First DBSC Races
Tuesday: 30th April
Thursday: 25th April
Saturday: 27th April

Last DBSC Races
Tuesday: 27th August
Thursday: 29th August
Saturday: 28th September

#dragon – The Irish Dragon class are kicking off the new season with a new Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Sunday Olympic Racing schedule.

There are eight (8) DBSC Sunday Olympic racing events planned over the course of the season, with a focus on May and June.

The Dragon East Coast championships are being held in the RIYC 7-9 June, Nationals in the RUYC 8-11 August, the South Coasts in Glandore 31 Aug - 1 September, and the season's finale, the Jack Craig Memorial in Lough Derg 18-20 October.

#dbsc – Dublin Bay sailors Paul Keane and Hugh Sheehy have announced plans for a unique sailing event in Ireland this coming sailing season.

The Island Trial, an open sailing time trial on a fixed course in Dublin Bay was first announced on Sunday 23rd March to the local dinghy sailors who had gathered to collect prizes and wind up the 42nd Dun Laoghaire frostbite season.

The 11km fixed course utilises famous local landmarks and Dublin Bay racing marks which are laid on the bay from Mid April to October each year.

What makes the event truly unique is that to enter sailors must provide a GPX tracking file which verifies the course sailed and the start and finish times. This means the course is open every day (and night) and sailors can decide when they would like to have a go.

At the moment there are two prizes up for grabs. First is the Bragging Rights Cup for the outright record which is being eyed up by the local moth and skiff fleet, although some big boats may have a chance too.

Then there's the Handy Sailor Silver Salver - the trophy for the winner on corrected time - which highlights the skill of the crew, no matter what their boat. Other prizes such as a junior trophy will be added as the event progresses.

The event has piqued the curiosity of many and several sailors visiting Dun Laoghaire for the biennial 4 day regatta in July will have a go at the trial. All boat types are welcome, from foiling moths to MOD-70s.

#dbsc – After the success of the Irish National Sailing Club's racing programme in conjunction with the Royal Irish Yacht Club for the Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot, INSC took the decision to grow the programme and build on it for the Dublin Bay Sailing Club Spring Series 2013 writes instructor Kenneth Rumball.
Lots of old faces returned for the Spring Series and with those less skilled with the spinnaker, we ran a training day one week prior to the start of the series. For this training day we had two boats learning the ins and outs of mastering the mast-head spinnakers on the 1720s. Kenneth Rumball and Brian Flahive were the two coaches on the day showing our sailors the best way to handle these spinnakers on the faster boats.
Unfortunately, the first morning of racing had to be cancelled. A wise decision given the forecast for the day of a building breeze, a bit of a let-down for our clients. However, we occupied the morning in the National Yacht Club discussing our plans for the coming weeks over a few cups of coffee.
The following week couldn't have come quick enough; with a lighter forecast and some lighter weather we enjoyed a fantastic first race. The wet and cold didn't put anybody off, and our three skippers for the series, Kenneth Rumball, Noel Butler and Andrew Boyle were all eager to show our crews around the race-track. Noel and Kenneth started at the pin end with a strong pin bias while Andy was a little bit further down the line. We tackled the long port leg leaving most of the boats in our start in our wake and catching some of the start 2 boats by the first mark. With a building breeze, the prudent thing would have been for the boats to move from a mast-head spinnaker to a fractional kite however it was a case of 'go big or go home' and the big kites found their way to the top of the rig! This gave us all a great last blast downwind with INSC 1 pippng the 1720 Luna Sea on the line to take line honours.
Week 3 and Race 2, big waves and big breeze from the east. The race was always going to be rough with a falling tide and gusts of 30 knots form the east gave us a big wind against tide sea state across the course. With the weather mark being the Muglins Islands themselves the conditions at the weather mark were interesting to say the least. INSC1 went in close to the shoreline of Sandycove and Dalkey to keep out of the tide and also get into the flatter water allowing for improved boat speed. INSC 2 & 3 took a more offshore route, getting the worst of the big seas! For every cloud there is a silver lining, what you slog through up wind, once you come around the top mark and pop the kite, nothing beats a 1720 downwind in the big breeze. Our 1720s were seen comfortably screaming past A35s and J109s revelling in the conditions.
Race 3 was an altogether lighter affair. INSC2 picked out some dark rain clouds on the left of the course and kept heading that way. INSC1 and INSC3 took a course more up the middle of the track. The left paid, allowing INSC2 to comfortably get around the mark at the top of the fleet. A 'Z' course caused all manners of fun and games with INSC1 decided to ambitiously go for a windward hoist on a tight reach leg, needlessly to say this manoeuvre went somewhat interestingly. A great race with INSC 2 claiming line honours!
The final race of the Spring Series being Race4 was in doubt due to a refreshing lack of wind. We drifted/sailed out to the race course and enjoyed a fantastic race. INSC1 & INSC2 were neck and neck around the weather mark not giving each other an inch! However at the bottom mark, the J109 Ruth did INSC1 a massive favour by sailing on top of INSC2. This enabled INSC1 to gain back their advantage. A close tacking duel between the two boats up the rest of the right of the beat was hard work for all crews. INSC1 came out on top only being pipped to line honours by the J109 Ruth.
Little did we know this was to be the last race of an exciting and adventurous series. All crews gained invaluable experience and are looking ahead to the busy summer season.
The Irish National Sailing Club is up and running with all it's Adult Sail Training Programmes and we are looking to the DBSC Tuesday night's series as the next Race Training programme. We will be in this case focusing on clients taking the helm and learning how to drive our boats to victory.

