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#ROWING: Dave Neale had a good day at Queen’s Regatta on Saturday. The Old Collegians man won the senior single sculls from Sam McKeown of Portadown and teamed up with Sean Jacob to take the senior double for Old Collegians at Castlewellan Forest Park in Co Down. McKeown won the intermediate single. The top senior eight were Portora, with Commercial and Carlow second and third. Carlow won the senior four.

Queen’s Regatta, Castlewellan Forest Park, Co Down, Saturday (Selected Results):

Men

Eight – Senior: 1 Portora, 2 Commercial, 3 Carlow. Club One: 1 Belfast RC, 2 Queen’s B. Junior 16: 1 Portora A, 2 Commercial, 3 Methody A.

Four – Senior: 1 Carlow, 2 Lady Elizabeth/Commercial, 3 Belfast RC. Club One, coxed: 1 Queen’s C, 2 Carlow, 3 Belfast RC A. Junior 18A, coxed: 1 Portora, 2 Bann, 3 Athlunkard. Jun 16, coxed: 1 Portora, 2 Coleraine AI B.

Pair – Senior: 1 Queen’s B, 2 Queen’s A, 3 Neptune. Intermediate: 1 Portora, 2 Neptune, 3 Carlow A. I

Sculling,

Quadruple – Club One, coxed: 1 Sligo, 2 Methody, 3 Coleraine AI. Jun 18A: 1 Commercial, 2 RBAI, 3 Carlow. Jun 16, coxed: 1 Methody A, 2 St Michael’s, 3 Three Castles. Jun 15, coxed: 1 Commercial A, 2 St Michael’s, 3 Coleraine AI A.

Double – Senior: 1 Old Collegians, 2 Commercial A, 3 Commercial B. Club One: 1 Sligo, 2 Garda, 3 Commercial B. Novice, coxed: 1 Methody, 2 Belfast RC, 3 RBAI B. Jun 18A: 1 Carlow, 2 Methody A, 3 Commercial. Jun 16: 1 Three Castles, 2 Methodist A, 3 Methody B. Jun 15: 1 St Michael’s A, 2 Commercial D, 3 Methody.

Single – Senior: 1 Old Collegians (D Neale), 2 Portadown (S McKeown), 3 Commercial (F Groome). Inter: 1 Portadown (McKeown), 2 Garda (D Kelly). Club One: 1 Carlow (O Nolan), 2 Carlow (L Keating), 3 Sligo (G Patterson). Jun 18A: 1 Bann (D Mitchell), 2 Commercial (R Baskerville), 3 Belfast BC (A Murray). Jun 16: 1 Three Castles (O Clune), 2 Bann (J Bell), 3 Three Castles (T McKnight).

Women

Eight – Club Two: 1 Queen’s A, 2 Commercial, 3 Neptune. Novice: 1 Queen’s A, 2 Belfast RC, 3 Methody. Junior 18A: 1 Portora, 2 Bann. Junior 16: 1 Portora A, 2 Commercial, 3 Methody.

Four – Club One, coxed: 1 Garda, 2 Queen’s A, 3 Commercial.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 Queen’s B, 2 Commercial A, 3 Queen’s A.

Sculling

Quadruple – Club One, coxed: 1 Methody, 2 Neptune. Novice, coxed: 1 Commercial, 2 Sligo, 3 Belfast RC. Jun 18A: 1 Bann, 2 Carlow, 3 Neptune. Jun 16, coxed: 1 Commercial, 2 Carlow, 3 Methody A. Jun 15, coxed: 1 Bann, 2 St Michael’s, 3 Portadown.

Double – Club One: 1 Belfast BC, 2 Queen’s, 3 Belfast RC. Jun 18A: 1 Methody, 2 Belfast RC A, 3 Belfast RC B. Jun 15: 1 St Michael’s A, 2 St Michael’s B, 3 Portora.

Single – Intermediate: 1 Belfast BC (S Quinn), 2 Trinity (H O’Neill). Club One: 1 Belfast BC (O Blundell), 2 Belfast BC (K Turner), 3 Methody (C Deyermond). Jun 18A: 1 Bann (F Chestnutt), 2 Belfast RC (L Taylor), 3 Belfast RC (C Coulter).

