Busy June for National Yacht Club’s Sailors and Volunteers

5th July 2023

Lauren O’Callaghan and James Dwyer racing to third place in the 29er Nationals in June Credit: Andrew Conan Photography

The season is now well underway and the National Yacht Club’s staff and volunteers are now within the final straight before the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta this week, writes head coach Thomas Chaix.

But June was a month rich of sailing fun in courses 1 and 2, certainly helped by the warm spell of weather we enjoyed, plus serious events with two nationals organised by the club and participation at regional and national events around the country.

The NYC volunteers have been on deck ensuring the success of three main events. And our club sailors did not disapoint delivering excellent results.

The Aero Nationals experimented with the concept of pre-event coaching and post-racing debriefs. The local and visiting fleet feedback was excellent and the weekend was enjoyed by all, at their own level.

NYC veteran ace Noel Butler sailed his Aero6 to fourth overall and collected the first Irish Sailing medal of the summer for the club with a silver (two of the boats ahead were UK visitors who were very pleased with their Dublin visit).

The van Steenberge siblings (2nd) duel with Lauren and James in Scotsman’s Bay during the 29er Nationals | Credit: Andrew Conan Photography

While the Aeros were racing, the Optimist club team travelled to East Antrim to compete at the Ulsters. If the team was missing our two strongest sailors (on duty with Team Ireland at the Worlds in Spain), the remaining sailors sailed a very good event, collecting honours in the various categories.

Our junior and regatta fleet sailors were all smiles at the prizes with excellent results and progress. Louis Trickett’s second event win in regatta racing earned him a progression into the junior fleet, Both Alex Butcher and Jacob Browne will progress into Junior Silver and Basile Dion’s second overall podium in a row will catapult him into Junior Gold.

The Toppers were on tour in Wexford with Ethan Spain growing his coaching skills with team NYC. Grace Keating (3rd Junior girl) and Ella Fitzgerald (3rd Youth girl) were in the prizes but it was also the first event for James Gorman, who managed an encouraging mid-fleet finish.

The Optimist team at the Ulsters

The following weekend, Blessington hosted the RS Fest which included the RS Feva Nationals. It was challenging and only three races could be completed.

At the NYC, we prioritise overall skills development with crewing experience, double-handed skills and partnerships management growing options for our junior sailors. Many of the Feva sailors who took part part are also active Optimist, ILCA4 or Topper sailors. The club team was the largest contingent of young sailors taking part. They did not disappoint under the guidance of our club coach Sophie Gorman and the ever hard-working enthusiastic class captain David Wheelan. Two more Irish Sailing medals made it to the club, with Grace Keating and Hannah Walsh securing silver and Felix Dion and Lucas Browne taking bronze.

Last weekend was a busy one. The club platform was buzzing with the 29er sailors competing at the largest nationals ever hosted with an incredible 17 boats in the line-up. At the same time the 2.4 competed at the 2.4mR Championships with overseas visitors challenging home sailor Patrick Hassett.

The 29ers delivered a fast and furious event in Scotsman’s Bay with Academy aces and defending champion Ben O’Shaugnessy and Ethan Spain (RCYC/NYC) fending off the downwind masters Clementine and Nathan van Steenberge (NYC). Leaving Cert students Lauren O’Callaghan and James Dwyer (NYC/RCYC) completed the podium. The 29er class is a growing force in the club with no less than seven partnerships from the club competing.

Louis Trickett wins his second regional (regatta racing) at the Oppy Ulsters and progresses to main fleet

The 16-boat Optimist team travelled to Dunmore East and battled in a wild Celtic Sea. Freshly returned from the Worlds, it was a battle between Harry Dunne and Gemma Brady at the top of the senior fleet with two more NYC sailors securing top 10 (Felix Dion in sixth and Louise Hanley in eighth).

The juniors were solid with both Alex Butcher and Aurele Dion top 10. A special mention goes to Louis Trickett for his first event in the junior main fleet: a baptism of fire! Our regatta racing sailors fought well and showing great progress after a few weeks sailing in our summer courses.

The dinghies are now making space for the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta which kicks off this Thursday 6 June.

Published in National YC

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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

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