Laura Dillon of Howth is one of Ireland's most accomplished sailors under so many headings that it seems almost superfluous to point out that during August, she was at the sharp and of success in both Cowes Week and at several Irish venues where the Women on Water movement featured. 

For the fact is that she is higly ranked regardless of gender. But as it happens, in August she won both the Women's Trophy in Cowes Week and skippered the Class 1 overall winner in the National Women at the Helm event in Dublin Bay, a very special double.

Lady's Day at Cowes Week may sound like a charmingly old-fashioned Victorian concept, but there was nothing old-fashioned about the way that top women sailors of the calibre of Laura Dillon of Howth contested the time-honoured event yesterday in the Solent, with Laura on top form to win overall helming Harry Heist's classic S&S 41 Winsome against an impressive fleet of female talents.

Laura is still the only woman sailor to have become the All-Ireland Champion (she did it in 1996) and in addition to starring afloat, she has shone ashore, becoming a Flag Officer of the RORC some years after her mother Breda became the first female Commodore of Howth Yacht Club.

Classic Solent conditions prevailed for the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s first inshore regatta of the 2022 season. After eight thrilling races, IRC class winners for the RORC Easter Challenge were: Ian Atkins’ GP42 Dark N Stormy (IRC 1), The Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier, skippered by Henry Foster (IRC 2), and Lena Having’s Corby 33 Mrs Freckles (IRC 3).

At the final Prize Giving held at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse, Regatta Race Manager Steve Cole introduced RORC Commodore James Neville who had been racing INO XXX at the Easter Challenge.

James awarded glassware to the IRC class winners and the customary Easter Egg frenzy was well received by a big turnout!

The Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier, skippered by Henry Foster won IRC Two, with J/112 Happy Daize - raced by Team Knight Build - in a gallant second place in the three-day RORC Easter Challenge Photo: Paul Wyeth 

“A fantastic regatta and it has been great to see so many teams competing in fine weather and looking forward to a busy season of racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club,” commented James Neville. “A big ‘Thank You’ to Steve Cole and his race team, as well as the coaches led by Dog Palfrey, who have done an absolutely cracking job. I know I speak for so many teams when I say that the North Sails debriefs and help out on the water has been really appreciated.”

Full Results link here

The Solent delivered magnificent weather every day of the RORC Easter Challenge, but Mother Nature saved the best until last. Easter Sunday was blessed with a solid south-easterly, building during the day along with the tide. With outside assistance allowed during the regatta, a RORC coaching team supported by North Sails, was led by Andrew ‘Dog’ Palfrey. All competitors were offered coaching during racing, plus the daily video debriefs and online content provided an opportunity to take-in the lessons learnt. At the Saturday debrief, one of Dog Palfrey’s main points was the start routine and the final day’s racing proved that the teams were listening. Two races were held for all IRC classes with close to blanket starts achieved by the competitors.

Rob Cotterill’s J/109 Mojo Risin’ benefits from on-the-water coaching from North Sails and RORC Photo: Paul Wyeth 

IRC One

Ian Atkins’ GP42 Dark N Stormy won the last two races in the big boat class to tally-up seven wins from eight starts. The youth team racing Dutch Ker 46 Van Uden, skippered by Gerd-Jan Poortman, was second. Van Uden was just two points ahead of Harmen Jan de Graaf’s Dutch Ker 43 Baraka Gp.

“More of the same please,” commented Dark N Stormy’s Ian Atkins. “I don’t think I have ever done this regatta when it has felt like we are sailing in summer, with sea breeze and temperature in the high teens. We just had a blast. I wish it would go on for a few more days. Dark N Stormy has a hardcore of my previous team and if the rest of the season is like this, we are going to have a lot of fun!”

Ian Atkins has identified a big group of IRC boats of a similar ilk in the Solent. “These boats are fantastic fun to sail, high performance re-defined and we think there are 12-15 boats that are like Dark N Stormy. We would love them to come and compete in a series using existing events. We have five events in mind, mainly with the RORC and also Cowes Week, and a dedicated event later in the year, with a big party at the end. We know those boats are out there and we have sent invitations to boats ranging from TP52s to IC37S.”

Ian Walker, double Olympic Medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper was tactician for Dark N Stormy and commented: “The coaching team were really helpful, we got lots of good input and the race team did a great job with the course. There was no hanging around; I can’t fault any of it. The thing I noticed the most was that for us it was getting harder and harder to do well in the races; you could see the standard going up in the fleet, which was the aim of the regatta. Helped by the weather, you couldn’t have had a better weekend of racing.”

