The Howth 17 is a type of keelboat. It is a 3-man single-design keelboat designed to race in the waters off Howth and Dublin Bay.

How long is a Howth 17?

The Howth Seventeen is just 22ft 6ins in hull length.

Why are Howth 17s so famous?

The boat is the oldest one-design keelboat racing class in the world and it is still racing today to its original design exclusively at Howth Yacht club. It has important historical and heritage value keep alive by a vibrant class of members who race and cruise the boats.

How many Howth 17s are racing today?

Although 21 boats are in existence, a full fleet rarely sails buy turnouts for the annual championships are regularly in the high teens.

Who designed the Howth 17?

The plans of the Howth 17 were originally drawn by Walter Herbert Boyd in 1897 for Howth Sailing Club. The boat was launched in Ireland in 1898.

Who built the original Howth 17s?

They were originally built by John Hilditch at Carrickfergus, County Down. Initially, five boats were constructed by him and sailed the 90-mile passage to Howth in the spring of 1898. The latest Number 21 was built in France in 2017.

Why were the Howth 17s designed and built?

The Howth 17s were designed to combat local conditions in Howth that many of the keel-less boats of that era such as the 'Half-Rater' would have found difficult.

How many Howth 17s were built?

The original fleet of five, Rita, Leila, Silver Moon, Aura and Hera, was increased in 1900 with the addition of Pauline, Zaida and Anita. By 1913 the class had increased to fourteen boats. The extra nine were commissioned by Dublin Bay Sailing Club for racing from Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) - Echo, Sylvia, Mimosa, Deilginis, Rosemary, Gladys, Bobolink, Eileen and Nautilus. Gradually the boats found their way to Howth from various places, including the Solent and by the latter part of the 20th century they were all based there. The class, however, was reduced to 15 due to mishaps and storm damage for a few short years but in May 1988 Isobel and Erica were launched at Howth Yacht Club, the boats having been built in a shed at Howth Castle - the first of the class actually built in Howth.

What are Howth 17s constructed of?

The basic wooden Howth 17 specification was for a stem and keel of oak and elm, deadwood and frames of oak, planking of yellow pine above the waterline and red pine below, a shelf of pitch pine and a topstrake of teak, larch deck-beams and yellow pine planking and Baltic spruce spars with a keel of lead. Other than the inclusion of teak, the boats were designed to be built of materials which at that time were readily available. However today yellow pine and pitch pine are scarce, their properties of endurance and longevity much appreciated and very much in evidence on the original five boats.

How many races do the Howth 17s sail in any given year?

It is always a busy 60-race season of regular midweek evening and Saturday afternoon contests plus regattas and the Howth Autumn League

Name a famous Howth 17?

The 1907-built Deiliginis have recently made it four in a row for the national title that Deilginis has won at least six times in all.

What are some big recent events in the Howth 17 class?

In 2017, a new Howth 17 Orla, No 21, was built for Ian Malcolm. The construction of Orla began in September 2016 at Skol ar Mor, the boat-building school run by American Mike Newmeyer and his dedicated team of instructor-craftsmen at Mesquer in southern Brittany. In 2018, Storm Emma wrought extensive destruction through the seven Howth Seventeens stored in their much-damaged shed on Howth’s East Pier at the beginning of March 2018, it was feared that several of the boats – which since 1898 have been the very heart of Howth sailing – would be written off. But in the end only one – David O’Connell’s Anita built in 1900 by James Clancy of Dun Laoghaire – was assessed as needing a complete re-build. Anita was rebuilt by Paul Robert and his team at Les Ateliers de l’Enfer in Douarnenez in Brittany in 2019 and Brought home to Howth.

What is the sail area of a Howth 17?

The total sail area is 305 sq ft (28.3 m2)

Qualification

24th June 2016

Jacob and Neale and Dukarska Qualify at Henley

#Rowing: Dave Neale and Sean Jacob in the Double Sculls and Monika Dukarska in the Princess Royal for single scullers came through the qualifiers at Henley Royal Regatta today. Both are open events. Lady Elizabeth also made it through in the Wyfold for club fours. Trinity’s second crew, who rowed into a powerful headwind, fell just outside the qualifiers in the Prince Albert for student coxed fours.

Henley Royal Regatta – Qualifying Races (Irish interest)

Qualifiers: Princess Royal (Single Sculls; Women; Open): M Dukarska.

The Double Sculls Cup (Men; Open): D Neale and S Jacob.

Wyfold (Fours; Club): Lady Elizabeth BC

Non Qualifier: Prince Albert (Fours, coxed; Student): Trinity College, Dublin B

Published in Rowing

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20th September 2015

Jegou's Penalty-Free Run Not Fast Enough To Secure Olympic Place

#Canoeing: Ireland C1 paddler Liam Jegou finished outside the top 10 nations at the canoe sprint World Championships in Lee Valley in England today and missed out on this chance of qualifying the boat for the Olympic Games. Jegou went off second in his semi-final and had a penalty-free run down the course, but his time of 106.29 seconds was not fast enough to stand in the top 10 nations. Jegou came in 27^th, ahead of Italy and Canada. Spain, Portugal and Australia also missed out.

