Howth 17 Class’s “Best-built Seventeen Ever” Is Finally Launched

30th April 2026

WM Nixon

Beyond cost and time – Gerry Comerford in his newly-launched Howth 17 Anna Credit: David Jones

“As long as it takes” and “As much as it needs” were the themes as now-retired airline captain Gerry Comerford created his new Howth 17 Anna to an ultra-high standard in a temporary shed beside his house on the Hill of Howth.

Top-standard marine grade stainless steel was used where metal was specified in the hull. Noted capped nuts on bolts in main frames. Photo: W M Nixon

Anna starts to take shape with meticulous precision Photo: Ian Malcolm

THROUGH MANY YEARS

As the work progressed through many years, Gerry - the father of the visually-impaired medal-winning Paralympic sprinter Orla Comerford – started out with noted handyman skills. But the craftsmanship he developed as the new boat took shape suggested that he may indeed be related to the first boat-builder registered in Howth, a Mr Comerford who started in business at the port in 1867.

That was 31 years before the first Carrickfergus-built Howth 17s raced in their home waters, but now with her launching this week Anna joins a fleet in which the five original 128-year old boats still race – and successfully too – while fleet numbers soared through the magic 17 mark, such that now the current target is 25 Howth 17s up and racing, with a new boat for Donal Gallagher under construction by Steve Morris and his team at Kilrush Boatyard on the Shannon Estuary.

Launching day. The temporary shed had served so well that it was decorated for Anna’s departure. Photo: Ian Malcolm

Ready for the splash. The Howth 17s’ longevity is partly thanks to the fact that they have a hull shape that is kind to itself if there happens to be some impactive piloyage around rocks. Photo: David Jones

ONLY THREE BUILT IN HOWTH

With the launching of Anna, the number of Seventeens actually built in Howth is still at the modest total of three. However, as the other two are Isobel and Erica – built in 1988 by the great John O’Reilly in a shed at Howth Castle - the class thereby has a link to the legendary boatbuilder-yacht designer John B Kearney of Ringsend, who taught John O’Reilly his impressive skills in the very fully equipped workshop of the Dublin Port authority.

Anna afloat, and looking just gorgeous. Practical too. Note how the lines for the running backstays are red to port and green to starboard. Photo: Ian Malcolm

While she will eventually lie to a mooring in Howth’s outer harbour, on launching day Anna gets a place of honour in Howth Marina. Photo: Ian Malcolm

The successful mix of Howth sailing, with Anna berthed next tp Johnny & Suzy Murphy’s champion J/109 Outrajeous. In addition to campaigning Outrajeous to success. Johnny Murphy frequently races in Howth 17s. Photo: David Jones

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL LINKS

The Howth Seventeen Footers’ historic and cultural links spread far and wide, as the boats were designed by Herbert Boyd of the harbourside Howth House, the summer home of the family of the famous Judge Boyd. Himself a mighty sailor, he was such a distinctive character – even by the stratospheric levels of Dublin lawyers - that he merited a reference in Joyce’s Ulysses.

But quite what The Judge would have made of the exquisite Anna is anybody’s guess. He regarded the Howth 17s - designed by his son - handy little knockabout boats, and continued to sail one single-handed until he was in his eighties, but with the occasional bump and scrape as the day’s sailing was brought to a close.

Nevertheless the debut of Anna is yet another chapter in an extraordinary story of location-based sailing history. But the current target of 25 boats will need to be approached warily, as the supposed achievement of 17 boats some years ago proved premature, as the powers-that-be had forgotten the Howth 17s don’t have a Boat Number 13……

Judge Boyd (1833-1918) the grandfather of the class and father of designed Herbert Boyd, who sailed a Howth 17 until well into his eighties. Well-known in Dublin, he was referenced in Joyce’s Ulysses.

No quarter given, and none expected. Today’s Howth 17s race hard with scant respect for the fact that they’re the oldest keelboat class in the world. Photo: W M Nixon

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About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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Howth 17 FAQs

What is a Howth 17?

