Displaying items by tag: Richard Hayes

25th April 2023

Laser Dinghy Circumnavigator of Ireland Honoured by Galway City Mayor

Richard Hayes, who circumnavigated Ireland in a Laser One dinghy five years ago, has been honoured at a mayoral reception in Galway city.

Hayes had set out on his voyage with two main aims - to highlight the preventable nature of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and to fundraise for equipment such as defibrillators.

When he passed Slyne Head, Malin Head, Rathlin Island and the Antrim Coast, the Blasket Islands, a pod of dolphins, and the highest sea cliffs in Ireland, and sailed into Galway Bay on September 15th, 2018, he had done so without a back-up water support team.

He also raised over €11,270 for local heart health charity, Croí.

Mayor of Galway City, Cllr Clodagh Higgins, said that “an unsupported solo sail around Ireland is a very rare event – requiring skill, dedication, fitness and also a lot of patience – to plan and prepare for such an ambitious task, and to wait for the right weather and the right conditions”.

“Along the way on Richard’s solo sail around Ireland, Richard and his family met with the kindness of strangers many times – from those who offered beds, to meals and coffee, and the farmers who towed the boat up sand dunes with their quad bikes,” she said.

“Communities across Ireland have been repaid in kind, in your efforts to keep them and their loved ones free from the heartache of losing a loved one to heart disease,” she said.

Richard’s mother Celine introduced Richard to sailing when he was just eight years old, in Lough Derg.

The ceremony heard how Celine passed away as a result of a heart attack some years late. There was no access to a defibrillator at the time, which might have saved her life.

Croí, which Richard raised over €11,270 for, is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the fight against heart disease and stroke, two major causes of death in Ireland.

It runs a heart and stroke centre in Galway for the community, and provides invaluable complimentary apartments for family members of those receiving treatment.

Mayor Higgins encouraged attendees to continue to support Croí in its vital work, and paid tribute to Richard’s family - his father Michael, and sisters Libhín and Michelle - who supported him “every step of the way”.

She also wished Richard “the very best in his future, on the water, and on land”.

Published in Galway Harbour

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Richard Hayes

Galway Bay Sailor Rounds Ireland By Laser

Richard Hayes sailing solo on his round-Ireland Laser

#Laser - The Galway Advertiser is reporting that Galway Bay Sailing Club member Richard Hayes has completed a solo circumnavigation of Ireland by Laser dinghy.

Hayes sailed 54 days over three-and-a-half months since 27 May to complete the near 2,500km challenge last Friday 14 September in aid of heart and stroke charity Croí — and he is still raising funds for the remarkable effort online.

“This is one of the smallest boats ever to have circumnavigated Ireland and to have successfully done so without a support team on the water,” Hayes shared on Facebook of the achievement.

W M Nixon's Sailing On Saturday this weekend (22nd September) takes a detailed look at Richard Hayes’ great achievement, and other notable small boat voyages round Ireland

Published in Laser

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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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