Junior Regatta Thrills 116 Young Sailors at National YC, With Perfect Seabreeze Conditions

20th July 2025

Afloat.ie Team

There was a great sea breeze for the National Yacht Club Junior Regatta on Dublin Bay

Last Wednesday, the National YC at Dun Laoghaire launched the series of Junior regattas... Despite the challenge of being just a mere two days after the Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta, eventually 116 sailors (81 boats) were ready to race by the morning.

Race officers Larry Power (Main fleet), Thomas Chaix (Harbour fleet) and William Walsh (29er sprints) decided to wait a little ashore for the wind to swing around to seabreeze before sending the fleets afloat, so it was with a slight delay that the eager juniors eventually all made way to the various courses.

116 sailors competed in a successful Junior regatta at the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay

The seabreeze and the mild weather made for a brilliant regatta with each course delivering a full series.

The Harbour fleet

The relaxed, fun and friendly atmosphere of the harbour fleet allowed all our less experienced sailors to enjoy a great afternoon of racing...

In the Optimist fleet, it was a one-man show with NYC's Freddy Hofler leading the bunch in all 3 races... The battles for the two remaining spots on the podium were fierce. NYC Eadbhard Blaney took 2nd in the first race ahead of Lauren Hoban... In the second race, RstGYC Adelaide McAllistair managed to overtake Lily Ryan right on the finish. In the Final race, Adelaide was once more in 2nd, ahead of clubmate Lauren. And that was to be the final order for the prizes.

The Feva fleet delivered very close racing with three different race winners and a final champion decided on count back. RIYC pair James O'Reilly and Cillian McLoughlin eventually took the top prize ahead of NYC's Amelia Chapman and Jack O'Donnell... Emily Liddy and Felicia De Vreeze completed the podium.

The Topper class saw some very good sailing too amongst an all-NYC fleet. Melanie Norris ran away with two race wins before letting Sam Bennett secure line honours on the final race. Rebecca Healy completed the podium with a very consistent series.

Racing was close, and each mistake could prove costly at the National Yacht Club Junior regatta on Dublin Bay

The 29ers sprints

Five boats headed out to battle in the bay over a series of 6 short windward leeward races. Racing was close and each mistake could prove costly. Eventually, NYC Theo Madigan and Daniel McDaid came out on top just about edging out fast progressing RstGYC Juliet Ryan and Ella Rock... Freshly returned from Europeans in Garda, Louise Hanley and Hannah Walsh took 3rd.

The Main Fleet

The largest fleet was as usual the Optimist fleet and to confirm the depth of the fleet, racing provided 3 different race winners and many changes at the front. It proved to be a good practice run before the Connaughts. First to fire was Junior Louis Trickett closely followed by Cian Farrell and Jess Walsh. Cian responded in race two ahead of Louis to level the points. Eabha Brennan Hobbs was just behind... The final race was going to decide the champion on the day. Eabha too line honours, but was Cian 2nd that gave him the overalls ahead of Louis and Ebha.

The Feva fleet was dominated by RstGYC aces Finn Foley and Johnny Rock winning all 3 races. They edged out clubmates Julian O Leary and Dillon Kennedy. Third were Michael Maher and Jamie Keegan.

The other fleets were maybe small in size, but certainly not in quality with Mirror top juniors Michael Hanley (NYC) and Ben Chaix (TBSC) securing 3 race wins in PY, Rory Brennan Hobbs taking the top prize in the ILCA fleet and Henry Cresswell securing the Topper prize.

The overall Champion of Champions trophy was introduced and presented to the winner of a main fleet class wit the lowest number of points. RS Feva and PY champions were on equal points with 3 race wins and the trophy was eventually presented to Finn Foley and Johnny Rock on the basis of their fleet having more boats competing.

And the shore fun could start... The Teddy's ice cream van launched the hostilities to the delight of the kids (and volunteers) before the prizegiving... The NYC BBQ was then just ready, swiftly moving from awards to food... And finally, the kids came back for the legendary club kids disco, very ably managed by the dream team (Bella and Dylan).

It was certainly a challenge to get everything up and running post VDLR, and massive thanks must go to the volunteer team, NYC instructors reassigned into mark layers, Committee boats owners John Hall and Ronan Columb and a very special one to Henrietta Senkowsky who tirelessly give her time to our juniors in general but specifically managed all the entries (including last minute ones) and computed results in record times to keep the show on the road.

Next stop! The RIYC junior regatta. More here.

Published in National YC, RS Sailing, Laser, Topper, Optimist

Published in National YC

Tagged under

National Yacht Club

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

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