After two postponements due to weather, the Water Wag dinghy Women at the Helm Regatta race took place at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday evening, June 5th, in strong, testing conditions.

As Afloat reported earlier, 1988 Olympian Cathy MacAleavey's Mariposa, number 45, was the clear winner on the double-header night, sailed as part of the AIB DBSC series, a feat celebrated at a special prizegiving in the Royal St George Yacht Club immediately after racing.

National Yacht Club Olympian Cathy MacAleavey at the helm of Mariposa, number 45, was the winner of the Water Wag dinghy Women at the Helm Regatta race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo:Brendan Briscoe

Badger Sailed by Ann-Marie Cox was second, and Judy O’Beirne's Shindilla was third.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Race Officer Harry Gallagher set a two-round course for the 18 dinghies competing in the first race on Wednesday evening in the AIB DBSC Water Wag series at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

In a blustery NW breeze gusting over 20 knots at times, the results were as follows:

1st: Mariposa - Cathy Mac Aleavey / Con Murphy
2nd: Moosmie - John O’Driscoll / Sarah Dwyer
3rd: Mademoiselle - Adam Winkelmann/ Shirley Gilmore.

A second race comprised the postponed Water Wag Women At The Helm event. With the breeze increasing to 24 kts, some competitors sometimes chose to go for an early bath between races, and 12 boats battled it out in the challenging conditions.

The results were as follows:

1st: Mariposa - Cathy Mac Aleavey / Con Murphy
2nd: Badger - Ann-Marie Cox / John Cox
3rd: Shindilla - Judy O’Beirne / Frank O’Beirne

Dubin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Water Wag racing for the second Wednesday in a row tonight (May 29) is cancelled due to gusty offshore winds inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

The 30-boat dinghy class was due to race its 2024 Women at the Helm fixture, but conditions have again thwarted this.

Dubin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Water Wag racing tonight (May 22) is cancelled due to gusty north-to-northwest winds reaching over 26 knots inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Dublin Bay Water Wag No. 50 Siskin, sailed by Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup, was the winner of Wednesday night's (May 17th) AIB DBSC race.

Held in warm sunshine in an ENE 5-6 knot breeze at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three-round course for the 23 competing boats.

The race was a handicap race with the fleet divided into eight staggered starts.

The wind dropped as the first boat approached the leeward gate for the second time so the Race Officer shortened the course at the weather mark after two rounds and a final beat with Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup sailing Siskin getting the gun.

AIB DBSC Water Wag race results (May 17th) 

1. No. 50 Siskin, Mandy Chambers and Sue Westrup
2. No. 31 Polly, Richard Mossop and Henry Rook
3. No. 15 Moosmie, John O’Driscoll and Shirley Gilmore

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly, aboard the committee boat 'Spirit of the Irish', set a three-round windward/leeward course in a 10-knot southwesterly breeze for the third Water Wag race of the AIB/DBSC 2024 season.

The 23-boat fleet’s start was postponed due to a 40-degree wind shift. The start line was relaid, and the course was adjusted before the starting sequence got underway. A number of boats were OCS, and the next start got away under the U flag with boats all clear.

The wind dropped to 3 knots on the last round, and the final downwind leg was slow. Judy and Grace O’Beirne sailing Shindilla had a good lead at the leeward gate before the final windward leg when Sean and Heather Craig sailing Puffin split tacks and benefitted from a better breeze on the beat finally taking the lead by a small margin.

Seán & Heather Craig sail No. 52 Puffin to a win by a small margin from No. 19 Shindilla, Judy & Grace O’Beirne in Wednesday night's Water Wag AIB/DBSC race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ann Kirwan

Top 3 results were:

1. No. 52 Puffin, Seán & Heather Craig
2. No. 19 Shindilla, Judy & Grace O’Beirne
3. No. 42 William Prentice and crew

On Wednesday evening, 22 boats turned out for the second Water Wag race of the AIB DBSC 2024 season at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three round windward/leeward course in a six-knot ESE’ly breeze.

The strong ebb and light breeze resulted in a general recall, and the U flag was flown for the restart.

The course was shortened at the weather mark after one round and a final beat due to the dying breeze.

