Royal St George Yacht Club skipper Chris Power Smith, won the Cruiser 0 DBSC Saturday Series Race in IRC today on the J122 Aurelia. The race which was nearly three hours long was sailed in light to medium winds against a flooding tide on Dublin Bay. It was very competitive both on the water and on the clock.

Royal Irish boats filled the rest of the podium in the AIB sponsored series. Second place was taken by Patrick Burke on the First 40 Prima Forte with Keith and Rodney Martin's First 44.7 Lively Lady in third.

Tim Kane skippering the new Extreme 37 Wow, with co-owner George Sisk onboard and a 'Happy 60th Birthday Balloon' flying from the backstay, celebrated his birthday in style by winning line honours by just over a minute from Aurelia.

Power Smith was competing for the first time in six years in DBSC after a long absence since winning the Cruiser 1 Series for two years in a row in his former J/109 Rollercoaster.

As Afloat previously reported, the Aurelia crew are preparing for the 240-mile Inishtearaght Race from Kinsale around the Blasket Island taking place on the 20th of May. The only Dublin boat entered in the race, they see it as the perfect warm-up race for the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race starting from Wicklow on the 18th of June.

In an 11 boat race in the 'Cruisers 1 IRC fleet, also under Race officer Barry MacNeaney, Timothy Goodbody's RIYC J109 White Mischief won from John Hall's National Yacht Club J109 Something Else. Third was Colin Byrne's XP33, Bon Exemple.

James McCann's Mustang 30 Peridot was the Cruisers 2 IRC winner in a four-boat turnout from Lindsay J. Casey's Royal St. George J/97 Windjammer. Third was Casey's clubmate, Dick Lovegrove, in the Sigma 33 Rupert.

A similarly sized class, Class 3 'Cruisers 3 IRC, was won by Frazer Meredith's Asterix ahead of Myles Kelly's Maranda. Third was Kevin Byrne's Starlet. 

In the one-design divisions under Race Officer Barry O'Neill, Lee Statham won in a 16 boat Flying Fifteen fleet. Second was John Lavery's Phoenix, with third place going to David Gorman in new boat number 4099. 

Flying Fifteens exiting the leeward mark in Saturday's DBSC race on Dublin Bay

In an eight boat Ruffian 23 fleet, David Meeke sailing Alias won from Michael Cultiffe's Ruffles. Third was Frank Bradley in Ripples.

Full results here

Patrick Burke's Prima Forte from the Royal Irish Yacht Club was the big boat winner by just over a minute on corrected time of the first Saturday AIB Dublin Bay Sailing Club 2022 Summer sailing season after the cancellation of the first scheduled race a week ago due to strong winds.

Saturday's light southerly winds were often less than five knots and in some of DBSC's 22 classes, not all boats finished the course. 

Burke's First 40.7 beat clubmate Tim Kane and George Sisk's WOW, an X-Treme 37 from South Africa that is new to the Bay this season. Third in the DBSC Cruiser IRC Zero class was Keith and Rodney Martin's Lively Lady, a First 44.7.

While there is an impressive ten DBSC Cruisers 0s entered for 2022, a full turnout has yet to occur as yesterday's 15-boat ISORA fixture drew several entries to the coastal race to County Wicklow and back. 

An impressive nine boat DBSC Cruisers One IRC class (from a possible 14 entered) was won by the XP33 Bon Exemple skippered by Colin Byrne of the RIYC ahead of Timothy Goodbody's J109 White Mischief of the RIYC. Third was John Hall's J109 Something Else from the National Yacht Club.

See full results in all classes here

Strong winds and big seas on Dublin Bay led to the cancellation of the first race of the summer season for all Dublin Bay Sailing Club fleets this afternoon.

"The weather forecast looks better for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and next Saturday", Commodore Ann Kirwan told Afloat as the country's biggest yacht racing club rolls out its AIB sponsored summer programme that runs from April to October.

