A positive 25 one design entries received so far into ten divisions of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2021 has been welcomed by organisers as the combined Dun Laoghaire clubs regatta rolls out its new COVID-compliant format event that splits the regatta between two weekends next July.
The early entries received seven months before the first gun are a sign of the regatta’s importance across the Irish Sea with entries already in from across Ireland and Northern Ireland and the UK.
Beneteau 31.7s
Royal Ulster Yacht Club’s John Minnis and crew will travel from Belfast Lough again in Final Call for the Beneteau 3.17 national championships that is being staged as part of the Regatta running from 2 to 4th July. Minnis was runner-up at the 2019 VDLR event.
The 31.7s are just one of nine class championships being held as part of the regatta.
Dragon East Coasts
The Dragon’s will race for east coast honours and one of the first entries in is Kinsale’s Tenacious skippered by Anthony O’Neill. The Dragon helm is in charge of the West Cork club’s Sovereign’s Cup regatta that will be held the week before the Dun Laoghaire event.
GP14 Leinsters
Curly Morris, the President of the International GP14 Class, based at East Antrim Boat Club will contest the GP14 Leinster Championships as part of Dun Laoghaire. The dinghy class was one of the first to sign up for the new format event. A fleet of over 20 is expected.
Sigma 33s
Sigma 33 campaigner David Marchant is coming from Waterford Harbour to join the Dublin Bay fleet that usually attracts strong Scottish interest.
The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is a great festival of sailing across the waterfront and Dun Laoghaire town as four sailing clubs come together for the biennial event; Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, Royal Irish Yacht Club, Royal St. George Yacht Club and National Yacht Club.
The 2019 Volvo Dun Laoghaire event was hailed an enormous success both afloat and ashore for a combined fleet of 498 boats in over 34 classes, the biggest on the Irish Sea. Over 290 races on five different courses were staged over four days.
For 2021, in order to facilitate social distancing and be Covid-19 compliant, a new regatta format will comprise the One Design Championship specifically tailored for sailors in the one-design keelboat and dinghy classes. This to be followed by an Open Cruiser Championship (8th – 11th July 2021) catering for the full range of Cruiser Handicap classes.
Strong early VDLR 2021 entry
As Afloat reported previously, in liaising with classes, organisers estimate entry numbers are 'very good' and 'on a par with 2019', so it looks like both VDLR weekends will have a strong entry by the close of the early bird entry discount at the end March.