When a weather forecast looks just too good to be true, usually with hindsight we’re able to say that it was. But at the moment, the forecast for Howth’s Wave Regatta (starting this Friday, June 3rd) for three days of good weather - with at least two of them with sunshine - seems to be holding up. And the anticipated presence of an east to nor’east sea breeze reinforcing the moderate underlying gradient wind is just the ticket for good sailing in an intriguing programme which is a mixture of modern courses on other days, built around the 1904-established Lambay Race due to be sailed on the Saturday afternoon.

Howth Yacht Cub’s marina/clubhouse setup has been operating as a unified complex since 1987.

In all, 12 keelboat classes will be involved - everything from the 1898-vintage Howth 17s to the fresh-out-of-the-box Cape 31s. This up-to-date Mark Mills day-racing product happens to be exactly the same size in overall length as the Mills debut boat, Peter Beamish’s 1996 Aztec, which is now raced as Raptor by Fintan Cairns and friends of the RIYC. They have been so taken with the comparisons with the Cape 31s that they’re coming across Dublin Bay to race the Lambay, as it was success in the 1996 Lambay Race which launched Aztec/Raptor to global stardom.

Aztec racing the 1996 Lambay – she returns on Saturday as Raptor for the same event in celebration of the new Cape 31s, also designed by Mark Mills

SWUZZEBUBBLE BACK IN IRISH OWNERSHIP

You’d think those were enough historical cross-references to be going along with. But a study of the very eclectic entry list - which is solely of keelboats and currently pushing over the 124 mark – sees certain names leaping out, and none more so than Swuzzlebubble, that legendary Half Tonner extraordinaire, which will be making her return to Ireland under the ownership of Royal Cork’s Dave Dwyer. He formerly campaigned the Mills 39 Mariners Cove, and is unveiling his new alliance with Swuzzlebubble as part of a small but strong Cork contingent in Wave Regatta.

Classic Half Tonners Swuzzlebubble and Checkmate (Dave Cullen) racing at Kinsale. Both will be at Howth, with Swuzzlebubble making her latest debut under the ownership of Dave Dwyer of RCYC. Photo: Robert Bateman

As it happens, Swuzzlebubble – a product of designer Bruce Farr at his most innovative in the late 1970s – is no stranger to success in Howth, for it was here at the end of August 1980, under the ownership of the late Bruce Lyster RStGYC and with Robert Dix at the helm, that Swuzzlebubble won the ISORA Abersoch-Howth Race to clinch the 1980 ISORA Championship in an astonishing year in which she carved a swathe through Cowes Week.

In her 45 years of existence, Swuzzlebubble has had more restorations than the Ruritanian Royal Family. But when she was successfully at the Half Ton Classics Worlds in Kinsale a few years back and in lovely order, she won all hearts yet again, so in bringing her to Ireland, Dave Dwyer is certainly plucking all the right heart and memory strings.

Swuzzlebubble becomes ISORA Champion at Howth on Sunday August 31st 1980, Bruce Lyster on left, Robert Dix on helm. Photo: W M Nixon

J/109 EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIP

Within the broad programme of Wave, there are all sorts of sub events such as the Easter Championships of the J/109s, where a contender of special interest is Andrew Craig’s Chimaera RIYC, whose many laurels include being the overall winner of the last full Scottish Series in 2019.

With this year’s Scottish Series being a late cancellation owing to staffing problems, some hot boats have re-directed themselves Howthwards, not least being John Minnis’s recently-acquired Archambault 35 Final Call II (RUYC). She had been a much-fancied entry for the Scottish Series, but is now expected to be as much a force to be reckoned with at Howth as her predecessor - the First 31.7 Final Call – was in the One Design Championship on Dublin Bay last July, where she won her class with a clean sweep.

Howth YC having been the first in Ireland to encourage Under 25s into club-supported J/24s and J/80s, there are special awards for crews in that category, while in a different area of sailing altogether, there’s going to be a chance to see racing displays by Francois Colussi and his Pure Magic wind-foiling team during Saturday’s Lambay Race.

The Pure Magic wind-foilers will be in action during the Lambay Race on Saturday

With the Wright Hospitality Group being Wave Regatta’s main sponsors, their new linkup with Howth Castle is adding fresh possibilities to an already very varied offering, not least in providing welcome parking space for campervans which may well be the best way to secures shoreside accommodation in a busy Bank Holiday Weekend. During it, the summertime partying will match the sunshine sport and sailing afloat, where things will be very much for real with 57 Race Management personnel led by overall chairman Brian Turvey administering three race areas, backed up by International Umpires, Race Officers and Jurors t0 help fulfill the aim of real sport afloat and good times ashore.

Now operated by the Wright Hospitality Group, Howth Castle is becoming part of the Wave Regatta equation