Earlier, in a preview of the season, Commodore Kirwan had outlined that up to 270 boats at Dun Laoghaire Harbour were preparing to race in Saturday's first race. Check out the season preview here.

We are delighted to be commencing our AIB Dublin Bay Sailing Club 2022 Summer sailing season tomorrow Saturday, April 23rd writes DBSC Commodore Ann Kirwan

After the past two years, the start of our racing season has been delayed due to Covid so it is great to be starting on time this year.

Racing Programme

The DBSC Flag Officers, Committee, and Racing Sub-Committee have been working over the winter months on producing an enhanced racing programme which will run from April 23rd to October 1st and will include new Saturday courses. Our sailing sub-committee led by PRO Ed Totterdell spent the winter months redesigning some of our courses, as well as compiling new ones. Thanks to Tim Goodbody and Paul Barrington for their efforts working with Ed on this.

The DBSC Hut on the West Pier

Our AIB DBSC 2022 summer racing programme consists of 9 fleet races each week:

Saturdays – 4 fleet courses
• Blue or Red fleet racing from a committee boat (including Cruisers 0 and 1) on fixed mark courses
• Blue or Red fleet racing from the West Pier hut (including DB21s) on fixed mark courses
• Green fleet racing on laid mark windward / leeward or triangular courses
• Dinghies racing on laid mark courses

Tuesdays – 2 fleet courses
• Keelboats racing from the West Pier hut on fixed mark courses
• Dinghies racing from a committee boat on laid mark courses

Wednesdays – 1 fleet course
• Water Wags racing from a committee boat on windward / leeward courses

Thursdays – 2 fleet courses
• Blue fleet keelboats (the larger ones) racing from a committee boat on fixed mark courses
• Red fleet keelboats racing from a committee boat with a combination of fixed mark and windward/leeward courses

Preparations for the Season

The DBSC Hut was repaired and painted during the winter. Chris Moore coordinated the hut maintenance programme and its transfer to its position on the West Pier at 07.30 on April 9th assisted by Brendan Dalton and Denis Nolan. It will be used for both Tuesday and Saturday keelboat racing this season.

Cruisers Zero yachts at DBSC Battery Mark on Dublin Bay near Dalkey

Our marks are all in place and ready for tomorrow’s race thanks to Philip Ferguson who organises their winter storage, maintenance and chain replacement, painting, and their setting in position over the Easter period. Our ribs have returned from Rush where they were maintained and stored during the winter months organised by Declan Traynor. Our committee boats are ready to go and our team of volunteers are all set for racing tomorrow.

Entries

We have over 270 boats entered so far. We expect a lower number of dinghies this season as our Laser entries in particular are well down on the past two seasons. However, we have a growing fleet of RS Aeros (10 entered so far), along with 9 Fireballs, 5 IDRA 14s, 3 Finns, and 17 Lasers.

The DBSC Laser fleet Photo: Afloat

Some of our keelboat classes have increased entries on last year with some impressive new boats among them. We have 10 Cruisers 0 entered and 14 Cruisers 1.

DBSC's largest keelboat class is the Flying Fifteen Photo: Afloat

We have good entries from other cruiser classes, and the Flying Fifteens are our largest keelboat class with 28 boats entered.

The Water Wags are our largest fleet overall with 37 entries at present.

The DBSC RS Aero class has ten entries Photo: Afloat

Results

The DBSC results will move from its current system, YR3, to HalSail and we are delighted to announce that Therese Tyrrell is taking on the role of Results Secretary.

Dublin Bay 21s

Geraldine wll join Naneen, Estelle and Garavogue in June and the 4 DB21s will race from the hut on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Dublin Bay 21 - Garavogue Photo: Afloat

Congratulations to DBSC member Hal Sisk on receiving the International Classic Boater of the Year award at the Royal Thames Yacht club in London last week for his decades of service to classic craft and sailing history, and along with his colleagues DBSC member Fionan deBarra and Steve Morris of Kilrush Boatyard they were awarded for their exceptional work in their shared project, the restoration of the Dublin Bay 21 Class.

