While out on their first training exercise since COVID-19 restrictions were put in place in March, Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI yesterday evening (Monday 31 August) was requested by the Irish Coast Guard to respond to a kayaker who had capsized.

The all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:55 pm under Duty Coxswain David Branigan with seven crew on board and was carrying out routine training within the vicinity of Killiney Bay when they received an immediate tasking call. The crew quickly diverted course at 7:20 pm to search the area of coast between Dalkey and Colliemore Harbour.

The lifeboat used the tidal and wind direction as an indicator and located the two kayakers who had left Bullock Harbour together, one of which was in difficulty after capsizing and losing their paddle. The second kayaker helped the person in difficulty to right their kayak and assisted them until the lifeboat crew arrived on scene.

The casualty was transferred on board and casualty care assessed by the volunteer crew and deemed in good health and was then taken ashore at Dun Laoghaire lifeboat station rather than Bullock Harbour due to the mid-tide at the time. The other person involved made their way back to Bullock Harbour unassisted.

Dun Laoghaire Irish Coast Guard shore unit and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 were also on scene.

Weather conditions at the were described as fresh with a southerly wind.

Speaking following the call out, David Branigan, Dun Laoghaire RNLI Duty lifeboat Coxswain said: ‘ This was our first training exercise since covid-19 restrictions were put in place, and by chance, a call from the Irish Coast Guard was received over the radio. Following a quick search of the area, we were very glad to find the kayakers. It was reassuring to find the person in difficulty had stayed with their kayak and bunched up with the second kayak, this made it much easier for us to find them. They also had a means of calling the Coast Guard for help which is very important. Our crew were very pleased with the outcome and happy to have safely returned the person to shore’.

When the Dublin Bay Water Wags started racing 133 years ago in 1887, every boat had a Spinnaker Guy, and a vital role he played too in dealing with the eternal contest with Tidal Eddy. So far, however, there’s no word that a Lazy Jack or a Bob Stay has been seen racing aboard any of these historic boats. But it seems that the Guys are now to be found everywhere, even on the helm, and of course they’re all Good Guys to a man - or indeed a woman, should it be Mrs Guy.

This all came to a weird sort of peak yesterday (Wednesday) evening, when perfect sunlit racing conditions rounded out a classic ridge day, providing sailing prospects so encouraging that, despite the dampening effects of social distancing and whatever, the class had its best turnout of 2020 thus far, 25 boats being on the line for two races sent off by the ubiquitous Con and Cathy Murphy.

The “weird peak” emerged from the fact that the first race was won by Guy O’Leary, while the second – after a slight kerfuffle towards the finish line with that Howth guy Ian Malcolm racing the 1915-vintage Barbara – was won by Guy Kilroy. Other guys and gals figured in the top results, but for the moment it’s enough to be contemplating this Guyfest at the front of the fleet, when you remember it was in a fleet already deploying 25 Spinnaker Guys.

Classic summer evening in Dun Laoghaire as 27 guys are busy downwind in the Water Wags. Photo: Con Murphy

Dun Laoghaire RNLI is appealing to businesses in the community to become RNLI local ambassadors by sharing key water safety advice to help keep people safe.

On average, 175 people lose their life around the coast of Ireland and the UK each year. Tragically, these deaths are accidental. But together, the RNLI and the community can do something to change it.

Liam Mullan from Dun Laoghaire RNLI explains: ‘Our local businesses are always very supportive of the RNLI and we are deeply grateful to them for that. Like our volunteer lifeboat crews, our local businesses live and carry out their work beside the sea. They help others to enjoy the water and like us, they care about keeping people safe around it.

‘Sadly, one drowning is still one too many in the place we call home. At the RNLI, we are committed to keeping our community a place for safe and happy memories by the water. And, by becoming an RNLI local ambassador, businesses in the community through sharing our safety messages, can help us turn a preventable death into a life saved. Together, we can save every one.’

Appealing directly to local businesses, Liam continued: ‘As an RNLI local ambassador, you’ll be a real lifesaver in our community. The global outbreak of COVID-19 has forced us to be more innovative and creative when thinking about how we get our safety messages out in different ways this year. But with your kind help, we can spread our safety advice – in the simplest and easiest way for you – to protect more people by the water.’

To become an RNLI local ambassador, local businesses will be asked to display safety materials in and around their business.

