Afloat 2016 Irish Sailing Annual

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SAILING//MOTORBOATING//WATERSPORTS ANNUAL 2016

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IRISH SAILING ANNUAL I R E L A N D

SAILING INTO 2016

CHART YOUR SEASON WITH ISA FIXTURES INSIDE

CLASS ACTS

SAILORS OF 2015 PROFILED

DBSC AWARDS DUBLIN BAY SILVERWARE

SAILING'S BLUEPRINT NEW DIRECTION FOR ISA

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL afloatmagazine

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IRISH SAILING ANNUAL 2016

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Printed and published in Ireland by: Baily Publications Ltd., PO Box 12561 Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland. t: +353 (1) 284 6161 e: info@afloat.ie w: www.afloat.ie

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Produced by sailors for sailors Managing Editor David O’Brien david@afloat.ie) Contributing Editor William Nixon Sub-editor Willie Pembroke Design Colin McEndoo: (colin@afloat.ie) Contributors Jehan Ashmore • Bob and Claire Bateman • David Branigan • Georgina Campbell • Des Burke-Kennedy • Dag Pike • Gill Mills • Fiacc O Brolchain • Markham Nolan • Elaine Taylor • Bob Hobby • Dermot Russell • Tom MacSweeney • Shay Fennelly • Graham Smith • Tony Jones • Simon Everett Disclaimer The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher.

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Irish Sailing Association Foreword

2016 will be a pivotal year for sailing's national governing body

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News

Mixed sportsboats for DBSC; Cork to host IRC Euros 2016 and ICRA Nationals 2017; Ireland's Paralympians are in; Gale wrecks NYC launch; Toxic Rio water; Mermaid revival planned; CH Marine's Laser guided; Award for Ilen doc; Sutton Dinghy Club settles with former Instructor over finger incident; Sligo Heli rescue record plus lots more maritime news from around the coast

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Marine Industry news

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Afloat's class of 2015

Reviewing Ireland's sailors of the month for 2015

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Racing round up

Howth Yacht Club's Autumn league, Royal Cork's October series plus a look at winter racing around the country

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DBSC 2015 Season

An array of ancient yachting silverware was awarded across DBSC's 22 classes at its 131st prizegiving in Dun Laoghaire in November

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Brokerage

O'Sullivan's Marine turns the tide

The latest boats and equipment in Ireland’s marine marketplace

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2016 Sailing Preview

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Classifieds

Three, Two, One... 2016 Here We Come!

A selection of Afloat.ie's online classified adverts

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2015 Sailing Review

Bad weather was good for Irish sailing by WM Nixon

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Dubarry Nautical Crossword

A nautical crossword with a great boating prize of Dubarry deck shoes

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Soundings

Huff's return perfectly timed

Cover Caption: 1720s enjoy sportsboat racing at the mouth of Cork Harbour. Photo: Bob Bateman

This page: CH Marine Autumn league action in a blustery Cork Harbour. Photo: Bob Bateman

NEXT ISSUE Spring 2016 PUBLISHED: late–Feb COPY DEADLINE: 5 February

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

A new direction for the ISA in 2016 ISA President, David Lovegrove on the year past, and his plans for 2016 2015 began with huge momentum for change in the ISA. The re-evaluation of the organisation's strategic vision, which was led by Neil Murphy, culminated in an extensive national consultative process which was finalised with the approval of the ISA Strategic Plan 2015-2020 at the AGM in March. The ISA now has a blueprint to guide the organisation through the acknowledged serious challenges confronting sailing and boating in Ireland.

2015 saw a number of stalwart and energetic Board members resign at the end of their term; Mike O’Connor, Muriel Rumball and Phillip Cowman. It is important to record our appreciation of the immensely effective effort all these directors made over several years. We have been fortunate to attract new blood of the same high calibre such as Robert Dix, Paddy McGlade and Sarah Byrne. Each brings a wealth of unique specialist experience.

The year started with our inaugural annual awards scheme, jointly held with Afloat, when unsurprisingly, Anthony O'Leary won the Sailor of the Year Award, and Royal Cork Yacht Club deservedly took the 2014 Mitsubishi sponsored accolade for Club of the

Year. Youth Sailor of the Year was earned by the National Yacht Club’s Finn Lynch who had a stunningly successful season and finally, Mayo Sailing Club took the Training Centre of the Year award.

Early summer saw the launch of Try Sailing, an initiative devised by Board Directors Muriel Rumball and Pierce Purcell. The plan was to attract at least 3,000 newbies to get out on the water in Clubs and Training Centres all around the country. It was an outstanding success and there are high expectations of the plans to significantly extend the reach of Try Sailing in 2016.

