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Royal Irish Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin A96 RC84

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Royal Irish Yacht Club News
Competitors arrive at a robotic mark in the INSS J80 fleet of keelboats at the inaugural Irish Sailing League hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay
Kinsale Yacht Club emerged as the winner of the inaugural Irish Sailing League 2024 after 20 races sailed off Dun Laoghaire on Sunday.  The light wind league was hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club and organised by Kenny Rumball and…
The spirit of Dublin Bay. Senior Skipper Tim Goodbody helming his very successful family-owned J/109 White Mischief
There’s something special about a large organisation which is so attuned to the needs of the many services it quietly provides that it can - naturally and confidently and without fuss - move into action each year in a distinctly…
ICC Commodore David Beattie’s steel cutter Reespray at the Fastnet Rock. As her hull lines are based on Joshua Slocum’s world-girdling Spray, this means that the basic shape is more than 250 years old
Last night’s Annual General Meeting of the 1929-founded Irish Cruising Club in Dublin was more than the usual agenda-guided review of a year of activity afloat, a time-honoured long look at twelve months of varied cruising and voyaging on waters…
Royal Irish Yacht Club's Saskia Tidey is a member of the GB squad in the race to win the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup
Royal Irish Yacht Club's Saskia Tidey has been named as a member of the Pathway squad in the race to win the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup and retain the Youth America’s Cup for Britain. In a busy year for…
Brendan Foley's First Class 8, 'Allig8r' from the Royal St. George Yacht Club, competing in the 2023 ICRA National Championships at Howth Yacht Club. The 2024 event will be staged by the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire from 30th August- 1st September
The Notice of Race and online entry has been published for the Unio-sponsored ICRA National Championships 2024 at the Royal Irish Yacht Club this August. Organisers plan to split fleets into Class 0, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 and…
The Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire has the world’s oldest original purpose-designed complete clubhouse, with its classical premises dating from 1850. Yet while this has been meticulously preserved, the harbour and marina have conveniently re-arranged themselves round it to provide a unique combination of living history and modern facilities
The latest news on the Dun Laoghaire waterfront is that the J/109 Europeans 2024 will be part of this year’s intense series of cruiser/racer regattas at the Royal Irish YC in late August and early September. It’s an organisational breakthrough…
Tim Goodbody Junior won the 2024 Palma OK dinghy mid-winter regatta in Mallorca
Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Tim Goodbody Junior scored a significant victory when he won the Palma OK dinghy mid-winter regatta in Mallorca last weekend. The 2008 Royal Irish Yacht Club Olympian was part of a 15-boat fleet from six nations gathered…
Reroute - The Irish SB20 boats bound for the class World Championships in Dubai in February have been returned to Dublin due to the Red Sea Crisis
It’s only four weeks since the Irish team, due to race in the 2024 SB20 World Championships, packed up their boats and shipped to Dubai, but already they are back on Irish soil. The three teams, Ger Dempsey, RIYC, Colin…
Finola Flanagan with ISORA’s Wolf’s Head champion’s trophy with her husband Paul O’Higgins (centre) and his crew of shipmates and friends who race the successful Rockabill VI
While sailing in Ireland has its conspicuously attention-getting aspects, the real backbone of the sport continues to be the active club sailor who can quietly keep a usefully large crew panel together in order to have the right mix of…
Dún Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay. The IRC European Championships will be held from 10th – 15th September at the Royal Irish Yacht Club
Dun Laoghaire Harbour will move centre-stage in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar in 2024 when the club's European IRC Championships will be held for the first time in Dún Laoghaire by the Royal Irish Yacht Club. It will be part…
September's ICRA National Championships kickstarts three weeks of top-class cruiser racing at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in 2024, with the J Cup Ireland and IRC European Championships also being staged by the Dun Laoghaire Harbour club
In 2024, the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) in Dun Laoghaire Harbour will host a unique schedule of major sailing championships, promising three weeks of 'premiere keelboat racing', representing a major boost to sailing on the capital's waters.  ICRA Nationals 2024…
The start from Dun Laoghaire in 1888 of a Royal Alfred Yacht Club cross-channel race to Holyhead, where the finish would be co-ordinated by the Royal Mersey YC or the Royal Dee YC. This weekend sees two prize-givings in Dun Laoghaire with direct links to this 1888 event. The Royal Alfred YC is now merged into Dublin Bay SC, whose annual trophy distribution took place last night (Friday) in the National Maritime Museum. And tonight (Saturday) the Irish Sea Offshore Racing – formed in 1972 in a direct line of organisational descent from the early cross-channel inter-club co-operations shown above – will be holding its annual prize-giving dinner in the National YC in Dun Laoghaire
It’s prize-giving time down beside the Old Granite Pond. Last night (Friday), Commodore Eddie Totterdell presided over Dublin Bay Sailing Club’s annual re-distribution of their enormous cache of trophies in the National Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire. And tonight (Saturday),…
A fleet of 68 boats are contesting the 2023 DBSC Turkey Shoot Series
The 1720 sportsboat Optique held off a strong challenge from three different J-Boat designs to win the first race of the AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Sunday morning. The Dublin Bay-based cruiser racer one-design keelboat fleet series hosted by…
John Treanor's new J112e Valentina from the National Yacht Club will compete in this winter's AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot Series on Dublin Bay
Yachts from Sligo and Dunmore East will race in this year's popular DBSC 'Turkey Shoot' Winter Sailing Series that starts on Dublin Bay in less than a fortnight. With over a week before entries close, the popular event already has 45…
Competitors in the 2023 IRC European Championship held in Cannes, France, enjoyed very close racing, with final positions decided on countback. The 2025 championships will be hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay
Ireland's coastal town of Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay is set to host the next IRC European Championship in September 2024, the 2023 international IRC Congress held in Paris heard recently. Irishman Michael Boyd, who chaired the Congress and is also…
Team GB launch Paris 2024 at London's St Pancras station with Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Saskia Tidey of the Royal Irish Yacht Club (fifth from left)
Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Saskia Tidey will make her third Olympic Games appearance in 2024 after being named as one of ten sailors for Team GB. Returning for another tilt at Olympic glory is Saskia Tidey, who, with two previous Olympic…

