The 1944-founded Sutton Dinghy Club on the Howth Peninsula along the north shore of Dublin Bay is one of the few south-facing sailing clubs in Ireland. But as similarly-located clubs have found, appropriate waterfront sites in such desirable settings are generally very space-limited. And in Sutton's case, the location where people had already been sailing on a casual basis for generations is tide-dictated, even if it takes very little rise in tide to make it a viable sailing area, a waterborne paradise and playground for adventurous kids with boats.
So with enthusiastic members, the club prospered and punched well above its weight in national dinghy sailing, while also providing a steady stream of talented crews for the growing fleet of offshore racers at Howth Harbour on the other side of the hill. But the opening of the new clubhouse at Howth YC in 1987, with its extensive dinghy facilities, made a dent in Sutton's activities, even if Sutton's natural sun-facing attractions in summer made for a marked contrast to the bustling traffic-laden hyper-activity of Howth's fishing/sailing port.
The north shore on Dublin Bay, with north point of Bull Island on right, and Sutton Dinghy Club almost exactly at centre of photo
BETTER APPRECIATION THAN LOCALS
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Senior SDC GP14 sailor Hugh Gill, as someone resident in a non-coastal suburb of Dublin, better appreciated than some of the locals just what Sutton had to offer. The idea emerged in the early 1990s of him taking a career change, and running a commercial Sailing Centre at SDC complete with Summer Camps, while also being the Club Manager to ensure that the established sailing programme and hosting of regional and national events could continue to run smoothly.
SUSTAINED ENTHUSIASM
The sustained enthusiasm to keep such a show on the road is wellnigh incalculable, but Hugh Gill had everything that's needed in personality and skills to keep this combination running smoothly. Yet even such a superman of sailing begins to feel the passing of the years, and 2024 found arrangements being put in place for his retirement at the end of September to conclude 27 years of unmatched service to a very special club and place.
Space is so closely utilised at Sutton Dinghy Club that the Dinghy Park is to seaward of the launching slip. Photo: SDC
Typically of the man, he had so many plans in place for things he wanted to do once he'd relinquished the day-to-day responsibility for the Sutton setup, that plans for a proper retirement gathering kept hitting diary problems. And when it was realised just how many people might want to attend – for the Irish GP 14 Association is a real power in the land – it became clear that Sutton DC's easily-crowded little clubhouse would have trouble coping with numbers.
MOVING TARGETS GET FOCUS
But Suttonians Rugby Club nearby has the space indoors, and the necessary car parking outdoors. So all moving targets are now focused on Friday 17th January for the Hugh Gill Celebration in Suttonians Rugby Club from 7.0pm onwards, please let SDC or the GP14 Association know if you plan to be there, so they can appropriately arrange the catering.
Scenic sailing water when you can get at it – Sutton DC GP14s close in on the wing mark off Red Rock on the south side of the Howth peninsula. Photo: SDC
