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The Squib Northern Championship went right down to the wire last weekend when the far travelled Ian Travers and Keith O’Riordan in Atomic from Kinsale Yacht Club won the final of five races to knock Dick Batt and Gordy Wright, the overnight leaders from Royal Victoria YC on the Isle of Wight, off the top spot winning by just one point. 

The Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club hosted the event at Cultra on the south side of Belfast Lough with a fiercely competitive fleet of 22 from Iocal clubs and visitors from Howth, Kinsale, Aberdeen and Isle of Wight. The host club’s Ross Kearney and Michael Wright finished third.

Squib Northern Championship overall winners Ian Travers (left) and Keith O’Riordan of Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Lindsay NolanSquib Northern Championship overall winners Ian Travers (left) and Keith O’Riordan of Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Lindsay Nolan

The tight nature of the racing was shown with the spread of first places among four competitors, with the first race going to John Driscoll and David Cagney from RNIYC, the second to Batt and Withers, with the third and last to Atomic and topping Race 4 was another local boat, Jumini sailed by Ross Kearney and Michael Wright.

Results from the 2024 Squib Northern Championship at Royal North of Ireland Yacht ClubResults from the 2024 Squib Northern Championship at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

Published in Squib
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Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on the southern shore of Belfast Lough has a long-established Squib fleet, and this weekend (25th/26th May), will host the Northern Championships.

The entry list (download as a PDF below) is a respectable 22 with a good mix of local and visiting boats. If the weather cooperates, another couple of local entries may be possible.

Among the ones to watch are locals Gordon Patterson and Ross Nolan on Quickstep III, the far-travelled Ian Travers and Kieth O’Riordan and Ronan MacDonell and Lindsay Nolan from Kinsale, the always fast Peter Wallace and Carl Allen on Toy for the Boys and the defenders Terry Rowan and Andrew Vaughan on Dogwatch, all from the host club. A couple of returning national champions are certain to be near the top, Ross Kearney and Micheal Wright on Jumini and John Driscoll and David Cagney on Aficionado.

Also on a long trip to Belfast Lough are Dick Batt from Royal Victoria YC on the Isle of Wight, Mark Bradshaw from Aberdeen and Stonehaven Sailing in the North East of Scotland and Tudor Roberts from Holyhead.

Killyleagh on Strangford Lough and Howth YC are represented, too.

The forecast is to settle to a brisk and more manageable South Easterly of 14 -18 knots on both days, which will provide flat seas and relief from the very strong Northerlies and rough seas midweek.

The Race Officer for the four-race programme of windward /leeward courses is Sam Lyness.

Published in Squib
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After 12 races sailed at Kinsale Yacht Club's 2024 Custom Rigging Frostbite Series, Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan sailing Outlaw were crowned overall Squib keelboat division winners on 16 points, three points clear of Colm Dunne and Daniel McCloskey in Allegro.

KYC Club mates Harvey Tucker and Harvey Matthews in Fagan were third on 21. 11 competed.

Kinsale Frostbite Prizegiving 2024 - John Stallard, Principal Race Officer, Michele Kennelly (Sailing Secretary of Kinsale YC), Daniel McCloskey (Squib keelboat division second place crew), Harry Lewis (Custom Rigging Sponsor) and second-placed skipper Colm Dunne Photo: Bob BatemanKinsale Frostbite Prizegiving 2024 - John Stallard, Principal Race Officer, Michele Kennelly (Sailing Secretary of Kinsale YC), Daniel McCloskey (Squib keelboat division second place crew), Harry Lewis (Custom Rigging Sponsor) and second-placed skipper Colm Dunne Photo: Bob Bateman

Mixed dinghies

First in the mixed dinghies division after 11 races sailed was Mark O'Driscoll in the Laser 4.7 on 21. Second was Ben Fusco and Aisling Fiuza in an RS 400 on 28. Robert Hughes sailing a Laser 4.7 was third on 33. Five competed.

