At High Water Howth early on Saturday morning, it was still dark – very dark – and the roaring breakers in the nor’easterly gale at the tag-end of Storm Babet’s secondary low were sweeping over the East Pier as if it didn’t exist. Yet by daylight, the wind was easing, the sky was clearing, and as the morning got under way, the flags were out to dress the HYC clubhouse overall in the sunshine.

By noon, the first of the topsails were going aloft in the venerable Howth Seventeens as they and a very varied fleet of other boats prepared for the final races of the monday.com HYC Autumn League, whch would also see the final race of the Howth Seventeens’ brilliantly-celebrated season-long 125th Birthday – their Quasquicentennial Anniversary.

The 1907-built Howth 17 Deilignis in fine form at the weekend. In the monday.com Autumn League, she won both her class and the overall title for the clearest win. Photo: Susanne Cruise

As the afternoon went on, despite the wind easing and backing the very efficient two-course-area Race Officers Scorie Walls and Harry Gallagher - under the overall direction of David Lovegrove, all of them alumnae of Sutton Dinghy Club on the other side of the Hill of Howth – managed to get in two races for all classes. They thereby kicked in the second discard provided by six races in a series which has been so plagued by volatile weather that at one stage it looked dicey as to whether or not they’d even manage four in all.

Howth YC Commodore Neil Murphy (celebrating his 70th birthday) with supreme League Champions Jamie and Luke Massey of the Howth 17 Deilginis. It was their father Nick’s rescue of the neglected Deilginis from a forgotten storage shed in Dolphin’s Barn in Dublin in 1972 that started the current upsurge in the 125-year-old Howth 17 class. Photo: Brian Turvey

CELEBRATORY MOOD

The celebratory mood in the clubhouse afterwards is well captured in former HYC Commodore Brian Turvey’s cheerful photos of the prize-winners with Commodore Neil Murphy, himself an active participant in the Puppeteer 22 Class and on something of a permanent high as it was his own significant birthday – marked with an appropriate cake - while Howth are the MG Motor “Sailing Club of the Year 2023”.

The club spirit was further heightened on Saturday night at the prize-giving and post-series dinner with the news that fellow member Eve McMahon was leading the ILCA 6 U21 Worlds in Tangiers, in which she duly took Gold next day, while Howth YC’s most famous exported sailing talent Gordon Maguire had appeared as tactician aboard the red-hot Botin 52 Caro in that morning’s 609-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race start from Malta.

Class 1. Going into the final day, J109 Storm had a two-point lead for the Kelly Family from Rush over First 50 Checkmate XX (Nigel Biggs/Dave Cullen) and J99 Snapshot (Michael & Richard Evans), who were tied for second place. Race one was a windward-leeward with two rounds in a difficult sea state, and wind between 12 and 18 knots from the northwest on a flooding tide.

The J/109 Storm and the J/99 Snapshot battling for the overall Class 1 win, which in the end went to Snapshot on countback. Photo: Harry Gallagher

A slightly premature start from Checkmate XX (Dave Cullen & Nigel Biggs) unfortunately cost them time in returning to re-start, leaving Storm and Snapshot neck and neck at the first mark. Super tight racing gave Snapshot a win by only 3 seconds from 2nd place Storm, closing the gap for the overall lead of the series. The second race was around the cans course which started in quite a lumpy sea state and about 14 knots of wind. First around the top mark was Checkmate XX and by the second mark Ghost Raider and Snapshot were jostling for position. Storm took the best course to the next mark, but Snapshot held on to win by 23 seconds in yet another close battle.

Won on a countback – Class 1 Champions Mike (left) and Richie Evans (right) of the J/99 Snapshot, winners of Class 1 on a countback against Storm. Photo: Brian Turvey

This was enough for the Evans brothers and crew to win the Autumn League through countback on a tied result, while Storm had a solid second for the Kelly family, and third overall went to Checkmate XX.

In HPH, the winner was Nobert Reilly’s J/111 Ghost Raider, followed by Storm and Snapshot. Although racing for this year’s Autumn League was challenged by weather conditions, there was superb and very enjoyable competition in Class 1, and they look look forward to seeing more boats participate next year.

They’ve much to celebrate. Paddy Kyne with his crew from the trophy-sweeping X310 Maximus. Photo; Brian Turvey

Class 2 The final days racing for Class 2 provided the front runner in both IRC and HPH, the X310 Maximus (Paddy Kyne), taking the opportunity to consolidate her lead in both divisions. Maximus won the Windward/Leeward race convincingly with a dominated race win in IRC by over two minutes from 2nd place boat No Excuse (Wormald, Walsh, O'Neill), another X Boat and the last boat owned and raced by the late great Teddy Crosbie of Cork.

