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#moth – Maybe it's the fun factor, maybe its the fear factor – Graeme Grant braved the strong winds off Howth today to sail his Moth foiling dinghy on the first day of the inaugural Moth Irish Championships.

Capable of sailing at over 30 knots, Grant demonstrates the foiling dinghy (pictured above) that has captured the imagination of a number of Irish dinghy sailors and led to this weekend's first gathering of hydrofoil sailors in Ireland.

Four International Moths are sailing from Dun Laoghaire on a regular basis. Dun Laoghaire boats usually take part in the DBSC summer series PY racing along side a growing fleet of 49ers. The number includes Laser European Champion Annalise Murphy

One Fastacraft Zero sails from Blessington Sailing Club, in County Kildare. Blessington offers a great place to learn to sail Moths in flat lake water with the safety of the shore never too far away.

One Ninja based in Howth is sailed by Graeme Grant.

Built almost entirely out of carbon fibre, the International Moth is the most technically advanced racing dinghy in the world. With an all up weight of around 30 kilograms, the boat is designed and built to fly.

The International development sailing class has a history of 75 years of continuous innovation.

Published in Howth YC
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#Moths - If you enjoyed all the action of the America’s Cup recently, you'll be sure to love watching the Moths racing in Howth for the 2013 Irish Open next weekend.

Howth Yacht Club will play host to the event on 2-3 November for the international Moths, foiling single-handed boats that are very fast and incredibly exciting to sail - and to watch!

Spectator boats will be available on both days of the event, and the organisers will do their best to facilitate anyone interested in being on board - contact Laura Dillon at [email protected] indicating which day you would prefer to watch.

Organisers are also hoping to have some video footage playing in the bar on Saturday evening after the day's racing, and all are welcome to attend.

In addition, organisers are looking for a number of yachts, motor boats and RIBs to take some spectators out - anyone willing to volunteer should contact Laura Dillon via the email address above as soon as possible.

Published in Moth
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#moth – An early squall drenched the 80 competitors for the 2013 McDougall + McConaghy International Moth World Championship this morning as they prepared their flying carbon-fiber craft for the final day of racing. The rain and clouds brought with them an unfortunate side effect, cooling down Oahu's Koʻolau Mountains and shutting down the building thermal breeze that might have allowed a final day of racing for the Moth World title.

Ireland's Annalise Murphy and Ryan Seaton, the furthest travelled of all competitors to the Hawaii venue, finished 74 and 73 respectively.  Results here

After a tense 3-hour wait in the Kaneohe Yacht Club boat park, Race Officer Tom Pochereva reached for the treble horn that indicates the end to the regatta; within seconds, a dozen American racers lifted Michigan's Bora Gulari in the air and tossed him in the club pool for the 2013 World Champion's ceremonial dunking.

Gulari becomes the first American two-time Moth World Champion since 1959; he won the 2009 World Championship in Cascade Locks, Oregon.

Gulari attributes his success to his Mach 2 Moth, which he says "is a perfect platform for this kind of sailing," combined with the cumulative effect of dozens of small changes to the boat. "We've been working for a solid year in Detroit, refining and changing things bit by bit until they're perfect," said Gulari. He also gave credit to his sail package, adding "North Sails and specifically sailmaker Chris Williams came up with an extremely powerful sail design for this Worlds; I've never sailed with a faster sail since I bought my first Moth."

Final Results:

1. Bora Gulari, USA, 21 points
2. Nathan Outteridge, AUS, 29
3. Scott Babbage, AUS, 44
4. Ben Paton, GBR, 45
5. Robert Greenhalgh, GBR, 46
6. Rob Gough, AUS, 50
7. Chris Rashley, GBR, 50
8. Julian Salter, AUS, 55
9. Brad Funk, USA, 71
10. Peter Burling, NZL, 77

Published in Moth
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#mothworlds – Today's McDougall & McConaghy Moth World Championship highlight reel features the most exciting action yet from Kaneohe Bay. One boat destroyed, quite a few damaged, and amazing racing action as Detroit's Bora Gulari overhauls Aussie Nathan Outteridge for the lead. Produced/edited/directed by Peter Crawford/Penalty Box Productions.

Published in Moth
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#moth – An 8-knot easterly breeze swept through Kaneohe Bay just after noon today, providing a glimmer of hope for day one of the 2013 McDougall + Maconaghy Moth World Championship fleet despite a dire forecast. With conditions forecast to build slightly throughout the day, Race Officer Tom Pochoreva and his Kaneohe Yacht Club-based team jumped on the chance for a solid race between two squalls shortly after 1230 PM. "The fleet was foiling around and sailing fast for a while, but when the wind started to die we realized we couldn't get a fair race in and we pulled the plug," said Pochoreva. "Things are looking better and better for the rest of the week, and we're looking forward to some great action tomorrow."

