130 young sailors aged between 8-15 years from across Ireland competed in the late Summer Optimist Championships in Dun Laoghaire Harbour sponsored by Citroen South at the weekend (4-5 September 2021). 

Clubs from Kinsale to Lough Ree and Antrim took part but most notably, 17 boats travelled to the event from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club (WHSC) in Dunmore East – many to their very first event.

Following a revival, the Optimist (Oppy) Class in Ireland is rebounding from the impact of lockdown with representation at all levels and great progress across the fleets from the first event in July to this event at the RStGYC.

Over 11 sailors earned a fleet upgrade from this event representing eight different clubs, while the 38-boat Regatta Fleet sailors enjoyed coaching from the RSGYC Instructor Team.

Optimist sailors in the Junior fleet reach a windward mark at the Royal St. George Late Summer Championships at Dun Laoghaire

As Afloat reported earlier, event winners in each category were:

Senior Fleet Gold - Caoilinn Geraghty-McDonnell (RSGYC), William Walsh (Tralee Bay SC), Cillian Twomey (Howth YC), Des Turvey (Howth YC) and Thea Daly (RSGYC)

Silver – Ellen Bruen (RCYC), Mia-Mai Hooper (Royal Irish YC), Jack Hanna (RSGYC), Hannah Scott (Howth YC) and Hannah Walsh (Tralee Bay SC)

Bronze – Suin N  Choistealbha (Malahide YC), Rory White (Waterford Harbour YC), Zita Tempany (RSGYC), Dylan Keane (Malahide YC) and Stan O’Rourke (Malahide YC)

Junior Fleet Gold - Carolina Carra (RSGYC), Abigail Murphy (RSGYC), Conor Cronin (Malahide YC), Olin Bateman (RCYC) and Lucy Moynan (RCYC)

Silver - Sarah Scott (Howth YC) (2nd junior overall!), Dougie Venner (RCYC), Andrew Mannion (Lough Ree YC), Rian O’Neill (RCYC) and Matt Mapplebeck (Kinsale YC)

Bronze - Max O’Hare (RSGYC), Mae Byrne (Lough Ree YC), Louise Hanley (NYC), Marcus Shelley (RSGYC) and Patrick Fegan (Malahide YC).

The next IODAI event is to be held at East Antrim BC on 18-19 September 2021.

Looking to next year, the RStGYC are looking forward to welcoming Oppy sailors back for the IODAI Irish Nationals Championships from 18-21 August 2022

In spite of two days of incredibly varying conditions, there were no major surprises at the winners' enclosure in this year’s MGM Boats Irish Laser Masters Nationals hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

Dublin Bay served up its usual blend of light winds, sea breezes and 15 knots, all in one race. While the conditions challenged race officer Harry Gallagher and his team, they led to dramatic results in some races.

However, across two days and six races, there were no upsets in this year’s event. First place in the Standard fleet was taken by Howth’s Paul McMahon with a first and three-second places his best results. Royal Cork’s Nick Walsh came in a very close second trailing by just 2.5 points. Meanwhile, Darragh Kelleher of Skerries Sailing Club came in a close third having one in the last race of the event.

Irish Laser Master Champion (standard rig) Paul McMahon of Howth is congratulated by Royal St. George Yacht Club Commodore Richard O'Connor

In the larger Radial fleet, Dun Laoghaire dominated the leader board. Sean Craig and Conor Clancy led the tussle for first and second place over the weekend, with Craig eventually arriving on top. He was glad to be able to discard the ninth place from the first race on Sunday, which he had been leading until the wind dropped to zero before the last mark. There’s a new challenger in town in the form of the George’s Marc Coakley who finished in third just one point behind Clancy.

2021 Radial Champion Sean Craig

In the Ladies fleet, as was predicted Judy O’Beirne and Shirley Gilmore fought it out for the title. O’Beirne proved more consistent across the two days and varying conditions to take first place. Alison Pigot of the National Yacht Club came in third behind Gilmore in second.

Ladies Champion Judy O’Beirne

This year saw the introduction of a Novice format for those who had not previously taken part in a national Laser event. The best scores from two races were accumulated across 17 participants in this category with joint first place going to Michael Norman of Wicklow Sailing Club and Hugh Cahill of DBSC. This format proved popular with participants noting how friendly and supportive the rest of the fleet and support crew were across the two days.

