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Dublin Bay Boating News and Information

Displaying items by tag: Irish Dragon Association

23rd September 2009

Irish Dragon Association

dragon_reduced.jpgDublin Bay Dragon Fleet – 2009 Officers
Admiral – Martin Byrne
Hon. Secretary – Tim Pearson
Record Keeper – Daniel Murphy
Hon. Treasurer – Peter Bowring

Irish Dragon Association c/o Tim Pearson, Secretary, 44 Orpen Green, Stillorgan Grove, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Tel: 01 283 2423, email: [email protected]

There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. Click here for all the latest Dragon News.

 

Afloat's Graham Smith wrote, in the March 2009 issue: "Sorenson (from Kinsale) won the Easterns but was even more impressive in winning the Italian Nationals in San Remo, while O’Donoghue won the Edinburgh Cup and was fourth and ninth at two major French events. Not surprisingly, he won the Class’s Travellers’ Trophy for his exploits abroad.

Back home, the Royal St George’s Martin Byrne had a memorable season, winning the Southerns in Kinsale and then becoming Irish Champion from a 16-strong fleet in Dun Laoghaire. Based on combined results, however, the defending champion Neil Hegarty tops the class rankings for the year.

The Dragon’s national fleet numbers remain static, but at a very healthy 42, and turnouts at open events is confidently expected to return to previous highs in the year ahead. National Champion 2009: Martin Byrne, Royal St George YC"
 

About the The Dragon

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

In 1937 the Gold Cup was presented to the class by the Clyde Yacht Club Association. This quickly became one of the principal championships in the class and a prestigious trophy in the world of competitive yachting.


Origin of the Name

Gunter Ahlers writes: In the beginning boats were built by the designer's yard, Anker and Jensen, as a 'cheap' scerry cruiser for young people.

When the design was submitted to the then IYRU (now ISAF) he or someone else translated his name 'Anker' into Norwegian language 'Draggen' and the English, being reluctant to speak other languages, made out of 'Draggen', 'Dragon', probably thinking that this Norwegian did not even know how to spell Dragon.

This is how this Class came to its name, so I was told years ago. If it is not quite true, it comes close to being true and is a good story anyhow... see also Early Dragon History, an informal posting on the IDA Forum

After the excitement of the World Championships on Dublin Bay the previous year, 2008 could have been something of an anti-climax for the Dragons, yet the elegant one-design still produced fleets of 18 or so for its various championship events and Irish performances overseas were highly commendable, particularly by Don O’Donoghue and Olaf Sorenson.

 

Aims of the IDA

To further the interests of the International Dragon Class in all countries where Dragons are sailed and to introduce the Class to new countries.

To be responsible for the administration of the class rules and coordinating proposals for rule amendments for consideration by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

To ensure that the class retains its "International" status by complying with the criteria adopted by the ISAF.

To co-ordinate and select venues for the following International Championships: 1 World Championships; 2 European Championships; and 3 Gold Cups

To produce regular Yearbooks containing information about the Class and the activities of the IDA for distribution to all Dragon sailors throughout the world (to be distributed by National Dragon Associations).
General Meetings

The Annual General Meeting shall take place in October or November on a date, which precedes the annual meeting of the ISAF. Unless otherwise agreed at the preceding Annual General Meeting, the meeting shall take place in London.

(The above information courtesy of the International Dragon Association)

International Dragon Association

 

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Dublin Bay

Dublin Bay on the east coast of Ireland stretches over seven kilometres, from Howth Head on its northern tip to Dalkey Island in the south. It's a place most Dubliners simply take for granted, and one of the capital's least visited places. But there's more going on out there than you'd imagine.

The biggest boating centre is at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the Bay's south shore that is home to over 1,500 pleasure craft, four waterfront yacht clubs and Ireland's largest marina.

The bay is rather shallow with many sandbanks and rocky outcrops, and was notorious in the past for shipwrecks, especially when the wind was from the east. Until modern times, many ships and their passengers were lost along the treacherous coastline from Howth to Dun Laoghaire, less than a kilometre from shore.

The Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea and is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south. North Bull Island is situated in the northwest part of the bay, where one of two major inshore sandbanks lie, and features a 5 km long sandy beach, Dollymount Strand, fronting an internationally recognised wildfowl reserve. Many of the rivers of Dublin reach the Irish Sea at Dublin Bay: the River Liffey, with the River Dodder flow received less than 1 km inland, River Tolka, and various smaller rivers and streams.

Dublin Bay FAQs

There are approximately ten beaches and bathing spots around Dublin Bay: Dollymount Strand; Forty Foot Bathing Place; Half Moon bathing spot; Merrion Strand; Bull Wall; Sandycove Beach; Sandymount Strand; Seapoint; Shelley Banks; Sutton, Burrow Beach

There are slipways on the north side of Dublin Bay at Clontarf, Sutton and on the southside at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, and in Dalkey at Coliemore and Bulloch Harbours.

Dublin Bay is administered by a number of Government Departments, three local authorities and several statutory agencies. Dublin Port Company is in charge of navigation on the Bay.

Dublin Bay is approximately 70 sq kilometres or 7,000 hectares. The Bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and seven km in length east-west to its peak at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the southside of the Bay has an East and West Pier, each one kilometre long; this is one of the largest human-made harbours in the world. There also piers or walls at the entrance to the River Liffey at Dublin city known as the Great North and South Walls. Other harbours on the Bay include Bulloch Harbour and Coliemore Harbours both at Dalkey.

There are two marinas on Dublin Bay. Ireland's largest marina with over 800 berths is on the southern shore at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The other is at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club on the River Liffey close to Dublin City.

Car and passenger Ferries operate from Dublin Port to the UK, Isle of Man and France. A passenger ferry operates from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Howth as well as providing tourist voyages around the bay.

Dublin Bay has two Islands. Bull Island at Clontarf and Dalkey Island on the southern shore of the Bay.

The River Liffey flows through Dublin city and into the Bay. Its tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac.

Dollymount, Burrow and Seapoint beaches

Approximately 1,500 boats from small dinghies to motorboats to ocean-going yachts. The vast majority, over 1,000, are moored at Dun Laoghaire Harbour which is Ireland's boating capital.

In 1981, UNESCO recognised the importance of Dublin Bay by designating North Bull Island as a Biosphere because of its rare and internationally important habitats and species of wildlife. To support sustainable development, UNESCO’s concept of a Biosphere has evolved to include not just areas of ecological value but also the areas around them and the communities that live and work within these areas. There have since been additional international and national designations, covering much of Dublin Bay, to ensure the protection of its water quality and biodiversity. To fulfil these broader management aims for the ecosystem, the Biosphere was expanded in 2015. The Biosphere now covers Dublin Bay, reflecting its significant environmental, economic, cultural and tourism importance, and extends to over 300km² to include the bay, the shore and nearby residential areas.

On the Southside at Dun Laoghaire, there is the National Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as Dublin Bay Sailing Club. In the city centre, there is Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club. On the Northside of Dublin, there is Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club and Sutton Dinghy Club. While not on Dublin Bay, Howth Yacht Club is the major north Dublin Sailing centre.

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