Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Calves Week

#calvesweek –The new compact format for Calves week 2012 did not have much help from the weather on day two of the regatta today writes Claire Bateman.

With a continuation of light weather and poor visibility, Calves Week Race Officer Neil Prendeville, must be wondering how he had upset the Weather Gods as he struggled to lay his start line off Copper Point, having had to fly the postponement flag for the second day.

After a short delay, the fleets disappeared into the fog all heading for the No 4 offshore mark in Long Island Bay. As the race progressed, the eerie silence of the fog was occasionally broken by the cheers of the crews, listening to the results of Katie Taylor's Olympic boxing results on their radios.

In Class One IRC Kieran Twomey's "Gloves off" had a comprehensive victory with more than five minutes to spare over Paul O Higgins "Rockabill V" while the ECHO prize went to Barry Heskins "Now What" ahead of Leslie Parnell in "Black Velvet"

In Class Two IRC it was a dramatic day for Jason Losty in "Illes Piteuses" who reversed yesterday's results by beating the Rohan/Travers "Per Elisa" into second place, while the ECHO result went to William Despards "Obsession" with Ernie Dillions "Silk Breeze" in second.

In Class Three it was a clean sweep for Cove sailing club boats, with the Allister/ Kenny /Kavanagh combination winning IRC ,while the ECHO result went to the Ryan/Tyler duo in "Away on Business" .

In Class Four Richard Hanleys "Saoirse" took the IRC trophy, while in ECHO the Molloy/ O'Shea crew in "No Fixed Abode" took the spoils.

In White Sail One the prizes all went to Dublin crews, with "Empress 111 owners Tom Fitzpatrick and Des Glennon winning IRC, while Phil Smiths "Just Jasmin"won in ECHO and Class Two White Sail produced a very popular local winner when event secretary Dave Waters in "Genevive" took first place, ahead of Michael Hearns "Summerfly" and Peter Moorheads "Giggles".

Racing will continue tomorrow with first gun at 12 noon.

Published in Calves Week
Tagged under

#calvesweek – Light conditions and poor visibility forced the temporary postponement of the first days racing at Cork Dry Gin Calves week today writes Claire Bateman. Race officer Neil Prendeville eventually managed to start all fleets on various courses taking in a windward mark in Long Island Bay and the Calves Islands.

The fickle south westerly wind proved a handful for all the competitors with the final boats taking almost five hours to complete the course.

In Class the the two largest boats Gloves Off and Jump Juice seemed to master the conditions and left the rest of the fleet trailing along way behind to take both IRC and ECHO in that order.

In Class Two the fleet was dominated by the Rohan/Travers "Per Elisa", that comfortably won both divisions, followed home by fellow quarter tonner Jason Losty's "Illes Piteuses".

In Class Three victory in both divisions went to Derek Dillon from Foynes Sailing Club with the Barrett/Conlon combination in Y-Knot filling second place.

Class four saw one of the closest finishes of the day with the first four boats crossing the line within fifteen seconds ofone another.Richard Hanley in "Saoirse" claimed the IRC trophy while local Schull boat "Witchcraft" sailed by Simon Nelson won ECHO.

The large White Sail classes had a tough day particularly on the downwind legs with Howth visitor "Sojourn" winning in both IRC and ECHO from Ciaran Geoghan's "Fizz" and Bryan Heffernan's, Aisling In White Sail Two Finbarr Butler's "Moonfleet"took the trophy from Jack Coggey's "Roaring Water.

Results here

Published in Calves Week
Tagged under

#calves week – With over 40 confirmed entries at present, the 2012 Calves Week in Schull is again expected to top the 60 boat mark for the annual West Cork festival of sailing.

This year's event will incorporate a race in the Scora Offshore Series and will feature racing for six classes with the ever growing white sail class split into two fleets and with a cut-off point of approximately 34ft.