MAXIMUS WINS FOR SECOND YEAR

With the Autumn league in both divisions now secured, Maximus could afford to take her foot of the gas for the 2nd race of the day, a challenging round the cans Race in lumpy sea conditions. The X302 Xebec (Bourke, McGirr, Ball) took the IRC race win with No Excuse recording a second and the Half Ton Classic Mata (Wright, De Neve & Sheridan) taking third spot. Once ashore and the results posted, the Maximus team were crowned Class 2 overall winners in IRC for the second year running, second overall went to No Excuse and third to Dux – yet another X boat – campaigned by Caroline & Nico Gore-Grimes. On the HPH Overall, Maximus was there on top again, with No Excuse second and the Corby Impetuous (Noonan & Chambers) third

The mood of the final day is exemplified by this photo of the Howth 17s shaping up for their start – in the foreground is Oona (no 17, Peter Courtney), whose family have been involved in the class since 1907. Photo: Susanne Cruise

Class 3: With the breeze seemingly lighter than the sea state was indicating, all entries bar Kilcullen (HYC K25) were on the water for the final day. For Race One, a pin end bias saw many of the fleet sailing down the line which resulted in a clear start.

By the windward mark the Sigma 33 Insider (Stephen Mullaney) was in first closely followed by the Laser 28 Alliance II (Vincent Gaffney) and Kevin Darmody’s Geccko. This remained the order on the water, but Insider got caught up with the Class 2 boats at the leeward mark, allowing Alliance II to take full advantage to break Insider’s clean sheet with a well-deserved first on IRC, followed by Insider and Gecko.

The Sigma 33 is supposed to rate poorly under the IRC, but this collection of the Class 3 first prize for Stephen Mullaney’s Insider by crewperson Jenny Harris suggests otherwise. Photo: Brian Turvey

JOHN CORBY PERSONALLY JOINS THE FRAY

On HPH it was a first win for Pat & Neil Higginbothom’s new Beneteau First Class 8, Lazy Bones (MYC), whilst second went to anther Malahide boat, the Corby Running Wild (Anton Korshunov). Running Wild was recently refurbished to an extremely high level by her renowned creator John Corby, who was in Dublin on Saturday to sail with Anton.

For Race Two, a round the cans race would bring the season to a close with a bunched start the fleet got away. Insider was first to the windward mark, but behind her the fleet was extremely close, with Alliance II, Gecko, Running Wild and Kahara fighting it out on the first downwind leg.

Alliance II ultimately pulled ahead of the bunch with Running Wild just pipping Kahera (Russell Camier) on the line. On IRC it was Insider first from Alliance II, but Kahera jumped ahead of her sistership Running Wild due to a slightly lower rating. Kahera also took the win on HPH ahead of Running Wild and Alliance II.

Russell Camier from Malahide with Kahera was on top form on the final day. Photo: Brian Turvey

Overall on IRC, Insider won carrying all bullets as they were able to discard the second from Race 5. After a tough time for Alliance II, they were able to jump back up to second overall with their Race 5 win, whilst Gecko finished off the podium in third. On HPH, last year’s winner Kahera had not been in the lead all leading lead all series until winning that last race, thereby taking first overall ahead of Alliance II and Gecko.

Class 4 (non-spinnaker) had the new addition of Splashdance (Andy George & Tom Beckett) and with the 2023 series’ new IRC splits, Toughnut (Dermot Skehan) and Out and About (Terry McCoy) were both in class 4 too. The first race of the day saw, Splashdance start well and led from the front. A good race in 12+ knots ensued. Splashdance crossed first on the water but Bite the Bullet (Colm Bermingham) and Toughnut took the spoils on handicap.

In race 6, Splashdance erred on direction to the Garbh Mark on the penultimate leg and Bite the Bullet overtook her, leading to a final showdown in class 4. Toughnut won Race 6 by two seconds over Bite the Bullet adjusted, which allowed Splashdance the overall IRC and HPH victory on count back with three firsts for Splashdance versus two for Bite the Bullet in IRC.

Splashdance’s win on her debut in Class 4 was a matter for family celelebration. Photo: Brian Turvey

So congrats to Andy George and John Beckett from HYC for taking the Evora Class IV IRC Trophy with Splashdance, and to David Greene with White Pearl from Malahide YC taking the HPH Nissan trophy.

Class 5 (non-spinnaker) only 2 boats competed on IRC Demelza and the new addition to the class 5 fleet Leeuwin (Eamonn Burke & Jay Murray). Unfortunately, Leeuwin didn't get to compete on the last day due to mast damage so with 5 race wins the 1st prize was claimed by Demelza. On HPH first place for Class 5 was awarded to Mary Ellen (O’Byrne & Carty) and second place to the ever present 1971-vintage Swan 37 Bandersnatch (Kyran O’Grady, Wicklow SC), with Jokers Wild taking third for Lorcan Greene & R Flood.

In times past, the Club Shamrock Demelza was a star performer in the ownership of Stafford Mansfield of Cork and then Neville Maguire of Howth. Current veteran co-owner Windsor Lauden is continuing that success at Howth in partnership with Steff Ennis. Photo: Brian Turvey

Puppeteers – Overall winner in this fleet was Trick or Treat owned by the two Alans, Pearson & Blay. They had five top three finishes including thee race wins on scratch. In the HPH fleet, Sarah Robertson and crew won the Snowgoose Trophy which was presented to HYC many years ago by her parents David & Kate Lovegrove. Sarah was sailing her first event of 2023 having been kept ashore until the Autumn league by an injury, but now well rested and back in winning form.