Canoe Slalom World Championships, Lee Valley, London, Day Five (Irish interest)

Men

C1 – Semi-Finals (10 to Final): 27 L Jegou 106.29

K1 – Team Final: 19 Ireland 161.62

Published in Canoeing

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29th April 2013

Youth Powerboat Courses At Howth Yacht Club In May

#HowthYC - Howth Yacht Club will soon be hosting an ISA-sanctioned powerboating course for beginner youths in mid-May ahead of a certification course at the end of the month.

The 'introduction to powerboat' course runs on the weekend of 18-19 May and is open to all club members aged between 14 and 20.

Members who complete this course would be at an advantage going on to the national powerboat qualification course on the weekend of 25-26 May, which is open for club members aged 16 to 20.

Both courses commence at 9.30am each day.

Application forms are available from the Howth Yacht Club website and must be returned by Thursday 16 May.

Published in Howth YC

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9th April 2012

Olympic Canoe Slalom Qualifying Spots Snapped Up in Lucan

#CANOEING - The Irish Times reports that Eoin Rheinisch and Ciarán Heurteau have secured their canoe slalom qualification spots for London 2012 after last weekend's selection races in Lucan.

Three places were up for grabs in the men's K1, with the third yet to be confirmed after fourth-placed Patrick Hynes contested a touch on a gate by third-place finisher Sam Curtis.

Canoeing Ireland's recently appointed general manager Karl Dunne said the objection is currently being considered.

Meanwhile, in the women's K1, the qualifying spots went go Hannah Craig, Helen Barnes and Aisling Conlon.

The qualifiers will be part of the European Championships in Augusburg, Germany from 10-13 May, where Olympic spots are available for boats from two countries not already qualified.

Published in Canoeing

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15th February 2012

'Podium Athletes' Face Funding Cuts in 2013

#OLYMPICS - Yesterday Ireland's Olympic hopefuls celebrated recognition of their success in the 2012 round of funding.

But cuts to the budget of the Irish Sports Council (ISC) have prompted a "major" review of high performance programmes from 2013 onwards, the Irish Independent reports.

Finbarr Kirwan, director of high performance at the ISC, said: "Changes are coming, things are tight and we will have to make strategic cuts in the next two years."

The result could be fewer grant awards of lesser value for athletes, as Olympic qualification standards are set to get tougher from here on out.

The two tiers below 'podium class' - in which individuals receive awards of €20,000 and €12,000 respectively - are expected to be hardest hit in the review.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, canoeing's Eoin Rheinisch, swimmer Grainne Murphy and sailors Annalise Murphy, Peter O'Leary and David Burrows each received the top level of funding of €40,000 each, which is on a par with last year's support.

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

Published in Olympics 2012

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22nd August 2011

100 Days until Olympic Qualification Begins at Perth 2011

For all the fine performances this year from Ireland's Olympic squad a place on the start line of next year's Olympic regatta is contingent on a result at the next ISAF World championships in 100 days time. It's a do or die event for Annalise Murphy, Peter O'Leary and David Burrows and the rest of the crews who have already shown their Olympic worth at ISAF events this summer but Perth is where 80% of nation places will be dished out.

UK Photographer Ingrid Abery has loaded some excellent breezy weather shots from Weymouth Regatta of Star pairing O'Leary and Burrows onto the Afloat Gallery here.

Perth 2011, the organising committee for the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, will tomorrow (Tuesday 23 August) celebrate a significant milestone with just 100 days to go until the biggest international sailing event of the year.

The World Championships will take place from 3-18 December, with 1200 athletes from 80 nations competing for 10 World Titles in the fresh breezes off Fremantle in Western Australia. The World Championships are also the key qualifier for the sailing competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games, with 75 per cent of places in London being decided in Perth in December.

Perth 2011 Chairman Ian Campbell said that a significant buzz is starting to build around the World Championships.

"Perth and Fremantle provide some of the best conditions for sailing in the world," Campbell said.

"Combine these naturally favourable conditions for the sport with the hospitality and warmth of Fremantle and Western Australia and the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships are poised to be memorable.

"The Worlds Festival programme is shaping up very nicely and North Street Productions are committed to ensuring that there is something for everyone attending the World Championships away from the water as well as on it.

"Perth is set for "grandstand sailing" as the Medal Races for each class will be sailed just metres from the shore on Centre Course, allowing spectators to witness the excitement of the World Championships first hand.

"There's a great team working very hard at Perth 2011 to ensure that when the world turns to Perth in December, we'll be ready to provide a wonderful platform for the best young sailors on the planet to realise their World Championships and Olympic Games dreams," Campbell said.

Running parallel to the sailing competition will be the Worlds Festival, a 16 day cultural programme that will include more than 200 free events. The Worlds Festival will be centred on, but not limited to, the Worlds Village on Esplanade Park in Fremantle, with venues around Perth's port city hosting theatre, art exhibitions and music performances through the 16 days of the Worlds Festival.

Published in Olympics 2012

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