Homeport sportsboats led in three of the competing classes after the first day of racing on Saturday (May 18) at the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), which hosted the Dun Laoghaire Cup 2024 on Dublin Bay.

Three East Coast and one National championship are being sailed as part of the special two-day event, which will include up to six races for a 34-boat fleet in four separate sportsboat classes on windward-leeward or trapezoid courses. The Race Officer is RIYC's Michael Tyrrell.

1720

At the 1720 East Coast Championship, with the biggest turnout of 13 boats, Ross McDonald's skippered Rope Dock Atara from Howth Yacht Club has a two-point lead over the RIYC's Davie Ryan in Big Bad Wolf, who is on 12 points after three races sailed. Lying third is Galway Bay visitor After Midnight.

SB20

In the 12-boat SB20 class, reigning national champion Michael O'Connor of the Royal St. George Yacht Club, at the helm of Ted, took three wins from three races to already have a four-point margin over the National Yacht Club's Philip Doran on seven points in the class's East Coast Championships.

Michael O'Connor of the Royal St. George Yacht Club, at the helm of Ted

O'Connor's clubmate Patrick McGrath is third on 16 in The Big Smoke. As part of the weekend, the class organised a 'press conference' and live-streamed a parade of sail of the competing SB20s at the East Pier on social media.

B211

Royal Irish's Jimmy Fischer in Billy Whizz

Royal Irish's Jimmy Fischer in Billy Whizz is the leader on a scoring tie-break of the six-boat Beneteau First 21 National Championships after two races sailed. Clubmate Joe Smyth is also on three points after scoring 1,2 in the opening races. 

J80

In the J80s, Austin Kenny's Ram Jam, with three wins, leads from Vincent Lattimore's Jambiya. Third is Declan Curtin's Jester.

 While initially slated for competition, the Flying Fifteens did not race in the 2024 Dun Laoghaire Cup, six having just returned from the European Championships in France. 

Two further aces are scheduled to decide the Cup in all classes on Sunday.

Provisional results are below

Waterford Harbour Sailing Club took the top three places overall at the 1720 East Coast Championships at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Sunday, with the Dunmore East's club's Julian Hughes taking the title by two points. 

The Royal Irish Yacht Club hosted a four-class Dun Laoghaire Cup for sportsboats with racing for 1720, SB20, J80, and Beneteau First 21 classes turned out to be a three race, no discard event, primarily due to unstable winds on Dublin Bay.

The 1720 East Coast Championship, the J80 East Coast Championship and the First 211 National Championship were all staged as part of the Cup.

In a fine turnout of nearly 50 boats, just one race was possible in each class on Saturday. Conditions were tricky, as DBSC Squib sailor Vincent Delany describes here. Sunday saw two races completed to secure the championships.

Overnight leader in the 21-boat 1720 class, Howth's Robert Dix, suffered a black flag in the first race on Sunday morning, which ultimately dropped him to sixth overall. 

Second to Hughes skippering 'Root 1' (a nod to his Kilkenny Carrot farm) was clubmate Ciaran Finnegan, in Green Diesel. Third was Rob O'Connell's Fools Gold. 

Niall O'Riordan's SB20 Sea Biscuit was second overall Photo: Afloat

For the SB20s, in an 11-boat fleet, it was business as usual for the crew of Ted skippered by Michael O'Connor, who won from Niall O'Riordan's Sea Biscuit. Ger Demspey's Venues World was third. 

The 11-boat B211s who raced under both scratch and ECHO were won (on scratch) by Peter Carroll on Yikes with Jimmy Fischer's Billy Whizz second and Andrew Bradley's Chinook in third. 

Jimmy Fischer's B211 Billy Whizz was second Photo: Afloat

In a five boat J80 fleet, 1 GBR 605 Vincent Lattimore leads Declan Curtin. Royal St George's Mark Nolan lies third.

Overall results are here

The Royal Irish Yacht Club hosted four-class Dun Laoghaire Cup for sports boats with racing for 1720, SB20, J80 and Beneteau First 21 classes got off to a slow start on Saturday due to unstable winds on Dublin Bay.

In a fine turnout of nearly 50 boats, just one race was possible in each class with RIYC Sailing Manager Mark McGibney telling Afloat: "Fickle and unstable wind direction led to a very frustrating day for the race management team".

The 1720 East Coast Championship, the J80 East Coast Championship and First 21 National Championship are all being staged as part of the Cup.

For the SB20s, in an 11-boat fleet, it is the first opportunity to 'cross swords' in what promises to be a very exciting season in the build-up to September's class World Championships being staged at the same venue. Michael O'Connor leads from Niall O'Riordan. Tadhg Donnelly is third.

In the 21-boat 1720 class, Howth's Robert Dix leads from Rory Lynch. Third is Robert O'Connell.

The 11-boat B21s who are racing under both scratch and ECHO are led (on scratch) by Peter Carroll with Jimmy Fischer second and Hugh Kelly third. 

In a five boat J80 fleet, 1 GBR 605 Vincent Lattimore leads Declan Curtin. Royal St George's Mark Nolan lies third.

Racing continues on Sunday with the prospect of more breeze. Results are here

As regular readers of Afloat will know, Ireland's only dedicated sportsboat regatta was postponed in 2021 due to COVID.

The host club dominates the 2021 Beneteau 211 National Championships at the Royal Irish Yacht Club after the first three races sailed off Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

With a 2,1,1 scored so far RIYC's Peter Carroll helming Yikes has a three-point margin over clubmate John Downey's Capilano on seven points.

Royal Irish commodore Pat Shannon, sailing Beeswing, is lying third on 13 points in the 11-boat fleet.

A start of a 2021 Beneteau 211 National Championships race at Dun Laoghaire

Dublin Bay presented 12 to 18-knot breezes from the southeast with a mist and fine drizzle.

Testing championship conditions for the 12-boat fleet were completed with a good chop, though the sheltered Seapoint racecourse protected the 20-foot keelboat class from the bigger waves on the Bay.

Racing continues on Sunday. 

Results are here.