Pushing it. Trick or Treat won the Puppeteer 22s, which are thriving mightily in Howth

The two Alans – Pearson & Blay – in the midst of the crew of all the all-conquering Puppeteer Trick or Treat, with the Commodore and the latest of many prizes. Photo: Brian Turvey

Squib class. Tears in Heaven was the runaway winner in the Squib fleet. Tom McMahon’s Squib, helmed by Jill Sommerville except the final day when Tom’s son Jack TiH delivered a relentless performance in this year's Autumn League bagging a 1st in each race.

Relative newby Tom O’Reilly with Cool Beans is big into the HPH silverware for the Squibs in Howth. Photo: Brian Turvey

Last year's winner, the popular Rob Marshall with Slipstream from Killyleagh YC on Strangford Lough, travelled home with a well-earned second prize. This year’s league saw the slow but steady re-build of the Squibs with eight boats taking part, an increase on last year, and newcomers Ger Loughran & Ross Hathaway (don’t mention the All Blacks), braving their first open event in “3point9” finishing sixth overall.

Howth 17’s. The Golden Oldies had thirteen boats on the start line for the last day of sailing for the 2023 season. It was also the last race of their 125th Anniversary, seen through so well with an imaginatively varied prgramme successfully overseen by Class Captain Dave O’Shea.

Rima Macken collects the gong for Eileen winning the HPH section in the Howth 17s. Photo: Brian Turvey

With winds of 12 knots-plus from the north west, there was a near clean start to the day’s windward/leeward Race 1 Unfortunately No 19 Isobel and No 14 Glady were OCS and had to return. Continuing on from their success last week, No 11 Deilginis (Skipper Luke Massey) crossed the l first with No 17 Oona (Skipper Peter Courtney) in second, with a battle for third between No 21 Orla and No 9 Hera, but as they came to the line, Hera (Skipper Michael Duffy) went ahead and crossed 11 seconds ahead of Orla .

The sheer joy of it – the Howth 17s starting a race on the final day of competition in their Quasquicentennial Year. Photo; Suannne Cruise

Race 2 around the cans saw No 19 Isobel (Skipper Conor Turvey ) taking an early lead to be first around the Windward mark and again first around the Cush and Island marks. But positions changed on the long beat up to the Portmarnock - Isobel sailed into a hole in the wind and No 20 Sheila (the 2023 National Championship winner) seemed to take the lead.

However, that didn't last as No 9 Hera found their own private wind supply by sticking to the Eastern side of the beat to take lead position as she approached the Portmarnock Mark. With the wind continuing to ease, Race Officer Scorie Walls had already signalled Shortened Course as the fleet cleared the Island Mark, so No 9 Hera (Skipper Michael Duffy) crossed the finish line first followed 45 seconds later by No 20 Sheila (Skipper David Mulligan ) while third boat across the line was Isobel (Skipper Conor Turvey) .

The 1898-built Hera (Michael & Jane Duffy) was winner of the last race of the Hwth 17’s 125th Anniversary Year

Team Competition

Interest in the Howth Autumn League is heightened by an inter-team series with three-boat teams selected from three different classes, but those interested have to be on the ball beforehand if they want to get the two partner boats that they prefer. So just four teams were ready to go as the series starts, and the top team never changed throughout the whole event, with the squad called and “Stormed Inside Erica” made up of Storm (Pat Kelly, second overall in Class 1), Insider (Stephen Mullaney, first overall in Class 3) and Erica (Davyd Nixon, second overall in Howth 17’s staying as clear team winners.

Overall Winner of the monday.com 2023 Autumn League was Deilginis – Howth 17 No 11, built 1907 in Portrush by James Kelly - with an 8 point winning margin in one of the best supported classes.

BRASS MONKEY SERIES

With the Autumn League all wrapped up, the Brass Monkey Series starts on the 5th November, running for 5 Sundays and last day on Saturday 9th December, Pat Connolly hopes to see many more boats out, it can be some of the most inclement weather of the year but always great racing and craic afterwards.

The Howth dinghy frostbites will also be under way to help the winter sailing carry through to April 2024, when Howth Yacht Club will be looking at beginning the Golden Jubilee Celenrations of fifty years of a continuous sailing programme, as the tradition Opening Day of April 1974 morphed in late Autumn into the first Laser Winter League

Meanwhile, a big thank you to Gary Cullen for bringing sponsorship from Monday.com, which all Autumn League participants very much appreciate.

Detail Results here

The final Irish regional event of the year for the RS Aero class is coming up in Howth Yacht Club on the 28th and 29th of October!

The Aeros in Ireland have been going from strength to strength over the last number of years, with over 25 boats competing in the regional events and 14 boats in Dun Laoghaire, the class continues to attract a wide variety of competitive sailors of all ages across Ireland.

The addition of the ‘6’ rig last year has bridged the gap often found in the boat as the 5 rig was deemed underwhelming for some sailors while the 7 rig was too powerful in the strong winter winds. The 6 rig has been adopted by male and female sailors and is giving the class another option to appeal to an even wider variety of sailors.

This last event for the season is the home event for some of the class's most competitive sailors, Daragh Sheridan and Paul McMahon who have found considerable success in the class both at home and on the international stage.

This last RS Aero event in Howth for the season is the home event for some of the class's most competitive sailors

The entry list also includes some of the RS works team sailors, including Noah Rees who while working for RS 9-5 is also usually found at the pointy end of the fleet in both the RS Aero and 21 classes!

