Winter sailing at Howth Yacht Club came to a close on Saturday 7th March when dinghy sailors gathered for the annual Round the Island Race, followed by the Frostbite Series lunch and prizegiving. Bolstered by a promising weather forecast, there were sixty-six entries and the Club welcomed a variety of boats from Dublin and further afield. Visitors joining the HYC Frostbite sailors included a GP14 from Sutton, IDRA 14s and a Scorpion from Clontarf, an International 14 and 49er from Howth, as well as a group of visiting ILCAs and RS Aeros from Dun Laoghaire and from Monkstown Bay SC in Cork.
In a race where there are quite a few factors to assess, each sailor ultimately faces one key decision – which way to round the Island.
Discussion ashore before launching centred on the decision to go clockwise or anti-clockwise. The breeze was from the south, the tide was flooding (high water at 13:45) and the start time was just before noon. Many sailors concluded that anti-clockwise was the better option, leaving the Island to their left. The rationale was to begin with a fetch against the flooding tide up Howth Sound, then turn downwind and be carried by the tide along the eastern and northern sides of the Island before tackling the relatively short leg to windward back to the finish line in the Sound – perhaps even with the tidal flow beginning to ease or reverse by then.
A short warm-up race was sailed to allow competitors to acclimatise to the conditions. After the extended damp spell since Christmas, the bright sunshine and 12–16 knot breeze provided excellent sailing weather. The warm-up consisted of three laps of a windward-leeward course and, once everyone had caught their breath, attention turned to the main event.
Both fleets got away cleanly at the first attempt. A short upwind leg in the puffy and shifty breeze coming off Howth Head was followed by a run to a turning mark, which served as the final decision point where sailors had to commit to their chosen direction around the Island. The leaders in both fleets opted for the anti-clockwise route, and while the majority of the ILCA and PY fleets followed suit, a number of competitors braved the opposite direction.
With a noticeably fresher breeze to the east of the Island and waves adding to the challenge, the two groups eventually converged near the Stack at the north-eastern corner of Ireland’s Eye, where it was still too close to call which direction had paid off. One constant both groups encountered was the wind shadow under the cliffs on the north side of the Island. Different strategies yielded mixed returns – giving the Island a wide berth delivered a stronger breeze, while hugging the shoreline offered a more direct but riskier route. In the ILCA fleet, Hugh Delap of RStGYC made a huge gain by sailing close under the cliffs and rounded the Martello Tower on the western point of the Island in the lead.
Hugh went on to win the ILCA 7 fleet, with Dan O’Connell taking second, although the clockwise sailors were not far behind. Andrejs Samoilov of MYC had chosen the clockwise route and looked well placed for victory when he rounded the hazard mark off the southern tip of the Island and set off on a planing reach up Howth Sound. With only a short beat from the final mark to the finish line, the race seemed his for the taking. Unfortunately for Andrejs, the wind eased, and the planing came to an abrupt end, restoring hope – and ultimately victory – to the boats arriving from the opposite direction. Visiting sailors claimed the win and three of the top six places, prompting calls for the return of the inter-club trophy that once formed part of the event.
In the ILCA 6 fleet, HYC’s Harry Dunne produced an outstanding performance, storming around the course to win the ILCA 6 title while also beating many of the ILCA 7s. Peter Hassett and Hugh Cahill completed the ILCA 6 podium.
The PY fleet saw an event record 27 starters on the line – fantastic progress for an event raced in early March, especially considering that the PY fleet was only added to the Round the Island Race in 2022. Although Cormac Farrelly and Justin Cullen took line honours in their Melges 15, the overall win on corrected time went to Peter and Stephen Boyle of Sutton Dinghy Club sailing a GP14. They finished just 23 seconds ahead of Daragh Sheridan in his RS Aero, with the Melges 15 a further 30 seconds behind, rounding off a series of strong performances by Cormac and Justin throughout the Frostbite Series.
The IDRA 14 fleet, with seven boats racing on Saturday, has been a tremendous addition to winter dinghy racing in HYC. Alan Carr and Orlaith Connolly capped off their Frostbite campaign by finishing as the first IDRA 14, with Ryan Cairns taking the runner-up spot.
The lunch and prizegiving that followed were well attended, as always, with prizes presented for both the day’s racing and the overall winter series. In addition to the podium awards, two special prizes are awarded each year to recognise the Most Improved ILCA sailor and the Series Personality.
Davie Carr was a deserved winner of the Most Improved award, having demonstrated steadily improving boat handling, tactics and consistency throughout the series. His commitment to racing has already translated into stronger results, suggesting that regular podium finishes may not be far away. It is also encouraging to see more young sailors taking part in the Frostbite Series and using it to sharpen their skills ahead of the summer season.
The Personality Award went to Harry Gallagher, whose contribution to the Frostbite Series's success cannot be overstated. Harry coordinates the race officer roster, liaises with the rescue crews, drafts race documentation and is a regular presence on the Committee Vessel on Sunday mornings – come hail, rain, snow or ice, all of which he has encountered over many years of involvement. In presenting the award, Commodore Kevin Monks and Class Captain Conor Murphy emphasised the sailors’ desire to recognise Harry’s dedication and tireless work for the event. The announcement was met with a huge round of applause.
While Saturday marked the end of winter dinghy sailing at HYC, the summer season is fast approaching. Thursday night club racing for dinghies begins on May 7th and, running on a PY basis, welcomes all classes sailing under handicap. Dinghy open events at HYC in 2026 include the ILCA Masters (May 24–25), Fireball Nationals (June 19–21), Melges 15 Northerns (June 20–21), GP14 Leinsters (July 4–5) and the Optimist Leinsters (July 18–19) – promising a packed and exciting summer of dinghy racing at Howth.
Race report by Conor Murphy
Race Photo Gallery, credit Neil Murphy, Judith Malcolm & Paddy Judge
Prizegiving Photo Gallery by Neil Murphy
