First staged in 1904, Howth YC’s annual Lambay Race claims to be unique in offering keelboats of all types a taste of the offshore racing experience while remaining within safe coastal limits. It could be argued that the race round the Fastnet Rock during Calves Week at Schull in August offers something similar. But that’s exclusively for cruiser-racers, whereas at Howth – where this year’s annual Lambay challenge is on Saturday June 3rd – the fleet will include the venerable Howth 17s celebrating their 125th Anniversary with this special race which has been part of their programme since its inception in 1899, and the Squibs - now back up to 14 in Howth - which likewise began Lambay racing from their first year in Howth in 1979.
From time to time, other classes from elsewhere like to make the Lambay a feature of some special season, and the Ruffian 23s in their Golden Jubilee Year will be out in force from their main bases in Dun Laoghaire and Poolbeg, while the E-Boats from Clontarf and Skerries will be making the pilgrimage, either north round The Baily or south from St Patrick’s Island, to savour some sailing in waters very different from their drying home bases.
Great sailing but no sun – Class 2 off Lambay’s North Coast in the 2019 race
CLUBHOUSE CATERING AVAILABLE ALL DAY
With other classes being augmented by visiting boats which may be trailing significant distances, the Howth Yacht Club marina/clubhouse complex will be fully operational from an early hour for this full-day event, and the Club’s hospitality team will be on hand from early morning to provide pre-sailing tea, coffee and breakfast rolls. After sailing, competitors will be greeted with a barbeque on the Club deck area with music from a DJ in the bar area. Into the evening, the restaurant and bar will cater for all with music provided by a live band.
THE PROGRAMME AFLOAT
The starting areas will be in the vicinity of Howth Harbour, and boats will race north to round Lambay Island before returning to finish beside Ireland’s Eye after a course that, depending on wind direction, might be as short as 15 miles but is always posing challenges. Local features such as headlands, inlets, high ground and a range of water depths and tidal directions require decisions about which should be sought or avoided but, while they are being debated, those aboard can enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Fingal coast and the islands that mark the north and south ends of the racecourse.
The boat mix is always fascinatng – the classic Half Tonners King One and Mata battle it out with the X class Xebec. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
2023 will be the first time the race will run as a standalone event since pre-pandemic 2019. In 2022 it was part of the Wave Regatta, but for 2023 HYC hope to exceed the 2019 entry of just over 100 boats, so newcomers will be welcomed, and visiting boats will be much appreciated. Racing will be provided for all types of keelboats, whether racing on handicap or as one-designs. Crews intending to compete in the 2023 ICRA Championships will also get the opportunity to study the waters on which that event will be raced in September.
CLOSE COMPETITION EXPECTED
The Handicap Classes will see close competition between Snapshot, the 2022 Boat of the Year, which will be seeking to retain primacy over both its bigger and smaller sisters, the J109s and the J97s, while a locally based J111 will be trying to show them that size does matter. The X302s will be the boats to beat in Class 2, while In Class 3, the mix will include some quick Sigma 33s, Impalas, a newly refurbished and modified Bolero, and a Laser 28, all of them looking to take their first silverware of 2023. The Whitesails Class may have the biggest spread of boat sizes competing, although HYC’s Bite the Bullet and MYC’s White Pearl have shown that a well-sailed Elan 33 is hard to beat in a race like the Lambay.
Lambay is an ideal challenge – big enough to be interesting, small enough to be manageable, and a beautiful islamd with it
In the One-Design category, we will have dedicated races and trophies for visiting Classes, including the Ruffian 23s, who are celebrating 50 years of sailing, and the E-Boats from Clontarf Y&BC and Skerries SC. They will be joining the Howth YC-based One Designs, including the Howth 17s, celebrating the 125th anniversary of their adoption as a Howth icon, the Puppeteer 22 Class that has recently expanded further with three more boats joining the Club’s fleet of 30+ and the Squibs, which continue their fleet revival and now have 14 boats racing from Howth.
TWO STARTING AREAS
Racing is arranged with two starting areas, each with their own Committee Vessels and under the direction of our most senior Race Officers. This will allow the extended list of Class starts to be completed promptly, with boats sent off to Lambay from two directions to minimise congestion. The prize list includes an extensive range of trophies and prizes for IRC, handicap and one-design racing. Class specific trophies for the Sigma 33s and Shipman 28s are provided although both will also be competing in Class 3. A photographer will be there to capture the action afloat and to ensure that the formal prize giving later in the afternoon is properly recorded.
The cliffs on Lambay’s northeast coast provide interesting windward work for Howth 17s. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
Further details can be accessed here and entries can be made online via the link provided at that address. Owners are encouraged to enter before 22.00 on Sunday, May 28th, after which a late-entry fee will apply.
Those seeking berthage or craneage can contact the HYC marina team, either by phone at 01 839 2777 or by email at [email protected]
At day’s end after racing round the rugged island, the fleet returns to all mod cons at Howth Yacht Club