Proving the conventional wisdom accurate, the British contingent showed strong speed in the light air, with Robert Greenhalgh and Tom Offer trading the lead around the course despite leaving the start line nearly 3 minutes late. "I was a bit confused about the course signals and ended up very late for the start," said Greenhalgh, who at one point was nearly a half leg ahead of the next competitor even after giving the fleet a head start. "The boat is going really well, and I was able to get on the foils and stay there after much of the fleet dropped down into low-riding mode."

Tuesday's weather outlook has improved significantly, with most models showing more wind than previously forecast. "We're looking at around 8-10 knots tomorrow, with up to 12 knots on Thursday," said an optimistic Pochereva.

For a breakdown of the likely Top Ten for this year's Worlds fleet, check two-time World Champ Simon Payne's insightful breakdown of the Moth Worlds fleet here. You can find names, sail numbers, and origin for each competitor here.

Racing begins at 1200 tomorrow, with up-to-the-minute coverage on the Moth Worlds Facebook Page. You can find photo galleries of Nationals, Practice, World Championship racing in the Moth World Galleries here.

Photos are rights-free for editorial use only to a maximum half page size.. Mandatory credit to read ©ThMartinez/Sea&Co/Moth World Championship.

Clean Racing Tip Of The Day

As one of the world's most elite racing classes, the International Moth Class believes it essential to emphasize the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of sailing. Working with 11th Hour Racing, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, the Moth Class has come up with a number of initiatives to help all sailing events improve the energy profile and performance of racing boats and increase the personal investment of sailors in the health of our waters.

Each day, the Moth Worlds fleet will highlight a 'Clean Racing Tip' they've implemented; something that will work for regattas and racing classes around the world. Here's today's tip:

SMART SHIPPING: Encourage competitors to ship their boats together, using surface freight whenever possible. This will cut down significantly on carbon emissions and the regatta's carbon footprint. Likewise, try to make local charter boats available for competitors from far away. For local sailors, lending or sharing your boat with a 'rock star' from another part of the country or world is a great way to get your boat tuned up and up to speed.

Published in Moth
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#foiling– Interested in those skiffs or mad foiling machines? Dublin's National Yacht Club (NYC) is taking a leading role in developing high performance dinghy sailing by organising a presentation evening and debate at its Dun Laoghaire clubhouse on the subject of faster sailing. Former youth champion Ben Lynch (and older brother of Finn, the Laser U21 world champion) is organising the session on Friday, 4th October at 18:30 in the NYC.

The aim of the "JUST DO IT" initiative, according to sailing manager Olivier Proveur, is to 'spark something useful for all sailors interested in going a bit faster...'

The programme will cover how to get started and will cover Skiffs, 49er, 29ers and Moth dinghy sailing. (Don't forget the foiling Laser, Ben – Ed)

A programme and poster for the session is available for download below. The go-ahead club was previously in the vanguard of promoting solo and short–handed sailing and held a similar evening at the NYC in December 2009. This Summer it hosted the Route des Princes stop over, a round Europe race for ultra fast trimarans that had more than its fair share of drama on Dublin Bay.

The objectives of the October evening are:

- To inform potential new comers
- To see what level of interest there is to get into that scene...create an attendance / database list
- To detail what we are trying to achieve by coming together and what are potential routes to continue on from here if interested. (Create Yahoo Group? Facebook page? Committing to program to get involved with particular boats or to try a few, training hard in one class to perform)
- To promote the around the island challenge
- To explore the room to develop a series for Hi Perf Dinghies in Dun Laoghaire, within or outside of DBSC, elsewhere in Ireland....

Currently, club members Tadhg and Sean Donnelly are campaigning a 29er dinghy and the NYC's Olympic sailor Annalise Murphy is heading to Hawaii shortly for the Moth World championships.


Published in National YC

#moth – Irish Moth sailors, including London Olympian Annalise Murphy, joined the 30–knot club last weekend at the biggest ever UK Moth National championships held in Weymouth. The foiling class, introduced into Dublin Bay by Jon Chambers in 2011 is attracting something of a cult following both here and in the UK. A number of the space age craft now grace the deck of the National Yacht Club.

Noted British Volvo Ocean Race, Olympic and Extreme 40 sailor, Rob Greenhalgh emerged the winner of the 12-race series at Castlecove Sailing club in Portland harbour.

