The IDRA 14 Class’s 80th year of Celebrations draw to a close with a dinner at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire last Friday (30th October). Ninety attendees made up from current sailors, former sailors, boat owners, supporters and friends from the IDRA 14 Class Community joined to wrap up the celebrations, which have seen the class hold special events at Carlingford, Lough Erne (the Nationals) and Clontarf, in addition to club racing.
The Class links with the Royal St George YC go back to the very start, when the first IDRA 14 race was held at the club in 1946. Eighty years down the line, the celebration were launched with a prosecco reception for much mixing and mingling before moving into the historic dining room of the 1838-founded club.
1838-founded club hosts 1946-founded Class on its 80th birthday – the “IDRA 14 community” gathered in the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire
CLASS HISTORY TABLED
With a nod to the history of the Class, tables were named after boats with interesting and lesser known stories linked to them, starting with ‘Fuss’. That was the name given by designer George O’Brien Kennedy to the prototype of the IDRA 14, and gives us some idea of the variety of sometimes forcefully-voiced opinions which went into creating a modern design that was to to transform dinghy sailing in Ireland
Remembered too are boats undergoing restoration -14/2 Dainty as the longest restoration project, hoping to re-launch in 2027, 14/38 Starfish as the boat with most National Championship title wins. 14/1 Error the winner of the first IDRA 14 National Championship, 14/64 Mermaid the furthest travelled IDRA 14, as she’s sailed in New York. 14/35 Sanderling which was a gaff rigged IDRA 14 used as a tender to a motor yacht named Dabu.
The 80th dinner came with keepsake mementoes
Also honoured was 14/134 Dubious, the boat with the most consecutive National Championship wins at nine. Then too there was 14/122 Diane, which is linked with the longest IDRA 14 sailing partnership of over 50 years with Bruce and John who started in IDRA 14’s but now sail a bigger yacht from the Royal St George, while 14/162 is the longest fitout in IDRA 14 history as the boat was built in 1992 and no fitting has ever been installed on it.
NEW GLASSFIBE MOULD
In fact, as was recently announced, 14/162 will be used by ace boat-builder Larry Archer to create a mould for new IDRA 14’s to be built from in GRP, as currently the Class don’t have a mould to make new fibreglass boats.
IDRA 14s mixing it with mixed materials in mixed weather.
Further elements of the history of the Class could be seen around the room with an original plan drawing on display, together with with some memorabilia and photos guests had brought along too. Each place setting was complete with a ‘80 years of IDRA 14’s’ commemorative bookmark souvenir for guests to take home.
ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUTH MEMBERSHIP
An after dinner speech was delivered by IDRA 14 Class Commodore Orla Doogue, who reflected on what the years celebrations had meant to the Class. As someone who has started sailing as an adult and joined the Class in the last ten years, Orla was not there to shape the history to date, but by working on the framework that has been put in place by the Class predecessors, she is hopeful to pave a pathway for the future and encourage new members to the Class with a particular focus on Youth members.
Boatowners were encouraged to take on a Youth member of the Class on board and were encouraged to share the knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for the IDRA’s. Boatowners who have a boat that they no longer sail were encouraged to consider offering it up for restoration and recirculation within the class. Those who wish to get involved in a restoration project were also encouraged.
Renovation and refurbishment projects that are currently underway were mentioned and commended as a positive sign for the future while preserving the history.
IDRA 14 Commodore Orla Doogue with top prize-winner Pierre Long
BOAT OF THE YEAR
The IDRA 14 Regatta Trophy was awarded at the dinner too, it to the highest-placed boat at a number of specified regattas during the year. For 2026, these included the DMYC Regatta, Royal St George Regatta, Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club At Home Regatta, Howth Dinghy Regatta and Sutton Dinghy Club Regatta.
There have been a number of names of boats and sailors on this award since its inception in 1962, and it was great delight to announce that a new boat name, helm and crew had been added in 2026. The winner of the IDRA 14 Regatta Trophy for 2026 is the family team based from DMYC on 14/161 DART, with Pierre Long helming and a combination of family crew, including his sons Rémy, Paul and Marc.
Racing to win. The Long family of Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club’s IDRA 14 Dart racing to win at the Nationals on Lough Erne. Photo: IDRA 14 Class
