Last Weekend in Clontarf (26th-27th September) the IDRA 14 Class held a two day celebration to mark their 80th Anniversary. With a full schedule of events pencilled in which included a boat exhibition on land, a pop up IDRA 14 Memorabilia Museum, and a pursuit race among other opportunities to catch up with old friends and competitors, there was much to see and do, with 30 IDRA 14's of wide historic interest on display, and 22 taking to the water to sail.
Saturday's pursuit race got underway shortly after 12.00 with a 1940's theme dress code encouraged as a nod to the origins of the class in 1946. Sailors donned sailing gear with woolen jumpers, shirts, ties, flat caps and dresses as they took to the water to celebrate. The hotly anticipated Pursuit Race got underway with 5 different blocks of starts calculated in advance with 2 minute intervals between each other. The final start, start number five was the scratch boats who had their work cut out for them as they started 11 minutes after start number 1.
A pursuit race has its own special pre-start manoeuvres. Photo: IDRA 14 Class
Not a calorie in it……IDRA 14 attempt to have one’s cake and eat it.
LIVE COMMENTARY
With entertaining live commentary from the promenade, after 3 triangle laps it was local Clontarf boat 14/141 Shadowfax sailed by Ronan O'Brien and his daughter Aibigael O'Brien who were victorious, earning them the bragging rights of 80th Anniversary pursuit race champions for years to come. The wind was incredibly shifty and a number of boats were caught out by gusts in the mid 20 knot range, followed immediately after by a lull so sudden that once the crew had extended out on trapeze to level up the boat, it was often time for them to be dunked in the calm of the lull, and some boats capsized.
TWO SPRINT RACES
Two sprint races followed which were two windward leeward courses leving very little room for error, which was particularly apparent in sprint race 1 with confusion in relation to the course meaning some boats rounded an extra mark! The sailors retired to the clubhouse for a full debrief and catch up with old friends.
Gerry Sargent – whose family have been involved with the IDRA 14s for three generations – takes a voyage down Memory Lane with the Class Captain
Sundays plans were victim to the weather forecast of gusts upwards of high 30 knots and the Class arranged "fireside chats" or tales of old from some members of the Class who had been around for some time. These were curated as a pathway to tell the history of the Class from Gerry Sargent building boats with his father Charlie 'Pop' Sargent to new sailors to the IDRA 14 Class Riain Fleming and Maeve McMillan telling of their experiences and highlighting a pathway for the future of the Class. The talks were followed by entertainment from the Harolds Cross Brass Band and birthday cake made by Class member Eli Fleming which was a nice way to wrap up the weekend.
Memorabilia Corner at the IDRA 14 80th Anniversary
FUTURE LOOKING GOOD
The future is looking good for the Class and as part of the 30 boats on display there was "restoration corner". As there are a number of boats currently undergoing restoration at present the various stages of "before and after" could be seen on display in Clontarf. more can be seen on the restorations page on the class website. An exciting announcement was made for the future of the Class and a fundraiser for a new IDRA 14 Mould was launched. 14/162
MYSTERIOUS BLACK BOAT
The Black Boat which was bought over thirty years ago has never been completed. 14/162 will be used to create a mould for future IDRA 14s to be made from. The IDRA 14 Class are finalising the details of this and if you do wish to support it please reach out to the Class. More information will follow about the mould but it is exciting time of renovation, refurbishment and regeneration in the Class.
The mysterious Black Boat makes for a marked contrast with the gleaming restored classic on the right.
DINNER IN ROYAL ST GEORGE YACHT CLUB
The Class are wrapping up the 80th Celebrations with a dinner in the Royal St George in Dun Laoghaire on Friday 30th October. The 2026 IDRA 14 Class AGM will be held on 23rd November 2026.
