Displaying items by tag: Howth Yacht Club
To say that Irish sailing’s programme in June 2016 is crowded is a massive understatement. It’s a month which needs at least two extra weekends. Yet with only four available, sailors have to make hard choices, both as to where they’ll be competing, and when. W M Nixon tries to make some sense out of it.
There’s no doubting that special buzz in the air. The mood is good. It’s farewell to recession, and hello to more sailing than we can cope with. But even so, with only four weekends in June, and with the weather forgetting for the moment that this is Ireland and not one of the better sailing areas in the Greek islands, we might well dream of grabbing the opportunity while it offers. Carpe Diem. Seize the Day. For the winter will be long. And damp. And grey.
Paul O’Higgins’ new JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI. She is expected to be one of the star turns in the ICRA Nats at Howth in six days’ time
But in today’s world, you simply don’t bunk off for unlimited time as folk did in times past. The reality is that top crew just can’t do everything in the essentially amateur environment and crowded programme which is Irish sailing, and in a busy year there is only so much an amateur sailor can participate in while continuing to fulfill professional and domestic duties.
Thus we’re looking at an ICRA Nationals in Howth Yacht Club in six days’ time (Friday June 10th to Sunday June 12th) which will do well to get total entries over the eighty mark. Doom merchants reckon that Irish sailing should be looking to have a hundred boats in the cruiser fleet at the Nationals in order to indicate full health. It’s not a view I share. This is a good fleet when you consider that they exclude one designs such as the locally-based Puppeteer 22s and the J/80s, and then add in the fact it’s one very crowded month.
Summertime in Howth – this is the HYC upper deck in uncrowded mode. Photo: Courtesy HYC
As it is, in Howth they already have the annual Lambay Race today, which quite an event in its own right, while last night ISORA’s Dun Laoghaire to Douglas IOM race went off as planned. And then in a fortnight’s time the entire island is holding its breath waiting for the start at 1300hrs on Saturday June 18th at Wicklow of the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016. This has virtually doubled its entries on the turnout of 2014, and with biggies like Rambler 88 and the MOD 70s involved, it is simply dominating the entire sailing month.
So the remarkable thing about the ICRA Nationals is that though they’ll conclude with basically just a couple of days to go to the start of the countdown to the Round Ireland in Wicklow and Dun Laoghaire, there’ll be crew and boats racing at Howth like there’s no tomorrow. But when tomorrow comes, they’ll be busy re-inventing themselves as new crews with fresh boats and different livery for the Volvo Round Ireland.
Top of the list in this particular quick-change scenario is the Dave Cullen crew with current Half Ton Classic World Champion Checkmate XV. With a good turnout of Half Tonners lined up for Howth, it’s expected that Checkmate will avoid last year’s slip-up in the ICRA Nationals in Kinsale, when they somehow allowed the lead to be snapped up at the end by Ross McDonald's X–332 Equinox. Jonny Swan's Half–Tonner Harmony was third in Kinsale and is racing again in Howth. Added to this Half Tonner line–up in 2016 is Mike and Ritchie Evan's Big Picture, the recent Half Ton winner at HYC's nine race Sportsboat Cup.
Dave Cullen’s Checkmate leading the fleet in the Half Ton Classic Worlds 2015 in Belgium
All the usual suspects…..Dave Cullen and the Checkmate crew after winning the Half Ton Worlds in August 2015
The J/109 Storm in full cry with the Kelly family in charge as usual. But immediately after the ICRA Nationals, she’ll become Euro Car Parks for the Volvo Round Ireland race, with Dave Cullen as skipper.
But regardless of the outcome, the ICRA Nats will have scarcely been put to bed when Cullen and his team re-direct their thoughts to the Volvo Round Ireland, for which they’ve chartered the Kelly family’s J/109 Storm, which will race round Ireland as Euro Car Parks and will have the already high-powered Cullen squad further reinforced by the addition of Maurice “Prof” O’Connell.
All this metamorphosis will be taking place only ten days hence, but by that time a significant array of questions will have been answered about just which Irish cruiser-racers are going best this year. For regardless of numbers, the fact is the lure of a National title really does draw in some very capable crews well able for the top level in the ICRA Championships.