Ian Atkins’ GP42 Dark N Stormy scored seven wins in the RORC Easter Challenge and took victory in IRC One Photo: Paul Wyeth 

Ian Atkins team on Dark N Stormy: "We just had a blast. I wish it would go on for a few more days...." - Easter Eggs and prizes for the IRC One winners in the RORC Easter Challenge after three competitive days of racing Photo: Paul Wyeth 

The youth team racing Dutch Ker 46 Van Uden, skippered by Gerd-Jan Poortman took second place in IRC One Photo: Paul Wyeth 

A close third place in IRC One for Harmen Jan de Graaf's Dutch Ker 43 One-off Baraka Gp Photo: Paul Wyeth 

IRC Two

The Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier, skippered by Henry Foster won the class in the very last race of the regatta. J/112 Happy Daize raced by Team Knight Build, was a gallant second. VME Racing’s Mills 39 Zero II, skippered by James Gair finished the regatta in style, taking a second and first place in the final two races to snatch the last podium position. The intensity in the class was exemplified by two race ties after time correction between Andrew McIrvine’s Ker 39 La Réponse and Happy Daize.

Happy Daize skipper James Chalmers commented: “I have not been at the Easter Challenge for many years and we are really glad that we have competed this year. The competition on the water, especially with British Soldier and La Réponse, has been excellent. Right up to the last race we were crossing each other and that sort of competition increases performance. A big ‘Thank You’ to the RORC and the coaching team for organising a superb regatta. Our big regatta this year will be Cork Week in July and we have made a huge amount of progress for that event at the RORC Easter Challenge.”

All smiles - and chocolate eggs for the IRC Two winners on the Army Sailing Association’s Sun Fast 3600 Fujitsu British Soldier, skippered by Henry Foster Photo: Paul Wyeth 

Team Knight took second in IRC Two Photo: Paul Wyeth 

A third place on the podium for VME Racing’s Mills 39 Zero II, skippered by James Gair Photo: Paul Wyeth 

IRC Two start on the final day of the RORC Easter Challenge Photo: Paul Wyeth 

IRC Three

Lena Having’s Corby 33 Mrs Freckles scored a 1-2 on the last day to win the class. Lena and her partner Eivind come from Gothenburg, Sweden and Mrs Freckles was sailing with a majority female crew, including two from the Magenta Project: “Although I have raced in the Solent before, I think the biggest area we need to improve on is learning about the strong tides, which we do not have in Gothenburg,” commented Having. “This year we plan to compete at a number of events in the Solent, both double-handed with Elvind and also with a full crew. A Swedish all-women’s team will be coming out for the Women’s Open Keelboat Championship this summer. While we love to sail in Sweden, you really have to come to the Solent for really competitive racing.”

Mrs Freckles crew included the National Yacht Club's Saoirse Reynolds on board. Reynold's is an Aurelia crew member and part of that J122's DBSC/ISORA/Round Ireland team. 
The Dublin Bay sailor adds the Easter win to her Caribbean 600 exploits on an RP37, a  sister ship to the new Royal Irish yacht Wow!  

Harry J. Heijst’s S&S 41 Winsome finished the regatta in style, taking the race win in the very last race to finish second, by a single point in IRC Three. Winsome was also awarded the Prix D'Elegance Award. Quarter Tonner Bullit, skippered by Julian Metherell was unable to race on the final day. Having led the regatta from the very first race, Bullit still placed third on countback from Rob Cotterill’s J/109 Mojo Risin’.

RORC Commodore James Neville presents the happy team on Mrs Freckles (that includes the NYC's Saoirse Reynolds) with the winners decanter and Easter Eggs after taking pole position in IRC Three in the RORC Easter Challenge Photo: Paul Wyeth 

Lena Having’s Corby 33 Mrs Freckles scored a 1-2 on the last day to win IRC Three Photo: Paul Wyeth 

Second place in IRC Three for Harry Heijst's S&S 41 Winsome Photo: Paul Wyeth 

Quarter Tonner Bullit, skippered by Julian Metherell was placed third, despite not racing on the final day Photo: Paul Wyeth 

Racing with the Royal Ocean Racing Club continues with the first European-based offshore race of the 2022 RORC Season’s Points Championship. The Cervantes Trophy Race will be a cross-Channel dash to Le Havre, starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, Cowes on Saturday 30th April.

The next inshore regatta for the RORC will be the Vice Admiral’s Cup, with racing in the Solent for primarily one-design classes from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd May.

Results here

Howth Yacht Club’s Laura Dillon is among six women profiled by the Royal Ocean Racing Club ahead of their participation in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race.

While crew lists for August’s race are not yet finalised, at present just over 10% of those competing in the biennial voyage will be women — more than double the rate of races in the 1990s.

The RORC cites role models such as Tracy Edwards, Ellen MacArthur and Dee Caffari as a reason for this increase in female participation — but notes that opportunities for women at all levels to go sailing are increasing “too slowly”.

For 40-year-old Laura Dillon, it was a high competitive drive from a young age that saw her progress from dinghies to 1720 Sportsboats to Beneteau Firsts in both the Round Ireland and Fastnet races.