Kenny Rumball of MarineServices.ie the Irish agent for the entire RS range in Ireland who is always keen to see the class grow, has charter boats available for those wishing to dip their toe in the class and see what all the fuss is about. There will be a training session on the Friday evening for the entire class to ensure all the cobwebs are well and truly gone before heading racing on the Saturday morning.

For more information on chartering a boat or a demo sail, interested individuals can contact Kenneth at [email protected].

More information about the championship, including registration and event details here

The penultimate monday.com-sponsored Autumn League race-day at Howth on Saturday experienced a brisk and mostly sunny west to nor’west wind of 15 to 20 knots, with two Windward/Leeward races smoothly run by the race officer Derek Bothwell in the offshore fleet, and Scorie Walls supervising the inshores.

In a series which has experienced two weekends of frustration, this brought the number of races completed up to four, and with the discard kicking in it made for some significant changes in the overall leaderboards. These were also affected by the fact that some key crews were away in Paris for the rugby, while others were in Dromineer for the Keelboat Freshwater Regatta on Lough Derg.

In Class 1, the fleet started Race One in a 20-knot westerly breeze with Checkmate XX and Indian both over, and having to return and recross the line. At the top mark, Ghost Raider was first around followed by Snapshot for a run to the bottom mark while dodging the starting boats from following classes. Snapshot broached and made a less-than-perfect rounding, allowing Storm to pass and eventually go on to win the race, with Ghost Raider finishing second.

Race Two was a clear start in 20 knots once more, and was a close battle with Snapshot taking first position followed by Storm and Ghost Raider. Indian had a consistent two fourth positions and Checkmate had a retiral due to spinnaker issues.

Class 2 - Race one started in a gusty North Westerly with a strong ebb tide running. All boats elected to hoist Number 3 Headsails except Maximus, who chose to go with a bigger headsail - the correct choice as Maximus rounded the weather mark in first place and kept her lead to the finish, scoring a firsts on IRC and HPH. Dux recorded a second on IRC with Impetuous holding on to take thirrd.

Race two saw Dux lead the fleet from the start recording her first “Gun” of the series. Maximus kept her composure to finish in second on IRC with Impetuous (having changed up to a Number 1 headsail, battling on for the third slot on the IRC Podium. Maximus now holds a lead overall in IRC on 5 points, with Dux and Impetuous both on 7 points. Maximus also holds the overall HPH on 4 points with Impetuous on 7 points and No Excuse on 8 points. All to play for on October 21st in the Class 2 Fleet.

Deilginis – seen here heading at speed for the Fastnet Rock during the Howth 17s’ 125th Anniversary Cruise-in-Company to West Cork at the end of June – now leads the class overall. Photo Howth 17 Association

In Class 3 Race 1 for the day saw a large shift in the breeze prior to the start leaving the beat one sided to benefit boats that started at the committee end. It was also the first week of racing for Howth’s K25 team with Kilcullen, and they pushed hard in the breezy conditions. IRC was won by Insider (Stephen Mullaney) with Kilcullen (HYC K25) second and Gecko (Kevin Darmody) third.

On HPH, Kilcullen were first from Malahide Yacht Clubs Shenanigans (Lee Douglas & Aidan Keane) and Insider in third. The breeze remained for Race 2, with IRC producing the same results as Race 1, with Insider first, Kilcullen second and Gecko third. Again on HPH, Kilcullen were first from last year’s HPH winner Kahara (Russell Camier) and Insider third.

Overall, Insider leads with 4 wins on IRC and Gecko leads on HPH with Malahide’s Kahera only two points behind.

Non Spinnaker classes – Splashdance continued their unbeaten record with four first places to lead class 4 on IRC. In the HPH fleet, Changeling & Splashdance are on equal points on HPH going into the last week. Class 5 on HPH is being led by Mary Ellen who has shown consistent performance followed by Demelza and then Bandersnatch going into the last week of racing.

Puppeteers - Trick or Treat with two race wins on Saturday is leading the Puppeteer fleet from the next two boats in joint second place. Commodore Neil Murphy in Yellow Peril is tied on 7 points with Ian Dickson in WeyHey. In the HPH fleet Ghosty Ned (Donal Harkin) and Snow Goose (Sarah Robertson) are tied going into next Saturday’s last day of racing.

Howth YC Commodore Neil Murphy’s crew preparing for the turn aboard the Puppeteer 22 Yellow Peril in Saturday’s distinctly Autumnal breeze. Photo: HYC

This week there were no Squibs on the starting line as most of the Squib class decamped to Dromineer for the Open Freshwater Keel Boat regatta.

Howth 17s The last Class to start on the inshore course were the Howth 17’s. Although 11 crews went out on the launch to prepare to race, given the wind speed and gusts 3 crews returned to shore and so they had eight boats on the start line. With winds of up to 20 knots from the north west there was a clean start to race 1 of the day. No. 11 Deilginis (Skipper Luke Massey) crossed the line first with No. 3 Leila (Skipper Roddy Cooper) taking second place with a battle for third position between No. 18 Erica and No. 17 Oona -however as they came up to the line Erica (Skipper David Nixon) went ahead and crossed the line 23 seconds ahead of Oona.

