We think of the venerable Dublin Bay Water Wags as being the quintessential Dun Laoghaire Harbour class. But when the results of their first race of the delayed 2020 season yesterday (Wednesday) evening were analysed, it was noted that the top performers in the turnout of 13 gleaming varnished classic boats included many from outside the leafy confines of South Dublin.

Former Olympian and current classic boat pace-setter Cathy MacAleavey was unable to race owing to having had a hip replaced on Monday (we wish her well), but she made sure her boat, No 42 Molly, was in with a chance through being raced by Olympians Finn Lynch (originally of Blessington SC) and her daughter Annalise Murphy (NYC), Silver Medallist in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sailing is really going again when the Water Wags make their first appearance – William Prentice’s Tortoise (42), Adan Winkelmann (46) and the O’Driscolls from Lough Derg (15) in perfect first race sailing conditions

The 1915-built Barbara (Ian & Judith Malcolm), crossed the in-harbour line to take fourth

The hotshots duly obliged by winning, but the top placings thereafter indicated that interest in Water Wag racing is at the very least a Leinster-wide matter, for although Guy KIlroy of Dun Laoghaire was second with Swift, he’s no stranger to the more remote hidden waters of the North Shannon, while third was also Shannon-oriented, as the O’Driscoll family of Lough Derg YC – noted Shannon One Design sailors – have added a Water Wag to their boat portfolio. To make the spread complete, fourth place was snatched by “the Howth boat”, the 1915-built Barbara campaigned by Ian and Judith Malcolm, who are best known for their links to the Howth 17 class and other classics from the board of their local designer Herbert Boyd.

The classic Water Wag image to launch the 2020 season - Adrian Masterson brings his boat to the mark.

Dun Laoghaire’s local authority has extended the deadline to take part in its summer flag-making initiative.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, locals of all ages are invited tell their own Covid-19 story with a flag of their own making.

Submitted flags will then be flown from the masts of boats among Dun Laoghaire’s sailing community which will display them in a flotilla on Dublin Bay.

Hundreds of flags have already been received by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, but the authority said there are lots more stories to tell so they have pushed the deadline back to the end of summer.

For more details on how to take part and create your own flag, click HERE.

A new cycle lane at Dun Laoghaire Harbour runs across the primary access route for the town's RNLI Lifeboats, one of the busiest stations in the country and restricts the lifesaving service in its emergency response, according to the Dun Laoghaire RNLI.

The new scheme, currently under construction, also blocks the direct route to the National Yacht Club (NYC) at the town's East Pier.

Mr Stephen Wynne, the Lifeboat Operations Manager at RNLI Dun Laoghaire told Afloat the lifesaving charity was currently 'in consultation with DLRCoCo to find an amicable solution'.

The traffic management plan includes road closures as part of an overall plan to implement a cycle lane through the town to the popular Forty Foot bathing place in nearby Sandycove.

An artist's impression of the new 'DLR Coastal Mobility intervention' at Queens Road as envisioned by DLRCoCo

Access from Queen's Road 'is the primary access route used by volunteer lifeboat crew in the provision of its 24/7 lifesaving service and it is restricted as a result' Mr Wynne says.

Access to the NYC and the lifeboat station is now via the harbour roundabout at the nearby Royal St. George Yacht Club but already, at certain times of the day, new road markings at the roundabout are restricting traffic flow, according to harbour users.

DLRCoCo has also relocated its weekend markets from the Peoples Park to Queens Road between Park Road and the entrance to the Pavilion car park resulting in the road closure to all but pedestrians and cyclists.

New road markings at Dun Laoghaire Harbour roundabout Photo: Afloat

As a result, it means RNLI crews responding to an emergency call-out and travelling by car are effectively blocked coming from the east and potentially severely restricted arriving from the west depending on the time of day.

A spokesman for the NYC said the club – the Irish yacht club of the year in 2018 – had 'no comment' to make in relation to the scheme.

The cycling schemes form part of the County-wide plan of temporary measures to address the challenges in the public realm resulting from Covid-19 related to public health and safety, mobility and to support the recovery of the local economy. The Council says on its website there have been high increases in cycling numbers on routes along the coastline in May 2020, according to real-time data from cycle counters. When compared with May 2019, cycling numbers in Blackrock Park almost doubled, rising from over 16,385 cyclists to 29,666 cyclists over the month of May.