‘We would ask that you sign up to be an RNLI local ambassador. Register your details and we’ll give you access to our safety materials that you can display in and around your business – whether that’s putting up posters in your windows or sharing a social media post. We’ll also let you know if there’s any water safety training happening in your area so, if you’d like, you can get more involved. We are so grateful for such support and know it will really help make a lifesaving difference’

To sign up, click on this link here

Dun Laoghaire RNLI launched both their lifeboat’s this afternoon (Tuesday 11 August) at the request of the Irish Coast Guard assisting two vessels in two separate incidents.

At 12:55 pm today, the all-weather lifeboat was launched under Coxswain Mark McGibney with a crew to reports of a yacht which had suffered steering failure two miles north of Greystones in County Wicklow. A local vessel, ‘Centurion’, sighted and confirmed the casualty vessel’s location. The volunteer crew made their way to the scene arriving at 1:21 pm and on arrival, the lifeboat crew assessed the situation. The person on board was in good health and the stricken yacht was taken in tow to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

As the all-weather lifeboat was on its way back to Dun Laoghaire Harbour the station’s inshore lifeboat was also requested to launch at 2:06 pm to a separate incident just outside the entrance to Dun Laoghaire Harbour. A report was received from the Irish Coast Guard of five people on a 23ft yacht with engine failure. The inshore lifeboat crew swiftly located the vessel arriving on scene at 2:14 pm, having assessed that all on board were in good health the volunteer crew took the yacht in tow bringing it into Dun Laoghaire Harbour arriving at 2:45 pm. The station’s all-weather lifeboat crew arriving after shortly after, at 3:00 pm.

Weather conditions at the time of both callouts were described as calm with a light wind with restricted visibility due to fog.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Coxswain Mark McGibney

Speaking following the call out, Mark McGibney, Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat Coxswain said: ‘The people in both incidents made the right decision in calling the Irish Coast Guard for help. Conditions today were calm on scene but visibility was restricted by fog, thank you to the crew of the local vessel, Centurion for sighting and confirming the vessel’s location which allowed us to respond with no delay’.

Also speaking alongside Mark McGibney following the callouts was Gary Hayes, Dun Laoghaire RNLI inshore lifeboat Helm, he said’ The volunteer crew and I are very happy to have returned everyone safely to shore today. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask everybody thinking of going out on the water to please check their vessel and safety equipment in advance’.

The new RS Aero fleet now comprises the biggest one-design class, racing in the DBSC PY fleet. From zero boats last year in DBSC, there are now six Aeros racing competitively and there are rumours of more boats on the way. Not only are the boats great in one design but also have demonstrated great handicap ability under the PY system with five of the Aeros holding the top 5 places overall in the Tuesday Series with Noel Butler in the lead and Brendan Foley’s Aero leading overall in the Saturday Series.

• Tuesday PY Series
• Saturday PY Series

Last night saw Noel Butler win both windward/leeward races showing excellent upwind speed and good race management to avoid the bunching on the short harbour based course. The rest of the boats traded places in the shifty winds with lightweight flyer ‘Skinny’ Sarah Dwyer and athletic Stephen Oram showing excellent speed, almost match racing each other around the track.

RS Aero DBSC racing at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Afloat

What is amazing is the variety of sailing styles witnessed as the fleet learn to sail the boats quicker. The high/low modes upwind can have huge gains or losses and being only 30 kilos heavy the boats really respond well to the small gusts with excellent acceleration. Downwind the boats run more by-the-lee than the Finns and the Lasers with some sailors choosing the big windward heel and others going flat to keep the chines out of the water.

The training clinics of Maurice ‘Prof’ O’Connell over the last few months have helped the fleet to come on with his knowledge and drills supporting the rise in the standard.

One of the features of the Aero class is sharing knowledge and the Dun Laoghaire Harbour fleet is no different with race winners sharing what worked and didn’t - the net effect has been a great rise in overall standard with any of the 6 boats capable of a top 3 placing.

This augers well for the RS Aero Irish Open Championship being held on the 19th and 20th of September 2020 at the INSC in Dun Laoghaire.

If you would like to sail an Aero and try it out ask any of the sailors with boats in the NYC or RStGYC. The class plan to have some open days for a try-out within COVID guidelines in the next few months.

At the start of COVID 19 pandemic, the sailing community in Dun Laoghaire began planning for one event to replace the four individual waterfront yacht club regattas.

