When the weather patterns conspire to provide wet or rugged sailing on Ireland’s sea coasts, the shrewd mariner heads for the inland sea that is Lough Ree, which has been geographically measured with some elegant 19th Century science as being plumb in the very middle of the Emerald isle. For in such a location, no matter what the conditions are like on the coast, on Lough Ree you’ll have the entire province of either Leinster or Connacht or both to provide you with a lee. And additionally, by some happy freak during the past weekend of strong winds and much rain elsewhere, somehow Lough Ree experienced so little in the way of precipitaton that most sailors in the Clinkerfest barely noticed it at all, with the final evening provide a serene yet colourful sunset to round out a unique event in considerable style.

Mermaid Magic – we may think of the Mermaids as originating in Dublin Bay, but some of the first boats were built by Walter Levinge beside Lough Ree. Photo: John Malone

Former LRYC Commodore Garret Leech was still in the senior role when he set the notion of Clinkerfest in motion to celebrate LRYC’s 250th Anniversary back in 2020. And though the pandemic has caused a two year delay and a certain creakiness in some would-be participants, the idea was not allowed to die - not least because it had engendered one of the best event logos anyone has ever created in Ireland, a logo appropriate to the fact that clinker boat-building is now recognised as a World Heritage Activity.

The Clinkerfest Logo stylishly honours what is now a international culturally-recognised method of boat construction 

Nevertheless while some participants might have preferred a bit more time for leisurely consideration of all the clinker-built boat types involved, and the different techniques used in their design and construction, others from the more race-oriented classes were bursting with competitive energy after virtually two seasons of constraint. And with a race team headed by Garret Leech with Owen Delany and the support of Alan Algeo and Eileen Brown (almost all former LRYC Commodores) the administrative talent was there to keep sailors busy afloat.

SODA Chairman Philip Mayne finished 14th overall in No 83 after nine hard-fought races. Photo: John Malone

SHANNON ODs BIGGEST FLEET

While LRYC may be celebrating their Quadrimillennial in a two year retrospect, the Shannon One Designs are fully immersed in the throes of the increasing pace of their current Centenary Year. And though the class is traditionally at its greatest numerical strength in the time-honoured regattas of August, fleet numbers are already up with every weekend as that final coat of varnish finally gets applied, and boats turn out to race – and race hard.

A different world of sailing for Garrett O’Neill and his crew. If any spray dares to come aboard, you can simply swallow it….Photo: John Malone

Thus they’d an entry of 29 for Clinkerfest, and while not all were fully race ready, at the sharp end of the fleet for a demanding total of nine races, the top six helms were Mark McCormick, David Dickson, Andrew Mannion, Cillian Dickson, Frank Guy and Cathal Breen.

INTERNATIONAL 12s

The International 12s – which originated in 1912 – continue to be hugely popular in The Netherlands, Belgium and Italy, but they’re gradually reviving in Ireland in both their una-riggged and sloop-rigged form. And while travel difficulties meant that not all of a significant contingent from the Continent could make it in the end, a couple of gallant Dutch boats managed to get to Ree, while the fleet was also enlarged by the inclusion of a brace of Rankin 12s from Cork Harbour. Here too they’d nine challenging races, and Bert Bos won while Gernt Kiughist was second, with Mark Delany best of the home division in third.

By making the journey to Lough Ree, the crew of this Dutch International Twelve found much better weather than they’d have had at home. Photo: John Malone

MERMAIDS

We may think of the 17ft Mermaids as very much a class of Dublin Bay origins through their designer J B Kearney, but in fact the first boats were built in 1932 by the great Walter Levinge of Lough Ree. So there was a sense of home-coming in their participation, Jim Carthy winning in Vee from Paul Smith & Pat Mangan in Jill, with Darach Dinneen taking third in Red Seal.

Proper summertime sailing for Mermaids at Clinkerfest. Photo: John Malone

WATER WAGS

The Dublin Bay Water Wags of 1887 and 1900 vintage had many sailors racing in Clinkerfest, but as there’s extensive cross-pollination with the Shannon One Designs, there were more of them racing in the SODs than in the Wags, which managed to get just four boats down to Lough Ree from Dun Laoghaire. That said, they had the distinction of being the most senior class, with David Kelly in Eva winning after the nine races from Mike Magowan in Mary Kate, with third place going to Dermot Bremner in Alfa.