Royal Irish Yacht Club - Frequently Asked Questions

The Royal Irish Yacht Club is situated in a central location in Dun Laoghaire Harbour with excellent access and visiting sailors can be sure of a special welcome. The clubhouse is located in the prime middle ground of the harbour in front of the town marina and it is Dun Laoghaire's oldest yacht club. 

What's a brief history of the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

The yacht club was founded in 1831, with the Marquess of Anglesey, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo being its first Commodore. 

John Skipton Mulvany designed the clubhouse, which still retains a number of original architectural features since being opened in 1851.

It was granted an ensign by the Admiralty of a white ensign with the Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Ireland beneath the Union Jack in canton.

Many prominent names feature among the past members of the Club. The first Duke of Wellington was elected in 1833, followed by other illustrious men including the eccentric Admiral Sir Charles Napier, Sir Dominic Corrigan the distinguished physician, Sir Thomas Lipton, novelist, George A. Birmingham, yachtsman and author, Conor O'Brien, and famous naval historian and author, Patrick O Brian. 

In the club's constitution, it was unique among yacht clubs in that it required yacht owners to provide the club's commodore with information about the coast and any deep-sea fisheries they encountered on all of their voyages.

In 1846, the club was granted permission to use the Royal prefix by Queen Victoria. The club built a new clubhouse in 1851. Despite the Republic of Ireland breaking away from the United Kingdom, the Royal Irish Yacht Club elected to retain its Royal title.

In 1848, a yachting trophy called "Her Majesty's Plate" was established by Queen Victoria to be contested at Kingstown where the Royal Irish Yacht Club is based. The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland at the time, George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon suggested it should be contested by the Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Royal St. George Yacht Club in an annual regatta, a suggestion that was approved by both clubs with the Royal St. George hosting the first competitive regatta.

