Easter Fun For National Yacht Club Junior Sailors

20th April 2023

National Yacht Club junior sailors try out the trapeze on a 29er skiff dinghy Credit: Thomas Chaix/NYC

When the weather plays ball, the kids enjoy sailing! The two weeks of the Easter break may have been cold and split by the last (we hope) storm of the season, but they certainly deliver some great sailing for our juniors, starting with a week of the home open-based clinics and courses and concluding with the Youth Sailing Nationals where our top sailors battled for the six nationals titles on offer.

Smiles, capsizes, fun and final pre-nationals sessions

Conor Gorman left his Optimist Performance group to head coach Thomas Chaix for the week focusing on the up-and-coming future talents. The 7 to 12 years old kept him and his team on their toes as they enjoyed medium winds within the harbour walls. And if sailing was not enough, the kids were all smiles when adding an hour of fun on kayaks each day.

Thanks to 49er FX owner Lauren O'Callaghan, a few young sailors also had the opportunity to experience the thrill of trapezing and fast boats under the watchful eyes of the head coach.

Sailors with their eyes set on the Youth nationals also trained in three short day clinics in Toppers, Fevas and Optimist. The club platform was buzzing with laughter, capsizes stories and the growing anticipation of the first big event of the year approaching. Ballyholme's Matthew Holden, Howth's Harry Dunne, Tralee's Ben Chaix, Tipperary girls Gemma and Grace and a small contingent of South East Topper sailors were welcome additions to the club sessions demonstrating that serious training can work hand in hand with friendship, family and fun.

The week concluded for the Optimist team with the Brassed off Cup in Howth, a traditional one-day event on Good Friday to welcome the return of chocolate treats!

The NYC team used the event as a stepping stone towards their final preparation for the Youth nationals but also a good way to test winter lessons for the sailors who were not selected to take part. Team NYC was the largest group showing our support for the event organised by one of our partner clubs. The team picked up four out of the nine prizes on offer. (Louis Trickett led the regatta fleet with Ben Chaix in 3rd. Jacob Browne took silver in Junior and Harry Dunne Bronze in Senior)

And Storm Noah came putting all activities to a halt for a few days.

Youth Nationals in Howth

The youth nationals is a unique event on the calendar as all the Performance Pathway classes compete over four days in a single venue to decide on 6 Youth titles. Team NYC was composed of 25 sailors competing in 20 boats. The club had representation in four of the six classes competing and confirmed NYC as the premier club in skiff sailing (number of entries and performance).

Some of the National Yacht Club team at the Youth Sailing Nationals at Howth Yacht Club Photo: Thomas Chaix

Some of the National Yacht Club team at the Youth Sailing Nationals at Howth Yacht Club

The team of coaches was led by club head coach Thomas Chaix to deliver support to the sailors ashore and afloat.

On the Junior course, Team NYC had a young and relatively new Topper group most of which only retired from Optimist sailing during the latter part of the winter. They enjoyed some excellent individual races, including a 4th (Grace Keating), a 5th (Hannah Walsh), Three 8ths (two courtesy of Rory Brennan-Hobbs and one from Hannah Walsh). The team is now gearing up towards the Northerns in Carrickfergus at the end of the month.
NYC sole sailor in the ILCA4 James Hall competed for 2 days before reverting to rugby duties (and a great win in the league final) with his best score as an 18th position in race 2.

On the Youth Course, the club 29ers displayed an impressive set of skills with a grand battle at the front between now 3 times youth national champion Ben O'Shaugnessy and crew Ethan Spain and club mates Clementine and Nathan Van Steenberge. The only race the two pairs did not win was snatched by U17 world champions Lucia Cullen and Alanna Twomey. Completing the top five were team NYC sailors Lauren O'Callaghan and crew James Dwyer and fast progressing William Walsh and Conor Flynn. Eoin Byrne and Alexander Trickett had their ups and down, finally taking 8th overall.

The high-stakes Optimist fleet completed ten races with the usual drama, smiles, close finishes and a display of skills in the youngest sailors in the country.

Team NYC was composed by eight sailors in the 43-boat fleet. It must be noted that the event is only open to sailors who have earned selection through their previous year's ranking.

Locally based sailor Harry Dunne revealed in the varied conditions with a consistent series about edging out his nearest rival by a point for the title. After a wobbly start, Gemma Brady delivered an outstanding series for her first participation at the event, just about missing out on the podium (4th). Both sailors will be part of the five-sailor team Ireland going to the world championship in Spain in June.

Louise Hanley (17th) and James Gorman (21st) also earned selection in team Ireland and have been offered to represent the club and the country at the French summer cup as members of the 8 sailors International Development team.

Agonisingly, Matthew Holden's 24th position meant he is currently the first sub for that team.

The season is now launched, and sailors are already looking forward to the next events in May

Topper Northerns, Carrickfergus
29er Southerns, RCYC
Feva Easterns, RIYC
Optimist Leinsters, NYC
Feva UK nationals, Pwllheli

Published in National YC, Youth Sailing

Published in National YC

Tagged under

National Yacht Club

About The Author

Thomas Chaix

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Thomas Chaix is Head Coach at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. He currently sails the 49er dinghy (for fun) but raced the Laser for 25 years and has been a member of French and Irish teams

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National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

At A Glance - National Yacht Club 2024 Events