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New Dublin Bay Flagship to Boost Yacht Racing in the Capital

10th November 2012
New Dublin Bay Flagship to Boost Yacht Racing in the Capital

#dbsc – In a busy week for the country's biggest sailing club Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) launched its new committee vessel today, its annual Winter series enters its second week tomorrow and on Friday, in one of the biggest sailing nights of the year DBSC presents over 90 perpetual trophies at its annual prize-giving for 1,400 members. (See prizewinners listing below)

Today's launch of the club's second committee vessel marks a further commitment by DBSC to provide the very latest in equipment for the bay's 17 different classes totalling over 330 boats. At today's reception in the National Yacht Club incoming DBSC commodore Pat Shannon told a big turnout of waterfront sailors that 2013 would be a big year for DBSC.

The new vessel named Freebird of Dublin Bay was originally a shell-fishing vessel which has been completely renovated, complete with a new deckhouse to make it more or less like MacLir. It is all a modern committee boat should be. The engines, virtually unused when DBSC got them – they cannot have had more than 5-10 hours usage – are jet-driven, making it a very powerful vessel and capable of spinning on her own length.

For the record she is a 33 ft Stormcat catamaran, built originally at the Stormcat yard on the Isle of Islay with a beam of 15.5ft beam, , and having a freeboard of 2.5ft. She draws 1ft. 3 inches which makes her suitable for service in shoal waters. All her electronic equipment has been replaced with an up to date package, chart plotter, echo sounder, wind instrumentation and so on. The Baudoin 375 HP engines have Hamilton jet drives. Particular attention has been paid to the design of the anchor winch, which, as this year's experience shows, is critical for the manoeuvrability and flexibility of flagships during racing.

brianandgraham

DBSC's Brian Mathews (left) and Graham Noonan of Noonan Boats at the launch of Freebird at the National Yacht Club

Brian Mathews and Jonathan O'Rourke who jointly oversaw the project. Graham Noonan, of Noonan's Boatyard in Kilcoole, did most of the work of adaptation; the new deckhouse was fabricated in Colchester by Koln Katz. Tony Browne installed the new electronic control system.

The club plan to divide the use of the new flagship between keelboats and dinghies. It will cater for Red Fleet keelboat on Thursdays and perhaps for the SB20s on Sundays and on the occasions when MacLir might not be available or as a particular need might arise. It will serve dinghies on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The older John T.Biggs committee vessel will be kept in reserve for the present.

MacLir, which has been in service since 2001, was out of service for nearly a month this year because of an engine problem. As the vessel operates in sometimes robust conditions these occasional problems are not unexpected.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club 2012 prizewinners –

Cruisers 0 – Thursday ECHO Series 2: Lively Lady (D.Martin) Thursday Echo Overall: Lively Lady Thursday Series 1 Echo: Lively Lady Saturday ECHO Series 2: Loose Change (M.Mitton & P.Redden) Saturday IRC overall: Loose Change Thursday IRC overall: Loose Change Saturday IRC Series 2:  Loose Change Thursday IRC Series 2:  Loose Change  
Saturday Echo overall: Tsunami (V. Farrell) Saturdays Echo Series: 1 Tsunami  
Thursday IRC Series 1: WOW (G.Sisk) Saturday IRC Series 1: Wow  

Cruisers 1 – Saturday ECHO Series 2: Gringo (T. Fox); Thursday IRC Series 1: Gringo; Saturdays IRC Series 1: Gringo; Thursday IRC overall: Gringo;Thursday IRC combined: Gringo;Thursday Series 1 Echo: Jalapeno (P. Barrington, D.Baker, N. Kidney, J.Phillips); Saturdays Echo Series 1: Jump the Gun (M. Monaghan & J. Kelly); Saturday Echo overall: Jump the Gun; Thursday IRC Series 2: Raptor (D. Hewitt); Thursday Echo overall: Raptor;Thursday ECHO Series 2: Raptor; Thursday Echo combined: Raptor;   
Saturday Echo combined: Xtravagance (C.Byrne); Saturday IRC combined: Xtravagance; Saturday IRC overall: Xtravagance; Saturday IRC Series 2:Xtravagance  

Cruisers 2 – Tuesday Echo overall: Cor Baby (K. Kiernan & V. Lattimore); Most improved boat: Smile (P. O'Connell, E.Healy & B.O'Sullivan); Thursday ECHO Series 2: Jester (D. Curtin); Saturday IRC Series 1: Peridot (J. McCann); Saturday Echo overall Peridot;  
Saturdays Echo Series 2: Peridot; Saturdays Echo Series 1: Peridot; Thursday ECHO overall: Red Rhum (J.& C Nicholson); Saturday IRC Series 2: Red Rhum (M. Dyke & B. Darcy); Thursday IRC Series 1: Red Rhum; Saturday IRC overall: Red Rhum; Thursday IRC overall: Red Rhum; Thursday IRC Series 2: Red Rhum; Thursday Series 1 Echo: Red Rhum;  