Dublin Bay 21 - Naneen Photo: Afloat

DBSC start / finish dates

First Saturday Race: Saturday, April 23rd
Last Tuesday Race: Tuesday, August 30th
Last Thursday Race: Thursday, August 25th
Last Wednesday Race: Wednesday, September 21st
Last Saturday Race: Saturday, October 1st

We wish all our members a safe and enjoyable sailing season and look forward to a great summer on the water.

The Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Squib fleet had their annual prizegiving at the National Yacht Club on 25 February 2022.

The two-man keelboat fleet say they expect to increase the number of boats competing in Dublin Bay for 2022 by one or two above the number for 2021.

Prizewinners were as follows:

The Royal St. George Offshore Trophy was originally presented by Billy Mooney in 1963 to the winner of the Royal Ocean Racing Club Irish Sea race. Some time later the RORC declared that Wales was too close to Ireland and that the Irish Sea no longer qualified as an Ocean and that Offshore Ocean races could no longer take part there. The trophy is engraved with famous yacht names as Korsar, Tritch-Tratsch, Finndabar of Howth, Swuzzlebubble and Moonduster.

The trophy was represented to the Squibs in 2006 and is now awarded to the Squib which competes in the most regional events and was won by Dave Stewart and Brian Hare of the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Granat which competed in Howth at the East Coast Championship and at Dromineer in the Inland Championship.

Tonia McAllister from Pintail

The Lucky Wooden Block is awarded to anybody who has an unlucky incident during the year like falling overboard 50 yards from the finish line. It was awarded to Tonia McAllister who didn't fall overboard!

The Cocktail Shaker was presented by Alf Delany in 2006. He originally won this trophy in 1930 with a powerboat called Hold Everythin’ which was about 3m. long and had a 100 horse-power Johnson engine screwed onto the back. That event was organised by the North Dublin Motor Boat Club (which no longer exists) and racing took place between the Bull Island and the mainland at Dollymount. Today the trophy is awarded to the most successful Squib in the twenty-six Saturday races of the Dublin Bay Sailing Club- Green Fleet and was awarded to Noel Colclough and Rupert Westrup in Periquin.

Avril Mullett and Vincent Delany from Allsorts

The Eamon Leahy Memorial trophy was awarded to the most successful Squib in the seven Thursday evening races organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club in Scotsman's Bay and was awarded to Allsorts which is owned by Avril Mullet and her dad Tony Mullet and steered by Vincent Delany.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) has launched its 138th summer season with the publication today of the the Notice of Race for the 2022 Summer Season.

Ireland's largest yacht racing club organises racing all year round on Dublin Bay. It completed its six week Turkey Shoot in the run up to Christmas and has its annual Spring Chicken Series scheduled to start this Sunday.

The main Summer racing. with sponsorship from AIB, gets under way on Saturday, 23th April and runs right through to October 1st.  

The club provides weekly racing for upwards of 360 yachts, ranging from ocean-going forty footers to small dinghies for juniors.

The  2022 weekly race programme will comprise: 

• Tuesdays: Keelboats – From West Pier Hut Tuesdays:
• Dinghies - In the Harbour or the Bay depending on conditions
• Wednesdays: Water Wags – Harbour sailing
• Thursdays: Keelboats – Committee Boat starts Saturdays:
• Keelboats – Committee Boat starts and West Pier Hut starts Saturdays:
• Dinghies – In the Harbour or the Bay depending on conditions.

For full schedule of racing please see AIB DBSC Racing Programme 2022 on www.dbsc.ie

DBSC Membership Renewal and Boat Entry Forms for 2022 are here

Download the NOR below

DBSC Commodore Ann Kirwan addressed members of the country's biggest sailing club at its 2021 online AGM last Friday. It was an opportunity to review the many champagne sailing days of the summer and some great turnouts for the 698 club races held on Dublin Bay

2021 started with great news in early January when it was announced via Afloat that DBSC had been named as the Mitsubishi Sailing Club of the Year. Jonathan Nicholson, Commodore in 2020, and I were presented with the coveted ship’s wheel in August. We are very proud of this achievement and we now include the ‘Sailing Club of the Year’ logo on all our email communications.