A request for comment from DLRCoCo was not responded to by the time of publication.

UPDATE: July 17. DLRCoCo response as follows:

In response to Covid-19, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) has made safety-critical changes to the layout of the roads infrastructure on roads on the coastal route between Blackrock and Sandycove to reallocate road space so as to protect the health and safety of the significantly increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians who are accessing the coastal route.

There has been an almost 100% increase in the number of cyclists using the coastal route. According to real-time data from cycle counters in Blackrock Park in May 2020 there were 29,666 cyclists compared with 16,385 cyclists in May 2019. A very distinct pattern has emerged during the Covid-19 restrictions with a wide variety of ages and abilities observed to be cycling on the road.

DLRCC as a local authority and a road authority has a duty of care to all road users, particularly vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians, and the mobility interventions, including the provision of a 2-way segregated cycle way, have necessitated changes to the road layout along Queen’s Road and in the Harbour area. In order to avoid a conflict between cyclists on the 2-way cycle way and vehicles, it was deemed necessary from a safety perspective to prevent access to vehicles via the access point in the Harbour closest to the East Pier. However, there are still clear vehicle access routes through to the RNLI lifeboat station in the Harbour via the Marine Road/Crofton Road junction and at York Road/Crofton Road junction, via the Cold Quay Bridge.

DLRCC has met on a number of occasions with RNLI representatives about the plans for the mobility interventions on Queen’s Road and in the Harbour area and plans further engagement so as to ensure that DLRCC as a road authority and RNLI as a lifesaving charity can meet their respective safety-critical responsibilities.

The dlr CoCo Markets was located on a trial basis on Queens Road on 12th July but this will not continue and the Market will be relocated to nearby locations which means that Queens Road will be open to vehicular traffic under the new one-way system during the week and at weekends.

Graffiti continues to be a problem for Dun Laoghaire's heritage harbour with extensive ugly, anti-social daubs on the walls of the pier and its disused buildings on the West Pier Head.

Expert advice on an economic plan for the harbour on Dublin Bay is being sought by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on a future direction for the harbour that is a national monument.

As Afloat reported last month, the Victorian Harbour has not escaped the vandalism of graffiti 'artists' this summer. Unoccupied cut-stone buildings on the town's West Pier were blighted by the spray can in June and although it was promptly removed, the seaward side of the building has now also been defaced.

The council says graffiti poses a significant problem throughout the Dun Laoghaire area. To report graffiti, contact 01 2054817 or email [email protected]

A 'Red Bull' tribute to Front Line COVID-19 pandemic staff took place over Dublin Bay this afternoon leaving massive heart shapes in the sky over Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The Red Bull Flyover Project was originally planned for the Bay at 1 pm but instead took place three hours later at 4 pm in fine but cloudy weather.

Two Red Bull formation aircraft operated offshore, east of Poolbeg chimneys and south towards Dun Laoghaire Harbour, generating approx ten hearts.

Two safety RIBs were positioned offshore as well as a Dublin Port Pilot boat to provide support for the stunt.

Heartfelt: Red Bull stunt planes make shapes in the sky over Dublin as a tribute to COVID-19 front line staff

Tuesday evening Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) dinghy racing got off to a great start in Dun Laoghaire Harbour tonight with a bumper Laser fleet competing.

As Laser Class Captain Gavan Murphy predicted on Afloat a fortnight ago, there was a super turn out of single-handers for the first race of the COVID delayed season. 

The 50-boat Laser fleet enjoyed ten-knot southerly winds for the in harbour racing run from DBSC's Freebird Committee Boat.

Also racing were RS Aeros, Fireballs and PY dinghies.

Part of the 65-strong DBSC Laser fleet

DBSC Results for 30/06/2020

All results Provisional & Subject to Review

Race 1

PY Class: 1. B Sweeney, 2. N Butler, 3. B Foley

Fireball: 1. F Miller, 2. 14865, 3. N Miller

Laser Standard: 1. R Wallace, 2. D Maloney, 3. R O'Leary

Laser Radial: 1. M Norman, 2. R Geraghty-McDonnell, 3. K O'Connor

Laser 4.7: 1. A Daly, 2. C Byrne, 3. H Turvey

Race 2

PY Class: 1. B Sweeney, 2. N Butler, 3. B Foley

Fireball: 1. F Miller, 2. C Power/M Barry, 3. 14865

Laser Standard: 1. R Wallace, 2. R O'Leary, 3. G O'Hare

Laser Radial: 1. P O'Reilly, 2. K O'Connor, 3. R Geraghty-McDonnell

Laser 4.7: 1. A Daly, 2. E Dempsey, 3. Z Hall

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI rescued an angler who had slipped and fallen into the water at Dun Laoghaire’s West Pier today (Tuesday 30 June)