The Howth 17 is a type of keelboat. It is a 3-man single-design keelboat designed to race in the waters off Howth and Dublin Bay.

How long is a Howth 17?

The Howth Seventeen is just 22ft 6ins in hull length.

How is the Howth 17 class maintained?

The Howth 17 class is raced and maintained by the Association members preserving the unique heritage of the boats. Association Members maintain the vibrancy of the Class by racing and cruising together as a class and also encourage new participants to the Class in order to maintain succession. This philosophy is taken account of and explained when the boats are sold.

Why are Howth 17s so famous?

The boat is the oldest one-design keelboat racing class in the world and it is still racing today to its original design exclusively at Howth Yacht club. It has important historical and heritage value keep alive by a vibrant class of members who race and cruise the boats.

How many Howth 17s are racing today?

Although 21 boats are in existence, a full fleet rarely sails buy turnouts for the annual championships are regularly in the high teens.

Who designed the Howth 17?

The plans of the Howth 17 were originally drawn by Walter Herbert Boyd in 1897 for Howth Sailing Club. The boat was launched in Ireland in 1898.

Who built the original Howth 17s?

They were originally built by John Hilditch at Carrickfergus, County Down. Initially, five boats were constructed by him and sailed the 90-mile passage to Howth in the spring of 1898. The latest Number 21 was built in France in 2017.

Why were the Howth 17s designed and built?

The Howth 17s were designed to combat local conditions in Howth that many of the keel-less boats of that era such as the 'Half-Rater' would have found difficult.

How many Howth 17s were built?

The original fleet of five, Rita, Leila, Silver Moon, Aura and Hera, was increased in 1900 with the addition of Pauline, Zaida and Anita. By 1913 the class had increased to fourteen boats. The extra nine were commissioned by Dublin Bay Sailing Club for racing from Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) - Echo, Sylvia, Mimosa, Deilginis, Rosemary, Gladys, Bobolink, Eileen and Nautilus. Gradually the boats found their way to Howth from various places, including the Solent and by the latter part of the 20th century they were all based there. The class, however, was reduced to 15 due to mishaps and storm damage for a few short years but in May 1988 Isobel and Erica were launched at Howth Yacht Club, the boats having been built in a shed at Howth Castle - the first of the class actually built in Howth.

What are Howth 17s constructed of?

The basic wooden Howth 17 specification was for a stem and keel of oak and elm, deadwood and frames of oak, planking of yellow pine above the waterline and red pine below, a shelf of pitch pine and a topstrake of teak, larch deck-beams and yellow pine planking and Baltic spruce spars with a keel of lead. Other than the inclusion of teak, the boats were designed to be built of materials which at that time were readily available. However today yellow pine and pitch pine are scarce, their properties of endurance and longevity much appreciated and very much in evidence on the original five boats.

How many races do the Howth 17s sail in any given year?

It is always a busy 60-race season of regular midweek evening and Saturday afternoon contests plus regattas and the Howth Autumn League.

Name a famous Howth 17?

The 1907-built Deiliginis has recently made it four in a row for the national title that Deilginis has won at least six times in all.

What are some big recent events in the Howth 17 class?

In 2017, a new Howth 17 Orla, No 21, was built for Ian Malcolm. The construction of Orla began in September 2016 at Skol ar Mor, the boat-building school run by American Mike Newmeyer and his dedicated team of instructor-craftsmen at Mesquer in southern Brittany. In 2018, Storm Emma wrought extensive destruction through the seven Howth Seventeens stored in their much-damaged shed on Howth’s East Pier at the beginning of March 2018, it was feared that several of the boats – which since 1898 have been the very heart of Howth sailing – would be written off. But in the end only one – David O’Connell’s Anita built in 1900 by James Clancy of Dun Laoghaire – was assessed as needing a complete re-build. Anita was rebuilt by Paul Robert and his team at Les Ateliers de l’Enfer in Douarnenez in Brittany in 2019 and Brought home to Howth.