Mens Senior 8+ Portora View 1st  
 Commercial View 2nd  
 Carlow View 3rd  
 Bann View 4th  
 QUBBC View Did not start  
Mens Senior 4- Carlow View 1st  
 LEBC / Commercial View 2nd  
 Belfast RC View 3rd  
Mens Senior 2- QUBBC B View 1st  
 QUBBC A View 2nd  
 Neptune View 3rd  
 LEBC View 4th  
Mens Senior 2X OCBC View 1st  
 Commercial A View 2nd  
 Commercial B View 3rd  
 OCBC / UCDBC View Did not start  
Mens Senior 1X OCBC, Neale, D View 1st  
 Portadown, McKeown, S View 2nd  
 Commercial, Groome, F View 3rd  
 Commercial, Gahan, N View 5th  
 Commercial, Dowling, C View 6th  
 Commercial, Maher, M View Did not start  
 QUBBC, Beck, C View Did not start  
Mens Intermediate 2- Portora View 1st  
 Neptune View 2nd  
 Carlow A View 3rd  
 Athlunkard A View 4th  
 Commercial View 5th  
 Athlunkard B View 6th  
 Carlow B View Did not start  
 QUBBC View Did not start  
Mens Intermediate 1X Portadown, McKeown, S View 1st  
 Garda, Kelly, D View 2nd  
 QUBBC, Doyle, P View Did not start  
Mens Club 1 8+ Belfast RC View 1st  
 QUBBC B View 2nd  
 QUBBC A View Did not start  
 RBAI View Did not start  
Mens Club 1 4+ QUBBC C View 1st  
 Carlow View 2nd  
 Belfast RC A View 3rd  
 QUBBC A View 4th  
 CAI View 5th  
 QUBBC B View 6th  
 Belfast RC B View Competed  
Mens Club 1 4X+ Sligo View 1st  
 Methodist View 2nd  
 CAI View 3rd  
Mens Club 1 2X Sligo View 1st  
 Garda View 2nd  
 Commercial B View 3rd  
 Methodist View 4th  
 Commercial A View 5th  
 Portadown View 6th  
 Carlow View Competed  
 CAI View Competed  
 QUBBC A View Competed  
 QUBBC B View Competed  
Mens Club 1 1X Carlow, Nolan, O View 1st  
 Carlow, Keating, L View 2nd  
 Sligo, Patterson, G View 3rd  
 Garda, Allen, R View 4th  
 Commercial, Joyce, D View 5th  
 Commercial, Fowler, P View 6th  
 Carlow, Jones, S View Competed  
 C of Derry, D'Urso, G View Competed  
 Commercial, Healy, J View Competed  
 Garda, Maceoin, D View Competed  
 Lagan, McAllister, J View Competed  
 Lagan, McGivern, T View Competed  
 Portadown, Chambers, L View Competed  
 Portadown, Laivins, A View Competed  
 QUBBC, Martin, P View Competed  
 QUBBC, Roy, D View Competed  
 QUBBC, Williamson, R View Competed  
 RBAI, Hoy, J View Competed  
Mens Novice 4X+ Methodist View 1st  
 Belfast RC View 2nd  
 RBAI B View 3rd  
 RBAI A View 4th  
 QUBBC A View 5th  
 QUBBC B View 6th  
 QUBBC C View Did not start  
Mens J18A 4+ Portora View 1st  
 Bann View 2nd  
 Athlunkard View 3rd  
 CAI View 4th  
 Carlow View Did not start  
Mens J18A 4X- Commercial View 1st  
 RBAI View 2nd  
 Carlow View 3rd  
 Methodist View 4th  
Mens J18A 2X Carlow View 1st  
 Methodist A View 2nd  
 Commercial View 3rd  
 Methodist B View 4th  
 Sligo View 5th  
 CAI View Competed  
 RBAI View Competed  
Mens J18A 1X Bann, Mitchell, D View 1st  
 Commercial, Baskerville, R View 2nd  
 Belfast BC, Murray, A View 3rd  
 Sligo, Hough, C View 5th  
 Sligo, Hackett, D View 6th  
 Carlow, Doyle, P View Did not start  
 Commercial, Meehan, E View Did not start  
 RBAI, Reid, N View Did not start  
Mens J16 8+ Portora A View 1st  
 Commercial View 2nd  
 Methodist A View 3rd  
 Portora B View 4th  
 Methodist B View 5th  
 Portora C View 6th  
 Portadown View Did not start  
Mens J16 4+ Portora View 1st  
 CAI B View 2nd  
 RBAI View Did not start  
 CAI A View Did not finish  
Mens J16 4X+ Methodist A View 1st  
 SMRC View 2nd  
 3 Castles View 3rd  
 Bann View 4th  
 Commercial View 5th  
 RBAI View 6th  
 Methodist B View Competed  
 Portadown View Competed  
Mens J16 2X 3 Castles View 1st  
 Methodist A View 2nd  
 Methodist B View 3rd  
 SMRC View 4th  
 Bann View 5th  
 CAI View 6th  
 Portadown A View Competed  