2015, aided by great breezes, witnessed many successful National and International events in Ireland, including the ICRA Nationals, superbly hosted in Kinsale; the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, with over 400 boats on the water and 1,000s ashore enjoying the atmosphere and the craic. Dinghyfest, was, as always, expertly managed by the Royal Cork Yacht Club in mid-August. On the international front, there were some outstanding achievements, such as Shane McCarthy and Andy Thompson winning the highly competitive British GP14 championships in July and in the

Fastnet in August, which proved once again, that Ireland can punch above its weight internationally with a number of great results in very difficult conditions.

At the risk of inadvertently omitting other worthy racing achievements, it would be remiss not to mention Justin Slattery’s win on Abu Dhabi in the Volvo round the world race and Dave Cullen’s great result in winning the Half Ton Classic Cup with Checkmate XV. We cannot look forward to 2016 without mentioning our Olympic Athletes who are all presently travelling the world to participate in the toughest competitions to prepare for Rio 2016.

We wish them well and confidently expect them to fly the Irish Flag in Rio with pride and hopefully some success.

2015 was a year when a lot of back– room energy was expended on preparing fresh initiatives which are planned to reinvigorate sailing activity, particularly amongst young adults.

Presently, a consultative process will shortly be underway to brief all clubs and training centres on these changes.

In 2016, Brian Craig hopes to announce the establishment of a National Coaching Programme which will be accessible to every sailor of whatever skill level or interest.

Changes to the small boat sailing scheme have been made to encourage a lifelong love of the sport with less emphasis on the acquisition of “certificates”.

The ISA continues to lobby Government on a range of issues, such as the urgent need for a replacement to the Small Craft Register, rationalisation of the system for granting foreshore licenses, etc. The list is endless!

Howth 2016 Olympic trialist Aoife Hopkins, Siobhan Farndon, Paralympian John Twomey, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for the Marine and Brian Keenan at the launch of 'Try Sailing’ on the River Liffey this summer. Photo: David Branigan/ISA

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I trust you are already making your sailing plans for next year and I wish you all safe and enjoyable times on the water in 2016.

David Lovegrove

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

NEWSINBRIEF

Mixed sportsboats for DBSC

Illegal sea defences Unauthorised sea defences on Lough Foyle landed two men with suspended prison sentences on 18 November.

David McCullough and Gregory Allen were found to have built the defences without a licence using 20,000 waste tyres at a site in Bellarena. District judge Liam McNally described the offence as "very serious".

DBSC commodore retires Dublin Bay Sailing Club Commodore Pat Shannon retired at the club's AGM on 23 November. In his final report to members of Ireland's biggest yacht racing club, Shannon led his annual review with the DBSC's response to the "misconceived" cruise liner berth plans for Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

'Cool Route' survey The Royal Cork Yacht Club is among those partnering a new project to develop and market cruising grounds across Europe's North Western Seaboard from Ireland to Norway. The Cool Route Project is gauging the cruising preferences of sailors in the region via an online survey at tinyurl.com/nbswquf

Holyhead Marina verdict due A decision on whether a £100 million marina in Holyhead can move ahead was expected in December. Conygar Stena Line received planning permission in 2012 for its development of a 500-berth marina, but was blocked by a 'village green' application for the seafront site by local campaigners last year.

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Incoming ICRA commodore Simon McGibney with RCYC Admiral Pat Lyons and Kieran O Connell Sailing Rear Admiral at announcement of the ICRA Nationals in RCYC for 2017. Photo: Bob Bateman

Cork to host IRC Euros 2016 and ICRA Nationals 2017 Royal Cork has been busy lining up IRC regatta announcements this Autumn.

Firstly, the ICRA Nationals will be staged at the Royal Cork YC in 2017 and 2020, the latter to tie in with the club's 300th birthday.

The ICRA also announced the move of its annual conference from November to 5 March next in Limerick to mark the election of new commodore Simon McGibney.

Secondly, Royal Cork announced a new event in the RORC Calendar as part of Volvo Cork Week.

The first ever IRC European Championship will take place fro 10-15th July.

The IRC European Championship will be an event in itself, based on the platform of Volvo Cork Week, which is a longestablished and wellorganised IRC regatta as a precursor to the Brewin Dolphin Commodore's Cup between 23-30 July.

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's provision of a mixed sportsboat class would not only cater for a range of boats already in Dun Laoghaire, but also encourage new buyers to source “fun” affordable day racers, says National YC sailing manager Olivier Proveur, whose plans were discussed at an open meeting on 3 December.

Ireland's own sportsboat – the 1720 . Photo: Bob Bateman

SB20s race in class on Dublin Bay – Photo: Michael Keogh

The intention is for the IRC European Championship to be held at a different European location annually.