In January, Jonathan Nicholson (DBSC Commodore in 2020) and Commodore Ann Kirwan were presented with the Mitsubishi Motors Club of the Year Ship's Wheel trophy

I want to pay tribute to two of our long-standing volunteers who sadly passed away in 2021. Our dear friend Carmel Winkelmann, who gave generously, tirelessly and enthusiastically of her time to her beloved sport of sailing for well over 50 years, sadly passed away on June 12th. Carmel was a DBSC volunteer for much of that time, well known for being a regular in the hut, and was still keeping us on the straight and narrow right up until May this year with her wisdom, experience and incredibly sharp mind.

We also lost another valued volunteer, Larry Martin, who sadly passed away on March 22nd this year. Larry was a regular volunteer in the hut over the years, and more recently was a ‘Flagger’ on the Green Fleet team right up until the summer of 2020.

Highlights of the AIB DBSC 2021 Summer Sailing Season

The season started with a 3-week race training series from mid-May and our full racing programme commenced on June 8th some 6 weeks earlier than last season. We enjoyed many champagne sailing days with moderate winds and lots of warm sunshine. We lost just 1 Saturday due to heavy winds, and 2 Thursdays and 1 Wednesday due to light winds. We held 698 races over the season - 483 keelboat races on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 198 dinghy races on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and 17 Water Wag races on Wednesdays.

After being stored on the Coal Quay (above) in 2020, the DBSC Race Hut was back on station on the West Pier in July (below)

The iconic DBSC hut returned to its rightful position on the west pier on July 10th and we ran the last 8 Tuesday keelboat races from it. Pier walkers and DBSC members were delighted to see its return after a year’s absence.

It was a great pleasure to welcome 3 of the magnificently restored Dublin Bay 21 Footers, Naneen, Estelle, and Garavogue back to Dun Laoghaire in July. The 21s raced on Tuesdays towards the end of the season, and we expect to see more of them joining the fleet for a full 2022 season.

Dublin Bay 21 Footer Naneen at Dun Laoghaire's East Pier in July

Entries were roughly the same as 2020 but were still well down on 2019. However, turnout was strong with many of you commenting on how great it was to be back on the water after a long and difficult winter. On average 120 boats raced on Thursdays and Saturdays and we had 31 Wags competing for the Captain’s prize on September 1st.

AIB Private Banking are on board as DBSC title sponsors

The summer sailing season came to a close on Saturday, September 25th. The Turkey Shoot commenced its 7-race series on November 7th and all competing have enjoyed great racing so far. A reminder that the Spring Chicken series starts on Sunday, February 5th.

DBSC Volunteers

We are extremely fortunate to have such experienced and skilled personnel running DBSC racing. A team of 50+ volunteers including race officers, committee boat drivers and race management teams, as well a further 50 patrol crews, all worked together to ensure you received the great standard of racing that you expect. Our extensive racing programme would not have been possible without their efforts, and many of them turned out multiple times each week.

This AIB DBSC summer sailing season was run with 18 race officers, eight committee boat drivers, 30 race management personnel (timers, sounds signallers, flaggers, and recorders), as well as rib drivers and mark layers, and many others who worked behind the scenes to deliver our racing programme. Our committee boats MacLir and Freebird were very well looked after by Ian Meldon, Brendan Dalton and Chris Moore.

It was an easy decision to honour our esteemed volunteers with the DBSC Premier award, the Viking Trophy for a notable contribution to sailing, for a second successive season. Well done and thank you to the DBSC volunteers.