The traditional overnight Offshore Scora race starts from Crosshaven on Friday night, August 3rd, while on Sunday the Schull/Baltimore regatta feeder race will provide ample opportunity for skippers and crews to familiarise themselves with Roaring Water Bay where principal race officer for Calves Week, Neil Prendeville, has drawn up a new course card featuring over forty courses taking in the many islands and natural marks.

The opening reception and skippers briefing takes place at the Fastnet Marine Centre on Monday August 6th with the first "Round the islands" race starting at 12.30pm on Tuesday.

On Wednesday the fleet will sail two races on an Olympic type course in Long Island Bay, while Thursday will see the boats head for the Fastnet Rock .

The series will finish on Friday with racing in Roaring Water Bay followed by the overall presentation of prizes and closing ceremony on Schull Main Street.

Published in Calves Week

#CALVES WEEK – Sailors from Kinsale Yacht Club, Royal Cork Yacht Club as well as West Cork clubs Baltimore and Crookhaven joined with Schull Harbour Sailing Club yesterday (SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE PHOTOS) to toast Cork Dry Gin Calves Week 2012 new compact format which will consist of a four day racing series, including a race around the Fastnet Rock.

Alan Dwyer, Commodore of SHSC raised a glass to the new sponsorship and among others invited to the Cork Gin reception at Blackrock Castle in Cork Harbour was ICRA's Michael Murphy, Gail McAllister of ISA and West Cork Sailing Centre, Alan Dwyer, Tom Kirby,  Bryan Cahill of Schull, Ritchie Hanley from Kinsale and Aidan Heffernan skipper of Indulgence from Royal Cork. Sailing writers Dermot Russell of the Irish Examiner and Claire Bateman of Afloat.ie also attended.

Speaking about Cork Dry Gin's sponsorship Alan Dwyer saays says "we are thrilled to have such a prestigious brand as Cork Dry Gin sponsoring this year's event, the new series will create a real buzz around Schull with a prize giving every night in the village"

The event will take place from Aug 7th - 10th to allow for visiting yachts to take part in the local regattas of Baltimore, Crookhaven and Schull.

Published in Calves Week
Tagged under

#CALVES WEEK – The new compact format for Cork Dry Gin Calves Week 2012 will consist of a 4 day racing series, including a race around the Fastnet Rock. As previously reported on Afloat.ie the event will take place from Aug 7th - 10th to allow for visiting yachts to take part in the local regattas of Baltimore, Crookhaven and Schull.

Speaking about Cork Dry Gin's sponsorship Alan Dwyer, Commodore of Schull Harbour Sailing Club says "we are thrilled to have such a prestigious brand as Cork Dry Gin sponsoring this year's event, the new series will create a real buzz around Schull with a prize giving every night in the village".

Published in Calves Week

#CALVES WEEK – Schull has announced a major new sponsorship for the event with long standing sailing supporter Cork Dry Gin coming on board as the main sponsor writes Claire Bateman. The boost for the west cork event follows recent changes published regarding Calves Week and the important changes that will take place for the 2012 event

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, this year's Calves Week will be a four day series from Tuesday, August 7th to Friday, August 10th, 2012

The new format will facilitate those who wish to visit Schull for just one week (Saturday to Saturday), but of course for others the option of sailing in Baltimore, Crookhaven and Schull regattas as well is still available.

Schull Sailing Club commodore Alan Dwyer reports the Schull team is working closely with the local community to provide a Carnival atmosphere in the town during the event. There will be a presentation of prizes in the town after racing each day.

Entry to this year's event is limited the 2012 Cork Dry Gin Calves Week Series entry form is available for download below.

Published in Calves Week
Tagged under

#CALVES WEEKCalves week is to be cut down to a four day event this August in response to competitors requests for a shorter and less expensive event writes Claire Bateman. This year, as an alternative to the traditional event spanning a two week period, the Schull based sailing programme will consist of a four day Calves Week Championships, running from Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th of August, with the usual mix of courses taking in the Fastnet Rock and many of Carberys Hundred Isles, together with laid courses in Roaringwater Bay.

Daily prizegiving will take place on Main Street Schull where a nautical festival theme for the village is being organised by local businesses.