The second race Started - No 11 Deilginis and No 18 Erica reached the 1st windward mark a good 4 minutes before the next boats arrived - and that is how it stayed, a battle between the two for the rest of the race with No 11 Deilginis taking 1st place and Erica second - No 16 Eileen (Skipper Rima Macken) managed to secure third place finish on the final beat onto the line - All boats returned home to port with no damage reported

Team Competition: Provisional results shows no change in the leaders of the team prize. The leading TEAM is “Stormed Inside Erica” made up of Storm in Class 1, Insider in Class 3 and Erica in Howth 17s. Second are the Snappers (Yellow Peril, Dux and Snapshot ) and then DO-Not-Touch ( Deilginis, Toughnut, Trick or treat). Team results are published near the entry portal rather than in the normal results section.

Everyone is looking forward to an exciting finish next week followed by Prizegiving, dinner, the match and DJ & dancing.

Jill Sommerville

Results Here: https://hyc.ie/results

Saturday's unseasonably torrid air quality was like breathing in soup ashore, even if it was a clear broth. So, being afloat was obviously the place to be, particularly off Howth. There, while you'd hardly call it a breath of fresh air, there was at least enough breeze for all classes to finish a short race in the current Autumn League, which continues for another two weekends.

Some classes experienced encouragingly close finishes to liven up the atmosphere, with the Squibs tops in this department. Tom McMahon of the host club took the win by just seven seconds from Aidan O'Connell from the Royal Irish YC of Dun Laoghaire, with Robert Marshall from Killyleagh YC in Strangford Lough notching third just another six seconds
astern.

By contrast, the biggest boat in the fleet, Dave Cullen & Nigel's Biggs' First 50 Checkmate XX (HYC) in Class 1, was all of ten minutes ahead on the water of the chasing J/109 Storm (Pat Kelly Rush SC) and J/99 Snapshot (Mike & Richie Evans, HYC). And she still held the lead albeit by a much tighter margin - under the rigours of IRC, but the locally-angled HPH system gave the win to Nobby Reilly's Ghost Raider, but with Checkmate XX still very much in the frame at second.

One of the most popularly acclaimed victories in sailing in Ireland in 2023 was Johnny Murphy’s September winning of the “Champion Boat” award at the conclusion of the ICRA Nationals at his home port of Howth with his J/109 Outrajeous. With only one good – admittedly very good – day of racing out of a schedule of three, it was a nerve-racking contest, and Outrajeous has been having difficulty in showing the kind of success which her owner-skipper had shown in campaigning an Albin Express and a 1720. But with emotionally-acknowledged crew support – particularly from first mate Neil Spain – Outrajeous emerged victorious to achieve well-earned and tumultuous applause at the prize-giving.

We regret to announce the death at the age of 91 of Sean Flood of Howth, originally of Clontarf.

In a long and active life, he played a leading and popular role in business in Dublin, and in many areas of national and international maritime interest, including a remarkable career in sailing and boat ownership.

A former Commodore of Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club, he went on to be much involved in Howth Yacht Club, the Royal St George Yacht Club, the Irish Cruising Club, ISORA, Coiste an Asgard, Sail Training Ireland and Sail Training International. His enthusiasm for our sport has been carried through to succeeding generations of his family, and our thoughts are with them and his very many friends at home and abroad. A full appreciation will be published on Afloat.ie in due course.

Royal Cork Yacht Club and Howth Yacht Club both compete in tomorrow's Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup. 

Racing will take place off of Newport, either offshore on Rhode Island Sound or inshore on Narragansett Bay, and up to 12 races are planned for the series, with as many as four on any given day.

In the 2021 edition of the Cup, Howth finished 18th, and RCYC were fourth.

As previously reported by Afloat, sailing for Howth is Gary Cullen, Graham Curran, Johnny Durcan, Carla Fagan, Colin Kavanagh, Diana Kissane, William Maguire, David Maguire and Luke Malcolm. 

The Royal Cork lineup is: Shawn Bennett, Cliodhna Connolly, Harry Durcan, Ben Field, Mark Hassett, Tom Murphy, Sally O Flynn, Robert O'Leary and Anthony O'Leary.

Of the many illustrious clubs from around the world that have competed in the Cup, the premiere fleet regatta for Corinthian crews, two have most consistently demonstrated the slick boatspeed and smooth crew handling that are the hallmarks of winning one-design crews: Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans and Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (above) of Australia. One of the two has placed first and/or second in the past three editions, dating to 2017.

The two teams’ run of success began six years ago, when Southern Yacht Club posted a 12-point victory over Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron for its first victory in the prestigious regatta. Two years later, in 2019, it was Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s turn to win its first Invitational Cup, posting a four-point victory that went down to the final day of racing, while Southern Yacht Club placed fifth.

Yearning to defend their historic title—Royal Sydney was the first team from the Southern Hemisphere to win the coveted trophy—in 2021, helmsman Guido Belgiorno-Nettis and crew were “very disappointed” when they were denied the opportunity due to travel restrictions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, Southern Yacht Club, helmed by 2004 Olympic Silver medalist (Tornado) John Lovell, posted a 10-point victory for its second title in three editions.

“We watched the 2021 Invitational Cup with fascination, jealousy and frustration,” said Belgiorno-Nettis. “Sitting on the couch, my team were sure we could’ve given the 2021 competing teams a good run for their money. But I know that reality will set the record straight when we turn up at the start line. Then the talk stops and the action will begin.”

