Bray Sailing Club hosted their annual Midsummer Twilight Regatta over three evenings last week, with the final day of racing taking place on Midsummer's Day. The County Wicklow Club's first open dinghy regatta of 2025 attracted an entry of 31 boats, divided into a mixed ILCA fleet and a mixed PY fleet, which included Hansas, GP14s, Flying Fifteens, RS Fevas, Laser Bahias, a Fireball, a 420, and a Wayfarer.
Thirty-six sailors competed over the three evenings of the event, during which Race Officer Mark Henderson provided a mixture of triangular and windward-leeward courses in generally light breezes from the southeast.
A 31-boat Bray Sailing Club Celebrates Midsummer Twilight Regatta fleet was divided into a mixed ILCA fleet and a mixed PY fleet, which included Hansas, GP14s, Flying Fifteens, RS Fevas, Laser Bahias, a Fireball, a 420, and a Wayfarer Photo: E.Carroll Hayes
Speaking after the prize-giving on Saturday evening, Bray SC's Sailing Secretary Tony Garry commented: "This event was originally designed to offer a three day event which you don't have to take a day off work for. I'm delighted that we were able to deliver three evenings of competitive racing in almost perfect conditions this year, concluding with our barbecue and prize-giving on Midsummer's Day. I'd like to thank all those involved in race management, safety cover, and catering who made the event such a success and I am especially pleased that our newly formed Junior race team had such a strong entry and congratulate them all on their performances in what was for many of them their first mid-size fleet open event. We look forward to seeing them travel to more open events in neighbouring events during the summer."
Prizewinners in the ILCA fleet were Chris Allen (ILCA 7, first), Claire Henley (ILCA 4, second), and junior Luca Keenan (ILCA 4, third) and in the mixed PY fleet were Dave and Rachael Sweeney (RS400, first), Mary Duffy (Hansa Liberty, second) and Philip and Deirbhle O'Reilly (Flying Fifteen, third).
Bray Sailing Club's next open dinghy regattas are their Junior Regatta on 10th July and Murdoch Dinghy Regatta for all dinghy classes on 23rd August.