Annual Prize-Giving

We presented our AIB DBSC 2020 Summer Sailing Season prizes to the winners in the waterfront clubs in June/July, as we had been unable to hold our prize giving in November 2020.

The 2020 DBSC Summer Sailing Season prizes were presented to winners  outdoors (including Ken Dumpleton of the Flying Fifteen class above)  in the waterfront clubs 

We held 2021 prize giving in the wonderful setting of the National Maritime Museum on Friday, November 12th.

The array of DBSC silverware at prizegiving 2021 Photo: Michael Chester

It was great to see so many of you there and we got some really positive feedback on the location. Photos of the prize-winners can be found on our website.

With Gratitude

We are extremely fortunate to have AIB Private Banking on board as our title sponsors. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to AIB, and to our supporters Gunpowder Gin, Killen Marine, Viking Marine, MGM Boats and Facet Jewellers.

Thanks also to the Commodores and the management and staff of the Dun Laoghaire waterfront clubs, to Irish Sailing, to the Harbour Masters of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Captains Simon Coate and Tim Ryan, and to Dublin Port Harbour Master Captain Michael McKenna for their support throughout the season.

Thanks also to Afloat for great coverage of DBSC racing and events throughout the season.

Thanks to my fellow committee members:

Ed Totterdell – Vice Commodore & PRO, Jacqueline McStay – Rear Commodore, Chris Moore - Hon. Secretary, Peter Fleming – Hon. Treasurer, Philip Ferguson - Marks, Gerry Jones & Suzi Roy - Sponsorship, Louise McKenna - Dinghies, Ian Bowring - Results, Declan Traynor - Bosun & Covid Officer, Sabrina Mahony – Children’s Officer, Debbie Horan – Admin, Brian Matthews - Technical Director

A special thanks to three of our committee members who are stepping down tonight having served DBSC so well for a number of years: Peter Fleming, Debbie Horan, and Brian Mathews. And to Colin McMullan who is retiring from his role as Results Secretary after a number of years making sure our results were available promptly after each race.

Welcome aboard to our new committee members - incoming Treasurer Jonathan Skerritt, and Kevin Byrne who will serve on our sailing sub-committee.

And finally, a very special and heartfelt thanks to my fellow Flag Officers Ed (Vice Commodore) and Jacqueline (Rear Commodore). Ed as PRO has done a huge amount of work on the racing front both throughout last winter and during the summer racing season, as well as being a rock of sense and great support to me. And to Jacqueline who upgraded our website - I hope you will agree that Jacqueline’s efforts have brought big improvements which have enabled us to communicate with you our members more effectively.

DBSC Commodore Ann Kirwan addresses the annual prizegiving at the National Maritime Museum

Final Comments

Finally, I wish you and your families a very healthy and happy Christmas and the very best for 2022. We look forward to seeing you on the water for the AIB DBSC 2022 Summer Sailing Season.

Thank you,
Ann Kirwan, Commodore

The Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) prizegiving highlights the Dun Laoghaire Harbour sailing season with an array of magnificent and ancient yachting silverware.

This year's event was especially so because it marked the close of DBSC's 137th season and the resumption of competitive sailing in its AIB sponsored season while living with COVID-19.

Prizes were awarded in all of DBSC's 22 classes by Commodore Ann Kirwan, but in a break from tradition, at a new venue, in Dun Laoghaire's National Maritime Museum last Friday night.

As well as six premier awards for best performances, Commodore Kirwan congratulated over 100 different winners.

Prizes galore - The array of magnificent and ancient yachting silverware laid out for the DBSC prizegiving

The club – one of the largest yacht racing clubs of its type in Europe – was previously acclaimed by Afloat's WM Nixon, who posed the question: Is Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) The Most Effective Sailing Organisation in the World? It's an even more valid question today, given the club and its weekly racing schedule brought so much stability to the sailing scene at a time of great flux in 2021.

