SAILING COLUMN:VINTAGE SAILING returned to Dublin Bay yesterday for the first race of Volvo Dún Laoghaire regatta where Water Wags, Howth 17s, Glens, IDRA14s, Mermaids and a unique return of the Colleen class were celebrated in style.
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.
Yachts from Royal North of Ireland and Royal Ulster YC have retraced the voyage of their Victorian counterparts this week to mark the 125th anniversary of the first Dublin Bay Sailing Club race this month.
Organisers are keen to promote the Victorian link between the two cities again and, as well as the polishing of the old trophies, a special one has been awarded for the Belfast yachts to participate at the event. The celebration is entirely appropriate given it was Dún Laoghaire’s Royal Alfred YC that wrote the rules of sailing on Dublin Bay over 150 years ago.
Yesterday’s highlight was the return of the Colleen class. Four replica boats have been built by Hal Sisk and this is the first time the class has competed on Dublin Bay for 100 years.
Another keelboat class – the Howth 17 – which was first sailed from Kingstown 100 years ago, and which is now based exclusively in the north Dublin port of Howth, has returned.
The class is 111 years old this year. One of the nine boats that Dublin Bay Sailing Club commissioned in the early part of the 20th century celebrates its 100th year this year – Oona, originally launched as “Nautilus” has returned to Dún Laoghaire. Oona’s current owner, Peter Courtney, will also be defending his 2007 title.
The world’s oldest one-design dinghy class, the Water Wags, has been competing on Dublin Bay since 1886 and the fleet has attracted 22 boats, one of the biggest turnouts of any of the five competing dinghy classes at the event.
Another class, the IDRA 14, first raced in 1947 from Dún Laoghaire. The IDRA 14, now equipped with a trapeze and spinnaker, remains one of the most popular two-person adult dinghy classes racing on Dublin Bay, with fleets currently based at Dún Laoghaire (DMYC and RStGYC), Clontarf and Sutton.
Meanwhile, abroad, Ireland’s two Star teams are in action at the Star European Championships in Kiel Germay this morning with England’s Iain Percy leading Brazilian Robert Scheidt.
Leading the Irish charge are Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks, back after some time off from the circuit but sitting in 15th place overall in the 88-boat fleet.
The other Irish pairing, Peter O’Leary and Tim Goodbody, are four places and 5.5 points behind in 19th. O’Leary and Goodbody narrowed the gap considerably yesterday, having been 13 places adrift in 26th position after three races.
Lough Ree was the setting for the 2009 Mirror Dinghy National Championships over three days from July 3rd to 5th with the nine-race format sailed using the courses to be utilised in the forthcoming Worlds in Pwllheli, Wales, at the end of July.
Mike and Sarah Hill from Royal North of Ireland YC were overall winners with club-mates Adam and Toby McCullough second. Cormac and Tiaran Dickson of the host club were third.