The RIYC celebrated its 185th Anniversary in 2016 with the staging of several special events in addition to being well represented afloat, both nationally and internationally. It was the year the club was also awarded Irish Yacht Club of the Year as Afloat's W M Nixon details here.

The building is now a listed structure and retains to this day all its original architectural features combined with state of the art facilities for sailors both ashore and afloat.

What is the Royal Irish Yacht Club's emblem?

The Club's emblem shows a harp with the figure of Nice, the Greek winged goddess of victory, surmounted by a crown. This emblem has remained unchanged since the foundation of the Club; a symbol of continuity and respect for the history and tradition of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

What is the Royal Irish Yacht Club's ensign?

The RIYC's original white ensign was granted by Royal Warrant in 1831. Though the Royal Irish Yacht Club later changed the ensign to remove the St George's Cross and replace the Union Jack with the tricolour of the Republic of Ireland, the original ensign may still be used by British members of the Royal Irish Yacht Club

Who is the Commodore of the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

The current Commodore is Jerry Dowling, and the Vice-Commodore is Tim Carpenter.

The RIYC Flag Officers are: 

What reciprocal club arrangements does the Royal Irish Yacht Club have?  

As one of Ireland's leading club's, the Royal Irish Yacht Club has significant reciprocal arrangements with yacht clubs across Ireland and the UK, Europe, USA and Canada and the rest of the World. If you are visiting from another Club, please have with a letter of introduction from your Club or introduce yourself to the Club Secretary or to a member of management staff, who will show you the Club's facilities.

What car parking does the Royal Irish Yacht Club have at its Dun Laoghaire clubhouse?

The RIYC has car parking outside of its clubhouse for the use of its members. Paid public car parking is available next door to the club at the marina car park. There is also paid parking on offer within the harbour area at the Coatl Harbour (a 5-minute walk) and at an underground car park adjacent to the Royal St. George Yacht Club (a 3-minute walk). Look for parking signs. Clamping is in operation in the harbour area.

What facilities does the Royal Irish Yacht Clubhouse offer? 

The Royal Irish Yacht Club offers a relaxed, warm and welcoming atmosphere in one of the best situated and appointed clubhouses in these islands. Its prestige in yachting circles is high and its annual regatta remains one of the most attractive events in the sailing calendar. It offers both casual and formal dining with an extensive wine list and full bar facilities. The Club caters for parties, informal events, educational seminars, themed dinners and all occasions. The RIYC has a number of venues within the Club each of which provides a different ambience to match particular needs.

What are the Royal Irish Yacht Club's Boathouse facilities?

The RIYC boathouse team run the launch service to the club's swinging moorings, provide lifting for dry-sailed boats, lift and scrub boats, as well as maintaining the fabric of the deck, pontoon infrastructure, and swinging moorings. They also maintain the club crane, the only such mobile crane of the Dun Laoghaire Yacht Clubs.

What facilities are offered for junior sailing at the Royal Irish Yacht Club?

One of the missions of the Royal Irish Yacht Club is to promote sailing as a passion for life by encouraging children and young adults to learn how to sail through its summer courses and class-specific training throughout the year. 

RIYC has an active junior section. Its summer sailing courses are very popular and the club regularly has over 50 children attending courses in any week. The aim is for those children to develop lifelong friendships through sailing with other children in the club, and across the other clubs in the bay.
 
Many RIYC children go on to compete for the club at regional and national championships and some have gone on to represent Ireland at international competitions and the Olympic Regatta itself.
 
In supporting its young sailors and the wider sailing community, the RIYC regularly hosts junior sailing events including national and regional championships in classes such as the Optmist, Feva and 29er.
 
Competition is not everything though and as the club website states:  "Many of our junior sailors have gone on the become sailing instructors and enjoy teaching both in Ireland and abroad.  Ultimately, we take most pleasure from the number of junior sailors who become adult sailors and enjoy a lifetime of sailing with the club".