If evidence that Ireland's 2021 sailing season was about to start next week was needed, it was most definitely on display yesterday on Dublin Bay with dozens of different types of sailing cruisers and dinghies taking on a stiff south-easterly breeze and some great waves in anticipation of next week's 'mini training series' in compliance with the latest COVID regulations.
As regular Afloat readers know, after months of planning and preparations - and some agony - ' race training' is set to begin next week and competition from June 7th at the country's major sailing centres.
Training group of Lasers, Flying Fifteens, RS Aeros, 29ers along with two-handed and fully crewed J109s, B211s, 31.7s and Sunfast 3600s, all enjoying the ideal conditions on the capital's waters.
Boat programmes and crew arrangements are being firmed up not only for June 7th return to competition but also for this month's training period that precedes it.
May 'training' series
Some of the big clubs are advertising training mini-series from Monday, May 10th with "sailing considered a safe, non-contact sport with no material difference between training and competition".
- ISORA Training starting 15th May
- DBSC Training starting 15th May
- RCYC Training starting 13th May
- KYC Training starting 12th May
Dublin Bay
On Dubin Bay, DBSC will begin its mini-series from next Saturday, May 15th and it is planned to run training on club night's of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for the next three weeks or "until DBSC is given the approval to start its AIB DBSC summer series".
ISORA training for June's Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race is also expected to begin on May 15th with news that the National Yacht Club's 320-mile offshore on June 9th is definitely in 'go mode'.
ISORA is likely to continue its coastal racing on either side of the Irish Sea until cross-channel racing can resume.
Dublin Bay cruiser racing returns to Dublin Bay in June
Lambay Race at Howth
In Howth, Afloat's WM Nixon has reported the HYC Sailing Committee is considering staging the club's Lambay Race for Saturday, June 12th, when the tides are perfect. And though that new out-of-the-blue date still awaits approval at the General Committee meeting this week, it could well be a runner.
South Coast Sailing
In Cork Harbour, Royal Cork Yacht Club will run Cruiser-racer training each Thursday (May 13th) and Friday evenings starting this week, "It's great to get back on the water", the Crosshaven Club's CEO, Gavin Deane told Afloat.
Likewise in Kinsale Yacht Club, Commodore Mike Walsh plans cruiser-racer training at the West Cork Harbour from Wednesday evening, May 12th, as preparations continue for the club's confirmed Sovereign's Cup Regatta on June 23rd.
Return to racing from June
It is expected that in June that the country will continue to open up after COVID and a full racing season can commence from June 7th enabling the D2D Race two days later on June 9th.
Racing on the South coast then continues later that month with the Sovereigns Cup on 23rd- 26th of June.
Already plans are being hatched to try and retain some of the 11 national and regional championships that were built into the now cancelled Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta and more news on that as we have it.
Sources at Schull Harbour Sailing Club say Calves Week is "definitely on" and confirmation of August's big regatta in West Cork (3rd to the 6th of August) is expected soon.
Later that month, WIORA is scheduled at Fenit in County Kerry from 25th to 28th August.
The National Yacht Club will stage its second big event of the season when the ICRA National Championships is hosted by the East Pier club on September 3rd, with details of the three fleet event released here this week.