Scroll down for awards photography of the evening by photographer Michael Chester. Click here for an overview of the DBSC Thursday awards winners, and here for the DBSC Saturday winners,

DBSC Commodore Ann Kirwan and Hon Sec Chris Moore at the National Maritime Museum for the 137th prizegiving

DBSC Premier Award Winners

Richella Carroll (right) was recognised as a special DBSC volunteer and race officer for many years in DBSC.

SB20 sailor Davy Taylor won the Dun Laoghaire Trophy Premier Award for the best new DBSC yacht in 2021

J/97 sailors Shane Kelly and Lindsay Casey were awarded the Waterhouse Shield, a DBSC Premier Award for the best yacht in a handicapped series

Therese Tyrrell and Caroline Liddy accepting the Viking Premier Award for an outstanding contribution to sailing on behalf of over 50 DBSC volunteers

The DBSC Premier Award For the most successful yacht in One Design racing, George Arthur Newsom Cup went to Mariposa, Water Wag, Cathy McAleavey & Family

Dr. Alf Delaney Cup for the best Dinghy for the season: Laser Radial, Dave Cahill

DBSC Junior Awards

PY Junior Trophy: Jamie Hammond/Jake Perry

Topper Series Lawson Cup: James Hall

Optimist Series Seapoint Cup: Abigail Murphy

RS Feva Series Mitchel Cup: Ronan Blake-Hickey

DBSC junior winners: PY Junior Trophy: Jamie Hammond/Jake Perry; Topper Series Lawson Cup: James Hall; Optimist Series Seapoint Cup: Abigail Murphy; RS Feva Series Mitchel Cup: Ronan Blake-Hickey/Hugh Meagher and Laser 4.7 Series: Jimmy Mooney Goblet

Cruiser Awards

Cruiser 0 Thursdays IRC Racing Martin Cup: Rockabill VI, P. O'Higgins

Cruiser 0 Saturdays IRC Racing: Knox-Gore Trophy, Prima Forte, F Rigley/S.Lemass

Cruiser 0 Thursdays Echo Racing: Knox-Gore Bowl, Tsunami, Vincent Farrell (left) and Peter Ryan

Cruiser 1 Thursdays Echo Racing: Tiamat Trophy, Something Else, John & Brian Hall

Brendan Ebrill Memorial Cup Cruisers 1 (ECHO): Jalapeno, Paul Barrington

Cruiser 1 Saturdays IRC Racing Weir Cup: Bon Exemple, Colin Byrne

Cruiser 2 Thursdays Echo Racing Centenary Cup and Most Improved Boat Cr 2 Silver Foam Trophy: Ruthless, Conor Ronan (centre)

Cruiser 2 Saturdays Echo Racing TP Early Memorial Cup: Leeuwin, Henry Leonard

Cruiser 3 Tuesdays ECHO Racing Whimbrel Rose Bowl; Thursdays IRC Racing Smalldridge Cup and Saturdays IRC Racing Jack Kennedy Memorial Cup: Starlet Kevin Byrne

Cruiser 3 Saturdays ECHO Racing Mercia Cup: Maranda, Myles Kelly

White Sails Thursdays & Saturdays IRC Racing, The Trevor Wood Trophy and Thursdays & Saturdays, ECHO Racing: Boomerang, The Kirwan Family

 Cruiser 5 Thursdays ECHO Overall Div A, Gerry Henry Salver; Saturdays A and B ECHO overall, Ana Livia Trophy: Just Jasmine Philip Smith.