This year she swaps the helm of Harry J Heijst’s S&S 41, Winsome, for a place on the four-strong crew of Conor Fogerty’s Figaro Beneteau 3, Raw — one of only three of the new offshore class in the race.

She observes that women’s participation in the Fastnet as enjoyed a considerable step up in the last generation — but says there is a direct parallel with women’s positions in the business world, and believes it will take another generation yet before their numbers increase substantially.

The Rolex Fastnet Race website has much more on this story HERE.

Light and shifty winds combined with a sea left over from the big onshore breezes of the previous day created new challenges for the 28 teams competing in the Dragon Edinburgh Cup at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club writes Rupert Holmes.

The day's first race got away cleanly in 6-8 knots of breeze. Laurie Smith's Alfie tacked onto port early, which quickly gained him an early lead and he was soon followed by a number of others. Around 15 minutes after the start the wind began to swing to the right as a band of light rain moved across the course, giving those in the right a significant advantage.

Smith was first to round the windward mark, followed by Bocci (Atsushi) Aoyama's Yevis ll and Louise Racing. Peter Cunningham's Power Play rounded fourth, followed by the only lady helm in the fleet, Gavia Wilkinson-Cox, in Jerboa. However, Bailey – overall leader after the first two races – was unusually buried, languishing back in 16th place.

The leaders extended away quickly on the run, but the wind then eased as the sun returned, leading to a tricky balance between sailing high and gybing through less painfully large angles. Louise Racing rounded the right hand leeward mark first, followed closely by Power Play and Jerboa. However, Klaus Diederichs's Fever and Alfie were first to the advantaged left-hand side of the gate. Fever took first place, ahead of Jerboa and Alfie, while Power Play benefitted from being the left-hand most boat among the leaders to finish fourth, while Gordon took fifth.

"We were fourth or fifth on the first beat and on the downwind leg we got stronger wind coming from the right," said Diederichs. "Then we were first to get to the left hand mark at the gate. We protected our position form there, but Gavia had good speed and height, and challenged us hard."

The fourth race in the series started in more consistent conditions, with a 6-8 knot easterly breeze. Jono Brown's Storm and Peter Cunningham's Power Play appeared to be best placed of the boats near the pin and the fleet quickly tacked onto port as the wind shifted left after the start.

Aimee then flipped back onto starboard, becoming one of the left-hand most boats in the fleet in the early stages of the first beat. Meanwhile, Alfie remained on the right-hand side, while Louise Racing held a more intermediate position between the two. The latter rounded the windward mark first, followed by Tom Vernon's Badger, Alfie, Storm and Jerboa.

The boats on the right hand side of the first run again appeared to be advantaged. By the end of the leg Louise Racing had pulled out a 43 second lead on Storm, with Badger dropping down to third, while Alfie slid down to fourth place, 10 lengths further back. Gordon then continued to extend his lead for the rest of the race, finishing more than two minutes ahead of Eric Williams' Ecstatic. Alfie took third and Jerboa fourth.

A vibrant social scene is a core part of the success of the Dragon class and the day ended with a barbeque, prize giving and live band, hosted by Gavia Wilkinson-Cox. Among the daily prize winners, Grant Gordon won the spectacular Terry Wade Trophy for winning the fourth race of the series.

Gordon now holds the overall lead, one point ahead of Alfie, with Aimee retains third overall, a further 10 points adrift. Jerboa is fourth, on equal points with Power Play. Aimee still leads the Corinthian fleet, ahead of Storm and Bertie.

Results after Day 2:

Last weekend (4/5 June), a team of Irish ladies won the Dubarry UK Women's Open Keelboat Championships 2016. The team included the following Irish lady sailors - Laura Dillon (helm), Karena Knaggs, Katie Dwyer, Ali Clarke, Trisha Daly, Jennifer Toettcher and Audrey Adamson. We were sailing on Louise Makin and Chris Jones’s J/111, Journeymaker II. In addition to the Irish ladies, the team included the owner and navigator, Louise Makin, Julia Salt, Susie Moore and Andrea Miz.

There were 17 boats in total and the event was held from Hamble River Sailing Club, in very light winds.

Class 1:
1st – 4 pts – Journeymaker 11, Laura Dillon
2nd – 11 pts – SynerJy, Marie-Claude Heys
3rd - 14 pts – Southern Child, Lucy Jones

Class 2:

1st – 7 pts – Blackjack 11, Annie Kelly
2nd – 10 pts – J'ronimo, Libby Greenhalgh
3rd – 11pts – Swallow, Lulu Wallace

The overall champion was again Laura Dillon sailing Journeymaker 11

Sam Hunt has extensive match race experience having achieved third place in the ISA Match Race Championship and scoring highly on the Irish Match Race Tour in 2011. He is currently placed 308 in the ISAF World Match Race Open Rankings. Laura Dillon is the current Irish Women's champion having won the ISA Women's Match Race Championship in 2011. She is currently placed 116 in the ISAF World Match Race Women's Rankings and is a previous winner of the ISA All Ireland Sailing Championship.

