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.

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 have 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.

What is the sail area of a Howth 17?

The total sail area is 305 sq ft (28.3 m2)

Korea

1st September 2013

Campbell Denied Medal at World Rowing As Cuban Takes Surprise Silver

#WRChamps: In a terrifically exciting final of the men’s single sculls at the World Rowing Championships, Alan Campbell had to settle for fourth. Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic was an impressive winner of the gold, but Angel Fournier Rodriguez of Cuba passed both Marcel Hacker (the eventual bronze medallist) and Campbell in the second half of the race to take a surprise silver.

World Rowing Championships, Chungju, Korea, Day Eight (Irish interest)

Men

Single Sculls – A Final: 1 Czech Republic (O Synek) 6:45.24, 2 Cuba (A Fournier Rodriguez) 6:48.91, 3 Germany (M Hacker) 6:49.39; 4 Britain (A Campbell) 6:51.44, 5 Netherlands 6:52.70, 6 Lithuania 6:56.19.

Women

Double Sculls – A Final: 1 Lithuania 6:51.82, 2 New Zealand 6:51.86, 3 Belarus 6:55.90; 4 Britain 6:58.67, 5 Germany 7:00.66, 6 Denmark 7:04.72.

B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 United States (M O’Leary, E Tomek) 6:56.05, 2 Russia (E Potapova, M Kraskilnikova) 7:01.07, 3 Ukraine (A Kravchenko, O Buryak) 7:03.34, 4 Ireland (M Dukarksa, L Kennedy) 7:06.80, 5 Italy 7:09.04, 6 Korea 7:11.75.

Saturday

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls: 1 Norway 6:36.04, 2 Switzerland 6:37.11, 3 Britain (R Chambers, P Chambers) 6:38.04.

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1st September 2013

Tenth in World Rowing for New Crew of Kennedy and Dukarska

#WRChamps: Ireland had a good finish to its campaign in the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea this morning. The new women’s double scull of Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy took fourth in their B Final, tenth overall in this Olympic-class event. Meghan O’Leary and Ellen Tomek of the United States won the contest at the head of the field with Russia and the Ukraine, and the Irish won their battle with Italy and Korea. Italy pushed hard at the 1500-metre mark; Kennedy and Dukarksa saw them off with a good final quarter.

World Rowing Championships, Chungju, Korea, Day Eight (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 United States (M O’Leary, E Tomek) 6:56.05, 2 Russia (E Potapova, M Kraskilnikova) 7:01.07, 3 Ukraine (A Kravchenko, O Buryak) 7:03.34, 4 Ireland (M Dukarksa, L Kennedy) 7:06.80, 5 Italy 7:09.04, 6 Korea 7:11.75.

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30th August 2013

Ireland's New Women's Double Fifth in World Rowing Semi-Final

#WRChamps: Ireland’s new double scull of Leonora Kennedy and Monika Dukarska finished fifth in their semi-final at the World Championships in Chungju in Korea this morning and will compete in a B Final on Sunday. The semi-final was won well by Frances Houghton and Victoria Meyer-Laker, with Germany and Denmark filling second and third and taking the resultant places in the A Final. Ukraine took fourth, while Ireland pushed Italy into sixth early in the race and stayed in front of the crew in blue until the finish.

World Rowing Championships, Chungju, Korea, Day Six (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Britain (F Houghton, V Meyer-Laker) 7:18.56, 2 Germany (J Lier, M Adams) 7:19.10, 3 Denmark (M Petersen, L Jakobsen) 7:29.30; 4 Ukraine 7:34.27, 5 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:39.33, 6 Italy 7:39.50.

Lightweight Single Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 Italy (D Zacco) 8:05.21, 2 Ireland (C Lambe) 8:07.38, 3 Korea (Yoo Jin Ji) 8:08.75, 4 Japan 8:18.46, 5 Singapore 8:24.11, 6 India 8:32.05.