The top three results were:

1. No. 3 Pansy, Vincent Delany & Emma Webb
2. No. 38 Swift, Guy and Jackie Kilroy
3. ⁠⁠No. 45 Mariposa, Cathy MacAleavey & Con Murphy

The first Water Wag race of the AIB/DBSC 2024 season was held in a chilly six-eight knot steady south-easterly breeze in Dun Laoghaire harbour. Twenty-two boats participated.

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly, aboard the Royal Irish Yacht Club committee boat 'Spirit of the Irish', set a three-round windward-leeward course with a fourth beat to finish at the weather mark.

Top three finishers were:

1. No. 52 Puffin, Seán and Heather Craig
2. No. 19 Shindilla, Judy O’Beirne and Grace O’Beirne
3. No. 3 Pansy, Vincent Delaney and Emma Webb

The Water Wags, a local sailing class on Dublin Bay, had a successful season in 2023 despite the extreme weather conditions that they faced. The club's activities kicked off with a coaching and training weekend at the National Yacht Club in April, which ensured that all boats were in top condition for the first race at the end of the month.

The club held 22 Wednesday races throughout the season, with 37 Water Wags competing on average every week. The races took place in the harbour, with the PRO authorized to run one race of around 60 minutes, which represented three or four laps of the harbour or two races of two laps each, depending on the weather conditions.

The Pieta House 'Darkness into Light' event on May 6th was a unique event in which Dipper, one of the boats, led the way sailing east into Scotsman's Bay to welcome the sunrise, followed by a hearty breakfast.

The 2018 built Water Wag No.48, Dipper, sailed by David Williams of the Royal S.t George Yacht Club Photo: Michael Chester

The club also held two pursuit handicap races during the season, which allowed the boats normally at the tail of the fleet to start in clear wind and stay ahead of the bunch as long as possible. Phyllis was a high achiever during these races.

Six Water Wags, Polly, Little Tern, Swallow, Mariposa, and Dipper, travelled to Brittany to compete with 1500 other classic vessels at La Semaine Du Golfe De Morbihan, a social and cultural event where the Water Wags were warmly welcomed.

David and Jill Sommerville sailing Water Wag No. 40 Swallow Photo: Michael Chester

The Water Wags also held a fundraiser for the RNLI and participated in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023, where last-minute arrangements were made to relocate the racing for the 18 Water Wags into the harbour due to stormy weather conditions. Despite the amalgamating of teams to ensure that only the more experienced sailors went afloat, Puffin and Mary Kate dominated the results.

Water Wag racing at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2023 was stormy for the 18-boat fleet Photo: Michael Chester

Mademoiselle won the Captain's Prize race and dinner in August, which is one of the most popular events of the year, while Puffin, Swift, Tortoise, and Ann were the dominant boats in the final event of the season on Lough Key in County Roscommon. Despite the weather forecast never dropping below force seven, the competitors completed seven races. The event was such a success that the club has already booked the same venue for next year.

David Kelly at the helm of Water Wag No. 33 Eva Photo: Michael Chester

Overall, the Water Wags had a fantastic season, and the club members are looking forward to more sailing adventures in the years to come.

The strength of the Water Wags, says the class, lies in several areas:

• Boats do not become outclassed after a few years.
• Skill levels are such that husband/wife teams can match mother/daughter teams and every other combination of people connected by blood, marriage or friendship.
• The distance from shore to the race area is short, with minimal ‘hanging around’ between races.
• We have our own PRO who organises ‘Windward-Leeward’ races suited to Water Wags.
• After racing each week, all the sailing teams gather together for socialisation.
• We hold at least three sailing suppers during the sailing season and two in the winter.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three-round windward/leeward course for the last DBSC Water Wags race of the 2023 season at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Wednesday evening, September 20th.

The 26-boat fleet was racing for the Candlestick trophy, and many of the Wag dinghies sported Christmas lights, which could be seen as the light faded and the boats returned to their respective clubhouses.

The Water Wag dinghies sported Christmas lights for the last race of the season for the Candlestick Trophy at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ann Kirwan

The Water Wags are packing up now and heading to Lough Key for their traditional end-of-season weekend on the Shannon.

Results were:

1. No. 52 Puffin, Seán & Heather Craig
2. No. 38 Swift, Guy and Jackie Kilroy
3. No. 15, Moosmie, John O’Driscoll and Shirley Gilmore