The traditional regattas on August Monday in Baltimore and the following Saturday and Sunday in Crookhaven and Schull will continue as stand alone events with their own courses and prizegivings being organised by the local sailing clubs.

The week will once again commence with the overnight Crosshaven/Schull race starting the activities on Friday August 3rd, while on Saturday morning August 4th the White Sail fleet will have an early start from Kinsale. Both of these races will form part of the new Scora Offshore Championships, together with the midweek Fastnet Race out of Schull.

Published in Calves Week

The final two races of the 27th Calves Week in Schull were sailed in light, unpredictable winds writes Oonagh Buckley

Friday's traditional feeder race to Crookhaven, around the Fastnet Rock, is a highlight of the week, particularly for the crews of visiting boats. They can then say with honesty that they have been in a Fastnet Race and have the photographs to prove it. Over recent years, wind conditions have forced the fleet to be split, with only the larger boats rounding the Rock. This year however, race officer Neil Prendiville sent the full fleet of over 60 boats through the Calf Islands and around the iconic lighthouse. He reckoned however without the unpredictable winds which dropped as the boats passed the Bill of Cape Clear. Around a third of the boats retired and the course was shortened to finish at the Rock itself for Classes 3 and 4. Those that held on were rewarded with a 10 to 12 knot breeze in later afternoon for an evening finish in Crookhaven Harbour.

Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) in Class 3 was first to finish over the line, commensurate with his results all week. Kieran Twomey in Gloves Off was second and won Class 0/1 from ISOR (P. O'Donovan) and Coirín (F. Leyden). Growler (D. Dineen), one of the two of that name sailing in the fleet this year, won in Class 2, Tete a Tete (T&O Buckley) in Class 4, Fizz (C. Geoghegan) in Whitesail 1 and La Perle Noir (J&D Crowley) in Whitesail 2.

Saturday was a lay day for Calves Week, with some boats participating in Crookhaven Regatta.

Schull Regatta is the traditional Sunday finish to the week. Despite heavy winds and rain overnight, the race officer had to delay the start to the race by an hour, as the winds had dropped to one or two knots by midday. As the forecast was for the wind to pick up in mid afternoon, a short course around placed marks was set, with all classes rounding the course twice. The wind duly came up with a spinnaker finish in 10 to 12 knots over the line in Schull Harbour.

Aidan Heffernan on Indulgence took final honours in Class 0/1, ahead of Donal O'Leary on D-Tox and Brian Siggins on Arís Maria. Growler (D. Dineen) again took honours in Class 2, Outrigger (J. Nyhan) in Class 3, Chinook (A Bradley) in Class 4, Becca (D. Madden) in Whitesail 1, and Zeezwan (D. Buckley) in Whitesail 2.

A correction to the previous results is that Samba won in Whitesails 1 (including IRC) in Tuesday's Offshore Race.

The trophy for overall IRC Helmsman was Eamonn Rohan in Anchor Challenge. Overall Echo Helmsman was Diarmuid Dineen in Growler. The 'Best Local Boat' Trophy was won for the first time by Ted and Oonagh Buckley on Tête a Tête.

Results:

OverallClass 0/ Echo: D-Tox (D O'Leary)
Class 0/1 IRC: D-tox (D O'Leary)
Class 2 Echo: Growler (D Dineen)
Class 2 IRC: Allure (B Goggin)
Class 3 Echo: Chameleon (P O'Donovan)
Class 3 IRC: Anchor Challenge (E Rohan)
Class 4 Echo: Tête a Tête (T&O Buckley)
Class 4 IRC: Saoirse (R Hanley)
Whitesail 1 IRC: Samba (J Downing)
Whitesail 1: Samba (J Downing)
Whitesail 2: Wild Dreams (N Groom)