The attractive array of trophies for the ICRA Nats 2016 include embedded medals to remind us that the winners will indeed be National Champions. Photo courtesy ICRA
And in Howth in six days time, much of the interest is going to focus on the lineup of at least nine J/109s, which will be providing some of the best racing available. It’s a dream scenario in terms of sporting potential, as John Hall’s Something Else is fresh home from Scotland with the class win recorded in the Silvers Scottish Series, J/109 newby Tim Goodbody (a Fastnet Race overall win is only one item in his stellar career) is already rising through the J/109 ranks with bullets recorded in this year’s Dublin Bay racing, and he’s convinced there’s a lot more speed to be found in the newest White Michief, and current ISORA Champions the Shanahan family will be there to help him find it with their hyper-successful J/109 Ruth.
Further raising the ante on the J/109 pace will be John Maybury’s Joker, winner in Kinsale last year. As for the Kelly family of Rush Sailing Club, they may be handing over their beloved Storm to the tender care of Dave Cullen and his gang for the Volvo Round Ireland, but as former ICRA Boat of the Year, Storm is going to be very much the Kelly boat, racing as hard as she can under the Kelly colours in six days’ time.
But there is of course much of interest beyond the virtually one design cut-and-thrust of the J/109s, not least in Class 1 where the 2015 Boat of Year WOW (RIYC), George Sisk’s Farr 42 from Dun Laoghaire, is competing.
We don’t have to tell you that the JPK 10.80 won last year’s Rolex Fastnet Race and was right in the frame in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart, but for the O’Higgins crew the fascination will lie in getting to grips with the very commodious JPK 10.80, because for many seasons they’ve successfully campaigned the Corby 33 Rockabill V, for which several adjectives might spring to mind, but “commodious” would not be one of them.
Ross MacDonald’s X332 Equinox was top scorer at Kinsale last year, and will be aiming for a similar performance in her home waters next week. Photo: W M Nixon
Other winners from the ICRA Nats 2015 in Kinsale include Ross MacDonald’s veteran X332 from Howth. Having been in the fray a week ago with his wife Aoife on the 1720 Atara during the Howth Sportsboat Cup series where a first day lead slipped away from them, he’ll be keen to show that Equnox won’t be similarly eclipsed a week hence.
As it happens, the Howth squad - with their headquarters boisterously established in Kinsale’s White Lady Inn – were very much a force to be reckoned with in all classes in the 2015 championship, and another defender back on home water will be the decidedly senior yet still very competitive Ron Holland-designed Club Shamrock Demelza (Windsor Laudan & Steffi Ennis), which swept the board in Non-Spinnaker Class 6, while clubmate Colm Bermingham with the Elan 330 Bite the Bullet did the same in Class 5.
The Club Shamrock Demelza is now pushing forty years of age, yet owners Windsor Laudan and Steffi Ennis were champions at the ICRA Nats 2015 in Kinsale. Photo courtesy ICRA
However, the very fact of sailing an away series seems to bring out an bit of extra competitive edge in many crews, and in taking an overview of the fleet for the ICRA Nationals 2016, we might find that some of the smart money is on Rob McConnell’s A 35 Fool’s Gold from Dunmore East, and Conor Phelan’s Ker 36.7 Jump Juice from Crosshaven.
Both crews have a fine record of success, and both are renowned for their enthusiasm and sportsmanship. And in the case of Jump Juice, she has already won her class in this year’s RORC Easter Challenge. Not bad going for a boat which has always seemed as new as tomorrow, yet this year she’ll be ten years old.
But that’s only at the very sharp end of the fleet. The Secret Ingredient of the Irish Cruiser-Racing Association is the Progressive ECHO handicap system, which re-rates each boat after every race. Everyone is in there with a chance. Inevitably, this approach was dismissed by purists as “encouraging mediocrity” when it was first introduced. But it has in fact encouraged new levels of enthusiasm, which in time lead on to markedly improved performance. “Tomorrow is another day” could well be the motto for Progressive ECHO, and we’ll see how well it works as the ICRA Show swings into action at Howth next Friday.
The great Jump Juice as she was at her debut ten years ago. She is still very much a contender
Read also: ICRA Publish National Championship Divisions for Howth Yacht Club Event
ICRA has published provisional class divisions for next week's 73–boat national championship fleet at Howth Yacht Club. The divisions are as expected but this year's class two has been forced to combine boats that in previous championships sailed in classes two and three but due to numbers in 2016 are sailing as one class next week. See full table below with divisions, IRC TCC and ECHO handicaps.
