSC keelboats since childhood. DBSC activities were recently reviewed by Afloat blogger WM Nixon.

It appears the misapprehension is perhaps understandable though, for while the Club throughout its history has welcomed all comers to membership, regardless of creed, gender or class distinctions, it no longer organises races for juniors. It did so in the past and, when support for this activity declined, joined the Dun Laoghaire clubs in organising the September Sunday series. It still provides logistical support – ribs and access to its results system and web site – but recently it decided not to be classed among the organisers.

This was prompted by the realisation that with the growing emphasis on child protection and parental involvement DBSC was not in a position to accept legal responsibility for an activity which was outside their competence and remit. The feeling was that the waterfront clubs, which were more closely and personally involved in the formation of young sailors, were in a better position to accept this responsibility.

Where some issues might arise with its present programme is with the Club's PY class. In recent times it has provided racing for a variety of Lasers (including Radials and 4.7s), OK Dinghies, RS200s and RS400s, Wayfarers and GP14s. Boats that are sailed uniquely by juniors such as Optimists and Toppers don't easily fit this particular mix. Not for reasons of safety, exactly, but because of potential race management and course setting problems on courses on which they would have to race alongside high performing boats like Flying 15s and Fireballs.

Shannon adds: 'I should add that DBSC, in common with sailing clubs everywhere, is having to review its dinghy programme. As part of this process, dinghy boat owners and others who might be concerned are currently receiving an on-line questionnaire asking for feed-back on the service provided'.  The questionnaire is here.

Another dimension is that, with continuing austerity and the need to control its cost base, DBSC committee early this year decided to undertake a long-term strategic review of its racing programme – aiming perhaps for a consolidation of courses, with keelboats and dinghies racing from the a single committee vessel on adjoining or perhaps concentric circuits.

#riyc – The Royal Irish Yacht Club's (RIYC) Spring Coaching Regatta will again be held on the first weekend of DBSC racing, the 26th and 27th April on Dublin Bay.

Sailmakers Des McWilliam, Kenny Rumball, Philip Watson and Prof O'Connell will again be providing on the water training with video debriefing.

The event's timing is designed to clear the cobwebs from crews and to get them ready for the RIYC Regatta, which is in its 2014 date of Saturday 24th May and the ICRA Nationals of 13th-15th June.

The RIYC Regatta is in the normal position of the DMYC regatta because of the ICRA Nationals this year and will feature a multiple race regatta format to provide an excellent value for money event.

The RIYC Coaching Regatta is only €50 per boat for the weekend which, says organiser Paul Colton, is fantastic value.

#insc – 1720 sportsboat action on Dublin Bay in this new short vid from Team INSC that took part in the Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Rathfarnham Ford Spring Chicken Series 2014. Full results here. 

#dbsc –  DBSC regular Phil Smith sailing Just Jasmin has won the club's Spring Chicken series that concluded last Sunday. Full results for the six week event are downloadable below as MS word docs along with last Sunday's individual race scores. Albireo was second overall with Just Jasmin club mate WOW from the Royal Irish YC third.

#dbsc – As Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC), kicks off its 130th birthday celebrations, its first series of 2014 is already drawing to a close.

Handicaps & Starts for next Sunday's (23rd March) final race in the Rathfarnham Ford sponsored Spring Chicken Series are attached for the all–in cruiser series that has topped 40 boats.

The series prizegiving will be held at the National Y.C. after racing.

The first race of DBSC's summer season begins on Thursday April 24th with Tuesday's commencing on April 29th and Saturday's racing starting on April 26th.

WM Nixon wrote about the club's 130 years in his Sailing on Saturday blog here.

#classicboat – W M Nixon's latest Irish sailing blog has drawing yachting historians into a facebook debate about historical yacht bow shapes. It started when Scottish reader Donan Raven from the Universtiy of Edinburgh sought further annotations on one of the early yacht racing images used by Nixon to illustrate his story on Dublin Bay Sailing Club and its 130th birthday celebrations this year. Read the comments so far by clicking on the facebook comments tab above. 

As to the name of the clipper-bowed cutter in the RAYC 1888 photo, we haven't got it at the moment, but we'll set enquiries in train once St Patrick's Day has been put astern, says Nixon. Comment on facebook above. Read the full blog here. 

#dbsc – DBSC's Spring Chicken Series has produced an interesting set of overall results with one race left to sail on March 23rd. Race organiser Fintan Cairns says he hasn't seen such a close set of results for a long time. The first dozen or so boats in the 40–boat fleet are nearly all at only one point difference between each place. 

Results for last Sunday,handicaps and starts for 23rd March are downloadable below.