Greenhalgh said afterwards 'Absolutely delighted with the win against some great sailors; Chris Rashley, Simon Hiscocks, Mike Lennon, Jason Belben and Tom offer. All these guys are so quick and it was full on. I just love the racing and it was very satisfying to have everything click into place at Weymouth'.

There was some Irish success too in the 70–boat fleet with 2004 Athens Olympic Laser sailor, Rory Fitzpatrick winning the silver fleet, in 23rd place overall.  Jon Chambers, pictured above, was 35th overall.  Annalise Murphy. who bought a Moth last season finished 61st but did not compete in the first six races. Results here

Published in Moth
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#annalise – Afloat's Irish sailor of the year Annalise Murphy is the latest sailor to bite the bullet on the hydrofoil sailing Moth dinghy craze.

Annalise who competes at the ISAF World Cup in Palma at the end of this month was on the Ulysses car ferry last week heading for Holyhead to pick up her new boat!

The Moth Class is the name for a small development class sailing dinghy. There are three types of moths and possibly up to 5 currently in existence: the International Moth, a fast sailing hydrofoil dinghy

Annalise, who finished fourth at the London Olympics and is campaigning again for the 2016 Olympics says she is 'learning how to sail all over again'.

The 23–year–old National Yacht Club sailor has just been awarded €40,000 in funding as a 'podium athlete' by the Irish Sports Council.

She spent a lot of time 'cart-wheeling' around Dun Laoghaire Harbour, much to the amusement of other the local DMYC Frostbite fleet.

Other international Laser stars such as triple world Laser Champion and Olympic Gold medallist Tom Slingsby have found sailing the foiling craft helps their Laser technique.

Annalise is not the first to sail the hydrofoiling craft in Ireland. In 2011 the Moth made its debut in Irish waters.

moth2annalise

Annalise gets to grips with the hydrofoil

Published in Olympic
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#MOTH – Progress towards establishing a Moth class in Dun Laoghaire continues with news that two of the high flying craft are entered in to the 2012 Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) summer series. Promoted by Dublin sailor John Chambers the craft first appeared on Irish waters in 2011 when the Bladerider Moth was spotted blasting across Dublin Bay. It has hydrofoils on the dagger board and rudder which lift the boat out of the water when sufficient speed is achieved.

Since then Chambers has been keen to get more dinghy sailors to have a go in the airborne craft. This latest winter video was shot in just 12-knots of breeze and although gybing looks tricky enough Chambers maintains the boat is easy to handle, a point he is keen to let readers know.

Published in Dublin Bay
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Since our report on Ireland's debut at the Moth worlds in January it was inevitable that one of these high speed sailing dinghies would appear on Irish waters soon enough. Yesterday, John Chambers took his first tack of 2011 on Dublin Bay in a Moth he bought in France. Clearly the high speed foiling craft did not go unnoticed. It got an immediate thumbs up from the nearby DMYC frostbite fleet sailing their penultimate race.

The Bladerider Moth came blasting back from the Baily lighthouse, according to eyewitness accounts.  It has hydrofoils on the dagger board and rudder which lift the boat out of the water when sufficient speed is achieved.

It is Chamber's intention to sail the innovative dinghy in this Summer's Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) summer season. 

Video of the Dublin Bay sail plus a photo from Bob Hobby is below:

moth_1

Moth sailing on Dublin bay. Photo: Bob Hobby

Moth sailing in Ireland on facebook HERE

 

Published in Moth
Page 6 of 7

Royal St. George Yacht Club

The Royal St George Yacht Club was founded in Dun Laoghaire (then Kingstown) Harbour in 1838 by a small number of like-minded individuals who liked to go rowing and sailing together. The club gradually gathered pace and has become, with the passage of time and the unstinting efforts of its Flag Officers, committees and members, a world-class yacht club.

Today, the ‘George’, as it is known by everyone, maybe one of the world’s oldest sailing clubs, but it has a very contemporary friendly outlook that is in touch with the demands of today and offers world-class facilities for all forms of water sports

Royal St. George Yacht Club FAQs

The Royal St George Yacht Club — often abbreviated as RStGYC and affectionately known as ‘the George’ — is one of the world’s oldest sailing clubs, and one of a number that ring Dublin Bay on the East Coast of Ireland.

The Royal St George Yacht Club is based at the harbour of Dun Laoghaire, a suburban coastal town in south Co Dublin around 11km south-east of Dublin city centre and with a population of some 26,000. The Royal St George is one of the four Dun Laoghaire Waterfront Clubs, along with the National Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

The Royal St George was founded by members of the Pembroke Rowing Club in 1838 and was originally known as Kingstown Boat Club, as Kingstown was what Dun Laoghaire was named at the time. The club obtained royal patronage in 1845 and became known as Royal Kingstown Yacht Club. After 1847 the club took on its current name.