The cruiser–racer national championships is to be staged at the north Dublin venue for a record fifth time. The three day event, from next Friday, will decide eight national titles and Corinthian Cups across a combined fleet Read more about the championships here.
Sail Number | Boat Name | Model | Owner | Club | IRC TCC | ECHO | DIV | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IRL4208 | WOW | Farr 42 | George Sisk | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 1.123 | 1.125 | 0 | |||||||
IRL4076 | Meridian | Salona 45 | Tom Roche | Kinsale Yacht Club | 1.112 | 1.115 | 0 | |||||||
IRL2007 | Jump Juice | Ker 36.7 | Conor Phelan | Royal Cork Yacht Club | 1.109 | 1.105 | 0 | |||||||
GBR8038 | ROXSTAR | XP38i | FINDLAY & ANDERSON | Clyde crusing club | #N/A | #N/A | 0 | |||||||
IRL1507 | Aquelina | J/122 | Sheila Tyrrell James Tyrrell | Arklow Sailing Club | #N/A | #N/A | 0 | |||||||
GBR4041 | LICKS | First 40 | Jay Colville | East Down Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 0 | |||||||
IRL10800 | Rockabill VI | JPK 10.80 2.15 fin6 | Paul O'Higgins | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 1.046 | 1.045 | 1 | |||||||
IRL13500 | D-TOX | X 35 | McSwiney, McStay, Sherry & O'Rafferty | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 1.044 | 1.045 | 1 | |||||||
GBR7377 | Impostor | Corby 33 | Richard Fildes | SCYC | 1.035 | #N/A | 1 | |||||||
IRL7778 | Gringo | Archambault A 35 | Tony Fox | National Yacht Club | 1.024 | 1.025 | 1 | |||||||
IRL3061 | Fools Gold | Archambault A 35 | Robert Mc Connell | WHSC | 1.022 | 1.025 | 1 | |||||||
IRL9898 | Indecision | J/109 | declan hayes & patrick halpenny | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 1.021 | 1.015 | 1 | |||||||
FRA37296 | TRIPLE ELF | First 35 | CHRISTINE AND ROBIN MURRAY | FAIRLIE YC /CLYDE CRUISING CLUB | 1.020 | #N/A | 1 | |||||||
IRL1383 | Ruth | J/109 | Shanahan Family | National Yacht Club | 1.015 | 1.015 | 1 | |||||||
IRL1141 | storm | J/109 | pat kelly | rsc/hyc | 1.014 | 1.015 | 1 | |||||||
IRL1206 | Joker 2 | J/109 | John Maybury | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 1.014 | 1.015 | 1 | |||||||
IRL5109 | Jalapeno | J/109 | Barrington/Despard/O'Sullivan | National Yacht Club | 1.014 | 1.015 | 1 | |||||||
IRL811 | RAPTOR | Mills 30 CR | DENIS HEWITT & ORS. | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 1.013 | 1.020 | 1 | |||||||
GBR2342 | White Mischief | J/109 | Timothy and Richard Goodbody | Royal Irish Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 1 | |||||||
GBR7709R | Justjay | J/109 | Nigel Ingram | Holyhead | 1.012 | #N/A | 0 | |||||||
IRL29213 | Something Else | J/109 | Brian & John Hall | National Yacht Club | 1.011 | 1.015 | 1 | |||||||
GBR8933R | Bon Exemple | XP 33 1.90 | Colin Byrne | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 1.009 | 1.015 | 1 | |||||||
IRL3470 | Flashback | First 34.7 | Breen/Hogg | Howth Yacht Club | 0.987 | 1.000 | 1 | |||||||
IR7991 | Jigamaree | J/109 | Ronan Harris | Royal Irish Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 1 | |||||||
IRL3670 | Altair | First 36.7 | Losty/Dorgan | Cove Sailing Club | #N/A | #N/A | 1 | |||||||
IRL1332 | Equinox | X 332 | Ross McDonald | Howth Yacht Club | 0.980 | 0.980 | 2 | |||||||
IRL9970 | Lambay Rules | J/97 | Stephen Quinn | Howth Yacht Club | 0.971 | 0.980 | 2 | |||||||
IRL8094 | king one | First Evolution 30 | David Kelly | rsc/hyc | 0.958 | 0.955 | 2 | |||||||
IRL2706 | Kodachi | Corby 27 | Rick de Neve | Howth Yacht Club | 0.955 | 0.955 | 2 | |||||||