Saab Schull to Crookhaven
Class 0/1 IRC 1 Gloves Off (K. Twomey) 2. D-Tox (D. O'Leary) 3 ISOR (P. O'Donovan)
Class 0/1 Echo 1 Gloves Off (K. Twomey) 2 ISOR (P. O'Donovan)3 Coilín (F. Leyden)
Class 2 IRC 1 Sandrine (Conboy/Kelly) 2 Allure (B. Goggin) 3 Catalpa (D. Nash)
Class 2 Echo 1 Growler (D. Dineen) 2 Sandrine (Conboy/Kelly) 3. Polly (J. Pollard)
Class 3 IRC 1 Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) 2. Whyte Knight (F. Coughlan) 3 Outrigger (J. Nyhan)
Class 3 Echo 1 Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) 2 Whyte Knight (F. Coughlan) 3. Outrigger (J. Nyhan)
Class 4 Echo 1 Tete a Tete (T and O Buckley) 2. Barossa (E. Krugel)
Whitesail 1 IRC 1 Samba (J Downing) 2 VSOP (D. McCarthy) 3 Just Jasmin (P Smith)
Whitesail 1: Fizz (C Geoghegan) 2. Samba (J Downing) 3 VSOP (D McCarthy)
Whitesail 2: 1 La Perle Noire (J &D Crowley) 2 Brazen Huzie (T O'Dwyer) 3 Chinook (F O'Hara)

Schull Regatta
Class 0/1 IRC: 1 D-Tox (D O'Leary) 2 Black Velvet (L. Parnell) 3. Gloves Off (K Twomey)
Class 0/1 Echo: 1 Indulgence (A Heffernan) 2. D-Tox (D O'Leary) 3 Arís Maria (B Siggins)
Class 2 IRC: 1 Allure (B Goggin) 2 Cochise (B Appelbe) 3 Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey)
Class 2 Echo: 1 Growler (D Dineen) 2 Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey) 3 Allure (B Goggin)
Class 3 IRC: 1 Seconds Count (D O'Donovan) 2 Outrigger (J Nyhan) 3 Full Pelt (P Murray)
Class 3 Echo 1 Outrigger (J Nyhan) 2 Chameleon (P O'Donovan) 3 Fult Pelt (P Murray)
Class 4 IRC 1 Saoirse (R Hanley) 2 Shelly D (M Murphy)
Class 4 Echo 1 Chinook (A Bradley) 2 Barossa (E Krugel) 3 Witchcraft (S Nelson)
Whitesail 1 IRC 1 VSOP (D McCarthy) 2 Just Jasmine (P Smith) 3 Aisling (B Heffernan)
Whitesail 1 Becca (D Madden) 2 Just Jasmine (P Smith) 3 Windborne (N Palmer-Sheehan)
Whitesail 2 1 Zeezwan (D Buckley) 2 Kileena (J Molloy) 3 La Perle Noir (D & J Crowley)

Published in Calves Week
Over 60 boats signed up for the 27th Calves Week in Schull this week writes Oonagh Buckley. The first few days of the week long racing event benefited from a late burst of summer conditions with light winds and blue skies. The  organisers were pleased that the numbers coming to Schull held up well, despite the poor summer so far.

Many boats of course return year after year, to join the local fleet from Schull Harbour Sailing Club. This may reflect the unique experience offered in Calves Week where the islands in Roaringwater Bay are used as additional marks for the races. One innovation this year was offering an IRC series for Whitesail 1, with Samba (J. Downing) taking winning honours on all 3 races to date.

The feeder races from Cork and Kinsale battled against light winds to make it down. Only one whitesail boat (Aisling, B. Heffernan) sailed overnight from Kinsale. Five boats set off from Cork with Indulgence (A. Heffernan) winning by less than 8 minutes on corrected time from Exhale (D. Good).

The wind picked up over Sunday to a force 3/4, which allowed the Racing Officer (Neil Prendiville) to send the full fleet around Clear Island on the feeder race to Baltimore. Black Velvet (L.Parnell) won Class 0/1, with Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey) ahead of Cochise in Class 2, Chameleon (P O'Donovan) in Class 3 and local boat Tete á Tete (T and O Buckley) winning Class 4. Megalopolis (P. Allman) in Whitesail 1 and Wild Dreams (N. Groom) in Whitesail 2 headed the large Whitesail fleet.