The George is first and foremost an active yacht club with a strong commitment to and involvement with all aspects of the sport of sailing, whether racing your one design on Dublin Bay, to offshore racing in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, to junior sailing, to cruising and all that can loosely be described as “messing about in boats”.

As of November 2020, the Commodore of the Royal St George Yacht Club is Peter Bowring, with Richard O’Connor as Vice-Commodore. The club has two Rear-Commodores, Mark Hennessy for Sailing and Derek Ryan for Social.

As of November 2020, the Royal St George has around 1,900 members.

The Royal St George’s burgee is a red pennant with a white cross which has a crown at its centre. The club’s ensign has a blue field with the Irish tricolour in its top left corner and a crown towards the bottom right corner.

Yes, the club hosts regular weekly racing for dinghies and keelboats as well as a number of national and international sailing events each season. Major annual events include the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, hosted in conjunction with the three other Dun Laoghaire Waterfront Clubs.

Yes, the Royal St George has a vibrant junior sailing section that organises training and events throughout the year.

Sail training is a core part of what the George does, and training programmes start with the Sea Squirts aged 5 to 8, continuing through its Irish Sailing Youth Training Scheme for ages 8 to 18, with adult sail training a new feature since 2009. The George runs probably the largest and most comprehensive programme each summer with upwards of 500 children participating. This junior focus continues at competitive level, with coaching programmes run for aspiring young racers from Optimist through to Lasers, 420s and Skiffs.

 

The most popular boats raced at the club are one-design keelboats such as the Dragon, Shipman 28, Ruffian, SB20, Squib and J80; dinghy classes including the Laser, RS200 and RS400; junior classes the 420, Optimist and Laser Radial; and heritage wooden boats including the Water Wags, the oldest one-design dinghy class in the world. The club also has a large group of cruising yachts.

The Royal St George is based in a Victorian-style clubhouse that dates from 1843 and adjoins the harbour’s Watering Pier. The clubhouse was conceived as a miniature classical Palladian Villa, a feature which has been faithfully maintained despite a series of extensions, and a 1919 fire that destroyed all but four rooms. Additionally, the club has a substantial forecourt with space for more than 50 boats dry sailing, as well as its entire dinghy fleet. There is also a dry dock, four cranes (limit 12 tonnes) and a dedicated lift=out facility enabling members keep their boats in ready to race condition at all times. The George also has a floating dock for short stays and can supply fuel, power and water to visitors.

Yes, the Royal St George’s clubhouse offers a full bar and catering service for members, visitors and guests. Currently the bar is closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The Royal St George boathouse is open daily from 9.30am to 5.30pm during the winter. The office and reception are open Tuesdays to Fridays from 10am to 5pm. The bar is currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Lunch is served on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 3pm.

Yes, the Royal St George regularly hosts weddings and family celebrations from birthdays to christenings, and offers a unique and prestigious location to celebrate your day. The club also hosts corporate meetings, sailing workshops and company celebrations with a choice of rooms. From small private meetings to work parties and celebrations hosting up to 150 guests, the club can professionally and successfully manage your corporate requirements. In addition, team building events can utilise its fleet of club boats and highly trained instructors. For enquiries contact Laura Smart at [email protected] or phone 01 280 1811.

The George is delighted to welcome new members. It may look traditional — and is proud of its heritage — but behind the facade is a lively and friendly club, steeped in history but not stuck in it. It is a strongly held belief that new members bring new ideas, new skills and new contacts on both the sailing and social sides.

No — members can avail of the club’s own fleet of watercraft.

There is currently no joining fee for new members of the Royal St George. The introductory ordinary membership subscription fee is €775 annually for the first two years. A full list of membership categories and related annual subscriptions is available.

Membership subscriptions are renewed on an annual basis

Full contact details for the club and its staff can be found at the top of this page

©Afloat 2020

RStGYC SAILING DATES 2024

  • April 13th Lift In
  • May 18th & 19th Cannonball Trophy
  • May 25th & 26th 'George' Invitational Regatta
  • July 6th RSGYC Regatta
  • August 10th & 11th Irish Waszp National Championships
  • August 22- 25th Dragon Irish National Championships / Grand Prix
  • Aug 31st / Sept 1st Elmo Trophy
  • September 6th End of Season Race
  • September 7th & 8th Squib East Coast Championships
  • September 20th - 22nd SB20 National Championships
  • September 22nd Topper Ireland Traveller Event
  • October 12th Lift Out

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