IRL1343 | Arcturus | Sun Odyssey 37 | Peter & Declan McCabe | Howth Yacht Club | #N/A | 0.945 | 2 | |||||||
IRL5522 | the Big Picture | MG HS30 | michael & Richard Evans | Howth Yacht Club | 0.945 | 0.945 | 2 | |||||||
IRL2016 | Checkmate XV | MG HS30 | David Cullen | Howth Yacht Club | 0.944 | 0.945 | 2 | |||||||
IRL1484 | Harmony | #N/A | John Swan | Howth Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 2 | |||||||
IRL2552 | Fusion | Corby 25 | Colwell & Cobbe | Howth Yacht Club | 0.934 | 0.935 | 2 | |||||||
IRL988 | Dux | X 302 | Anthony Gore-Grimes | Howth Yacht Club | 0.927 | 0.930 | 2 | |||||||
IRL3022 | XEBEC | X 302 | Bourke,McGirr,Ball | Howth Yacht Club | 0.927 | 0.930 | 2 | |||||||
IRL7495 | Maximus | X 302 | Paddy Kyne | Howth Yacht Club | 0.924 | 0.930 | 2 | |||||||
IRL1103 | Viking | X 302 | K.Darmody & M.Patterson | Howth Yacht Club | 0.923 | 0.930 | 2 | |||||||
IRL8223 | Kamikaze | #N/A | Peter Nash | Royal St. George Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 2 | |||||||
IRL4571 | Flyover | Sigma 33ood | David Marchant | Waterford Harbour Sailing Club | 0.913 | 0.910 | 3 | |||||||
IRL508 | Quest | Humphreys 1/4 Ton | Barry Cunningham & Jonathan Skerritt | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 0.906 | 0.905 | 3 | |||||||
IRL6559 | White Hunter | Formula 28 MOD | Joss Walsh | Howth Yacht Club | 0.906 | 0.905 | 3 | |||||||
IRL6136 | Starlet | Formula 28 | Wormald / Walsh | Howth Yacht Club | 0.905 | 0.905 | 3 | |||||||
FRA9186 | Cartoon | Quarter Ton Fauroux | Ken Lawless & Sybil McCormack | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 0.895 | 0.900 | 3 | |||||||
IRL9538 | Running Wild - Seachange Now | Impala 28ood | Brendan Foley | Royal St. George Yacht Club | 0.889 | 0.890 | 3 | |||||||
IRL3060 | Jumpin' Jive | J/24 | Mark Usher | Greystones Sailing Club | 0.887 | 0.885 | 3 | |||||||
IRL4794 | Hard on Port | J/24 | Flor O'Driscoll | Howth Yacht Club | 0.887 | 0.885 | 3 | |||||||
IRL4115 | K25 HYC Johnny Bravo | J/24 | White Ciaran | Howth Yacht Club | 0.887 | 0.885 | 3 | |||||||
IRL4384 | Gala Racing | J/24 | Simon McGibney | Foynes Yacht Club | 0.884 | 0.885 | 3 | |||||||
GBR9612 | Bambi | Impala 28 I/B 1.78 | Richard Harding | National Yacht Club | #N/A | 0.885 | 3 | |||||||
I8709 | Cri Cri | #N/A | Paul Colton | Royal Irish Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 3 | |||||||
IRL8245N | Asterix | #N/A | Boushell, Counihan, Meredith | Dun Laoghaire Marina | #N/A | #N/A | 3? | |||||||
IRL6556 | Challenger | Europe Challenger | Paul Rossiter | Howth Yacht Club | #N/A | 0.845 | 4 | |||||||
IRL35 | ELEINT | Trapper 300 | Michal Matulka | Dunlaoghaire Motor YC | #N/A | 0.830 | 4 | |||||||
E127 | OctopussE | E Boat | PATRICK O NEILL | Howth Yacht Club | 0.824 | 0.825 | 4 | |||||||
IR3052 | Tobago | #N/A | Ray, Costello, McShera, Quigley | Malahide Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | ? | |||||||
WHITESAIL | ||||||||||||||
GBR1345 | Samatom | XC45 | Robert Rendell | Howth Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 5 | |||||||
IRL3335 | Bite the Bullet | #N/A | Colm Bermingham | Howth Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 5 | |||||||
GB58571 | Spellbound | #N/A | H. & G. Burrows, L. Skeffington | Howth Yacht Club | #N/A | #N/A | 5 | |||||||
WHITESAIL 1 | ||||||||||||||
IRL6001 | REBELLION | Nicholson 58 | Hughes, Hanlon & O'Mahony | Howth Yacht Club | 1.051 | 1.055 | 5 | |||||||
IRL4007 | Tsunami | First 40.7 Distinction 2.40 | Vincent Farrell | National Yacht Club | 1.042 | 1.055 | 5 | |||||||
IRL4073 | Splashdance | Dufour 40 | Howard McMullan | Howth Yacht Club | 1.011 | 1.030 | 5 | |||||||
