Having just put the last summer event of the 2025 season to bed – the Leinster Boats sponsored, DMYC hosted Kish Challenge, with a new provision for boats to cruise to the Kish – the prospect of winter sailing rises above the horizon.
As of Sunday, 12th October, the Frostbites, hosted by Viking Marine and also by DMYC, are only four weeks away. "We start on 2nd November and run through to 21st December, a sequence of eight Sundays. After the Christmas and New Year break, we resume again on 4th January and close out on 22 March 2026, a sequence of twelve Sundays", Principal Race Officer Cormac Bradley told Afloat.
Entries will be accepted for one or other series individually, but preferably for both series at the same time. With the NoR and the Entry Form both going live on the DMYC website on 3rd October, we have, to date, twenty-seven entries – with ILCA6s leading the way thus far with six (6) entries. Aeros 6 & 7 are tied on four (4) entries each with Fireballs just tucking in behind them with three(3). ILCA7s, GP14s, RS200s, ILCA4s are tied at two (2) each, with “Others” also at two (2) boats.
In advance of the 2025/26 Series, a small poll was conducted by Email by Bradley to determine if major changes are needed to the racing format.
Suggestions included:-
a) An earlier start of 13:30 – met understandably with mixed views, some people have morning commitments that allow them to go sailing in the afternoon. Others sail the Turkey Shoot and the Spring Chicken and this commitment would put pressure on making an earlier start. Others thought the idea had merit – get home earlier.
Consequence – No Change.
b) Rejigging the fleets to try and balance the numbers in each start – met with universal rejection by two classes in particular (that I suggested might be merged).
Consequence – No change.
c) A proposal to run three races where time and weather allow to “bank” against lost Sundays when weather causes the racing to be cancelled. Thus, instead of sailing three races after we have lost Sundays to weather, the idea would be to have them “in the bag” before a Sunday is lost.
This proposal was substantially accepted with the proviso that there should be a limit on the number of races that could be “banked” – it couldn’t go on “ad infinitum”. The idea would be to try and maximise the total races sailed. (You will recall between the last Sunday of 2024 and the first two Sundays of 2025, we didn’t get any races in!) Consequence – a maximum of two races can be “banked” against a lost Sunday. Once they are used up (lost Sunday), two more may be banked.
d) Change of courses used – all respondents indicated that there was no need to changes course types.
Consequence – No change.
e) Keeping the racing inside the harbour – universal support.
Consequence – No change.
f) Down time between races – promote the use of the W and F flags to shorten the time between races – universal support.
Consequence – Promote quicker and more routine use of the W and F flags to get races away faster.