Cruiser 5 Thursdays IRC Overall Div A Burford Trophy and Saturdays A and B IRC overall White Sail Class Trophy: Playtime J. Phillips & N. Kidney

One Design keelboats & Dinghies

31.7 Thursday Racing Feanor Trophy: After You Too, Michael Blaney

31.7 Thursday Racing Echo Horrigan Cup and 31.7 Saturday Racing Echo Long John Silver Cup: Bluefin Two M & B Bryson

31.7 Racing: Prospect, Chris Johnston

B211 Tuesday ECHO Overall Optec Trophy and Thursdays SCRATCH overall Facet Jewellers Cup: Billy Whiz, J Fischer & S Bagot

B211 Saturdays SCRATCH overall Beneteau 21 Cup and B211 Thurs/Sat Combined ECHO Waterhouse Rose Bowl: Small Wonder, Jacqueline McStay & Hugh Kelly

B211 Thursdays ECHO overall Beneteau 21 Tray: Isolde Jimmy Martin & Brian Mulkeen

The Dragon RIYC Cup ZinZan, Adrian Masterson

Glens Thursdays Racing Pterodactyl Cup; Saturday Racing Harry Maguire Memorial Cup; Thurs and Sats combined Combined The McMullen Cup; Dalkey Island Race (Bobolink) The Hamilton Reid Cup: Glenluce M.A.C.Millerick

Glens Tuesday Racing Cut Glass Tumbler and Crews Race Glen Challenge Trophy Robert O' Connor (David Houlton) Glens Ladies Race "Once Again" ! pair of Silver Vases Glendun, Alison O'Brien

Ruffians, Tuesday Racing, John Donnelly Perpetual Cup: Carmen, Enda Brennan

Ruffians, Thursday Racing Huet Trophy: Shannagh Stephen Gill & Padraig Diarmada

Ruffians Saturday Racing British Airways Trophy and Thursdays and Saturdays combined, J.Lamont Trophy: Ruffles, Michael Cutliffe

Shipmans Tuesday Racing, Cut Glass Tumbler: Poppy, Alain Deladiennee

Shipmans Saturday Racing The Melindi Cup and Shipmans Thursdays and Saturdays combined The Shipman Perpetual Trophy: Invader Gerry Glynn

SB20 Saturdays series A Bealtaine Trophy: Venues world, Ger Dempsey

SB20 Saturday Racing overall, Saturday SB20 Cup: So Blue, Justin Burke Chris Helme & Alan Claffey

 Mixed Sportsboats Thursdays Overall, Sportsboat Trophy: Jester, J/70 D.Curtin

Mixed Sportsboats Saturdays Overall (23 Races) Saturday Sportsboat Cup: Jambiya, Martin Ryan & Vincent Lattimore

 Water Wags Wednesday (17 Races): Goldsmith Cup, Mariposa Cathy McAleavey & Con Murphy

Flying Fifteens (Tuesday Racing) Fifty Something Cup: Perfect 10, Alan Balfe and Patrick Frison Roche

Flying Fifteens Thursday Racing for the Flying Fifteen Gun: Rodriguez, Ken Dumpleton

Flying Fifteens Saturday Racing Brian S Ryan Trophy: Ignis Caput, David Mulvin and Ronan Beirne (pictured)

Flying Fifteens Midweek Handicap racing Blake Cup: Peter Murphy & Ciara Mulvey

Mermaid Racing for The JB Kearney Shield: Ailbhe Smith

Mermaid Saturday Racing Iolar Trophy and Mermaid Thursday Racing (Special Conditions) Amy Cup: Paul Smith & Pat Mangan

Dublin Bay 21s Tuesdays Daisey Picker Cup: Estelle, Number 3, DB21 Class Association, Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra pictured

Squibs Saturdays Shannon Cup: Periquin, Noel Colclough

DBSC Dinghy Awards

Fireballs Tuesdays Nuit St. George Trophy: Louise McKenna

IDRAs 14s Tuesdays Overall Bay Cup: Slipway Julie Ascoop received by Pam McKay

IDRA 14s Special Conditions The Halfway Trophy: Dun Moanin' Jennifer Byrne

IDRA 14s Special Conditions Crews challenge Cup: Dart, Yves & Paul Long

Laser Standard Saturday racing Cut Glass Tumbler: Gavan Murphy

Laser Radial Tuesday Racing Sailcraft Tray Trophy and Laser Radial Tuesdays and Saturdays combined DBSC Challenge Trophy: David Cahill

PY Class Saturday Racing (27 races) Early Bird Trophy Brendan Foley

Water Wags Wednesday 3rd Place G.Pugin Meldon Trophy: Shindella, Alistair & Zoe Kissane

Photography by Michael Chester 

The normal four-start race sequence will be expanded to five for this Sunday's first race of the impressive 70-boat fleet in the AIB-sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay.