Mark O'Driscoll (left) was the Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series mixed dinghies division winner and Rachel Bogue was the Topper class winner Photo: Bob BatemanMark O'Driscoll (left) was the Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series mixed dinghies division winner and Rachel Bogue was the Topper class winner Photo: Bob Bateman

Toppers 

Rachel Bogue topped the four boat Topper fleet on 11 points, one point ahead of Fintan Tuohy with clubmate Ollie Lyons third on 15.

Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Prizegiving 2024 Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Published in Kinsale
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After six races sailed at Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series, Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan sailing Outlaw are overall Squib keelboat division leaders on seven points, four points clear of Harvey Tucker and Harvey Matthews in Fagan.

Springtime weather greeted the competitors for the third race day, with the wind from the same westerly direction as last week but moderate in strength to run a full programme of three races.

KYC Club mates Colm Dunne and Daniel McCloskey are third in Allegro on eight in the ten-boat fleet.

Ten Squibs are contesting Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series Photo: Bob BatemanTen Squibs are contesting Kinsale Yacht Club's Custom Rigging Frostbite Series Photo: Bob Bateman

The Squib class has recently confirmed its 2024 calendar with the provisional May date for the Southern Championships at Baltimore in West Cork now moved to 8th/9th June.

Published in Kinsale
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Kinsale Yacht Club will start their Winter Frostbite Series of dinghy and Squibs racing on Sunday, January 28.

It will run for six weeks for Squibs, Lasers, 420s, Toppers, and Mixed Dinghies, concluding on March 3.

Racing will be on laid courses within or just south of Kinsale Harbour, with a First Gun at 11:55 daily. There is an entry fee of €40 for single-handed and €60 for all others.

Registration is online or 10 a.m. in the clubhouse on the first day. Entry forms, SIs and all details online at kyc.ie

Published in Kinsale
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A win in race four meant Kinsale Yacht Club Squib duo Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan won a cut-short Lough Derg Yacht Club Freshwater Keelboat One Design Regatta on Sunday. 

Four races were sailed on Saturday with one discard, but racing was abandoned on Sunday by Race Officer John Leech due to a lack of wind at Dromineer. 

A 35-boat turnout of the Squibs – boosted by a local fleet of 14 – meant the tan sails had more than triple the number of the other competing classes of SB20s, Dragons and Flying Fifteens.

Howth Yacht Club pair Fergus O'Kelly and Rob Stanley were runners-up on 11 points with Kinsale's James and Harvey Matthews, the father and son winners of July's southern championships, continued their good form to finish on the same 11 points but be third overall after countback.

Published in Squib

Squib National Champions Gordon Patterson and Ross Nolan from Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough are among 33 class entries that will compete this weekend at Lough Derg Yacht Club's Freshwater Keelboat Regatta in County Tipperary.

Other entries include six Dragons, eight Flying Fifteens and eight SB20s.

The local Squib fleet at LDYC and at neighbouring Iniscealthra Sailing Club (ICS) in Mountshannon, has grown to approximately forty boats.

Published in Inland Waterways
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David Eccles and Mike Wright, in Inshallah from the host club, Royal North on the south side of Belfast Lough, are the new Irish National Squib Champions and lifted the trophy for the first time.

Second were Ruan O’Tiarnaigh and Ross Nolan, also from RNIYC.

The event was held on the first weekend in August. Inshallah dominated the scoresheet with three first places and an 11, and the OCS in Race 5 was the discard.

The 22-strong fleet counted a very strong local contingent, including many previous national champions. Competitors came from Kinsale, Dun Laoghaire, Howth and Killyleagh and were joined by Ryan Seddon and Leuan William from Wales.

Fresh conditions for the Squib National Championships on Belfast LoughFresh conditions for the Squib National Championships on Belfast Lough Photo: Lindsay Nolan McCarthy

Friday's opening races saw a mixture of sunshine and squally showers, making it difficult to anticipate the wind shifts accurately. Race Officer Sammy Lyness got the fleet underway in light conditions on Friday evening, but a dying breeze meant that not all the fleet finished the race within the time limit.

