The Dublin Bay Waterwag lays claim to being the oldest one-design sailing boat in the world. Founded as a class in 1887, the design was modified in 1900 and the rules are essntially unchanged since then.
Afloat's Graham Smith wrote, in the February/March 2009 issue:
You would expect that the venerable Wag would be a class at ease with itself by just trundling along with the same number of boats, year in, year out. If you did, you’d be wrong! Four or five new boats over the previous few years plus a new one this year has brought the fleet to a very respectable 40 in its 121st year of action in the Bay. A number of these are now available to charter or to buy, although the proviso is that they must be sailed in Dun Laoghaire! There was no Wag Worlds in 2008 – it’s every second year so 2009 has the next one – but Frank Guy in Gavotte (Wag no. 24) was the leading light in the Dublin Bay racing scene during the 2008 season.