 Portadown B View Competed  
 Portora View Competed  
 RBAI View Did not start  
Mens J16 1X 3 Castles, Clune, O View 1st  
 Bann, Bell, J View 2nd  
 3 Castles, McKnight, T View 3rd  
 3 Castles, Quinn, R View 4th  
 SMRC, Keating, M View 5th  
 Methodist, Young, X View 6th  
 Bann, McNeill, B View Competed  
 Carlow, McHale, F View Competed  
 Commercial, O Toole, O View Competed  
 Methodist, Ryder Moore, O View Competed  
 Portadown, Martin, C View Competed  
 RBAI, Hetherington, H View Competed  
 SMRC, Guilfoyle, M View Competed  
 SMRC, Kiely, J View Competed  
 3 Castles, Irwin, A View Competed  
Mens J15 4X+ Commercial A View 1st  
 SMRC View 2nd  
 CAI A View 3rd  
 Commercial B View 4th  
 Methodist A View 5th  
 Methodist B View 6th  
 CAI B View Competed  
 Commercial C View Competed  
 Methodist C View Competed  
 Portadown View Competed  
Mens J15 2X SMRC A View 1st  
 Commercial D View 2nd  
 Methodist View 3rd  
 Commercial A View 4th  
 SMRC B View 5th  
 Commercial C View 6th  
 CAI View Competed  
 Commercial B View Competed  
 Portadown View Competed  
Womens Intermediate 2- QUBLBC B View 1st  
 Commercial A View 2nd  
 QUBLBC A View 3rd  
 QUBLBC C View Competed  
 Commercial B View Did not start  
Womens Intermediate 1X Belfast BC, Quinn, S View 1st  
 DULBC, O'Neill, H View 2nd  
 Garda, Ryan, J View 3rd  
 Portadown, Martin, A View 4th  
Womens Club 1 4+ Garda View 1st  
 QUBLBC A View 2nd  
 Commercial View 3rd  
 Belfast RC View 4th  
 QUBLBC B View 5th  
 DULBC View 6th  
 QUBLBC C View Competed  
Womens Club 1 4X+ Methodist View 1st  
 Neptune View 2nd  
Womens Club 1 2X Belfast BC View 1st  
 QUBLBC View 2nd  
 Belfast RC View 3rd  
 Portadown View 4th  
 Castleconn View Did not start  
Womens Club 1 1X Belfast BC, Blundell, O View 1st  
 Belfast BC, Turner, K View 2nd  
 Methodist, Deyermond, C View 3rd  
 Carlow, Byrne, A View Competed  
 Commercial, Edwards, C View Competed  
 Garda, Galvin, L View Competed  
 Garda, Moore, M View Competed  
 Garda, Sheila, K View Competed  
 Portadown, Martin, A View Competed  
 QUBLBC, Smylie, R View Competed  
 3 Castles, Feeley, A View Competed  
 3 Castles, Greve O' Meara, J View Competed  
Womens Club 2 8+ QUBLBC A View 1st  
 Commercial View 2nd  
 Neptune View 3rd  
 QUBLBC B View 4th  
 Belfast RC View 5th  
 QUBLBC C View Did not start  
Womens Novice 8+ QUBLBC A View 1st  
 Belfast RC View 2nd  
 Methodist View 3rd  
 QUBLBC B View Did not start  
Womens Novice 4X+ Commercial View 1st  
 Sligo View 2nd  
 Belfast RC View 3rd  
 Methodist View Did not start  
Womens J18A 8+ Portora View 1st  
 Bann View 2nd  
Womens J18A 4X- Bann View 1st  
 Carlow View 2nd  
 Neptune View 3rd  
 Belfast RC View 4th  
 Methodist View Did not start  
Womens J18A 2X Methodist View 1st  
 Belfast RC A View 2nd  
 Belfast RC B View 3rd  
 Sligo View 4th  
 Portadown View 5th  
Womens J18A 1X Bann, Chestnutt, F View 1st  
 Belfast RC, Taylor, L View 2nd  
 Belfast RC, Coulter, C View 3rd  
 Portadown, Flack, C View 4th  
 Commercial, Bartley, A View 5th  
 Sligo, Dunbar, T View 6th  
 Bann, Mullan, B View Did not start  
Womens J16 8+ Portora A View 1st  
 Commercial View 2nd  
 Methodist View 3rd  
 Portora B View 4th  
Womens J16 4X+ Commercial View 1st  
 Carlow View 2nd  
 Methodist A View 3rd  
 Belfast RC View 4th  
 Methodist B View 5th  
Womens J16 1X Belfast RC, Hobson, E View 1st (private race) 
 SMRC, Devereux, J View Did not start (private race) 
 Portadown, McCann, K View Did not finish (private race) 
Womens J15 4X+ Bann View 1st  
 SMRC View 2nd  
 Portadown View 3rd  
Womens J15 2X SMRC A View 1st  
 SMRC B View 2nd  
 Portora View 3rd
Published in Rowing