Baltimore regatta was sailed in glorious sunshine. Light and gusty winds, particularly in Baltimore Habour caused trouble for some boats trying for a spinnaker finish for the crowds. Exhale (D.Good) took honours in the Class 0/1 contest, Sandrine (Conboy/Kelly) in Class 2, Chameleon (P O'Donovan) in Class 3 and Tete á Tete (T and O Buckley) winning Class 4. Megalopolis (P. Allman) again won Whitesail 1, Zeezwan (D. Buckley) in Whitesail 2

Despite light winds, the winning boats maintained a remarkably consistent approach in the A&L Castor Offshore Race on Tuesday, around the cans with the honours changing only in Class 4 won by Barossa (E. Krugel), Whitesail 1 by Outrigger (J. Nyhan) and Whitesail 2 by Brazen Huzie (T. Dwyer). After a rest day on Wednesday, enlivened by a treasure hunt around the islands, Thursday saw fresher winds and an Atlantic swell for the Coastal Trophy Race with Derry Good on Exhale losing the mast in a severe gust.

Friday's race from Schull – Fastnet – Crookhaven and Schull Regatta on Sunday will complete the series for 2011.

Results (Provisional):

Schull-Baltimore (30th July)
Class 0/1 IRC 1. D-Tox (D. O'Leary) 2. Black Velvet (L.Parnell) 3. Gloves Off (K.Twomey)
Class 0/1 Echo 1. Black Velvet (L.Parnell) 2. Indulgence (A. Heffernan) 3. D-Tox (D. O'Leary)
Class 2 IRC 1. Allure (B. Goggin) 2. Cochise (B. Applebe) 3. Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey)
Class 2 Echo 1 Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey) 2 Cochise (B. Applebe) 3. Sandrine (Conboy/Kelly)
Class 3 IRC 1. Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) 2. Outrigger (J. Nyhan) 3. Seconds Count (D. O'Donovan)
Class 3 Echo 1 Chameleon (P. O'Donovan) 2 Full Pelt (P. Murray) 3 Outrigger (J. Nyhan)
Class 4 IRC 1 Saoirse (R. Hanley) 2 Shelly D (M. Murphy)
Class 4 Echo 1. Tete a Tete (T and O Buckley) 2. Saoirse (R. Hanley) 3. Josephine (R. Doorley)
Whitesail 1 IRC 1 Samba (J Downing) 2 Megalopolis (P. Allman) 3. VSOP (D. McCarthy)
Whitesail 1 1 Megalopolis (P.Allman) 2. Samba (J Downing) 3. VSOP (D. McCarthy)
Whitesail 2 1 Wild Dreams (N. Groom) 2. An Cuileann (Dolan/Taylor) 3 Chatterbox (N. Lane)

Baltimore Regatta (31st July)2
Class 0/1 IRC 1. Exhale (D.Good) 2. Black Velvet (L. Parnell) 3. D-Tox (D. O'Leary)
Class 0/1 Echo 1. Exhale (D. Good) 2. Coirin (F. Leyden) 3. Black Velvet (L. Parnell)
Class 2 IRC 1. Allure (B. Goggin) 2. Cochise (B. Applebe) 3. Catalpa (D. Nash)
Class 2 Echo 1 Sandrine (Conboy/Kelly) 2. Growler (D.Dineen) 3 Polly (J. Pollard)
Class 3 IRC 1. Anchor Challenge (Eamonn Rohan) 2. Seconds Count (D. O'Donovan) 3. Chameleon (P. O'Donovan)
Class 3 Echo 1 Chameleon (P. O'Donovan) 2 Whyte Knight (F. Coughlan) 3. Seconds Count (D.O'Donovan)
Class 4 IRC 1. Saoirse (R. Hanley)
Class 4 Echo 1 Tete a Tete (T and O Buckley) 2. Chinook (A. Bradley) 3 Saoirse (R. Hanley)
Whitesail 1 IRC 1 Samba (J. Downing) 2. Megalopolis (P. Allman) 3 VSOP (D. McCarthy)
Whitesail: 1. Megalopolis (P. Allman) 2. Aisling (B. Heffernan) 3 Samba (J. Downing)
Whitesail 2: 1 Zeezwan (D. Buckley) 2. An Cuileann (Dolan/Taylor) 3 Wild Dreams (N. Groom)