IRL1166 | edenpark | Sun Odyssey 36i | liam farmer | Royal Irish Yacht Club | 0.976 | 0.985 | 5 | |||||||
IRL1357 | Humdinger | Sunfast 37 | Michael Mc Cabe | Carlingford | 0.971 | 0.980 | 5 | |||||||
GBR3550 | Lolly Folly | Hanse 350 | Colm | Howth Yacht Club | #N/A | 0.965 | 5 | |||||||
IRL1333 | White Lotus | Elan 333 | PaulTully | Dunlaoghaire Motor YC | 0.956 | 0.965 | 5 | |||||||
IRL3339 | Indulgence | Elan 333 | David Sargent | Howth Yacht Club | 0.952 | 0.965 | 5 | |||||||
IRL2706 | Kodachi | Corby 27 | De neve | Howth Yacht Club | 0.937 | 0.955 | 5 | |||||||
WHITESAIL 2 | ||||||||||||||
IRL2070 | Out & About | First 38 | Terry Mc Coy | Howth Yacht Club | 0.929 | 0.950 | 6 | |||||||
IRL5643 | Calypso | Oceanis 361 | Howard Knott | Royal St. George Yacht Club | 0.927 | 0.930 | 6 | |||||||
IRL1502 | Vespucci | Dehler 31 | Sean + Kristina O'Regan | Royal Irish Yacht Club | #N/A | 0.890 | 6 | |||||||
GBR4183 | Poppy | #N/A | John Roberts | Whitehaven sailing association | 0.902 | #N/A | 6 | |||||||
IRL100 | Demelza | Club Shamrock | Windsor & Steffi | Howth Yacht Club | 0.876 | 0.875 | 6 |
Howth Yacht Club and ICRA have revealed the trophies for next week's cruiser–racer national championships to be staged at the north Dublin venue for a record fifth time. The three day event, from next Friday, will decide eight national titles and Corinthian Cups across a combined fleet of 80–plus boats. ISA medals will be awarded in each class. Read more about the championships here
Howth YC's Lambay Race Banking On Saturday Sunshine
#LambayRace - Howth Yacht Club’s annual Lambay Race, which goes back at least as far as 1904 and maybe even further, is set to make the best of the current spell of summer weather this Saturday 4 June, writes WM Nixon.
A comprehensive programme with sponsorship from Davy Group will see upwards of a hundred keelboats of all shapes and sizes being catered for in a variety of courses all of which take in the historic island.
Despite being within a dozen miles of Dublin city centre, Lambay continues to have one of the most perfectly unspoilt coastlines anywhere in Ireland.
For the classic Howth 17s of 1898 vintage, the traditional course will be provided, starting from a shore line at the end of the East Pier, and sailing through the sound inside Ireland’s Eye before going on north to round Lambay. A similar start and course will also be provided for other classics and old gaffers.
For more modern boats, racing will be provided in Howth’s unrivalled main sailing area between Ireland’s Eye and Lambay, but although proper windward starts and several angles of sailing will be provided on multiple legs, here too the fleet will at some stage round Lambay.
The race schedule – which sees the first pier starts at 11.30am, and the Committee Boat starts north of Ireland’s Eye from 12 noon onwards – will be shaped to have the fleet finished well within time to enjoy a very full hospitality programme including barbecues, live music and entertainment far into the night.
And at some stage the famous Lambay Lady trophy will be awarded to the winning boat which has the largest margin between her time and that of the second boat in her class.
After three days of champagne sailing at Howth Yacht Club it was consistency in the largest fleet of the regatta that crowned Clive O'Shea and Tom Durcan's "T-Bone" as the 2016 Sportsboat Cup Overall Champion! The Crosshaven team topped the twelve boat 1720 fleet with two race wins and never posting anything worse than a fourth. Download the overall results below.