A celebration of Ireland’s leading clinker-built classes in the display of models by Reggie Goodbody of Lough Derg YC. Photo: John Malone

IDRA 14s

Though the 1946-vintage IDRA 14s have held many famous championships with LRYC, few would think of them as a Lough Ree class. Thus there was special satisfaction when Billy Henshaw – who lives on he shores of the lake – emerged as overall winner, with Pierre Long getting second and Pat O’Kelly third.

There was special cheer for the IDRA 14s with Billy Henshaw providing a local winner. Photo: John Malone

The complete results are here

FUTURE CLINKERFESTS

Clinkerfest deserves to be a major feature of the national programme in the future, and Lough Ree’s indisputably central location in Ireland surely gives it the first claim to be its permanent home. The problem is that as our sailing gets back up to pre-pandemic speeds, several events will re-emerge claiming equal rights to the coveted Bank Holiday weekend at the beginning of June.

Getting stuck in….The Shannon One Designs launch themselves into a programme of nine races in two days. Number 50 (Mark McCormick) was to emerge as overall winner. Photo: John Malone

But that’s a discussion for another day. Right now, there’s a feeling of wonder that in a weekend when several coastal events were either cancelled or gave their participants quite a drubbing, a secret inland sea in the middle of Ireland was able to provide a fascinating and varied fleet of true classics with the chance to contest no less than nine very competitive races in eminently sailable and often strongly sunny conditions, while at the same allowing their dedicated owners and crews to revel in a shared enthusiasm for a boat construction method whose inherent functional beauty is now a globally-recognized art and craft.

Evocative conclusion to a great regatta – final Clinkerfest sunset at Lough Ree YC marina. Photo: Clodagh Flannery

There was a fine turnout of 27 Dublin Bay Water Wag dinghies for Wednesday evening racing inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

DBSC Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly ran two races, each had two rounds (three beats) in a light souther-easterly breeze of 5-11 knots.

Vincent Delany in No.3 Pansy won the first race with William Prentice in No. 42 Tortoise, the winner of the second.

The Dublin Bay Water Wag fleet under spinnaker in a gentle south-easterly breeze at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ann Kirwan

Race 1, 27 started & finished. The top 3 were:

1. No. 3 Pansy - Vincent Delany
2. No. 8 Barbara - Ian Malcolm
3. No. 38 Swift - Guy Kilroy

Close finish - No. 40 Swallow, David Sommerville just pips No. 1 Eithne Seán Craig to take second place in the second Water Wag race of the evening at Dun Laoghaire Photo: Ann Kirwan

Race 2, 22 started & finished. The top 3 were:

1. No. 42 Tortoise - William Prentice
2. No. 40 Swallow - David Sommerville
3. No. 1 Eithne - Seán Craig

Full results in all DBSC classes are below. Three live Dublin Bay webcams featuring some DBSC race course areas are here

The Water Wag dinghy class had one Dublin Bay Sailing Club race on Wednesday evening in a blustery Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

So blustery in fact, Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly went out in advance a DBSC RIB to review the conditions before deciding that racing could go ahead.

Following a short postponement, the fleet started in a westerly wind of 18 knots with gusts up to 25.

23 boats started, all carrying one reef. The course was windward-leeward, three rounds with a fourth beat to finish at the weather mark.

There were 21 finishers and two boats retired. All coped very well with the gusty conditions and many flew spinnakers on the third downwind leg.

The Top three Water Wags - Moosmie (No 15), Swift (No 38) and Mariposa (No 45) Photo: Ann Kirwan

Results were:

1. No. 15 Moosmie, John O’Driscoll
2. No. 38 Swift, Guy Kilroy
3. No. 45 Mariposa, Cathy MacAleavey

Also racing this evening was Annalise Murphy who finished 5th in no. 19. Shindilla, and Claudine Murphy who finished 9th in no. 41 Mollie.

Annalise was the first to risk a gybe at the leeward gate and it paid off as most boats took the starboard hand gate.