A&L Castors Coastal Race (1st August)
Class 0/1 IRC 1 D-Tox (D. O'Leary) 2 Black Velvet (L. Parnell) 3. Gloves Off (K. Twomey)
Class 0/1 Echo 1 Exhale (D. Good) 2 D-Tox (D. O'Leary) 3 Black Velvet (L. Parnell)
Class 2 IRC 1 Allure (B. Goggin) 2 Cochise (B. Appelbe) 3 Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey)
Class 2 Echo 1 Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey) 2 Cochise (B. Appelbe) 3. Allure (B. Goggin)
Class 3 IRC 1 Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) 2. Outrigger (J. Nyhan) 3 Whyte Knight (F. Coughlan)
Class 3 Echo 1 Chameleon (P. O'Donovan) 2 Whyte Knight(F. Coughlan) 3. Outrigger (J. Nyhan)
Class 4 IRC 1 Shelley D (M Murphy) 2 Saoirse (R. Hanley)
Class 4 Echo 1 Barossa (E. Krugel) 2 Shelly D (M. Murphy) 3 Tete a Tete (T and O Buckley)
Whitesail 1 IRC 1 Outrigger (J. Nyhan) 2 VSOP (D. McCarthy) 3 Megalopolis (P. Allman)
Whitesail 1: 1 Outrigger (J. Nyhan) 2 Megalopolis (P. Allman) 3 Aisling (B Heffernan)
Whitesail 2: 1 Brazen Huzie (T. Dwyer) 2 Wild Dreams (N. Groom) 3 Chatterbox (M. Lane)

Published in Calves Week
Tagged under
Schull Harbour Sailing Club has announced the programme for Calves Week 2011 and as well as full programme of coastal, offshore and overnight races, the top sailing event in West Cork has also announced Heineken Lager has come on board as title sponsor writes Claire Bateman. Calves Week runs from Friday 29th July to Sunday 7th August.

With the high powered excitement of the ICRA National Championships and the Sovereign’s Cup behind them, the eyes of the sailors are now turning westward with the first of the visiting boats already arriving in Schull Harbour to enjoy leisurely cruising prior to joining the racing action on the August weekend.

Principal Race Officer, Neill Prendeville of Kinsale YC, will take charge of the on the water events and has promised a mixture of laid and natural courses using the many islands of Roaring Water Bay, while Denis Kiely of SCORA, will oversee the handicaps and results.

The opening SCORA overnight race will start from Crosshaven on Friday 29th July and will round the Fastnet before finishing in Schull Harbour, while the Whitesail Fleet will have an early start in Kinsale on Saturday morning, July 30th.

The opening and closing receptions will take place in the Fastnet Marine Centre that is currently undergoing major refurbishing prior to staging the World Team Racing championships at the end of August, and the Thursday prizegiving ceremony will take place in the historic Grove House on the Colla road.

With confirmed entries now approaching the fifty mark, it is hoped that the many hundreds of sailors and friends that will crowd into Schull for the week of exciting racing and onshore festivities will provide a major tourist lift for the area .

Calves Week Schedule of races

Fri 29th July.  Crosshaven-Fastnet –Schull  (Overnight SCORA Offshore Series)

Sat 30th July. Kinsale –Schull  ( WhiteSail Offshore day race)

Sun 31st July. Schull - Baltimore (Coastal Race)

Mon 1st August  Baltimore Regatta.

Tue 2nd August  Offshore Trophy Race

Thr 4th August  Coastal Trophy Race

Fri 5th August  Schull-Fastnet-Crookhaven

Sun 7th August Schull Regatta.


Published in Calves Week
Page 8 of 9

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

 

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.

©Afloat 2020