The race was won by David Eccles and Michael Wright in Inshallah who established a lead at the end of the first run over early leader Vincent Delaney and Joe O’Byrne in Femme Fatale Royal from Royal St George YC. After a tortuous final run the committee finished at the leeward gate and after a period of sustained battling against a stubborn tide it was Inshallah first and Femme Fatale in second but the Royal St.George pair hit the finish mark and were forced to refinish losing a number of place to end up fifth.

2023 Squib Champion Inshallah in a tight weather mark rounding2023 Squib Champion Inshallah in a tight weather mark rounding Photo: Lindsay Nolan McCarthy

Saturday dawned with an overcast sky, and the sailors faced a challenging day on the water with a northeast wind which produced a nasty chop. The weather gods were particularly demanding, with winds varying from almost dead calm to gusts that tested the sailors' control and tactical decision-making. Eccles and Wright continued their winning streak, finishing the day with another two firsts, an 11th and, unfortunately, an OCS, allowing them to hold on to their lead, but the following pack of Ian Travers and Keith O’Riordan from Kinsale in Outlaw and the local Peter Wallace and Martin Weatherstone in Toy for the Boys kept them on their toes.

The overall scores on Saturday night were intriguing, with Eccles and Wright in Inshallah, having discarded an OCS but carrying three firsts and an 11th, were leading on 14 points. The most consistent boat of the fleet was Quickstep, Ruan O’Tiarnaigh and Ross Nolan, whose discard was seventh, was lying in second.

As Sunday approached, the event was still all to play for, and hopes were high for two thrilling races to determine the champions. However, heavy rain engulfed the course, reducing visibility and creating unpredictable and shifty winds. The race committee diligently attempted to set a fair course, but the conditions deteriorated, and after several attempts to lay the course, the difficult decision was taken to abandon Sunday's race. This called for the championship standings to be determined based on the results from the previous days. With local boat Inshallah's consistent performance, they secured their victory as the new Irish National Champions.

The Silver Fleet was won by the local crew of Stephen Stewart and Kevin Thomas in Second Chance, just pipping Johnny Park and Bob Stinson in Gizmo and overseas Welsh visitors Ryan Seddon and Ieuan William in Siadwel. Sorcha Ni Shuilleabhain in Mucky Duck from Kinsale won the prize for the first female helm.

The event was sponsored by the Estate Agents Rodgers and Browne, and the organisers managed to ensure the success of the event despite the challenging weather.

The class now looks forward to the Irish East Coast Championships 2023 at Howth Yacht Club Howth Yacht Club on 9th and 10th September.

Published in Squib
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An OCS in race four proved costly for overnight leaders Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan at Sunday's Squib South Coast Championship at Kinsale Yacht Club

The national champions were beaten overall by clubmates James and Harvey Matthews, whose consistent scoreline in the five-race series of 2, (3), 1, 2, 2  produced a two-point winning margin.

Three further strong wind races were held on Sunday for the 21-boat fleet at the Frank Clark Ltd Sponsored event.

Jill and Suzie Roy from Dun Laoghaire Harbour competing in the Squib Southern Championships Photo: Bob BatemanJill and Suzie Roy from Dun Laoghaire Harbour competing in the Squib Southern Championships Photo: Bob Bateman

Sean and Paul Murphy were third in a clean sweep for the host club.

James and Harvey Matthews, pictured with Anthony O'Neill, KYC Rear Commodore, (centre), were the overall winners of the 21-boat fleet assembled at the Squib South Coast Championships at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob BatemanJames and Harvey Matthews, pictured with Anthony O'Neill, KYC Rear Commodore, (centre), were the overall winners of the 21-boat fleet assembled at the Squib South Coast Championships at Kinsale Yacht Club Photo: Bob Bateman

Second overall at the Squib Southern championships at Kinsale Yacht Club were Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan Photo: Bob BatemanSecond overall at the Squib Southern championships at Kinsale Yacht Club were Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan Photo: Bob Bateman

Third overall at the Squib Southern championships at Kinsale Yacht Club were Sean and Paul Murphy Photo: Bob BatemanThird overall at the Squib Southern championships at Kinsale Yacht Club were Sean and Paul Murphy Photo: Bob Bateman

Squib Southern Championships 2023 (Day Two) Photo Gallery by Bob Bateman

Published in Squib
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The Squib South Coast Championships are scheduled for this weekend at Kinsale Yacht Club, where the class has strong support.