# ROWING: Young crews took full advantage of the absence of some of the big guns at Queen’s Regatta at Castlewellan today. The women’s Division One eights of the first eFlow Grand League regatta of the season gave Galway Rowing Club the chance to showcase their ambitious tyros – all but cox Aifric O’Regan are juniors – and they won from UCD’s intermediates and Portora’s junior eight. The men’s Division One single sculls was won by 18 year old Andy Harrington from clubmate Jack Casey, who is just 17. The two later teamed up to win the Division One double sculls’ title.

The top prize on the day, the Division One men’s eights, was taken by the Queen’s University senior crew, but they got quite a battle from the junior eight from St Joseph’s of Galway.   

Queen’s Regatta, Castlewellan, Co Down (1500 m), Saturday (Selected Results: Division One comprises senior (open, under-23 and lightweight), intermediate and junior 18A grades; Division Two comprises novice, junior 18 B and junior 16 grades.

Men

Eight, Division One – A Final: 1 Queen’s (sen) 4:54.68, 2 St Joseph’s (jun 18) 4:58.83, 3 Portora (jun 18) 5:11.50; 5 Queen’s (u23) 5:29.67. Division Two – A Final: 1 UCC (nov) 4:46.02, 2 Queen’s (nov) 4:47.92, 3 Belfast (nov) 4:53.10; 4 Portora (jun 16) 4:54.56; 6 Coleraine AI (jun 18B) 5:10.46. B Final: RBAI (jun 18B) 5:00.66.

Four, coxed, Division One – A Final: 1 Queen’s (sen) 5:01.13, 2 UCC (inter) 5:06.40, 3 Galway (jun) 5:10.30. B Final: Commercial (inter) 5:23.13. Masters: 1 Belfast BC/Belfast RC 5:48.15, 2 Bann 5:54.23, 3 Portadown 6:33.67. Division Two – A Final: 1 UCC (nov) 5:47.67, 2 Queen’s (nov) 5:57.21, 3 Blackrock (jun 18B) 6:01.14; 4 Methodist (jun 16) 6:06.18. B Final: Queen’s (nov) 6:03.00. C Final: Belfast RC (nov) 6:02.89.

Pair, Division One – A Final: 1 Queen’s (u23) 5:24.30, 2 Queen’s (sen) 5:27.59, 3 Queen’s (sen) 5:31.41. B Final: 1 Commercial (sen) 5:38.89; 2 Shandon (jun 18) 5:40.43; 5 Neptune (inter) 5:57.68. C Final: Portora (inter) 5:44.35. D Final: Commercial (sen) 5:47.30.

Sculling,

Quadruple, Division One – A Final: 1 Commercial (sen) 5:09.64, 2 Lee (jun 18) 5:14.69, 3 Garda (inter) 5:23.44. B Final: Neptune (jun 18) 5:27.68.

Division Two, coxed – A Final: 1 Cork (jun 16) 5:30.30, 2 Commercial (jun 18B) 5:33.79, 3 Lee (jun 18B) 5:34.68. B Final: RBAI (jun 18B) 5:53.44. C Final: 1 Portadown (jun 18B) 6:20.67; 2 Sliog (nov) 6:25.96.

