WM Nixon
William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.
The Half Tonners are so blatantly in a league of their own in IRC 2 that a Division B has been formed within the class, and here the X302 Dux (Caroline Gore-Grimes HYC) finished Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta with a…
Checkmate XVIII is Overall IRC 2 Champion at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
14th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
The Half Tonners in IRC 2 rival the J/109s in IRC1 in their cut-throat competition at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, and for the final contest it was Jonny Swan (HYC) with Harmony who found his mojo to sail a dream…
It was with the numerous J/109s in IRC 1 that blood was on the bay today at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, with the narrow overnight lead of Outrajeous (Richard Colwell & John Murphy) snatched away by a final win by…
'Eleuthera' Ties the Knot in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta IRC Zero as 'Signal 8' Finally Gets a Win
14th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
Jamie McWilliam's Ker 40 Signal 8 from Hong Kong may have found all the pieces were falling into place on this last outing at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta today as she took her first win of the series in IRC…
The sunshine and summery sailing has suited the Frazer Meredith syndicate in the Sonata Asterix, they’ve taken the overall lead of IRC4 at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta from Abersoch’s Jonathan Fawcett with the She 31B She Too, with Michal Matulka…
The Bullet is Bitten Out of Sight in IRC Non-Spinnaker 1 at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
13th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
Colm Bermingham’s Elan 333 Bite the Bullet from Howth was looking good last night, now he seems unassailable at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, being in the luxurious position of discarding a second in today’s second race. Terry Fair’s Sigma 33…
The Heat is On in the J/109s in IRC Class One of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
13th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
“Champagne sailing” is a choice expression which is in danger of being over-used every time a bit of sunshine happens upon a decent sailing breeze during race time in Ireland writes W M Nixon. But we’ve no doubt it was…
'F’n Gr8' Leads But There's Complex Challenges Among the Quarter Tonners at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
13th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
We concluded yesterday’s racing IRC3 racing at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta with Rory Fekkes’ turbo-powered First 8 F’n Gr8 from Carrickfergus in the overall lead, but things today weren’t so clearcut today among the Quarter Tonners and their assorted sparring…
'Checkmate XVIII' Lives Up to Her Name at IRC 2 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
13th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
If sailing is a waterborne game of chess, then Nigel Biggs’ Half Tonner Checkmate XVIII is fulfilling the promise of her name with the bullet today in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta to have her on 6 points after discarding a…
Greystones Grand Soleil 'Eleuthera' Has Four Point Winning Margin in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Class Zero
13th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
IRC 0 Eleuthera is bringing it home for Greystones In celebration of the successful progress through this Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta and others of Frank Whelan’s very fine Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera, maybe they should re-name his home port Brightstones…
J109 'Mojito' Becomes Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta Offshore Leader as 'Mermaid' slips in IRC Coastal Contest
14th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
The clear record of Seamus Fitzpatrick’s First 50 Mermaid IV (RIYC) in the coastal racing of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta slipped today, taking quite a knock with an 11th while the Pwllheli J/109 (Peter Dunlop) was on top form to…
New Shared Spinnaker Retrieval Manoeuvre Adds Spice To Shipman 28 Racing
13th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
The big noises in the communications business are always telling us that we should find ways of making our sailing races more interesting to the casual spectator, writes W M Nixon. In light of this, one of Dun Laoghaire’s most…
Howth Yacht Club's 'Bite the Bullet' Leads Dun Laoghaire Regatta White Sail Division One
12th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
In the IRC Non-spin 1 division of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta today, the Elan 333s are having a fine old time of it, with the overall placings now putting Colm Bermingham’s Bite the Bullet from Howth first, while Paul Tully’s White Lotus…
They gave the offshore wannabes a real run for their money today in the Coastal Race of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, yet there was still a certain sameness about the final results, as Seamus Fitzpatrick’s attractive First 50 Mermaid IV…
Fekkes' Souped-up Beneteau First 8 is Class 3 Leader At Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
13th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
Just in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s the glorious Twelfth of July through all classes, and northern boats at VDLR 19 have been celebrating with particular style in Class 3, where Rory Fekkes' souped-up Beneteau First 8 from Carrickfergus was…
Nigel Biggs was in top form among the Half Tonners to register 2,4, 1 with Checkmate XVIII, while Ronan and John Downing from Royal Cork were feeling their journey was very well worthwhile through now lying second overall with Miss…
Howth J/109 Storm Tops the RC35 Scoreboard at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
12th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
Pat Kelly’s J/109 Storm continues to hold the lead in the RC 35 class at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, but John Stamp’s Corby 33 Jacob VII from Port Edgar YC on Scotland's East Coast was in good form to move…
Howth J/109 'Outrajeous' Takes the Lead of Volvo Dun Laoghaire's Class One
12th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
With a gently rising barometer and a nor’west breeze coming out of a soft grey sky (fifty shades and counting), most folk expected that the wind would fade on Day 2 of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2019 writes W…
Greystones Grand Soleil 'Eleuthera' Stays Leader of Class Zero at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta
12th July 2019 Volvo Regatta
Frank Whelan’s Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera from Greystones is making hay among the biggies in the second day of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, helped no doubt by the presence on board of sailmaker Shane Hughes, and they had 2,1,2 today with a…
Is Popularity of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta a Welcome “Unintended Consequence”?
13th July 2019 W M Nixon
When the Earl of Kildare - subsequently the Duke of Leinster – commissioned the building of his fine new townhouse in 1745 in what was then the unfashionable south side of Dublin, he can scarcely have imagined that nearly three…