So, when racing for this year’s regatta begins tomorrow, the Invitational Cup will in effect have two defending champions. The two teams are returning the same helmsmen from 2021 and 2019, Lovell for Southern Yacht Club and Belgiorno-Nettis for Royal Sydney, and each crew has been on the water the past couple of days practicing. Both helmsmen feel more practice is needed.

“We’ve been working the kinks out the past couple of days,” said Lovell  “I think our crew work is pretty good, but time and distance is what we’ve been struggling with and working on. Hitting the start line at full speed within three to four meters of the start line and being able to sail straight for two minutes is critical. If you can do that, you’ll be in the game.”

“We’re very rusty. We haven’t done any sailing as a team since 2019,” said Belgiorno-Nettis. “You have to be good sailors; you have to have a great team. A quiet team is a fast team. Most important, you have to be consistent. You don’t have to win every race, but if you have good results eventually it comes your way, I think.”

Nineteen teams from 14 countries are on hand to race the eighth Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, a biennial regatta hosted by the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I. Since the event was first run in 2009, it has attracted top amateur sailors from 51 of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs from 22 countries.

After five editions in the Swan 42 class, the 2023 event will be the third sailed in the IC37, designed by Mark Mills. The strict one-design nature of this purpose-built class, combined with the fact that each boat is owned and maintained by the New York Yacht Club, will ensure a level playing field not seen in any other amateur big-boat sailing competition. The regatta will run from Saturday, September 9, through Saturday, September 16, with racing starting on Tuesday, September 12. 

Of the 19 teams entered this year, 17 have previous experience in the regatta. The two first-time entrants are the Corinthian Yacht Club of Marblehead, Mass., and Yacht Club Punta del Este of Uruguay.

Two of the 17 returning clubs, New York Yacht Club and Royal Cork Yacht Club of Ireland, have raced each edition of the Invitational Cup. And two sailors in this year’s fleet have also raced in each edition of the Invitational Cup: Royal Cork helmsman Anthony O’Leary and Royal Canadian Yacht Club crewmember John Millen.

“The standard of competition goes without saying, but what we really have great confidence in is the ability of the Technical Committee to prepare boats of equal standing for each competing team at the Invitational Cup,” said O’Leary, who has helmed the Royal Cork entry at each previous event. “This is important for competitors and gives us all a belief that we are as close to a ‘level playing pitch’ as is possible for an event of this nature.”

“This regatta, you have people who come to it from all around the world,” said Millen, who has raced with Royal Canadian six times and the New York Yacht Club once. “Racing in Swan 42s was fantastic. With the IC37s, the modern boats, even practicing racing, is incredibly tight. The importance of being consistent, the margins of victory and loss are so tiny, and so it can be incredibly satisfying or painful, and that makes it fun.”

The following yacht clubs will compete for the 2023 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup: Corinthian Yacht Club (Marblehead, Mass.), Howth Yacht Club (IRL), Itchenor Sailing Club (GBR), Japan Sailing Federation, New York Yacht Club, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (GER), Nyländska Jaktklubben (FIN), Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL), Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (CHN), Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Royal Swedish Yacht Club, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (AUS), Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (CAN), Southern Yacht Club (New Orleans), Yacht Club Argentino, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (ITA), Yacht Club Punte del Este (URY)

The J24 National Championships, being raced as part of the Monday.com Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) National Championships at Howth Yacht Club on Friday, were the only class to manage a race with winds of less than three knots across three race courses. 

Racing had to be abandoned for the IRC classes due to lack of wind, despite all efforts to start the fleets at 11:45 am. However, the sub-three-knot variable winds and haze persisted well into the afternoon, making it impossible to begin the annual event for the cruiser-racer divisions.

'There's nothing anyone could have asked of the race management teams today that would have made a difference,' ICRA Commodore David Cullen, who is competing in Class Zero, said.

Abandonment flags fly on the Howth Yacht Club Committee Vessel Starpoint on day one of the ICRA Nationals Photo: Afloat

Kinsale Yacht Club's Under 25 Kinsailor team are now top of the J24 leaderboard after their win on a windward leeward course in the northernmost race area. Wicklow Sailing Club's Conor Haughton in Jade took second. Third was Diarmaid Mullen's Smugairle róin. See the results below.

Eight boats were scrutinised on Friday as part of competition rules, and organisers report 'good compliance'. However, some boats had to return for items such as anchors, flares and fire extinguishers. The organisers say more boats will be subject to checks on Saturday.

Despite the forecast of more light winds, organisers plan to restart the IRC championship on Saturday with up to four races scheduled.

The racing will continue until Sunday, hopefully giving organisers ample opportunity to make up for the lost time on Friday.

As previously noted by Afloat's WM Nixon, the ICRA Nats 2023 event is a contemporary take on a time-honoured tradition in the North Dublin harbour.

The 2023 Squib Easterns at the weekend hosted by Howth YC and sponsored by Challenge, the Medical Insurance Company, provided an event held with light breezes, but basking in the glow of the recently unfamiliar glare of glorious sunshine. The fleet of 23 boats included sailors from all over Ireland, with the leading boats in particular apparently taking a leaf out of classes such as the International 29er in having different sailing centres provide the basis of the two-handed racing teams. This can surely only help in enhancing understanding among the various tribes of our socially-complex sport.