Read more in our season preview on page 16

Outgoing ICRA commodore Nobby Reilly, Volvo Managing Director Adrian Yeates, RORC Commodore Michael Boyd, Cork Week Chairman Kieran O'Connell and ISA President David Lovegrove launch the IRC Euros in November Photo: Cork Week

Ireland's Paralympians are in John Twomey will race in a record 11th Paralympic Games after qualifying at the Melbourne Worlds on 2 December. The Sonar keelboat trio of Twomey, Ian Costello and Austin O'Carroll booked their berth in Rio with a day to spare after finishing 11th and 12th on the penultimate day.

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

IN BRIEF NEWSINBRIEF

Galway honours Acky Sailors gathered at Galway's Harbour Hotel on 2 December to inaugurate a trust fund in memory of Steven Ackland, whose sudden death in Galway Docks on 30 July shocked Ireland's sailing community.

The evening was marked by a moving pictorial tribute to the man known to all as 'Acky'.

Scots boost marine tourism Ireland lags behind Scotland when it comes to marine tourism strategy, says Dun Laoghaire Marina, pointing to the launch of a five-year action plan to grow the industry by £90 million, and lamenting the lack of similar moves here despite the 'blue economy' focus championed at this summer's Ocean Wealth Conference.

Centenary of daring rescue November 1st marked 100 years since the end of one of the most daring days in the history of Rosslare RNLI, when in a single 24-hour period the station's volunteers rescued six crews from schooners and other vessels assaulted in the harbour by easterly gales as strong as Force 10.

Pictured at the celebration of 50 years of service for the Kish Lighthouse on the 9th November 2015, were (l-r), Tommy Murphy, former Keeper on the Kish Lighthouse; Yvonne Shields, CEO Irish Lights and President Michael D. Higgins with a commemorative sketch of the Kish Lighthouse.

Photo: Brendan Lyon

Kish light's golden jubilee President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina joined the board and staff of the Commissioners of Irish Lights to wish a happy birthday to the Kish Lighthouse, which celebrated 50 years of service on 9 November. The lighthouse replaced a series of lightships on the Kish Bank dating back to 1811.

Team SCA's VOR story Talking through the stories behind the more remarkable photos from the latest Volvo Ocean Race was the secret to Journey of Change, Yvonne Gordon's chronicle of the allwomen Team SCA's roundthe-world challenge. Gordon says she hopes the story "inspires a whole generation of female sailors".

World powerboat bronze Ireland's powerboaters finished third overall at the P750 World Championships in Malta in mid-October with only two points dividing the top four places. Team Ireland finished second in the circuit, first in the surf and seventh in the long haul, which secured them the bronze medal place.

Cork Harbour tourism explored ‘A Day in the Life of a Cruise Passenger Visiting Cork Harbour’ is the theme of the latest Port of Cork Primary Schools initiative, encouraging fifth class pupils to explore tourism in the harbour and beyond.

The best project will win their class a tour of a cruise liner visiting Cork next summer.

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Award for Ilen doc Made with the Ilen School in West Cork, Mia Mullarkey's short film The Ilen - on the final stages of restoration of the 1926 trading ketch by Ireland's remaining traditional shipwrights - has been awarded a $10,000 prize in the Wood & Humanity film contest as part of World Wood Day 2015.

Gale wrecks NYC launch A much-loved club launch belonging to the National Yacht Club was wrecked in southerly gales on Dublin Bay in late October. It came after the reported theft of the 20ft boat, which later prompted an emergency operation after it became entangled in lobster pots in nearby Scotsman's Bay. The National Yacht Club launch wrecked off the East Pier

Mermaids racing at Foynes for national honours this year

Mermaid revival planned Reversing the "terminal decline" of the once pre–eminent Mermaid class was the aim of the 64th Mermaid Sailing Association AGM at Skerries Sailing Club on 27 November. MSA secretary Des Deane called on Mermaid owners and crews who have lost contact with the class to attend and help determine a "fresh approach".

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Congratulations to our 2015 championship winners: ICRA National Championships & Sovereign's Cup 2015 Overall best IRC yacht: X332 Equinox, Ross McDonald (HYC) Overall best ECHO yacht: X302 Maximus, Paddy Kyne (HYC) ICRA YACHT OF THE YEAR 2015 Farr 42 Wow, George Sisk (RIYC) (part suit) SCOTTISH SERIES 2015 Overall best yacht: A35 Fools Gold, Rob McConnell (WHSC) WIORA 2015 Overall best yacht: J109 Joie de Vie, Glenn Cahill (GBSC) DUN LAOGHAIRE REGATTA 2015 Overall best yacht: Farr 42 Wow, George Sisk (RIYC) (part suit) Overall Best ECHO Yacht: Half Tonner Harmony, Jonny Swan (HYC) 1720 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2015 T-Bone 2, Tom Durkan (RCYC) RUFFIAN 23 NATIONAL CHAMPION 2015 Diane II, Alan Claffey (RStGYC) ISORA 2015 Overall Class 2 winner: Swan 371 'Albireo', David Simpson (RIYC)

Rob McConnell's A35 on her way to overall victory at the 2015 Scottish Series.

