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Light Winds Prove No Obstacle for Series Leader 'Storm'

7th October 2012
Light Winds Prove No Obstacle for Series Leader 'Storm'

#hyc – In a break from the high winds that have prevailed so far for Howth's 2012 Autumn league today unusually light and variable conditions in the race area north of Howth allowed the cruiser classes a short but tricky race while the lack of wind inshore for the one-design keelboats conspired against race officer Richard Kissane and his team, leaving them with no option but to abandon racing for the day.

Pat Kelly and team on the J109 'Storm' continue to dominate Class 1 in the IRC division - the competition in this class appears to be for second place, with 'Flashback' now in contention after a second place this weekend, while consolidating their position at the top of the ECHO division.

Dave Cullen's widely campaigned half-tonner 'King One' found form in Class 2 this week, by winning on IRC and placing the boat in contention for overall honours with division leader 'Maximus' and second placed 'Dux'. Maximus will discard their 5th place result today in ECHO, affording them a close lead of 3 points from next best placed 'Bushwakka'.

Team 'Toy Yot' revelled in the light winds to post a victory in Class 3 IRC, three minutes ahead of Kevin Darmody's 'Gecko', but well behind Vince Gaffney and team on 'Alliance II' in the overall standings. 'Alliance II' remain on a 'perfect score' of 3 points following this weeks discard. After today's win in Class 3 ECHO, 'Starlet' now lead 'Goyave' by 3 points at the top of that division.

A win in Class 4 IRC puts Colm Bermingham's 'Bite the Bullet' in equal first place with Philip Dilworth's Grand Soleil 40 'Orna' and sets up some close competition for the remaining two races in this 6-week long series. In the Class 4 ECHO division, 'White Lotus' and crew's win puts them within two points and closes the gap on 'Tiger'.

Stephanie Ennis and Windsor Laudan's 'Demelza' was beaten by Harry Byrne's Sunrise 34 'Alphida' in the Class 5 IRC division while 'Jokers Wild' win in the ECHO division still leaves 'Sandpiper of Howth' in top spot with just 4 points to spare.

Average points were given to the Olympus Team Prize competitors that had their inshore race abandoned due to a lack of wind, leaving the 'Anybody but us' team of 'Orna' (Class 1), 'Valkyrie' (Etchells) and 'King One' (Class 2) ten points in front of "The Lads Again', a team that includes one of Howth's oldest boats (Aura - an 1898 vintage Howth Seventeen) and newest arrivals (Crazy Horse - a J24 new to Howth in 2012) as well as Algie Pearson's Puppeteer 'Trick or Treat'.

Published in Howth YC
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Howth Yacht Club information

Howth Yacht Club is the largest members sailing club in Ireland, with over 1,700 members. The club welcomes inquiries about membership - see top of this page for contact details.

Howth Yacht Club (HYC) is 125 years old. It operates from its award-winning building overlooking Howth Harbour that houses office, bar, dining, and changing facilities. Apart from the Clubhouse, HYC has a 250-berth marina, two cranes and a boat storage area. In addition. its moorings in the harbour are serviced by launch.

The Club employs up to 31 staff during the summer and is the largest employer in Howth village and has a turnover of €2.2m.

HYC normally provides an annual programme of club racing on a year-round basis as well as hosting a full calendar of International, National and Regional competitive events. It operates a fleet of two large committee boats, 9 RIBs, 5 J80 Sportboats, a J24 and a variety of sailing dinghies that are available for members and training. The Club is also growing its commercial activities afloat using its QUEST sail and power boat training operation while ashore it hosts a wide range of functions each year, including conferences, weddings, parties and the like.

Howth Yacht Club originated as Howth Sailing Club in 1895. In 1968 Howth Sailing Club combined with Howth Motor Yacht Club, which had operated from the West Pier since 1935, to form Howth Yacht Club. The new clubhouse was opened in 1987 with further extensions carried out and more planned for the future including dredging and expanded marina facilities.

HYC caters for sailors of all ages and run sailing courses throughout the year as part of being an Irish Sailing accredited training facility with its own sailing school.