The volunteer lifeboat crew were paged following a report made to the Irish Coast Guard that an angler was in difficulty after falling into the water. The man was with a group who alerted them of the incident.

The inshore lifeboat was launched immediately at 13:44 pm and made its way to the scene arriving at 13:49 pm, just minutes after launching. Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard shore unit also attended the scene.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a calm sea, light wind, and good visibility.

On arrival, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation and quickly transferred the man on board the lifeboat. They carried out a casualty care assessment and with the casualty deemed in good health, they returned to Dun Laoghaire Harbour where the casualty was placed into the care of an awaiting HSE ambulance crew for a secondary medical assessment.

Speaking following the call out, Mark McGibney, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Coxswain said: ‘ The outcome of this incident was a positive one and the group of anglers who were with the man when the incident happened did the right thing by calling the Irish Coast Guard and asking for help. It is important that shore anglers remember that should they get into difficulty or see someone getting into difficulty to dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Irish Coast Guard.’

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI lifeboat came to the assistance of two anglers who were at risk of becoming cut off by the incoming tide today.

The volunteer lifeboat crew were paged at 12:10 pm following an initial report from the Irish Coast Guard that two anglers had been cut off by the tide just north of Whiterock.

The inshore lifeboat was launched immediately and made its way to the scene arriving at 12:25 pm. Dun Laoghaire Coast Guard shore unit also attended.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a calm sea, light wind, and good visibility.

On arrival just north of Whiterock, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation and noted that the anglers were at risk of becoming stranded by the incoming tide. The lifeboat crew advised the anglers to relocate, they agreed and were taken onboard and relocated to Killiney beach.

Speaking following the call out, Liam Mullan, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer said: ‘ Sea conditions were good today, however, it is very easy to be caught off guard, therefore it is important to check the weather forecast and tide times. This is of particular importance for shore anglers in order to reduce the risk of being swept away or cut off by the tide. It is important to remember that if you get into difficulty, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.’

Celtic Spirit of Fastnet, a 37–metre (121'5) custom yacht sailed into Dun Laoghaire Harbour this morning the first of a number of much-anticipated superyacht arrivals into Dublin Bay this summer.

Coming to Dun Laoghaire Marina, the sailors' gateway to Dublin city, from the Caribbean after a stop-over at Kinsale, Afloat sources say the gleaming black-hulled yacht will be based in Dublin for the summer.

The impressive yacht is equipped for sailing in High Lattitudes and was built by Fitzroy in New Zealand at their New Plymouth shipyard.

She was delivered to her owner in 2003 and last refitted in 2013. This luxury vessel's sophisticated exterior design and engineering are the work of the Dubois design office. Previously named Moonbird, her luxurious interior was designed by Rhoades Young.

Superyacht visits to Dun Laoghaire Harbour and its marina are becoming more of a feature over the past few seasons as superyacht captains seek different European cruising routes. It has prompted Afloat to suggest Dun Laoghaire Harbour should develop superyacht berthing facilities and go after this international high-end tourism market, it's certainly a lot more of an attractive idea than some previous harbour schemes.

Dun Laoghaire's heritage harbour has not escaped the vandalism of graffiti 'artists' this summer. Unoccupied cut-stone buildings on the town's West Pier are the latest to be blighted by the spray can.

A number of vacant harbour buildings including those on the West Pier will be part of the upcoming new plan for the harbour as Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council attempts to breathe new life into the victorian structures.

Expert advice on strategic advice and an economic plan for the harbour on Dublin Bay is being sought by the Council.

As Afloat previously reported, a leading maritime figure at Ireland's biggest boating centre has called on the Council to plan for the appropriate development of the harbour as a maritime leisure centre.

The council says graffiti poses a significant problem throughout the Dun Laoghaire area. To report graffiti, contact 01 2054817 or email [email protected]