Saturday morning’s clearing fog left Principal Race Officer Derek Bothwell with no option but to delay for a short time before the pea soup diluted, and the fleet snaked out of the harbour.

Once the breeze settled, Derek promptly sent the competitors on their way, with a long-held early lead by the host club’s Kerfuffle - Emmet Dalton of Howth crewed by Royal Cork’s Neal Merry - being eventually overtaken by the Granat team of David Stewart & Brian Hare from the Royal Irish YC to seal the Race 1 deal. Howth’s Cool Beans (Class Captain Tom O’Reilly and Phil Merry) pocketed a tasty second place as Dalton & Merry kerfuffled their way down to fourth on the line, where Robert Marshall of Killyleagh was ahead in third.

The Spit Mark in Howth Sound is one to be avoided when the tide is strong, except in a complete flat calm when it makes for a handy mooring as you wait for the sea breeze. Photo: Emmet Dalton

“DROVE HER LIKE SHE WAS STOLEN”

The bit was now between Granat’s teeth, and they drove her like she was stolen to dominate Race 2, but Kerfuffle was back in touch with second, while third was Dogwatch (Terry Rowan from Royal North of Ireland YC, with total personnel mixing on board as his crew was HYC Puppeteer 22 Class Captain Crew Paul McMahon). Speed was of the essence to rein in Granat and Kerfuffle as they hit the hyperspace button for a Race 3 win. The second swift RIYC boat Ruby Blue (Aidan O’Connell & Ben O’Donoghue) followed, with Blue (David Hanna & Brian Kelly from Killyleagh YC) taking 3rd.

FRIED BRAINS

The delayed start to the first day and fried brains from the downwind legs sent the fleet ashore for recuperation and a dinner arranged in a characteristically weird Tetras layout (Afloat.ie Webmaster’s Note: This “weird” was in the report as posted by the Squib Association) Kerfuffle was leading Granat by a single point as the balmy and convivial night set in. Yet while Sunday morning may have seen the fleet being “spat out of the harbour and sent up the Sound on Sunday morning by a strong flood tide”, the near-zero breeze caused some boats to moor by a line the Spit Mark at Ireland’s Eye to wait for the fun to begin. Once the wind appeared, the Race Management team wasn’t long opening the traps for Race 4.

That magic moment when a developing sea breeze becomes a racing proposition – Emmet Dalton’s Kerfuffle coming to life with justified anticipation. Kerfuffle laid her claim to that race, chased by multiple championship winners Quickstep III (Gordon Patterson & Ross Nolan from RNIYC), with third going to the fleet’s oldest boat, Squib 24 Femme Fatale (multi-club Vincent Delany & Jamie Fenton representing RStGYC and Arklow SC)

BATTLE ROYALE

At this stage, Kerfuffle and Granat were locked in a battle royale, and the two boats knew the championship outcome would depend on one leading the other over the line in the final two races. Sacrificing a maybe, coulda-woulda-been Race 5 win, the Howth boat made sure the Dublin Bay boat didn’t escape. It was maths at play. Femme Fatale took that race win ahead of Quickstep III, with third going to Howth’s Durt (Fergus O’Kelly & Robert Stanley).

SHOWDOWN AT HOWTH SOUND

Last race…. Granat had to beat Kerfuffle by 5 places to take the title. Pre-start match racing was the order of the day, but the Howth boat shook off its rival at a bumpy start line and kept the points gap high enough to take the silverware and keep the trophy on the Peninsula. Kinsale’s Outlaw” (Ian Travers & Keith O’Riordan) demolished the fleet in this final race, chased by Quickstep III and Durt, a performance which rocketed the Kinsale boat up the rankings “Outlaw” to nip into second overall and split Kerfuffle” and Granat overall while Cool Beans (Tom O’Reilly & Phil Merry) took the Silver Fleet honours just ahead of Howth’s Tears in Heaven (Tom McMahon & Jill Sommerville)

At the tea and medals ceremony, Commodore Neil Murphy acknowledged the work put in by Class Captain Thomas O’Reilly, Fergus O’Kelly, Ronan MacDonell and Emmet Dalton for pulling the event together. Derek Bothwell went away well balanced with a bottle of his favourite tipple for each arm and sponsors Challenge were given a warm round of applause from the assembled sailors and supporters.

Peak Squib time at Howth – 105 boats on the starting line during the 1995 combined Irish & British Championships. Photo: Mandy Murnane

In all, the event served as a reminder of how well suited the Squib is to both Howth conditions and the volatile times in which we live, and the news that Howth YC will be staging the 2024 Irish Squib Nationals has reinforced rumours that at least two noted Peninsula sailor are scrolling through the Squibs for Sale listings.

It would have been easy to make two quick assumptions in advance of the past weekend’s sailing. The first would have been the reasonable expectation that Storm Betty, accurately forecast as she was, and sweeping right across Ireland in an almost personally-vindictive and very focused way, would have made any racing - and particularly a national championship – more or less meaningless.