The crew had built up a healthy overnight lead coming into the final day of racing, knowing that a good first race would have their class win wrapped up. Maybe it was nerves or more likely some rum still coarsing through their veins but they stuttered on the start line, got squeezed out at the pin and had to do turns for hitting the pin mark. Being last off the line was good news for their competitors but they got on with their race didn't panic chipped away at the fleet and ground themselves back to a fourth place which all but sealed it. While they were still catchable in the final race they were back to regular form, coming out on top in a three way match race at the start it was clear everyone else was fighting for the scraps.
T-Bone winning helmsman Alex 'Bundy' Barry was full of praise for the weekend: "HYC delivered a great event as always, the racing and social scene were excellent and the sunshine topped it off. It was encouraging to see so many young people on the water and in the bar." The team happily took away the Romaine Cagney Bowl, a crystal decanter and a technical Gill jacket on top of their class winners prizes.
The SB20 class was hotly contested with just one point separating the top four boats!!! After nine races and the full shedule completed Shane Murphy's "Two Men and Their Monkey" pipped Chris Arrowsmith's "MSS" with their four race wins trumping MSS' single race win.
The weekend brought out a bigger fleet of SB20s for their Easterns with seventeen boats competing. Dave Barry was absolutely delighted to take the title on board "Lia". Dave had started sailing SB3's back in 2008 in Howth and made reference to an unfortunate incident involving Burrow Beach in his acceptance speech. Needless to say he's much happier with his performances now.
It was Conor Murphy's UCD sailing team "The Implication" who won the J80 class. With all the boats identically set up this fleet was always going to be decided by tactics and boat handling. This crew had clearly got their roles well defined as some of their cornering wouldn't look out of place in an instructional video. After a strong first day their lead was well challenged by Daragh McDonagh's "The Podger" who took four race wins. Ewan McMahon's crew was also in the mix taking two race wins over the weekend.
The small Half Tonner fleet had incredibly close racing. With all three boats routinely running into the last mark of the course all abreast. Most races were only decided by a matter of seconds. Mike and Richie Evans' "The Big Picture" and David Kelly's "King One" shared all the race wins and it was "The Big Picture" who eked out a two point victory.
Many thanks to event chairman Ross McDonald and his team including race management and the event partners Kevin Flanigan Estates and Dalcassian Wines and Spirits and their Goslings Rum and Ginger. We're looking forward to doing it all again in 2018!
Next month's ICRA Nationals at Howth Yacht Club is aiming to attract both spinnaker and white sail sailors and HYC have gone to some lengths to promote its commercial free waters in this latest youtube video.
The ICRA Nationals are returning to Howth Yacht Club for a record fifth time.
The organising committee are finalising an exciting and varied racing programme over the 3 days, along with an excellent social programme of shore side activities. With three weeks to go to first gun, it will be a very special event both on and off the water.
For the Corinthian Cups two classes, Race Officer Harry Gallagher and his team have been working on a number of courses, specifically designed for non-spinnaker racing: “In recognition of the fact that many non-spinnaker teams and their classes have asked that we avoid direct downwind racing, we will have a choice of two courses for Friday and Saturday (two races each day). One will be a traditional “Olympic Type” course - Triangle/Sausage/Triangle and the other will be a “Figure 4” course. Diagrams will be provided in the Sailing Instructions. These courses will be laid in positions that will not conflict with the other two courses. On Sunday, a “Passage Type” course is planned the details of which will be provided on the day”.
In the 'spinnaker classes', the three-day championships will comprise of eight fleets with racing taking place over three race areas, guaranteeing keen racing for all participants. Early indications are that there will be very competitive racing for national titles across the various fleets with the addition of a number of new boats planning to participate.
Back on shore there will be a lively social programme including a Caribbean night on Friday and a Regatta Dinner on Saturday followed with famous local band Loose Change playing until late.
The event is sponsored by McPeake Auctioneers, and in association with Dubarry, WD40 and Dublin, a Breath of Fresh Air.
A Howth Yacht Club J24 team won last weekend's Northern championships at Sligo YC with a race to spare. The K25 team beat JP McCaldin's Jamais Encore from Lough Erne Yacht Club for the top slot in a 19–boat fleet. Flor O'Driscoll's HArd on Port from the Royal St. George YC was third. Results are downloadable below.
Currently, the winning K25 team are in Poole in Dorset, a major J24 centre and are aiming to defend their ICRA title on home waters next month.