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30th August 2013

Lambe Denied by Italy's Zacco at World Rowing Championships

#WRChamps: Italy’s Denise Zacco denied Claire Lambe a win in the C Final of the lightweight single sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea. Lambe led through the first three quarters of the 2,000 metres, but Zacco judged the race superbly: by 1500 metres she had passed Yoo Jin Ji of Korea; she closed on Lambe, then passed her in the last 200 metres.

World Championships, Day Six (Irish interest)

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 Italy (D Zacco) 8:05.21, 2 Ireland (C Lambe) 8:07.38, 3 Korea (Yoo Jin Ji) 8:08.75, 4 Japan 8:18.46, 5 Singapore 8:24.11, 6 India 8:32.05.

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28th August 2013

Kennedy and Dukarska Give Ireland Place in World Championship Semis

#WRChamps: Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy reached the A/B Semi-Finals at the World Championships in Korea this morning. The Ireland double scull had to make the top three in their repechage to qualify, and they finished second behind Russia and ahead of Korea, who took the third qualification place. The Russians, who had to give way to Ireland in the heats, were pillar-to-post winners, but the new Ireland crew maintained a steady pace behind them.

The Olympic and World Champion in the men's single sculls, Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, could only finish fourth in his quarter-final and failed to make the semi-finals.

World Rowing Championships, Day Three (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Repechage (First Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C Final): 1 Russia (E Potapova, M Krasilnikova) 7:09.81, 2 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:12.08, 3 Korea (A Kim, Y Kim) 7:17.95; 4 Taipei 7:44.92, 5 Namibia 9:22.05.

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27th August 2013

Lambe Misses Out By Single Second On A Final Chance

#WRChamps: Claire Lambe missed out by less than a second on a chance of competing in the A or B Finals at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea. The Dubliner needed to finish in the top two in the repechage, and contested second place with Australia’s Ella Flecker, but the Australian prevailed by .9 of a second. Patricia Obee of Canada finished ahead of both. Lambe must next compete in a C/D Semi-Final.

World Rowing Championships, Day Three (Irish interest)

Women

Lightweight Single Sculls – Repechage (First Two to A/B Semi-Finals; Rest to C/D Semi-Final): 1 Canada (P Obee) 7:38.35, 2 Australia (E Flecker) 7:42.73; 3 Ireland (C Lambe) 7:43.63, 4 Italy 7:47.10, 5 Korea 7:52.30, 6 India 8:25.62.

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26th August 2013

Good Second Half Not Enough for Ireland Women's Double

#WorldRowingChampionships: Ireland’s double scull of Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy took fourth in their heat at the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in Korea this morning and must compete in a repechage to secure a place in the A/B Semi-Finals.

A place in the top three was the target: Lithuania and Denmark were the clear one-two from half way, with Ukraine in third and Ireland and Russia trailing. Dukarska and Kennedy upped their rate in the second half of the race, engaging in a battle with Russia which they won. They overlapped Ukraine in the closing stages but could not head them.

World Rowing Championships, Day Two (Irish interest)

Women

Double Sculls – Heat One (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Lithuania (D Vistartaite, M Valciukaite) 6:52.09, 2 Denmark (M Petersen, L Jakobsen) 6:56.34, 3 Ukraine (A Kravchenko, O Buryak) 7:02.42; 4 Ireland (M Dukarska, L Kennedy) 7:03.92, 5 Russia 7:09.73.

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14th August 2013

Rowing Ireland Sends Two Boats to World Championships

#World Rowing: Ireland will send two crews to the World Rowing Championships in Chungju in South Korea. Claire Lambe will compete in the lightweight single sculls, while Monika Dukarska and Leonora Kennedy will compete in the double. In their last outing Lambe finished fifth at the World Cup regatta in Dorney and the Dukarska and Kennedy sixth. This was the double’s first outing as a crew.

The Championships run from Sunday, August 25th, to the following Sunday, September 1st.

Ireland Team for World Rowing Championships, Chungju, South Korea, August 25th to September 1st

Women

Double Sculls: M Dukarska, L Kennedy

Lightweight Single Sculls: C Lambe

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