2018 marked a big year for the Royal Irish Yacht Club's Regatta with the announcement that Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin has come aboard as title sponsor of the event, a shot in the arm for the waterfront regatta scene at Dun Laoghaire.
The spectacle kicked off yesterday at 11.30 in ideal conditions and, as Afloat.ie reported previously, the one-day regatta saw a combined fleet of approximately 160–yachts across 20 classes compete in the popular two-race format.
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The sun shines on Roisin Rigney and Padraig McCarthy (CEO Royal Irish Yacht Club) at the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Royal Irish Yacht Club Regatta. Photo: Julien Behal
The new sponsor's bottle was on the bows of 160 boats Photo: Afloat.ie
The Royal Irish was thronged with sailors and families for yesterday's Regatta Photo: Afloat.ie
A 12-14–knot northeasterly gradient produced T-shirts and shorts sailing conditions for most crews in the cruiser classes and for some of the one design classes too as the heatwave over Ireland continues.
In a unique double for the club, it co-hosted the staging of the Round Ireland Race from Wicklow while staging its club regatta on the same day. It was quite an achievement which it pulled off in style, even though some of the RIYC's own big boats were unable to participate in the regatta due to their Round Ireland commitments off Wicklow including former ICRA Boat of the Year, the George Sisk skippered Farr 42 Wow and the Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race Champion, Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins).
A fine cruiser one start of the first race Photo: Afloat.ie
Greystones based Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera was the class zero winner Photo: Afloat.ie
In class zero, a three–boat dogfight produced a win for Greystones Harbour's Eleuthera from Paddy McSwiney's D Tox. It is the second win of the season for the Wicklow boat skippered by Frank Whelan who has also chalked up early coastal success racing in the Viking Marine sponsored ISORA fleet race in May.
Paddy McSwiney's X35 D Tox was second in class zero Photo: Afloat.ie
There was some upset to the pecking order in class one IRC when Andrew Algeo's J109 Juggerknot who has enjoyed a string of wins since May had to settle for fourth in his own club's regatta. It was Algeo's clubmates Tim and Richard Goodbody in their J109 White Mischief who took the honours in the impressive 16–boat fleet. In second place was another J109, Brian and John Hall's Something Else from the National Yacht Club, with another NYC J boat, Jalapeno from the RStGYC third.
Perfect sailing conditions for the RIYC regatta Photo: Afloat.ie
Paul Barrington's J109 Jalapeno was third in class one IRC
Howth J109 Storm Photo: Afloat.ie
In a fine 15–boat class two turnout, there is still no breaking the stranglehold of the optimised Half Tonners from Howth. Dave Cullen's Checkmate XV again won with two wins from Jonny Swan's Harmony. Third was Nigel Biggs' Checkmate XVIII. Anthony Gore-Grimes' Dux, an X332 was fourth with Dick Lovegrove's Sigma 33 fifth on IRC.
Jonny Swan's Half Tonner Harmony from Howth was second overall Photo: Afloat.ie
Nigel Biggs' Checkmate XVIII makes a great start in race one Photo: Afloat.ie
There were notable exceptions from some of the one design fleets such as the SB20s who were racing separately for national championship honours.
The Flying Fifteens turned out in double figures but some of their number were competing at the weather–hit British National Championships in Strangford Lough, including Bay Champions David Gorman and Chris Doorly who took fourth overall in County Down. David and Conor Mulvin beat a ten–boat fleet to win from National Yacht club mate Joe Coughlan. Third was another NYC skipper, Peter Murphy.
Flying fifteen winners at the RIYC prizegiving - Left to right: First overall Conor & David Mulvin, second Joe Coughlan and third Peter Murphy and Andy Marshall
In the Dragon class, a turnout of five was reduced by one at least with the absence of Martin Byrne's Jaguar that is competing at the Edinburgh Cup in Torbay.
Peter Bowing's Phantom from the Royal St. George Photo: Afloat.ie
Likewise, a conflicting Squib event in Kinsale reduced the fleet to only three. Periquin was first with Fox second and Allsorts third.
Ronan Wallace was the Laser class winner Photo: Afloat.ie
In the dinghy classes, Ronan Wallace was the winner in the Laser class, with a two and a one scored ahead of Royal St. George's Ross O'Leary in second with Eoin Delap third. Wallace adds this win to last week's NYC Regatta victory to go top in the new Dublin Bay Regatta Laser League. In the six-boat Radial division, the National Yacht Club's Ella Hemeryck beat men's national champion Sean Craig of the Royal St. George Yacht Club.
Ruffian 23 Bandit from the National Yacht Club
In the Ruffian 23 class, Frank Bradley sailing Ripples beat Michael Cutliffe's Ruffles from the DMYC with Ann Kirwan's Bandit from the National Yacht Club in third.
Chris Johnston's Beneteau 31.7 Prospect was the class winner Photo: Afloat.ie
In a fine turnout of 13 entries for the mixed Sportsboats class, Howth Yacht Club visitors carried the day with Dan O'Grady's Jammy and Nobby Reilly's Red Cloud first and second. The host club's Mervyn Dyke was third.
Howth's Dan O'Grady was the Sportsboat winner in the J80 Jammy Photo: Afloat.ie
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