Displaying items by tag: Eleuthera

14th July 2019

'Eleuthera' Ties the Knot in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta IRC Zero as 'Signal 8' Finally Gets a Win

Frank Whelan’s Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera from Greystones

Jamie McWilliam's Ker 40 Signal 8 from Hong Kong may have found all the pieces were falling into place on this last outing at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta today as she took her first win of the series in IRC Zero but Frank Whelan’s Grand Soleil 44 from Greystones with Shane Hughes on the strength was never far off the pace, and took a useful second to have her first overall on 7 points to the 12 of Jay Colvillle’s First 40 Forty Licks (East Down YC), while Signal took third OA on 14.

Published in Volvo Regatta

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13th July 2019

Greystones Grand Soleil 'Eleuthera' Has Four Point Winning Margin in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Class Zero

Frank Whelan's Eleuthera (left) from Greystones Sailing Club maintains the overall lead of the six-boat Class Zero fleet. She is pictured above with the Ker 37 Jump Juice, (Conor Phelan) currently in fifth place overall

IRC 0 Eleuthera is bringing it home for Greystones In celebration of the successful progress through this Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta and others of Frank Whelan’s very fine Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera, maybe they should re-name his home port Brightstones for the style that’s in it, as it tells us much that his third place in Race 4 is now his discard, and Eleuthera is sitting on just 5 points to the 9 of Jay Colville’s First 40 Forty Licks from Strangford Lough and the 11 of Scots visitor Jonathan Anderson with his J/122 El Gran Senor.

Class Zero VDLR 3528 Jump, Eletheura and Forty Licks negotiate The Muglins Rock

It seems that a certain familiarity with the East Coast of Ireland stood well for the leaders – distinguished visitors from Cork and northwest England weren’t on the pace today.

GP14 McGuinness 3492 Jay Colwell's First 40, Forty Licks

Gran Senor 3546 Jonathan Anderson's J/122 El Gran Senor

Signal 8 Dalkey 4527 Jamie McWilliam's Signal 8, a Ker 40

Jump 4735 Conor Phelan's Ker 37, Jump Juice

Published in Volvo Regatta

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12th July 2019

Greystones Grand Soleil 'Eleuthera' Stays Leader of Class Zero at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

Eleuthera in perfect balance on the reach to the finish of race four this morning

Frank Whelan’s Grand Soleil 44 Eleuthera from Greystones is making hay among the biggies in the second day of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, helped no doubt by the presence on board of sailmaker Shane Hughes, and they had 2,1,2 today with a Twelfth of July celebrating northerner, Jay Colvillle with the First 40 Forty Licks (East Down YC), enjoying the stronger breeze to log 3,2, 1 while Jamie McWilliam stayed in third overall in Signal 8 from Hong Kong, but with a descending scoreline of 1,4,6 – the latter now becoming his first discard.

Forty Licks First 40 2497 Jay Colville's First 40, Forty Licks is second overall

Signal 8 1500 Jamie McWilliam stays in third overall in Signal 8 from Hong Kong

El Gran Senor 2531 El Gran Senor deals with gusty north westerlies on Dublin Bay

Published in Volvo Regatta

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26th July 2018

How Greystones Sailing Club's Grand Soleil 44 'Eleuthera' Conquered Cork Week

Cork Week's Class Winner Eleuthera. The Grand Soleil 44 also made a clean sweep of the Dublin Regattas this season

Early 2018 season success in ISORA racing revealed the potency of the new Greystones Harbour Cruiser, Eleuthera. In its former life, this Grand Soleil 44 had a strong pedigree and skipper Frank Whelan and his young 11–man crew set about capitalising on this with straight wins on the Dublin Regatta circuit. But the County Wicklow crew knew that July's Cork Week and the biggest Cruiser One gathering of the season would be a tougher nut to crack. Here, Whelan describes how his high–handicap entry conquered Crosshaven last week.

Day three of Cork Week was our low point. Monday and Tuesday we had sailed well, but each had a mid-race reset due to loss of breeze, and then a building breeze at the end resulted in not being able to dig out the time gap we needed as a high–handicap boat. Wednesday, we again sailed well in a steady breeze and had the race in the bag coming onto the last leg, a long beat to the finish, which usually is a strong point for us. We did not execute that beat well and ended up down the rankings. We were lying sixth overall from nine.

"The team is a mad mix of ages (17 to over 60) and experience (3 years to over 40)"

We have a briefing on board Eleuthera before and after each race. And we were all thinking that our efforts to date had well repaid us for the work put in. Even those four weekends of training in the freezing howling winds of November had shown through in our racing to date, and one lousy leg doesn’t change that mindset. So the briefing coming out for the Thursday morning was focused on the fact that we hadn’t even reached the mid-point of the regatta, there were 3 races down, and 5 or 6 races to go. It was comfortable, we just had to win all of them. That might sound like a tall order, but at least it was in our hands, and we had some experience of doing it before, the last 3 regatta’s in Dun Laoghaire were 2 race affairs and we had a bullet in all 6, albeit that there was greater competition in Cork Week. The team is a mad mix of ages (17 to over 60) and experience (3 years to over 40), with almost all locals from Greystones, and despite the differences, we really gel together both on the water and in the festivities after.

eleuthera Grand soleil Eleuthera's core crew are Frank Whelan (skipper), Barnwell, Gary Hick, Conor Clery, Kevin O'Rourke, Killian Fitzgerald, Andrew Smith, Matt Sherlock, Gavin Laverty and Shane Hughes (North Sails Ireland) Photo: Bob Bateman

So, Thursday morning briefing was all about short race tactics, there were to be 3 that day, so clean starts is the primary goal, try to get out fast and in the right direction, then cover the fleet if you get into position to do so. There ended up only two races that day but we achieved the goal, two bullets. Friday morning strangely was exciting, but no apprehension, we were all just delighted to be back in contention, we were lying third overall. The same drill for the day and the reality of it was that we didn’t make any serious mistakes, three bullets.

"...but in truth, it is the craic we have as 12 disparate individuals who work together as a team..."

It kind of took a while for the win to even register, but it really is the result of a lot of things. Shane Hughes of North Sails Ireland has been training us since last November, and he is an uncompromising taskmaster, but we wouldn’t have achieved half of what we did without him! Paddy Barnwell’s attention to detail and management of boat prep and crew has been an eye-opener for me. Every member of the team gets out there and works on the hull sanding and polishing and general maintenance requirements, but in truth, it is the craic we have as 12 disparate individuals who work together as a team, slag and support each other in almost equal measure, and just enjoy it.

Frank Whelan Cork week prizegiving Frank Whelan (left) receives his Cork Week Class One Trophy from David Thomas of Volvo Photo: David Keane

If we hadn’t won it wouldn’t be quite as enjoyable, but it wouldn’t have been far off, we like sailing together.

Eleuthera's Cork Week Winning Crew

Skipper\Helm Frank Whelan

Nav\Main Paddy Barnwell

Tactics Daragh O’Sullivan

Main Andy Verso

Trim 1 Shane Hughes

Trim 2 Kevin O’Rourke

Pit 1 Gary Hick

Pit 2 Killian Fitzgerald

Mast 1 Conor Cleary

Mast 2 Matt Sherlock

Bow 1 Gavin Laverty

Bow 2 Andy Smith \ Brian Hare

Published in Cork Week

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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

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

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.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

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.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

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.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

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).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

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.