The 2021 entry of several 40-foot and above entries (including the past double winner, Seamus Fitzpatrick’s First 50 Mermaid V from the Royal Irish Yacht Club) has led Race Organiser Fintan Cairns to consider a fifth gun, for a combined fleet comprising an eclectic mix of sailing cruiser types.

While largely a Dun Laoghaire Habour based event, there are boats coming from as far as Sligo to compete.

Seamus Fitzpatrick’s First 50 Mermaid V passes the Muglins Light on Dublin Bay, a typical mark of the Turkey Shoot Series

The fleet reached its bumper turnout close as the entry deadline was reached this week for the pre-Christmas fixture celebrating its 21st edition. 

Jonathan Nicholson's EL Pocko

Joining Mermaid V is former DBSC Commodore Jonathan Nicholson's EL Pocko, a German Frers Puma 42 from the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

Another forty-footer is a former DBSC boat of the year, Patrick Burke's Prima Forte of the RIYC.

Patrick Burke's Prima Forte

While the growth of the big boats might make the Turkey Shoot headlines, equally impressive is the solid number of one design keelboats types joining the short sharp seven-race series.

As well as J109s there are six J80s, eight 1720s and six 31.7s one-design keelboats competing. The J80s include a keen turn out of RSTGYC boats including the all-girl 'Jeorgettes' crew.

John Maybury's National Championship winning J109 Joker II is one of five entered.

Michael Blaney's After U too, is one of six 31.7s entered

There is strong representation too from the offshore fraternity with ISORA's Sunfast 3600s, Hot Cookie (John O'Gorman) and Yoyo (Brendan Coghlan) both in along with the latest 3600 Searcher skippered by Pete Smyth. So is Grzegorz Kalinecki's First 310 More Mischief.

The series is scored under modified ECHO handicap and runs until December 19th with First Gun each Sunday at 10.10 hrs.

The early forecasts for Sunday show west north winds of 15 knots gusting to 20, ideal conditions for cruiser-racing.

The entry fee is €70 and includes temporary membership of DBSC and the Royal Irish Yacht Club who are hosting the Series.

The First Gun of the 2021 DBSC Turkey Shoot is this Sunday at 10.10 hrs

Dublin Bay Sailing Club looks on course for its regular bumper turnout of 70 boats – or more – for its seven-race AIB sponsored Turkey Shoot Series starting in just under three weeks. 

The Bay Winter Series has consistently made an effort to include boats that do not usually race. Series organiser Fintan Cairns is reporting a 'good response' from cruising boats and one design among the largely cruiser-racer-based fleet this week.

There has been a healthy response across the Dun Laoghaire Harbour waterfront - and further afield too - with boats from the West Coast competing, including Sean Hawkshaw's Wardance of Sligo Yacht Club.

The fun Series that features short sharp racing has 35 confirmed entries so far, with 18 days to run before the first race on November 7th. 

The two regular Sunfast 3600s are entered, club 1720 sportsboats and ISORA competitor, A Plus, an Archambault 31.

The Archambault 31, A Plus from the National Yacht Club

A First 44.7, a J/112e are also entered at this stage plus there is the prospect of some new arrivals to the bay also joining the Series.

The Series of seven races will be held on Sunday mornings under modified ECHO handicap.

The popular Series runs until December 19th with First Gun each Sunday at 10.10 hrs.

The entry fee is €70 and includes temporary membership of DBSC and the Royal Irish Yacht Club who are hosting the Series.

A Notice of Race is downloadable here.

A number of club 1720s are entered