Cruisers 3 – Saturday ECHO Series 2:Carrabeg; Thursday Echo Series 1: Cri-Cri P. Colton; Combined Sats. & Mid-week Maranda: Myles Kelly;Thursday IRC Series 1: Quest J. Skerritt; Saturday IRC overall: Supernova (K.Lawless, P.Shannon & S. McCormack); Saturday IRC Series 1: Supernova; Saturdays Echo Series 1: Supernova; Saturday Echo overall: Supernova; Thursday Echo overall: Supernova; Thursday IRC overall: Supernova;   Saturday Series 2 IRC: Supernova; Thursday IRC Series 2: Supernova; Thursday ECHO Series 2: Supernova

Cruisers 4 – Thursday ECHO Series 1: Small Wonder (H.C Kelly); Thursday Echo overall: Yikes (J. Conway); Thursday ECHO Series 2 : Yikes;  

White Sails – Saturdays IRC series 1: Act 2 (M.O'Leary); Saturdays Echo Series 2: Coumeenole (B.Kavanagh); Thursday Echo overall: Coumeenole; Thursday Series 2: Echo  Coumeenole; Thursday Echo Series 1  Nauti-Gal (J. & J.Crawford); Saturday IRC Series 2: Persistence Saturday IRC overall: Persistence (C.Broadhead, I.Stuart & J.Collins);Saturdays Echo Series 1 Persistence; Saturday Echo overall Persistence;  Thursday IRC overall Persistence; Thursday Series 2: IRC Persistence; Thursdays IRC Series 1:  Xerxes (L. O'Neill);

Sigmas 33 –  Thursday Series 1: Leeuwin (H & C Leonard); Thursdays overall: Rupert (R & P Lovegrove); Thursday Series 2: Rupert; Thursday & Sats combined: Rupert;  1st Saturday Series-Trophy: White Mischief (T Goodbody); Saturday overall: White Mischief;   Saturday Series 1: White Mischief; Saturday Series 2: White Mischief;  

31.7s – Thursday Series 1: (Echo): Avalon  (R J. Fox); Thursday Series 2: (Echo): Kernach (E O'Driscoll); Thursday Overall: Echo Magic (D P. O'Sullivan & D. Espey); Saturday Overall: Echo Magic; Saturday Series 1: Echo Magic; Saturdays Series 2: Echo Prospect (C. Johnston); Thursday Series 2: (Scratch) Prospect; Saturday Overall: One Design Prospect; Thursday overall: One-Design Prospect; Saturday Series 1: One-Design Prospect; Thursday Series 1: (Scratch) Prospect; Saturday Series 2: One-Design Prospect;  

Dragons – Special conditions: Aphrodite (M.Doorly, C.Bolger  & A. Kelly); Thursday Series 1: Diva (R. & R Goodbody); Saturdays Series 1: Diva; Saturdays Overall: Phantom (D.Williams P.Bowring & N.Hegarty); Saturday Series 2: Phantom; Thursday overall: Susele (M. Halpenny); Thursday Series 2: Susele ;  Combined Saturday & Thursday: Susele ;


Glens – Thursday Series 1: Glencree (J. Bligh & H. Roche); Thursday overall; Glendun (D. Freedman B. Denham & A O'Brien); Crews races: Glendun (I. Flood); Thursday Series 2: Glendun; Saturday Series 1: Glendun; Saturday overall: Glendun; Sts & Thurs combined & regatta: Glendun; Dalkey Island Race: Glendun; Saturday Series 2: Glenluce (D.& R O'Connor); Ladies Race: Glenshane  (E Cusack); Olympic races: Pterodactyl (R & D McCaffrey); Ruffians: A Ruffians; Thursday Series 2: Diaane II (A Claffey); Best Tuesday Boat: Diane II; Sat & Thurs overall:  Diane II; Thursday overall: Diane II; Thursday Series 1: Diane II; Saturday Overall: Ruff n' Ready (A.Kirwan, C.Brown & B. Cullen); Saturday Series 2: Ruff n' Ready; Saturday Series 1: Ruff Nuff (D & C Mitchell);

Shipmans – Thursdays overall: Curraglas (JP. Masterson); Thursday Series 2: Curraglas  Saturday Series 1: Curraglas Saturdays overall: Curraglas Thursday Series 1: Whiterock (H. Robinson);Special conditions: Whiterock Saturday Series 2: Whiterock   

Lasers SB20 – Thursday Series 1: Alert Packaging (J. Burke); Sunday Series 2: Bom Chickawahwah (J. O'Driscoll); Special Conditions (Sunday Series 2 etc):  (B. Chickawahwah); Special Conditions: Flutter (A. Algeo & R Knatchbull); Sunday Series 1: Flutter Special Conditions- 3rd series): Lupi D'Irlanda (M. Sorgassi, M.Ratto & M.Germano); Sunday Series 3: Lupi D'Irlanda Sunday Series 5: Odin (J Gorman); Sunday Series 4: Sacrebleu (D Smith); Sunday overall: Sin Bin (B O'Neill); Thursday Series 2: Sin Bin  Thursday overall: Sin Bin  
 