The event was operated under Covid-19 guidelines and could provide a template for the efficient running of future events. All communication in advance and during the event was managed through email and a dedicated WhatsApp group. Registration took place online, the race officer’s briefing and protest committee were convened via Zoom. The final socially distanced prize ceremony was live-streamed via Instagram. Competitors were able to dine outdoors at their respective clubs, so the social side of the event did not suffer greatly. Overall this approach led to a very efficiently run event with lots of paperwork and time delays eliminated.

Full results from the event are available on the Royal Saint George Yacht Club website here

The Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour will host the IODAI Optimist dinghy Trials on the May Bank Holiday  Weekend, 1st – 3rd May 2021.

The trials event is a great opportunity for younger sailors to compete on home waters and against their peers representing the best Optimist sailors in Ireland. 

The Royal St. George Yacht Club has a thriving optimist fleet comprising both beginners and those involved in competitive racing. 

The event is subject to COVID restrictions and a back-up date of 5th – 7th June 2021 has been earmarked in the event that the proposed May date is not run.

The Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire will host the IODAI Optimist trials

Commenting on the announcement, the RStGYC Optimist Class Captains, Sarah & Brendan Foley said that: 'We are delighted to host this important and much-anticipated regatta in the Optimist calendar. We will be working very closely with both Irish Sailing and IODAI over the coming months to ensure that the proposed event provides high-quality racing in a safe environment for all participants and supporters.

We are looking forward to getting back out on the water as soon as permitted and to build on the progress made by our sailors in the DOGs (Dun Laoghaire Optimist Group) training programme.

At the Royal St George Yacht Club we sail year-round. With a wide and varied range of boats/ programmes and instruction/coaching there are many opportunities for part-time and regular work.

We have a team of some of Ireland's best instructors and coaches and invite suitably qualified and experienced people to join our team. We look to recruit talented and committed individuals. If you have a positive attitude, complete professionalism, and a passion for sailing and fun we want to hear from you.

Limited availability? No problems. Come down, get involved, pass on your passion!

• Sailing Instructors Dinghy, Advanced, Assistant Senior Instructor and Keelboat Instructors. Click here to apply online
• Sailing Coaches - Optimist, Feva, Laser, Team Racing, Skiff/29'ers. (Weekends mostly) Click here to contact us.
• Assistant Sailing Instructors - Looking to build experience? Assist our regular coaches and instructors (Click here to apply online)

If you are interested, we want to hear from you. Mail to:[email protected]

After seven races sailed at the UK J80 National Championships Jonathan O'Dowd is six points off the overall lead with two races left to sail today.

Racing in Christchurch Bay at Royal Lymington Yacht Club in 5 - 8 knots of breeze the Royal St. George Yacht Club entry, 'Jabs' is currently third overall. 

Overall results in the 11-boat fleet are downloadable below

The Royal St George Yacht Club hosted its Annual ‘Sailing Oscars’, the Sailing Awards for 2018 earlier this month.

As Afloat previously reported, the awards are a celebration of the Royal St George Yacht Club's Sailing Achievements of 2018, and of the members of the Royal St George Yacht Club. All winners are congratulated by the Sailing Committee in recognising them as RStGYC Sailors & Club members with significant achievements during 2018. The event was attended by over 100 people including award nominees across seven prize categories and the newly appointed Commodore, Peter Bowring and Rear Commodore (Sailing), Mark Hennessy.

The event celebrated a busy and very successful 2018 for the club both on and off the water highlights of which included the hosting of the Laser Master World Championships, the Volvo Irish Sailing Pathway National Championships, The Sigma 33 Class and Irish Championships, The Frank Keane BMW George Regatta, The Shipman & Ruffian National Championships, The Waszp & Moth National Championships, both Junior & Schools All Ireland Championships… to mention a few.

There was a great number of strong nominees across many classes with a good number of youth sailors also involved.

Nominees can be found here 

Winners can be found here 

Photos of the evening are here

‘The Final Fling is Flung’ commented one competitor as he painfully dragged his boat up the slipway in Dun Laoghaire. Strong north-easterly’s greeted the fleet on Sunday afternoon.

With a healthy entry of 22 boats, from four different dinghy fleets – the effects of the 'weather bom'b that was Storm Brian caused the postponement of racing by 24 hours. Three races with no discard were held in the Harbour.

In the Feva fleet – Elysia O’Leary and Lilly Dwyer took top spot in the testing conditions.

Laser Standard – Conor O’Leary sailed solidly to take first overall – with the rest of the fleet decimated by gear and body failure!