The club has a fully serviced marina with berthing for 250 yachts and HYC is delighted to be able to welcome visitors to this famous and scenic area of Dublin.

New applications for membership are always welcome

Howth Yacht Club FAQs

Howth Yacht Club is one of the most storied in Ireland — celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2020 — and has an active club sailing and racing scene to rival those of the Dun Laoghaire Waterfront Clubs on the other side of Dublin Bay.

Howth Yacht Club is based at the harbour of Howth, a suburban coastal village in north Co Dublin on the northern side of the Howth Head peninsula. The village is around 13km east-north-east of Dublin city centre and has a population of some 8,200.

Howth Yacht Club was founded as Howth Sailing Club in 1895. Howth Sailing Club later combined with Howth Motor Yacht Club, which had operated from the village’s West Pier since 1935, to form Howth Yacht Club.

The club organises and runs sailing events and courses for members and visitors all throughout the year and has very active keelboat and dinghy racing fleets. In addition, Howth Yacht Club prides itself as being a world-class international sailing event venue and hosts many National, European and World Championships as part of its busy annual sailing schedule.

As of November 2020, the Commodore of the Royal St George Yacht Club is Ian Byrne, with Paddy Judge as Vice-Commodore (Clubhouse and Administration). The club has two Rear-Commodores, Neil Murphy for Sailing and Sara Lacy for Junior Sailing, Training & Development.

Howth Yacht Club says it has one of the largest sailing memberships in Ireland and the UK; an exact number could not be confirmed as of November 2020.

Howth Yacht Club’s burgee is a vertical-banded pennant of red, white and red with a red anchor at its centre. The club’s ensign has a blue-grey field with the Irish tricolour in its top left corner and red anchor towards the bottom right corner.

The club organises and runs sailing events and courses for members and visitors all throughout the year and has very active keelboat and dinghy racing fleets. In addition, Howth Yacht Club prides itself as being a world-class international sailing event venue and hosts many National, European and World Championships as part of its busy annual sailing schedule.

Yes, Howth Yacht Club has an active junior section.

Yes, Howth Yacht Club hosts sailing and powerboat training for adults, juniors and corporate sailing under the Quest Howth brand.

Among its active keelboat and dinghy fleets, Howth Yacht Club is famous for being the home of the world’s oldest one-design racing keelboat class, the Howth Seventeen Footer. This still-thriving class of boat was designed by Walter Herbert Boyd in 1897 to be sailed in the local waters off Howth. The original five ‘gaff-rigged topsail’ boats that came to the harbour in the spring of 1898 are still raced hard from April until November every year along with the other 13 historical boats of this class.

Yes, Howth Yacht Club has a fleet of five J80 keelboats for charter by members for training, racing, organised events and day sailing.

The current modern clubhouse was the product of a design competition that was run in conjunction with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland in 1983. The winning design by architects Vincent Fitzgerald and Reg Chandler was built and completed in March 1987. Further extensions have since been made to the building, grounds and its own secure 250-berth marina.

Yes, the Howth Yacht Club clubhouse offers a full bar and lounge, snug bar and coffee bar as well as a 180-seat dining room. Currently, the bar is closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Catering remains available on weekends, take-home and delivery menus for Saturday night tapas and Sunday lunch.

The Howth Yacht Club office is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Contact the club for current restaurant opening hours at [email protected] or phone 01 832 0606.

Yes — when hosting sailing events, club racing, coaching and sailing courses, entertaining guests and running evening entertainment, tuition and talks, the club caters for all sorts of corporate, family and social occasions with a wide range of meeting, event and function rooms. For enquiries contact [email protected] or phone 01 832 2141.

Howth Yacht Club has various categories of membership, each affording the opportunity to avail of all the facilities at one of Ireland’s finest sailing clubs.

No — members can join active crews taking part in club keelboat and open sailing events, not to mention Pay & Sail J80 racing, charter sailing and more.

Fees range from €190 to €885 for ordinary members.
Memberships are renewed annually.

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