Race winner No. 15 Moosmie, helmed by John O’Driscoll Photo: Ann Kirwan

Full results in all DBSC classes are below. Three live Dublin Bay webcams featuring some DBSC race course areas are here

Wednesday's  DBSC Water Wag dinghy racing scheduled for Dun Laoghaire Harbour is cancelled due to an adverse weather forecast.

"Winds gusting gale force 8 in the east are scheduled for later this evening", Commodore Ann Kirwan told Afloat.

The Wags are posting great early season turnouts on Dublin Bay with a 22 boat fleet for the first race on April 28th.

Full DBSC Water Wag results are below

John O’Driscoll at the helm of No. 15 Moosmie was the winner of Wednesday's single DBSC Water Wag dinghy race in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. 

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly ran racing over three rounds in a westerly breeze with gusts of up to 20 knots.

All boats carried a reef in the blustery conditions. 20 boats started and 18 finished. 

The second boat home was No. 38 Swift sailed by Guy Kilroy with Martin Byrne's No 49 Hilda in third position.

John O’Driscoll at the helm of No. 15 Moosmie crosses the finish line to win Photo: Brendan Briscoe

Laser ace Sean Craig of the Royal St. George Yacht Club took the gun in his first DBSC Water Wag Race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday night.

With a turnout of 25 boats and a course of four rounds set by Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly, winds were light, 4-6 knots, for the in-harbour race.

In a 1,2,3 for the Royal St. George Wags, Vincent Delany was second and Dragon skipper Martin Byrne third.

One boat retired.

There was a strong turnout of 22 Water Wags for the first race of the AIB DBSC Summer season at Dun Laoghaire Harbour last night. 

In a force three easterly breeze, Howth Yacht Club's Ian Malcolm at the helm of Barbara was the single race winner.

A course of three rounds, giving four beats, was set by Race Officer Tadhg Donnelly inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Second was Swift, No. 38 sailed by Guy Kilroy with third place going to John O’Driscoll's Moosmie.

The Water Wags are DBSC's largest fleet overall with 37 entries at present for the 2022 season.

22 boats competed in the last Water Wag race of the AIB DBSC season in Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday evening. 

The race was won by boat number 19 Shindilla, sailed by Ali and Zoe Kissane.

Number 15 (John O’Driscoll) was second with Con and Cathy MacAleavey third in Number 45.

The race brought the curtain down on the 2021 season that has seen some buoyant turnouts for the 133-year old class that has regular fleets of plus 20 boats and 31 for its Captain's Prize race held earlier this month.

Number 19 Shindilla (Ali and Zoe Kissane) takes the gun

Royal Irish Yacht Club sailor Guy Kilroy was the winner of Wednesday's DBSC Water Wag Captain's Prize Race at Dun Laoghaire that attracted a fine turnout of 31 Wag dinghies for the annual in-harbour race. 

Second was the National Yacht Club's Cathy MacAleavey and third was RIYC's William Prentice. 

Overall, after 14 races sailed for the Jubilee Cup Series, Alistair Kissane's Shindilla was crowned the winner with MacAleavey's Mariposa second and Kilroy's Swift third.

The full results are here.

A fantastic turnout of 31 Water Wags for the Captain's Prize Race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Barry O'Neill

Another fine fleet of vintage Water Wag dinghies raced in light winds inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour as part of the class's regular Dublin Bay Sailing Club Wednesday night series.

27 turned out for racing eclipsing the fleets own Bloomsday high of 26 boats for last Wednesday's race.

Race Officer Harry Gallagher only managed one race in the fickle breeze. The wind died and only nine of them finished the race.

Race Officer Harry Gallagher finishes one of nine Water Wags that completed the in harbour course

Meanwhile, the National Yacht Club has welcomed a beautiful new Water Wag, Shindilla to the East Pier Club.

Shindilla was commissioned by Neil and Pam Collen and takes its name and sail number from the original Shindilla that Neil’s grandfather Ninian Falkiner commissioned in 1932 and sailed and later his mother Effie sailed for many years.

Last Wednesday it was sailed for the first time by Alistair Kissane and Annalise Murphy. Shindilla finished a close second in the 26 boat Bloomsday fleet in the first race and then went on to win the second race.

Olympic silver medalist Annalise Murphy (left) toasts the arrival of new Water Wag Shindilla to the National Yacht Club Photo: NYC