When it became clear just how busy Dublin Bay was going to be at this time in 2024 with its major cruiser-racer championships, a dedicated Dun Laoghaire organiser of regular annual regattas and season-long series commented: "This swathe of signature events will knock the stuffing out of this year for the routine programme if we aren't very careful".
Thus, without competitors being too aware of it, he and others re-shaped their plans to make room for the one-off glamour shows, while still hoping to keep numbers up in the annuals.
SLIPPING EVENTS UNDER THR RADAR
But across in Howth, they seem to have decided that the best thing to do is to keep the head down, and just continue the programme by slipping the annual open events in under the radar regardless, and never mind how many might or might not find it possible to take part.
Last weekend was classic, with the annual Double-Handed Race on Saturday staged despite the fact that several of the hottest contenders in times past were across in Dun Laoghaire battling it out (with more than a modicum of success) in the J-Cup Championship.
The sun shone, and the southeasterly breeze was usefully sharpened just enough by the configuration of the peninsula. With thirteen boats racing across multiple categories, there was pretty much a prize for everyone, though Stephen Mullaney and Ian Martin do seem to have been arguably tops by running away with it, complete unto spinnaker, in the former's Sigma 33 Insider. Results below.
AUTUMN LEAGUE STARTS THIS SATURDAY, 14TH SEPTEMBER
Time was when Autumn Leagues were a big deal. Thanks to the arrival of marinas, the season could be comfortably extended into October when the sea is at its warmest, which emphatically isn't the case for anyone promoting a Spring Series.
God be with the days. It's rough outside the harbour on this winter's morning in 1974-75, but at high water Howth's Frostbite Lasers can find sheltered racing inside the undeveloped harbour, with the gybe mark right under the current location of Howth YC's commodious snooker room
The annual Autumn League for keelboats in Howth started with the easy-maintenance moored Squibs in 1979. But with the marina coming on stream in 1982, it became open house in all senses of the term. For about ten years, this one was seriously BIG until other centres put their own shows on on the road, and then people had so many available sailing choices that they became relaxed about squeezing every last minute of sailing out of each year.
A MATTER OF COURSE?
Thus it's just a matter of course that the HYC Autumn League 2024 starts tomorrow in its 42nd year, and runs until 19th November. Admittedly they have recently noticed the IRC Europeans currently being staged in Dun Laoghaire by allowing boats taking part in that to continue the Autumn League with one race short by giving them an average of the results they do achieve in the home series, but that allowance comes with certain provisos.
ILCA/LASER GOLDEN JUBILEE
For smaller craft, it will then be more than a matter of course that the four weekend Claremont League for dinghies starts on 22nd September. For after that, it's all clear for the ILCA/Lasers to get their winter league going. And it's the Golden Jubilee for the class in Howth. Quite a few old salts who raced those pioneering Lasers fifty years ago in 1974 are very much about and active. And they're talking of doing at least the one race if reasonable conditions can be provided.
A big sea may be running in from the northeast, but the breeze is manageable as a Laser Frostbite Race gets started from the old clubhouse (now Aqua Restaurant) on Howth's West Pier fifty years ago.
Maybe so, but it takes an effort to remember that there were ways of dealing with too much in the way of too much wind and rough seas outside the harbour fifty years ago. If it was at or near high water, there'd be enough smooth water within the harbour for a race area, and the gybe mark (if you dared to gybe) was right under what is now the "new" clubhouse's commodious snooker room.
There's no doubt the clubhouse is a great amenity, a community centre for all peninsular people. But there's no way now that you could stage a race for The Golden Oldies in the Harbour. Or maybe there is, if the moorings in the Outer Harbour have been vacated for winter. We shall see.
If they can wait until the moorings in the Outer Harbour have been vacated for winter, the Golden Oldies of Howth Laser/ILCA racing can have enough sheltered water for their Golden Jubilee Race if proper shelter is required.