The original regatta plan had two potential dates July 31st/ August 1st - or Sept. 5/6th. The event is an initiative of all five of Dun Laoghaire's yacht clubs as a response to the COVID-19 interrupted season.

In the light of recent delay to Phase 4 of reopening, the later date is being chosen and an event is being designed to meet the COVID-19 protocols.

The event will be hosted by the National Yacht Club who are celebrating their 150th year.

It is being supported by the other Clubs – RIYC, RSGYC and DMYC, whose members will take part.

In what is turning out to be a bumper September for Irish sailing, the event will run a fortnight after the Round Ireland Race from Wicklow (August 22nd) and a week before the ICRA National Championships at Howth as part of the North Dublin Club's WAVE regatta on 11/13 September.

National Yacht Club Commodore Martin McCarthy

The event will also have a trophy to mark 100 years since the renaming of the town to Dun Laoghaire and will be supported by Davy Group who will provide prizes and support.

National YC Commodore, Martin McCarthy commented: “We are thrilled that the other clubs have so generously given us the opportunity to celebrate our 150th with a Regatta, in a year where sailing time has been very condensed. The event is being designed to meet the requirements of the battle against COVID 19, so Apres Sail will be restricted.

"We will have 10 Commemorative medals struck for race winners across the waterfront and a singular trophy to mark 100 years of Dun Laoghaire for the finest Classic boat taking part".

"We especially thank Davy Group whose loyalty and ongoing sponsorship during this pandemic has contributed greatly to running this event.
It will be an important step on the road to “new normal” and which we hope will finish with a rowing race in Dublin Bay".

At 10:21 am today (Saturday 18 July), Dublin Coast Guard requested Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI to assist three people on board a 35ft yacht which had its propeller fouled approximately two miles of the Dublin coast.

The all-weather lifeboat was launched under Coxswain Mark McGibney with six crew onboard and made its way to the scene arriving at 10:55 am. The all-weather lifeboat took the vessel in tow and brought it to Dun Laoghaire Harbour arriving at 12:00 pm.

Weather conditions at the time were described as good with a slight wind and good visibility.

Speaking following the call out, Mark McGibney, Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat Coxswain said: ‘This can happen to anyone but it’s great to see the people involved wearing lifejackets and have the correct means of communication to call the Irish Coast Guard for help, which was the case today. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to make sure that their vessel engines and safety equipment are checked and in working order before taking to the water.’

Dun Laoghaire RNLI Take Motorboat Under Tow

It was the second shout for leisure boats this week for the Dun Laoghaire lifeboat crew. On Wednesday the all-weather lifeboat was called to assist a 35-motorboat off the County Wicklow coast at Bray as pictured below

Dun Laoghaire RNLI tow a motorboat back to the harbour Photo: Afloat

We think of the venerable Dublin Bay Water Wags as being the quintessential Dun Laoghaire Harbour class. But when the results of their first race of the delayed 2020 season yesterday (Wednesday) evening were analysed, it was noted that the top performers in the turnout of 13 gleaming varnished classic boats included many from outside the leafy confines of South Dublin.

Former Olympian and current classic boat pace-setter Cathy MacAleavey was unable to race owing to having had a hip replaced on Monday (we wish her well), but she made sure her boat, No 42 Molly, was in with a chance through being raced by Olympians Finn Lynch (originally of Blessington SC) and her daughter Annalise Murphy (NYC), Silver Medallist in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sailing is really going again when the Water Wags make their first appearance – William Prentice’s Tortoise (42), Adan Winkelmann (46) and the O’Driscolls from Lough Derg (15) in perfect first race sailing conditions

The 1915-built Barbara (Ian & Judith Malcolm), crossed the in-harbour line to take fourth

The hotshots duly obliged by winning, but the top placings thereafter indicated that interest in Water Wag racing is at the very least a Leinster-wide matter, for although Guy KIlroy of Dun Laoghaire was second with Swift, he’s no stranger to the more remote hidden waters of the North Shannon, while third was also Shannon-oriented, as the O’Driscoll family of Lough Derg YC – noted Shannon One Design sailors – have added a Water Wag to their boat portfolio. To make the spread complete, fourth place was snatched by “the Howth boat”, the 1915-built Barbara campaigned by Ian and Judith Malcolm, who are best known for their links to the Howth 17 class and other classics from the board of their local designer Herbert Boyd.

The classic Water Wag image to launch the 2020 season - Adrian Masterson brings his boat to the mark.