Racing is planned for Saturday and Sunday, with the rules requiring that boats be kept afloat during the event, no hauling-out and no cleaning below the waterline by any means allowed during the championships. Pretty strict regulations to keep the boats in equal conditions!

As Afloat previously reported, the National Squib Championships were raced at Weymouth Bay in Dorset, hosted by the local sailing club last week on the south coast of England. In strong conditions, with winds up to 25 knots, they did not thrive. Kinsale YC’s 'Outlaw' (Ian Travers and Keith O'Riordan) was best Irish-placed, in 26th.

Squibs are two-person keelboats measuring seven metres long, originally designed in 1967 as a racing and teaching boat. There are 800 of what is a one-design class around Britain and Ireland.

Published in Squib
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Aquaculture Information

Aquaculture is the farming of animals in the water and has been practised for centuries, with the monks farming fish in the middle ages. More recently the technology has progressed and the aquaculture sector is now producing in the region of 50 thousand tonnes annually and provides a valuable food product as well as much needed employment in many rural areas of Ireland.

A typical fish farm involves keeping fish in pens in the water column, caring for them and supplying them with food so they grow to market size. Or for shellfish, containing them in a specialised unit and allowing them to feed on natural plants and materials in the water column until they reach harvestable size. While farming fish has a lower carbon and water footprint to those of land animals, and a very efficient food fed to weight gain ratio compared to beef, pork or chicken, farming does require protein food sources and produces organic waste which is released into the surrounding waters. Finding sustainable food sources, and reducing the environmental impacts are key challenges facing the sector as it continues to grow.

Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.

Aquaculture in Ireland

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties.
  • Irish SMEs and families grow salmon, oysters, mussels and other seafood
  • The sector is worth €150m at the farm gate – 80% in export earnings.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming
  • Aquaculture is a strong, sustainable and popular strategic asset for development and job creation (Foodwise 2025, National Strategic Plan, Seafood
  • Operational Programme 2020, FAO, European Commission, European Investment Bank, Harvesting Our Ocean Wealth, Silicon Republic, CEDRA)
    Ireland has led the world in organically certified farmed fish for over 30 years
  • Fish farm workers include people who have spent over two decades in the business to school-leavers intent on becoming third-generation farmers on their family sites.

Irish Aquaculture FAQs

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants, and involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions- in contrast to commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats. Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, mariculture, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish. Particular methods include aquaponics and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and plant farming.

About 580 aquatic species are currently farmed all over the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which says it is "practised by both some of the poorest farmers in developing countries and by multinational companies".

Increasing global demand for protein through seafood is driving increasing demand for aquaculture, particularly given the pressures on certain commercially caught wild stocks of fish. The FAO says that "eating fish is part of the cultural tradition of many people and in terms of health benefits, it has an excellent nutritional profile, and "is a good source of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients".

Aquaculture now accounts for 50 per cent of the world's fish consumed for food, and is the fastest-growing good sector.

China provides over 60 per cent of the world's farmed fish. In Europe, Norway and Scotland are leading producers of finfish, principally farmed salmon.

For farmed salmon, the feed conversion ratio, which is the measurement of how much feed it takes to produce the protein, is 1.1, as in one pound of feed producing one pound of protein, compared to rates of between 2.2 and 10 for beef, pork and chicken. However, scientists have also pointed out that certain farmed fish and shrimp requiring higher levels of protein and calories in feed compared to chickens, pigs, and cattle.