Match Racing has grown strongly in Ireland since the ISA launched their SailFleet of J/80 keelboats in 2007 and the formation of the Match Race Ireland association in 2010. Among the events that SailFleet has facilitated are the ISA All Ireland and Match Race Championships, the ISAF Nations Cup 2007 Regional Final in Kinsale and the Bangor Match Cup a Women's Grade 1 event on Belfast Lough next August.

"The ISAF Nations Cup is a very tough competition and the best match racers in the world competing. Having hosted the Grand Final in Cork and a Regional Final more recently in Kinsale our sailors know that the standard will be high. Both Sam and Laura are very experienced match racers and know what they need to do to come out on top in these competitions." said Ed Alcock of the ISA.

The ISAF Nations Cup is a global competition to find the world's top match racing nations in both open and women's events and to develop match racing infrastructure around the world. The ISAF Nations Cup website is here: http://www.sailing.org/nations-cup.php

The first ever ISA Women's Match Championship was completed on Sunday, October 10th at Kinsale in Ireland sailing J/80's.
Saturday racing was postponed due to the strong wind gusting up to 37 knots. An early start on Sunday morning, 09.30, proved to of be little deterrent to the ten enthusiastic sailing teams. With no delays between flights each round was completed in under two hours and the schedule was completed in the mid afternoon.

The 'Really Naughty' team with the inaugural trophy in Kinsale

The winners Laura Dillon's 'Really Naughty' team, who were unbeaten during the event, were presented with the 'Kinsale Regatta Cup' by ISA President Peter Crowley. They were followed in second place by Mary O'Loughlin and the 'Ladies Who Launch' team who beat all except the Really Naughty girls. Proving the all-round ability of an ISA bosun Sue Smithwick stepped in when one of the Ladies Who Launch had to be taken ashore for treatment. In a tiebreak on 4 points for third place 'The Sailing West Ladies' of Laura Adamson beat Carol O'Kelly and her 'NautiGals' on 4 points. In their first race one of Audrey's crew decided to try swimming west and test the teams MOB drill. She was promptly recovered by the crew of the boat and completed the day's sailing damp but unbowed. Audrey's team wore their WIMRA T-shirts for the occasion.
The race management team with International Race Officers Alan Crosbie (PRO) and Peter Crowley were busy starting and finishing a race every 12 minutes and there was no rest for the umpire team either with many matches decided by their promptly signalled protest decisions.

This was an ISAF Grade 3 Women's Match Race and all eyes will be on the next World Ranking release on October 27 to see how these teams compare on the world stage.

Final Scores
1 Laura Dillon Really Naughty 8
Crew: Catherine Ennis, Ciara Dowling, Carol O'Kelly, Breffni Jones

2 Mary O'Loughlin Ladies Who Launch 6
Crew: alice cowman, Hazel Ruane, Sam Burrows, Caoimhe Burns, Susan Smithwick

3 Audrey Adamson Sailing West Ladies 4
Crew: Chris Nolan, Michelle Rowley, Emily McManus, Laura Greer

4 Carol O'Kelly NautiGals 4
5 Alice Cowman Launched Ladies 3
6 Chris Nolan West Sailing Girls 2
7 Emma Geary Royal Cork 1
8 Frances Lynch Glandore-Kinsale 1
9 Yvonne Sheehan Emma's Choice 1
10 Choryna Kiely Kinsale Glamour 0

There is a distinctly international flavour to this year's Etchells National Championships sponsored by Euro Car Parks at Howth Yacht Club next weekend (August 14th & 15th), which is hardly surprising with the World Championships taking place at the same venue a week later. Fourteen entries from the USA (3), Australia (5) and UK (6) will be joined by local boats for the three-day event.

Among the major contenders will be America's Cup legend John Bertrand, fellow Australian and former World Champion Peter McNeill and leading American Argyle Campbell from Newport Harbour YC. Ante Razmilovic, from Royal Hong Kong YC, a regular visitor to Howth and the defending champion, will be another one to watch as the overseas crews familiarise themselves with the Howth waters ahead of the big event starting on August 23rd.

Leading the local challenge will be Dan O'Grady on 'Kootamundra Wattle', Richard & David Burrows on 'Matatu Dubh', Simon Knowles on 'Jabberwocky' and Laura Dillon on 'Key Capital' and their respective crews, all from the host club. The three-day event involves 6 races on windward-leeward courses and the race officer will be David Lovegrove who will also be the PRO for the forthcoming Worlds.