Dun Laoghaire’s local authority has extended the deadline to take part in its summer flag-making initiative.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, locals of all ages are invited tell their own Covid-19 story with a flag of their own making.

Submitted flags will then be flown from the masts of boats among Dun Laoghaire’s sailing community which will display them in a flotilla on Dublin Bay.

Hundreds of flags have already been received by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, but the authority said there are lots more stories to tell so they have pushed the deadline back to the end of summer.

For more details on how to take part and create your own flag, click HERE.

A new cycle lane at Dun Laoghaire Harbour runs across the primary access route for the town's RNLI Lifeboats, one of the busiest stations in the country and restricts the lifesaving service in its emergency response, according to the Dun Laoghaire RNLI.

The new scheme, currently under construction, also blocks the direct route to the National Yacht Club (NYC) at the town's East Pier.

Mr Stephen Wynne, the Lifeboat Operations Manager at RNLI Dun Laoghaire told Afloat the lifesaving charity was currently 'in consultation with DLRCoCo to find an amicable solution'.

The traffic management plan includes road closures as part of an overall plan to implement a cycle lane through the town to the popular Forty Foot bathing place in nearby Sandycove.

An artist's impression of the new 'DLR Coastal Mobility intervention' at Queens Road as envisioned by DLRCoCo

Access from Queen's Road 'is the primary access route used by volunteer lifeboat crew in the provision of its 24/7 lifesaving service and it is restricted as a result' Mr Wynne says.

Access to the NYC and the lifeboat station is now via the harbour roundabout at the nearby Royal St. George Yacht Club but already, at certain times of the day, new road markings at the roundabout are restricting traffic flow, according to harbour users.

DLRCoCo has also relocated its weekend markets from the Peoples Park to Queens Road between Park Road and the entrance to the Pavilion car park resulting in the road closure to all but pedestrians and cyclists.

New road markings at Dun Laoghaire Harbour roundabout Photo: Afloat

As a result, it means RNLI crews responding to an emergency call-out and travelling by car are effectively blocked coming from the east and potentially severely restricted arriving from the west depending on the time of day.

A spokesman for the NYC said the club – the Irish yacht club of the year in 2018 – had 'no comment' to make in relation to the scheme.

The cycling schemes form part of the County-wide plan of temporary measures to address the challenges in the public realm resulting from Covid-19 related to public health and safety, mobility and to support the recovery of the local economy. The Council says on its website there have been high increases in cycling numbers on routes along the coastline in May 2020, according to real-time data from cycle counters. When compared with May 2019, cycling numbers in Blackrock Park almost doubled, rising from over 16,385 cyclists to 29,666 cyclists over the month of May.

A request for comment from DLRCoCo was not responded to by the time of publication.

UPDATE: July 17. DLRCoCo response as follows:

In response to Covid-19, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) has made safety-critical changes to the layout of the roads infrastructure on roads on the coastal route between Blackrock and Sandycove to reallocate road space so as to protect the health and safety of the significantly increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians who are accessing the coastal route.

There has been an almost 100% increase in the number of cyclists using the coastal route. According to real-time data from cycle counters in Blackrock Park in May 2020 there were 29,666 cyclists compared with 16,385 cyclists in May 2019. A very distinct pattern has emerged during the Covid-19 restrictions with a wide variety of ages and abilities observed to be cycling on the road.

DLRCC as a local authority and a road authority has a duty of care to all road users, particularly vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians, and the mobility interventions, including the provision of a 2-way segregated cycle way, have necessitated changes to the road layout along Queen’s Road and in the Harbour area. In order to avoid a conflict between cyclists on the 2-way cycle way and vehicles, it was deemed necessary from a safety perspective to prevent access to vehicles via the access point in the Harbour closest to the East Pier. However, there are still clear vehicle access routes through to the RNLI lifeboat station in the Harbour via the Marine Road/Crofton Road junction and at York Road/Crofton Road junction, via the Cold Quay Bridge.

DLRCC has met on a number of occasions with RNLI representatives about the plans for the mobility interventions on Queen’s Road and in the Harbour area and plans further engagement so as to ensure that DLRCC as a road authority and RNLI as a lifesaving charity can meet their respective safety-critical responsibilities.

The dlr CoCo Markets was located on a trial basis on Queens Road on 12th July but this will not continue and the Market will be relocated to nearby locations which means that Queens Road will be open to vehicular traffic under the new one-way system during the week and at weekends.