That’s despite the fact that the name “Storm Betty” doesn’t really carry the necessary air of menace. In the same way, can you imagine a lethal “Storm Jimmy”? Nevertheless, doubtless some day we’ll have to gear ourselves up to face Storm Jimmy, and treat him with proper seriousness despite his equally unthreatening name.

The Optimists in action at Ballyholme – concerned parents can rest assured there is a boat in there somewhere. Photo: Simon MacIlwaine

Betty moves out, and the ILCA/Lasers move in, storming along towards the steep island of Ireland’s Eye whose presence off Howth often makes sailing possible in otherwise impossible conditions. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

BETTY BELIES AMIABLE NAME

But that’s all in due course. Meanwhile, we’ve seen Storm Betty come and go, and despite her amiable moniker, she was a vicious one, with a literally deadly sting in her tail. Yet close on either side of her, there were sunny days with great if decidedly brisk sailing that might put you in mind of summer, if you can remember that we used to have such a season.

Be that as it may, with patience and the strength of mind needed to take the long view, experienced Race Officers were able to carve great championships out of the sailable conditions that was there to be found around the closely-monitored mayhem-creating progress of this sweetly-named piece of very foul weather.

The ILCA 4.7s start to find their feet at Howth, with Craig O’Neill (Royal Cork) ahead. Overall winner of the ILCA 4 class was Lucy Ives of Carlingford SC. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

And one club can take all the credit for producing Race Officers of the required calibre to handle Betty. Let’s hear it for Sutton Dinghy Club. There, the continuing challenge of providing good racing in the mouth of a south-facing drying creek on the exposed north side of Dublin Bay has produced a cadre of elite race officers.

SUTTON DC’S SPECIAL EXPERIENCE BENEFITS ALL IRISH SAILING

These are seasoned experts for whom the challenge of organising worthwhile racing at more versatile venues last weekend, such as Ballyholme Bay on Belfast Lough, or Howth with its extensive race area tucked in behind Ireland’s Eye, was something to be done with accomplished style.

With judicious use of high water to get extra racing space, Race Officer Scorie Walls found the ILCA Championship some extra sheltered water along the Portmarnock shore. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

For it was Ruan O’Tiarnaigh – originally of Sutton but now northern-based – who successfully called the shots (and when not to shoot) for the 116-strong fleet racing the Irish Open Optimist Nationals at Ballyholme. And back home, it was Scorie Walls – who lives right on high water mark beside Sutton DC, and can tell you a thing or two about what a real southwest gale is like – who came over the Hill of Howth like Queen Maeve on campaign to ensure that the ILCA Irish Opens 2023 went through to a real result at Howth Yacht Club.

Optimists getting the best of a challenging weather pattern on Belfast Lough. Photo: Simon MacIlwaine

HOWTH RESTING ON “CLUB OF YEAR” LAURELS?

At Howth, we might find a reasonable assumption by outsiders that the recent hand-over of the MG Motor “Sailing Club of the Year 2023 ” award has resulted in a certain resting on the laurels. And perhaps it has. But thanks to the enthusiasm of the large and varied junior sailing establishment in this numerically enormous club, the senior Howth YC pillars of society have been able to do a certain amount of laurel-reclining while the Young Turks afloat have been shaking the trees to ensure that the tastiest fruits of success have continued to fall neatly beside the HYC Flag Officers for gracious consumption at their Lordships’ leisure.

DUNNE DEAL FOR HOWTH AT BALLYHOLME

In the Optimists at Ballyholme, young Harry Dunne of Howth was on top form, getting ahead and staying ahead to win clearly overall by 13pts to the 22 of Gemma Brady of the National and Lough Derg, with Charlotte Crosbie of the special Cork-Spain/Javea linkup third with 25.

Full results here

CLOSE-RUN LASERS

But the Lasers back home in Howth went right to the wire, with Jamie McMahon of the host club eventually wearing down a seemingly unassailable early lead established by visiting Australian star Isaac Schotte of Brisbane. In an eight-race series, things went pear-shaped for Schotte with a BFD in Race 6, but he was back in possible contention with a first to the second of McMahon in Race 7.

Tom Coulter of East Antrim BC, Irish ILCA 6 National Champion 2023. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

Thus in classic style it came down to the final race, which McMahon clinched to total 12 with Schotte second on 13 and Royal Cork’s Jonathan O’Shaughnessy – always there or thereabouts in the overall frame – taking fourth and third overall on 19.

Results here

COUNTRYWIDE FLEET SPREADS

With fleets of this size, a more leisurely study of the wide-ranging results lineup is always educational, as it shows the in-depth national strength of two long-established classes, indicating the power of their national associations.

Bringing it all back home…2023 ILCA 7 Irish Champion Jamie McMahon of Howth clinches the deal. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

For as four times Olympic Gold Medallist Paul Elvstrom observed after he’d failed to introduce a very promising new boat many years ago, if you’re up against a well-run and determined class association with global spread and an established and slightly comparable boat, then you’re on a hiding to nothing with any bright new boat idea.

The Optimist is arguably unique. But there are some boats which might think they deserve comparison with the ILCA/Laser. However, the ILCA/Laser is something very special. It is the only sailing class which is greater than its Olympic status. In fact, the Olympics need the ILCA/Laser more than the ILCA/Laser needs the Olympics. And an event like the Storm Betty ILCA Nats at Howth showed us why.