Royal St. George's Toby Hudson Fowler, sporting the overall Final Fling prize!
Laser Radial first overall was decided on the last mark rounding of the last race with young gun Toby Hudson-Fowler getting the better of Dinghy Master Sean ‘Recently Radialised’ Craig. First Female was Shirley Gilmore.

The Waspz fleet wisely stayed at home!

Final Fling 2017 showcased the competitive Dinghy racing is provided by DBSC each Tuesday evening during the summer – Overall regatta winner Toby commented that he will ‘definitely joining in next year and will be dragging along some of his young radial sailor mates’…

If any other Dinghy fleets want to get involved or make Tuesday evening dinghy racing part of their training plans for 2018 please let us know now!

Thanks to RO Michael Tyrell & Crew, DBSC for providing committee and patrol boats and host club Royal St George.

Final Fling 2018 – 29/9/18 – one for the diary!

Results here

Youth sailors were on the water for a breezy set of 29er skiff 'try–out sessions' in Dun Laoghaire Harbour today.

The initiative, by the Royal St. George Yacht Club (RStGYC), is to help 'keep sailors in the sport at a time when all clubs are challenged to keep their youths’, explains sailing manager, Ronan Adams.

As Afloat.ie reported previously, one hour try–out slots were available with experienced 29er sailors on hand to assist. There was also land based information along with coaching and rigging sessions.

Three 29ers went afloat and sensibly the high-speed craft carried mast head floats because not all the try-outs went according to plan! 

A 29er capsized during today's try–out sessions Photo: Afloat.ie

When you’re among friends at a major anniversary celebratory dinner for a dinghy class of national historic significance, it’s something of a gamble to allow a roving microphone to be taken into the midst of the gathering at the height of the party and allow everyone and anyone the opportunity to tell their favourite stories from seventy years of sailing and sociability involving the boats being so enthusiastically honoured writes W M Nixon.

In fact, it’s a double gamble, as you’re relying on the expectation that an extra level of tolerance will be extended to those who become over-emotional with the saltiest of language in their recollections, and at various stages you’ll be hoping that the unwritten rule will prevail that what’s said and done at such occasions stays at such occasions, provided the matter in question falls short of murder - and even that might be debatable…..

Last Saturday night’s 70th Anniversary Dinner for the IDRA 14 Class in the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire was the boisterous rounding-out of a year-long celebration which has managed to take on national and international connotations. But as the idea for the class was first hatched in the Royal St George YC by the likes of Douglas Heard and Billy & Jimmy Mooney in the winter of 1945-46, with the IDRA 14s’ first race being staged by the selfsame club in the summer of 1946, there was only one possible venue for the 70th Anniversary Dinner on Saturday October 15th 2016.

Ian Sargent presents ISA President David Lovegrove (himself a former IDRA 14 sailor) with his 70th Anniversary pennant.

RStGYC Commodore Justin McKenna entered into the spirit of the occasion with total enthusiasm by kitting himself out in a Gala Dinner outfit that should be the envy of Commodores worldwide, complete with a magnificent bow tie which surely requires a licence for use in public. And the IDRA 14 sailors past and present from all over Ireland turned up in their droves with extra memorabilia and memories to add to the already impressive collection put in place by Class Commodore Ian Sargent and his team. Then to add the necessary gravitas to the occasion, Irish Sailing Association President David Lovegrove and his wife Kate arrived as Guests of Honour on a double basis – the President was himself a keen IDRA 14 sailor back in the 1960s.

Now there’s style for you. An elegantly-kitted Mary Conn enjoys a picnic lunch aboard the IDRA 14 Sheldrake from Sutton in Dun Laoghaire Harbour before a regatta in 1952.It was an event which gave a true sense of the passage of time, for some of the more ancient stories told were well beyond the wildest reaches of Political Correctness, while the old photos revealed that on occasion the IDRA 14s were moved about the country by transport arrangements which definitely wouldn’t come through an NCT today. And it has to be admitted that in the early days, lifejackets were discarded at the earliest possible opportunity - if they’d ever been put on in the first place……

But in all and in every way, it was a hugely memorable night for a very special class which deserves every minute of the celebration.

Once an IDRA 14 sailor, always an IDRA 14 sailor…… A very young (and admittedly lifejacket-less) Ian Sargent aboard one of the many IDRA 14s built by his father Charlie. Charlie Sargent was one of those instrumental in bringing the class into being, and his “amateur-built” boats were often superior to those of professional builders