#dbsc – The National Yacht Club J109 cruiser racer Ruth lifted the Viking Marine sponsored DBSC Spring Chicken trophy on Sunday after a four race series that saw the final leg of the popular all–in series cancelled due to north westerly gales on Dublin Bay.

John Maybury's consistent performer Joker 2 lead the fleet in to the halfway stage of the series. The Royal Irish contender was five points clear of sistership Ruth after two races but the Liam Shanahan entry from the NYC edged it in the end taking honours ahead of the Grand Soleil 40 Orna after four races and one discard.

Third was the Archembault A35 Another Adventure. Full results downloadable below as an MS Word file.

#dbsc – Sea conditions and strong easterly winds on Dublin Bay have cancelled this morning's final race of the DBSC Chicken Series.

The overall prizegiving will be held in the National Yacht Club this mornng at 11am.

#dbsc – Race 5 of the Dublin Bay Spring Series, would it happen for the Irish National Sailing Club (INSC) crews asked Instructor/Skipper Kenneth Rumball yesterday

Certainly driving down, the coast road to Dun Laoghaire, it was questionable, Dublin Bay was a glassy millpond.

None the less, we rigged up and drifted/sailed out into a waiting fleet in the bay. Freebird had gone off upwind to lay a weather mark as we patiently waited for the breeze to fill in.

Fill in it did and the starting sequence got underway. INSC1 hung around the committee boat while INSC2 & INSC3 were down the pin end. After some confusion caused entirely by the skippers, all boats got underway with all boats late for the start. INSC1s skipper had to be reminded the rest of his fleet had started! Whoops, thinking too much.

The first beat was patchy with INSC1 taking an initial route up the middle of the course while INSC2 chose a one tack wonder out to the right of the course! INSC3 took a route more up the left of the course! It turns out INSC2 had the best route, getting into the building Easterly breeze, INSC1 moved from the middle to the right of the course. At the top mark, it was INSC1 & INSC2 neck in neck at the top mark ahead of the fleet who were now getting into the breeze. INSC3 was struggling up the beat but powering past the rest of the fleet from start 3. INSC1 took a route down the right of the run while INSC2 went down the left of the run. No major gains or losses for either boat.

However at the bottom mark, the J109 Ruth did INSC1 a massive favour by sailing on top of INSC2. This enabled INSC1 to gain back their advantage. A close tacking duel between the two boats up the rest of the right of the beat was hard work for all crews.

The finish was to be at the top of this beat, we all finished in a great building breeze with the sun just coming out. If DBSC arranged the weather, it could be related to a Carlsberg advertisement. INSC1 was second across the line to the J109 Ruth with INSC2 6th across the line, with Orna and the A35 Another Adventure getting in their way.

#dbsc – Jump the Gun holds the lead from Joker II by two nett points at the half way stage of DBSC's Viking Marine sponsored Spring Chicken series after light airs last Sunday but thrid fourth and fifth places are all tied on equal points in the 50-boat fleet. Full results are available to download below as a word Doc.

#dbsc – Kenneth Rumball of the Irish National Sailing Club (INSC) reports on a lighter day for the hardened INSC crews competing in yesterday's DBSC Spring Chicken Series who after last week's conditions of 30kts and a big sea were keen to get racing in the calmer conditions.

A race course set with a start line off Seapoint and a weather mark off the harbour mouth, we waited patiently for the third start. A square line was set with INSC1 starting on the committee boat while INSC2 & INSC3 started off the pin end. INSC1 trucked out to the middle-right of the course going through the classic Dublin Bay 'holes'.

INSC3 took a course more to the middle left of the course. Whereas the best decision was made by INSC2 who went over to the left of the course getting some great pressure and being the first the INSC boats to the weather mark followed by INSC1 and INSC3. INSC2 and INSC3 managed to pull away from the fleet where the J109s and other from the first start had now caught up with the other starts, unfortunately INSC3 got caught up in this bunch slowing them down on the first gybe mark of our 'Z' course. INSC1 & INSC2 had dropped their kites for the leg across to the next gybe mark of the 'Z' course however the crew of INSC1 decided to ambitiously go for a windward hoist on a tight reach leg, needlessly to say this manouever went somewhat interestingly. INSC2 pulled ahead after this will the wind shifting, turning the last leg into a very tight reach pushing the 1720s righting capabilities to their limit.

This wind-shift caused the next beat to be more of a port fetch, meaning it was difficult for any place changing for the rest of the race. This of course was to INSC2's advantage who went on for to claim line honours!

Altogether great racing again this week with more and more learning and improving on all boats.

#dbsc – A good breeze last week gave an exciting sail to Dalkey island last Sunday with an eventful finish for some including a 1720 and a J109.

This Sunday's race is looking lighter with a left-over easterly sloppy sea-state and perhaps chilly conditions.

Handicaps & Starts for next Sunday's Spring Chicken Series are below as Excel files. There are ho changes in starts.