SAILING:BELFAST YACHTS will sail to Dublin in July to mark 125 years of competitions between the two capital cities. A special trophy has been awarded for the Belfast yachts to participate this year in Ireland's biggest sailing event, the Volvo Dún Laoghaire regatta, on July 9th-12th on Dublin Bay.
Yachts from Royal North of Ireland and Royal Ulster YC will retrace the voyage of their Victorian counterparts to mark the 125th anniversary of the first Dublin Bay race.
The Belfast Lough fleet of 14 RS Elite keelboats are signed up for the four-day event. Entry forms have been sent to Northern Ireland clubs, including Belfast’s Royal Ulster Yacht Club in Bangor from where some of the first boats departed.
During the long hot summer of 1884, yachts sailed south from Belfast Lough to take part in the annual nautical week at Kingstown, now Dún Laoghaire. It became the first race of Dublin Bay Sailing Club.
Now Dublin Bay organisers are keen to promote the Victorian link between the cities again, and, as well as polishing the old trophies, they are also offering special entry incentives for Belfast competitors, given currency fluctuations.
“There are strong sailing ties between Belfast and our Dún Laoghaire clubs and we want to mark this special occasion in July,” said Phil Smith, regatta chairman.
Another of Ireland’s Royal clubs, the Royal St George YC, last weekend welcomed America’s Cup-winning skipper Ed Baird of Team Alinghi to Dún Laoghaire. He was guest of honour at a black-tie dinner to celebrate the club’s top performers.
As the winner of the world’s top sailing event, the American’s presence in Dublin was a significant achievement in itself.
In the south, all classes had clean starts for Kinsale’s One Sails-sponsored April League that has its second rounds on Sunday. In Class 0 IRC, Conor Phelan’s Jump Juice won with Anthony O’Leary’s Antix Dubh second and Kieran Twomey’s Gloves Off third.
In Class 1 IRC, David Scott’s Eos won with John Downing’s Samba second and Dan Buckley’s Justus third. In Class 2 IRC, Shane Statham’s Slack Alice won with Bad Company, co-owned by Desmond, Ivors and Deasy, second and the McCarthy brothers’ Mac Magic II third.
Kinsale has a buoyant entry for its season starter, a valuable warm-up event for the ICRA National Championships to be held from June 11th-13th at Tralee Bay Sailing Club, Fenit, Co Kerry.
In one of the better April Fool’s circulating on Wednesday, International Boat industry magazine reported that US President Barack Obama wants the “zero carbon” benefits of sailing taken into consideration when business grants are being doled out, in a bid to strengthen the failing marine industry.
It was claimed Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said: “This will be not only good for the environment but for all my friends in the Bay Area who love sailing.
“We also welcome the commercial partnerships between companies,” she added.
Pelosi cited the new joint marketing effort between mast-maker Southern Spars and pharmaceutical company Pfizer, makers of viagra. The companies have launched a new advertising campaign targeted to the male sailing audience with their slogan: “A stiff rig is hard to beat”.
The spoof continued. Republican Ron Paul of Texas said: “When you look at modern sailing yachts today, most of these vessels are fitted with carbon masts. How can this administration look us straight in the eye and say this package is focused on zero carbon when the masts are carbon?”