Wags – Series 2: Moosmie (D. McFarlane);Wednesday Series 2: Moosmie; Wednesday Overall: Swift (G. Kilroy); Wags Series 1: Swift Wednesday Series 1: Swift  

Flying 15s – Thursday Series 2: Fflogger (A, Dooley); Thursday Series 1: Frequent Flyer (D. Mulvin);  First Thursday Series: Frequent Flyer; Thursday overall: Perfect Ten (A Balfe);  Saturday Series 2: Perfect Ten; Special Conditions: Perfect Ten; Saturday Series 1: Rollercoaster (T Murphy); Saturday Series 3: Snow White (F Burgess); Saturday overall: Snow White;  

Mermaids – Tuesday Overall: Aideen (B Martin & D Brennan); Tuesday Series 1: Aideen ; Tuesday Series 2: Aideen ; Saturday overall: Jill (P Smith &  P Mangan); Saturday Series 2: Jill;  Saturday Series 3: Jill;  Tuesday Series 3: Jill;  Saturday Series 1: Kim D. Cassidy (B. Murph Ruane); Thursday special conditions: Kim ;  Saturday-special conditions: Lively Lady (G. O'Neill & M. Hanney);

Squibs – Saturday Overall: Femme Fatale (V Delaney);Saturday Series 2: Femme Fatale;  Saturday Series 1: Femme Fatale;  Thursday Overall: Kiookaburra (P & M Dee); Thursday Series 1: Kookaburra; Thursday Series 2: Kookaburra; Saturday Series 3: Nimble (B O'Hare);

Fireballs – Tuesday Series 1:  Fireball no.15061 (S Oram); Tuesday overall:  Fireball no.15061; Tuesday Series 2: Fireball no.15061;   Tuesday Series 3: Fireball no.15061;  
Saturday Series 3:  Licence to Thrill (L Smyth); Saturday Overall: Licence to Thrill;  Saturdays Series 2: Licence to Thrill; Saturday Series 1:  Licence to Thrill;  

IDRA14 – Special conditions: Doody (J Byrne  & J Fitzgerald); Tuesday Series 1: Dart (P Long); Saturday overall: Dunmoainin'; Tuesday overall: Dunmoanin' (F Hamilton); Saturday Series 2: Dunmoanin';  Saturday Series 3: Dunmoanin';  Tuesday Series 3: Dunmoanin';  Saturday Series 1: Dunmoanin';  Special Conditions:  Dunmoanin'; Special Conditions: Chaos (J Assop); Tuesday Series 2: Squalls (S Harrison);

Portsmouth YS – Tuesday Series 2: Laser 155070 (Vagasling) (N O'Toole); Tuesday Series 3: Laser 170934 (Moses) (G Elmes); Tuesday overall: Laser 181670 (C Galavan); Tuesday Series 1: Laser No. 181670 Combined Saturday & Midweek: OK Dinghy 2015 (H Sheehy); Saturday Series 1: OK Dinghy 2015; Saturdays overall: OK Dinghy 2015;  Saturday Series 3: OK Dinghy 2015; First series Tues, & Sat.combined: OK Dinghy 2015;  
Saturdays Series 2:  153827  (P Keane);

Juniors – September Junior Series: Optimist 1445 (H Perrette); September Junior Series: Feva 2244  (S .Hyland); September Junior Series: Topper 46608 (E. Byrne); September Junior Series: 194899  (J. Higgins); September Junior Series: 201581 (L. Murphy);

Special conditions – Something Else  (J & B Hall & S McDonnell); Best Boat on dinghy course: Dunmoanin'; Best one - design boat: Prospect ;  Best new Boat: Ruth (L Shanahan Jr); Best Cruiser on handicap: Supernova ; Notable contribution to sailing: Annalise Murphy

Race Results

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Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) is one of Europe's biggest yacht racing clubs. It has almost sixteen hundred elected members. It presents more than 100 perpetual trophies each season some dating back to 1884. It provides weekly racing for upwards of 360 yachts, ranging from ocean-going forty footers to small dinghies for juniors.

Undaunted by austerity and encircling gloom, Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC), supported by an institutional memory of one hundred and twenty-nine years of racing and having survived two world wars, a civil war and not to mention the nineteen-thirties depression, it continues to present its racing programme year after year as a cherished Dublin sporting institution.

The DBSC formula that, over the years, has worked very well for Dun Laoghaire sailors. As ever DBSC start racing at the end of April and finish at the end of September. The current commodore is Eddie Totterdell of the National Yacht Club.

The character of racing remains broadly the same in recent times, with starts and finishes at Club's two committee boats, one of them DBSC's new flagship, the Freebird. The latter will also service dinghy racing on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Having more in the way of creature comfort than the John T. Biggs, it has enabled the dinghy sub-committee to attract a regular team to manage its races, very much as happened in the case of MacLir and more recently with the Spirit of the Irish. The expectation is that this will raise the quality of dinghy race management, which, operating as it did on a class quota system, had tended to suffer from a lack of continuity.