National Yacht Club's Future is Bright Thanks to Buoyant Youth Sailing Programme

23rd May 2023

Basile Dion, the Junior Silver champion (third overall) at the Optimist Leinster Championships, pictured with National Yacht Club Commodore Paul Sherry Credit: Paul Michel Ledoux

With the youth sailing nationals out of the way, the season is launched for the club's junior and youth sailors, writes National Yacht Club Head Coach Thomas Chaix.

If the NYC flagship event - the 133 boats Optimist Leinsters - has been keeping club volunteers on their toes and the sailors eagerly awaiting, racing also happened in 29er (Southerns in Cork), Toppers (Northerns in Carrickfergus) and RS Fevas (Easterns in the RIYC).

Optimist Leinster Championships

The National YC welcomed 132 sailors aged 6 to 15 from all corners of Ireland. Young U10 sailors making their first steps in racing an Optimist enjoyed the mild and light conditions in the harbour whilst the more experienced contingent battled in the light airs of a tidal bay.

The least experienced fleet (regatta Coaching) enjoyed short courses right in front of the club in an arena-style setting under the leadership of the NYC's most experienced instructors. Fifteen kids completed a series of short races but also enjoyed some paddling fun and pirate-style sailing with boats fully crewed with teams of three sailors (it is amazing how many small sailors can 'sail' an optimist!). The club had eight sailors in the fleet.

Louis Trickett with his coach Natasha Hemerick Photo: Paul Michel Ledoux

The entry-level racing fleet (regatta Racing) completed six races in the harbour. The 39 young sailors were challenged by light and shifty conditions and completed their event with smiles, and singing, yet learning valuable lessons under the leadership of the IODAI and NYC coaches. The locals featured well, with Louis Trickett convincingly winning three races out of six giving him a comfortable lead overall. A further 9 NYC sailors competed with very good individual races secured for Zara Whelan (a 3rd and a 4th), Michael Hanley (a few top 10s), Ben Chaix (a 3rd in the opening race & 1st U9), Josephine Dion (youngest sailor in the fleet securing 9th in the final race)

With 18 NYC sailors competing in the entry-level fleets, the future is bright at the club!

The main fleets completed three races on Sunday. It was a family affair in the Junior fleet at the front, with Maeve Donagh edging out her sister Emily for the title. NYC Basile Dion grew stronger throughout the day to eventually manage to squeeze ahead of the girls on the final race, securing 3rd overall and first Silver sailor. Jacob Browne (NYC, too), who was still sailing in the regatta fleet last year, was a notable performance taking 4th overall and First bronze. The skills displayed at the front of the fleet are very encouraging. The older sailors dominated the senior fleet, showing that experience was key to success. Youth nationals champion Harry Dunne (HYC/NYC) confirmed his good form with a solid series edging his two worlds team teammates Caoilinn Geraghty-McDonnell (RstGYC) and Gemma Brady (NYC/LDYC).

Nine of the NYC club sailors competed in total yet again with some excellent individual race performance and showing some sizeable improvement from last year, all credit to their winter training and the hard work of their main coach Conor Gorman.

And last but not least... The club made an outstanding job with mammoth work from class captains and their team of volunteers reminding all that the backbone of successful junior events is time, dedication and certainly not counting the endless hours of preparation. Viking Marine and Craftinsure made valuable contributions helping towards the success of the event.

Topper squad selection

The winter started with an embryonic topper group training in the bay. The club has gone a long way, and we now have a core of 6-7 sailors training three of which (Hannah Walsh, Grace Keating, and Rory Brennan-Hobbs) earned selection in the Irish Sailing summer squad.

Grace Keating secured yet another top three Junior Lady at the Northerns!

RS Feva preparation for the UK nationals

There has been an RS Feva push in the club this winter. The class offers a great transition to juniors from Optimist towards the 29er and great opportunities to develop double-handed skills by dual sailing a single-handed class with the Double handed Feva.

Zara Whelan and Amelia chapman at full hike in their RS Feva dinghy Photo: Thomas Chaix

The season started with 29 entries (of which nine were from the National YC) Easterns. After taking lessons from the Ballyholme team (three in the top four), the group had a clinic with the NYC head coach as their final preparation for the UK nationals. The five boats team will travel on Friday to Wales to line up against the best GBR partnerships over the weekend. Excitement was palpable when packing the boats at the weekend.

The National Yacht Club's Hannah Walsh & Grace Keating were second in the Silver fleet Easterns (7th overall) RS Feva Easterns Photo: Thomas Chaix

29ers Academy selection and entry-level development plans

The NYC was retained as the newly formed 29er Academy base. Two boats have been selected so far: NYC partnerships (Ben O'Shaugnessy & Ethan Spain and William Walsh & Conor Flynn).

29er racing at the Southern Championships at Royal Cork Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

If the Southern title evaded the club teams in early May, NYC once more showed the strength of their skiff programme with two top-five secured, and the club is looking at the next generation of 29er sailors development with summer courses and clinics focusing on entry-level sailors.

Published in National YC

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National Yacht Club

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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

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