Tilapia farming which originated in the Middle East and Africa has now become the most profitable business in most countries. Tilapia has become the second most popular seafood after crab, due to which its farming is flourishing. It has entered the list of best selling species like shrimp and salmon.

There are 278 aquaculture production units in Ireland, according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) *, producing 38,000 tonnes of finfish and shellfish in 2019 and with a total value of €172 million

There are currently almost 2,000 people directly employed in Irish aquaculture in the Republic, according to BIM.

BIM figures for 2019 recorded farmed salmon at almost 12,000 tonnes, valued at €110 million; rock oysters reached 10,300 tonnes at a value of €44 million; rope mussels at 10,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; seabed cultured mussels at 4,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; "other" finfish reached 600 tonnes, valued at €2 million and "other" shellfish reached 300 tonnes, valued at €2 million

Irish aquaculture products are exported to Europe, US and Asia, with salmon exported to France, Germany, Belgium and the US. Oysters are exported to France, with developing sales to markets in Hong Kong and China. France is Ireland's largest export for mussels, while there have been increased sales in the domestic and British markets.

The value of the Irish farmed finfish sector fell by five per cent in volume and seven per cent in value in 2019, mainly due to a fall on salmon production, but this was partially offset by a seven per cent increased in farmed shellfish to a value of 60 million euro. Delays in issuing State licenses have hampered further growth of the sector, according to industry representatives.

Fish and shellfish farmers must be licensed, and must comply with regulations and inspections conducted by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute. Food labelling is a function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. There is a long backlog of license approvals in the finfish sector, while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine says it is working to reduce the backlog in the shellfish sector.

The department says it is working through the backlog, but notes that an application for a marine finfish aquaculture licence must be accompanied by either an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). As of October 2020, over two-thirds of applications on hand had an EIS outstanding, it said.

The EU requires member states to have marine spatial plans by 2021, and Ireland has assigned responsibility to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). Legislation has been drawn up to underpin this, and to provide a "one stop shop" for marine planning, ranging from fish farms to offshore energy – as in Marine Planning and Development Management Bill. However, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine confirmed last year that it intends to retain responsibility for aquaculture and sea-fisheries related development – meaning fish and shellfish farmers won't be able to avail of the "one stop shop" for marine planning.

Fish and shellfish health is a challenge, with naturally occurring blooms, jellyfish and the risk of disease. There are also issues with a perception that the sector causes environmental problems.

The industry has been on a steep learning curve, particularly in finfish farming, since it was hailed as a new future for Irish coastal communities from the 1970s – with the State's Electricity Supply Board being an early pioneer, and tobacco company Carrolls also becoming involved for a time. Nutrient build up, which occurs when there is a high density of fish in one area, waste production and its impact on depleting oxygen in water, creating algal blooms and "dead zones", and farmers' use of antibiotics to prevent disease have all been concerns, and anglers have also been worried about the impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild fish populations. Sea lice from salmon farmers were also blamed for declines in sea trout and wild salmon in Irish estuaries and rivers.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

Yes, as it is considered to have better potential for controlling environmental impacts, but it is expensive. As of October 2020, the department was handling over 20 land-based aquaculture applications.

The Irish Farmers' Association has represented fish and shellfish farmers for many years, with its chief executive Richie Flynn, who died in 2018, tirelessly championing the sector. His successor, Teresa Morrissey, is an equally forceful advocate, having worked previously in the Marine Institute in providing regulatory advice on fish health matters, scientific research on emerging aquatic diseases and management of the National Reference Laboratory for crustacean diseases.

BIM provides training in the national vocational certificate in aquaculture at its National Fisheries College, Castletownbere, Co Cork. It also trains divers to work in the industry. The Institute of Technology Carlow has also developed a higher diploma in aqua business at its campus in Wexford, in collaboration with BIM and IFA Aquaculture, the representative association for fish and shellfish farming.

© Afloat 2020

At A Glance - Irish Aquaculture

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties
  • Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. 
  • In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming

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