The vintage Howth 17 Class have registered Annual General Meetings every year since 1898. But although 124 summers have passed since their first season of 1898 - which thereby counts as Year One and not Year Zero - they can look back on only 121 seasons, as the Great War of 1914-18 got in the way of sailing in the latter half of 1915, and throughout the summers of 1916, '17, and '18.
Nevertheless, 121 seasons of sailing boats to a design that first raced on Wednesday, May 4th 1898 is probably world-beating, particularly as the five original boats are still part of a class that now numbers twenty. But it's not a thing the people involved get into a pother about, as they're too busy getting on with racing.
Classic yacht purists are sometimes a bit snooty about the significance the Seventeen folk (a motley crew if ever there was one) attach to their racing. But in a normal year, they get between fifty and sixty races fitted in, and it's the sport that is the all-powerful glue holding the class together.
With an attitude like this prevailing, the class's most ancient trophies aren't seen as the Holy Grail - they're much more important than that. And few prizes match the Studdart Cup, presented at the beginning of it all by Johnny Studdart, who represented the more convivial side of the otherwise rather austere 1895-founded Howth Sailing Club, as Johnny sailed the hospitable and perfectly-named little cruising yawl Sunshine, which was already old when the Seventeens came into existence.
The notably convivial Johnny Studdart in the 1890s at the helm of his little cruising yawl Sunshine, which was already a very old boat when the Howth 17s came into existence in 1898. Photo courtesy HYC
But her owner was young in spirit, and he presented the new class with the Studdart Cup with the idea of encouraging season-long involvement, as the boats eligible for it are the winners of the three main evening and Saturday series held each season. If a boat happens to have won two of these series, she automatically wins the Studdart. But the continuing health of the class is indicated by the fact that as often as not there's a three-way sail-off for Old Johnny's cup.
Or more accurately, Old Johnny's Idea. The original Studdart Cup was liberated at dead of night from the Howth home of a several-times-winner very many years ago, doubtless by some idealistic peninsular Robin Hood. But the ideal it represented was so central to the class's history that it was soon replaced, so now they compete for this Unholy Grail with every bit as much enthusiasm.
However, with 2021's peculiar pandemic-distorted season, the final official race of the Howth 17's programme was completed with the last race of the Beshoff Motors Autumn League on October 16th, yet the 2021 Studdart Cup contest between Rita (No 1, John Curley & Marcus Lynch), Aura (No 7, Ian Malcolm) and Orla (No 21, Mark FitzGibbon & Donal Gallagher) was still un-sailed.
Three-way duel. Despite a 119-year age difference in the three boats involved, the 2021 Studdart Cup contest between (left to right) Orla, Rita and Aura lived up to the trophy's reputation for close racing. Photo: Brian Turvey
This had added significance as there's a 119-year age-gap between the first two "originals" and Orla, which was built in 2017 under Ian Malcolm's guidance at Mike Newmeyer's Skol ar Mor in southern Brittany. It was a lineup symbolic of the spirit of the class, so in the end the scope provided by the breezy Bank Holiday Weekend was utilised to the full, with all crews on weekend alert, and the brisk but very sailable sunny sou'wester of Monday morning finally provided a fast contest from a pier start.
Donal Gallagher at the helm of Orla was in the lead at the South Rowan Buoy and was still there – though only just – as they rounded the Spit for the seriously uphill stuff. Though topsails were definitely a no-go, spinnakers were deployed whenever possible. But although the two partners in Orla only acquired her as recently as the Spring of this year when they were so chuffed they had a piper lead the boat to the crane on launching day, they defied their newbie standing, and held the lead with Rita helmed by Marcus Lynch in second closely ahead of Aura.
It was a high and bright note on which to end the season. But now the very old, the old, and the not-so-old boats of this unique class are rapidly going from the harbour, headed for their many and various winter quarters ashore and the TLC which keeps this remarkable show on the road.
A great way to end their first season: Donal Gallagher and Mark FitzGibbon bring Orla to the finish line to win the 2021 Studdart Cup against the distinctive background of Ireland's Eye. Photo: Brian Turvey