Howth may like to think of itself as the Dingle of the East Coast writes W M Nixon, but for the next three days from Friday June 27th, the Fingal peninsular port is taking aboard a distinct West Cork complexion with the Baltimore 1720 fleet setting the pace in Howth YC’s new Sportsboat Cup.
With a entry list pushing towards the 40 mark, more than a quarter of the total sportsboat fleet will be made up of the 1994–vintage Tony Castro-designed 1720s, the five-man boats which have found a new lease of life with a fleet centred around Baltimore Sailing Club.
Although several of the skippers are every bit as well known as active campaigners afloat from the Royal Cork YC at Crosshaven, the word is that when they sail forth in their 1720s, it’s the holiday place in Baltimore that they’re representing, and there’s no doubting the quality of the racing provided for the 1720s in the wide open spaces of Baltimore Harbour.
In one particular case there’s no doubt who is sailing for where either, with Robert O’Leary’s 1720 clearly named Jacob’s Bar making a point, though his father Anthony – a frontline sailor in 1720s for many seasons – stays firmly with his boat’s longtime name of Antix, now almost a generic term for O’Leary craft.
Anthony O’Leary will be racing his 1720 at Howth. Photo: Robert Bateman
However, although the golden oldies of the 1720 division will be making a fine show, in pure numerical standards it’s the SB20s which top the listings with a fleet of fourteen boats, though that will only get up to full strength as the Howth series morphs into the SB20 Eastern Championship. Names to watch include Olympian Peter Kennedy from the north, while Royal St George YC field a strong contingent including former stars in other classes such as Chris Arrowsmith and Marty Cuppage.
The Howth-based J/80s will be out in full strength, and though the chartering skippers are mainly Howth YC’s own, the net has been spread a bit wider to include Dara McDonagh of Courtown SC. And then the net has been spread a bit wider again with a ruling that, for this event, classic Quarter Tonners and Half Tonners will be seen as Honorary Sportsboats, with racing provided for them.
Fitzpatrick Wins Howth Yacht Club Moth Flutter (Video)
Rory Fitzpatrick sailing Little Drinkie was the clear winner of the Howth Yacht Club 10–boat Moth flutter beating Alistair Kissane sailing Enzo by 5 points. The full results are downloadable below.
Next month's ICRA Nationals at Howth Yacht Club will feature what looks like the 'hottest cruiser fleet of the year' when class one boats resume battle after last year's epic clash at Kinsale.
Paul O'Higgins new JPK 10.80 will be up against some good J109's (including John Maybury's Joker which won ICRAs in 2015, Jelly Baby from Cork, Storm from Howth and J/109 newcomer Tim Goodbody). Also in the class one mix will be the A35 Fools Gold which was second to Joker at Kinsale and also won the Scottish series 2015 overall. Former champion, the XP33 Bon Exemple, skippered by Philip Byrne of the Royal Irish, is also a contender.
The cruiser racer body says its decision to apply 'equal status and trophies to IRC and Progressive Echo has attracted support' and overall entries for the championships is now in the sixties. The event is timed to lead into the Round Ireland, WIORA and Cork Week and Calves Week in a summer of racing highlights.
Although an early discount deadline has now passed, organisers have made the decision to extend it, presumably because they see there is still lots of potential entries to still emerge in each division.
Class two should be very competitive as well with four Half Tonners vying against the home club's X332 Equinox (Ross McDonald) plus a few others. Half tonners won't have their pro sailors however as ICRA rules only allow pros in classes 0 and 1.
Dux from HYC will compete in class three
Class three will see Fusion the Corby 25 of Colwell, Cobbe and Ronan pushed by likes of Anthony Gore Grimes in Dux, the Sigma 33 s and the ICRA Commodore's family boat from Foynes Yacht Club, the McGibney's Dis a Ray.
The event is under the experienced Chairmanship of Chris Howard who has twice before run championships with ICRA at this County Dublin venue.
The programme will provide seven races over three day from Friday 10th to Sun 12th June with a mix of windward/leeward courses and interesting round the cans courses.
ICRA will be presenting overall matching perpetual trophies for IRC and ECHO in each Division in addition to ISA Gold, Silver and Bronze medals smartly mounted which are unique to the National championships.
ICRA's Corinthian Cups are also competed for in both Progressive Echo and IRC will provide equally interesting courses, specifically designed for the non spinnaker divisions with overall trophies and glass mountings as prizes.