Double, Division One – A Final: 1 Shandon (jun 18) 5:28.89, 2 UCC (sen) 5:39.42, 3 Queen’s/Skibbereen (sen) 5:40.43; 4 Garda (inter) 5:50.04. B Final: Commercial (inter) 5:55.04. Division Two – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (nov) 6:00.22, 2 Cork (jun 18B) 6:00.81, 3 Lee (jun 18B) 6:05.43. B Final: UCD (nov) 6:02.19; 5 Galway (jun 16) 6:55.56. C Final: Commercial (jun 16) 6:31.34. D Final: Belfast RC (jun 18B) 6:55.86.

Single, Division One – A Final: 1 Shandon (A Harrington, jun 18) 5:39.79, 2 Shandon (Casey, jun 18) 5:41.78, 3 Lee (Mitchell, jun 18) 5:43.58; 5 Skibbereen (Murphy, sen) 5:45.40. B Final: Lee (Buckley, jun 18) 5:45.19; 3 Commercial (McKenna, inter) 5:52.13. C Final: Commercial (Dowling, sen) 5:40.29; 6 UCC (Griffin, lwt) 6:05.03. D Final UCC (O’Leary, lwt) 5:56.23. E Final: Carrick-on-Shannon (Cox, inter) 6:01.09.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Sligo (Patterson, nov) 5:50.62, 2 UCC (Stanton, nov) 5:51.69, 3 Lee (White, jun 18B) 5:58.15; 5 Cork (O’Connell, jun 16) 6:01.16. B Final: Cork (Dennehy, jun 18B) 5:56.0. C Final: Portadown (McKeown, nov) 5:50.70. D Final: Skibbereen (McCarthy, jun 16) 6:00.19. E Final: Lee (Larkin, nov) 6:02.12. F Final: Commercial (Meade, nov) 6:18.68. G Final: Cappoquin (Buckley, jun 16) 6:09.72.  

Women

Eight, Division One – A Final: 1 Galway (u23) 5:16.95, 2 UCD (inter) 5:18.53, 3 Portora (jun 18) 5:19.02; 5 Queen’s (inter) 5:31.06. Division Two – A Final: 1 Queen’s (nov) 5:50.98, 2 Portora (jun 16) 5:55.82, 3 UCD (nov) 6:01.23. B Final: Commercial (jun 18B) 6:21.01.

Four, Division One – A Final: 1 Portora (jun 18) 6:18.20, 2 Methodist Col (jun 18) 6:35.28.

Four, coxed, Division One – A Final: 1 UCD (inter) 5:44.98, 2 Commercial (inter) 5:50.63, 3 Commercial B (inter) 5:51.29. B Final: Queen’s B (inter) 5:56.77.

Pair, Division One – A Final: Bann (inter) 6:32.44, 2 Skibbereen (u23) 6:34.73, 3 Shandon (jun 18) 6:40.69; 4 Commercial (inter) 6:41.64. B Final: Cork (sen) 7:00.21.

Sculling, Quadruple, Division One – A Final: 1 Galway (jun 18) 5:31.91, 2 Shandon (inter) 5:34.77, 3 UCD (inter) 5:49.23.

Division Two, coxed – A Final: 1 Galway (jun 18B) 5:52.76, 2 Lee (nov) 6:00.32, 3 Bann (jun 18B) 6:02.19; 4 Methody (jun 16) 6:03.27. B Final: Cork (nov) 6:01.03. C Final: Athlunkard (nov) 6:18.70. D Final: Portadown (jun 16) 6:33.53.

Double, Division Two – A Final: 1 Muckross (jun 18B) 6:02.82, 2 Skibbereen (jun 16) 6:09.52, 3 Lee (jun 18B) 6:20.55; 5 Skibbereen (nov) 6:34.51. B Final: Methody (jun 18B) 6:25.72. C Final: Portadown (jun 16) 7:06.44.

Single, Division One – A Final: 1 Skibbereen (O Hayes, lwt) 6:49.79, 2 Commercial (Dolan, lwt) 6:59.90, 3 Skibbereen (Dinneen, u23) 7:05.76; 5 Skibbereen (Hegarty, jun 18) 7:13.89; 6 Lee Valley (Corcoran-O’Hare, inter) 7:26.55. B Final: Shandon (Horgan, inter) 7:09.86.

Division Two – A Final: 1 Bann (E Barry, jun 16) 6:46.61, 2 Commercial (Foley, nov) 6:48.65, 3 Commercial (Lambe, jun 16) 6:57.22. B Final: Offaly (Mooney, jun 16) 7:04.65. C Final: Belfast BC (Cameron, nov) 7:29.49.

Published in Rowing

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.

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