Photo: Marc Turner

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

NEWSINBRIEF

Nicholas Bendon, CH Marine Photo: Bob Bateman

New sailability boats Belfast Lough Sailability added three new boats to its fleet. The 2.4 Olympic class boats Peg and Skye and the Hawk 20’ day sailor keel boat Arica were officially named in a ceremony at Carrickfergus Marina in November and immediately made available for sailing to those with disabilities.

Prize for diving invention University of Limerick graduate Cathal Redmond rose above a field of 700 entries to scoop the runnerup prize of €7,000 in the international James Dyson Awards for his novel 'Express Dive' concept. Redmond will use the funding to help bring his revolutionary refillable breathing apparatus to market.

Race Organiser Theo Phelan with Hal Fitzgerald, Commodore of Wicklow Sailing Club and Adrian Yeates, Managing Director of Volvo Car Ireland marking the sponsorship agreement for the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race

Round Ireland adds multihulls Multihulls will join the Round Ireland Yacht Race for the first time when the 700–mile offshore classic sets sail on 18 June next. And already Team Concise's MOD 70 – similar to Round Ireland speed record holder – has expressed interest in the race that recently secured title sponsorship from Volvo Car Ireland.

BREAKING NEWS DAILY IRISH BOATING NEWS ON WWW. AFLOAT.IE

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Not content with taking over the official LaserPerformance dealership in the Republic in June, CH Marine have also been appointed agents for Northern Ireland beginning in December.

Managing director Nick Bendon says the aim is to increase support for Laser sailors in the region and attract a new wave into the sport.

Read more in our season preview on page 16

Yachts depart Wicklow in the 2014 Round Ireland race. The 2016 Volvo sponsored race will set sail on Saturday June 18th. The Race officially opens for entries on the 18th January 2016. Photo: David O'Brien

Marina demand grows Visitor numbers are excellent – with large numbers from Britain, France and Norway in particular, according to the Irish Marina Operators Association's AGM in November. Demand for bigger berths by growing numbers of superyachts was also noted, as was frustration at the long process of securing permission for dredging and maintenance works.

CH Marine's Laser guided

The impressive 150–foot Latitude motoryacht in Dun Laoghaire marina

DL's largest superyacht Irish marine's London push The Irish Marine Federation will give the country's marinas and sailing schools a boost in 2016 via an 'Irish Marine' brand stand at January's London Boat Show. Aimed specifically at attracting visiting UK boaters, the IMF is keen to attract more sailing and powercraft across the Irish Sea next season.

The 150ft Latitude – the largest superyacht to berth at Dun Laoghaire Marina – arrived via the northwest passage on 19 October. With room for 13 guests in five staterooms, the vessel is available to charter in the Mediterranean next summer and is also up for sale - for a cool €15 million.

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C o n g r at u l at i o n s t o a l l u n i o n C H a n d l e r Y sponsored eVents in 2015 Action from 2015 Union Chandlery sponsored national 18 racing in Cork harbour. photo courtesy: Bob Bateman

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Cammas almost severs foot French America's Cup skipper Franck Cammas has undergone surgery after his right foot was "partially severed" by the rudder of his foiling catamaran after falling overboard during training in Brittany. The good news is that doctors have assured the VOR veteran he will not lose the use of his foot.

Shannon Blueway additions

Top Yacht: George Sisk's Farr 42 WOW from the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) has been named ICRA Boat of the Year by the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA)

Award-winning WOW factor George Sisk's Farr 42 WOW has been named as the ICRA's Boat of the Year for 2015. The cruiser zero National Champion was also victorious at Volvo Dun Laoghaire Week, and faced stiff competition from the likes of Checkmate, Encore, Equinox and Ruth for the prestigious prize.

Read more on page 34

Quayside enhancements at Lanesborough-Ballyleague are part of a new project to develop facilities along the award-winning Shannon Blueway. As part of the objectives of the REDZ Flagship project, these works will be joined by an extension of the blueway walks from Carrick-onShannon to Drumshanbo at Drumleague and Drumhauver.

Toxic Rio water Sailors in Rio who ingest just three teaspoons of water from the Olympic courses on Guanabara Bay have a 99% chance of being infected by a virus. That's according to the latest damning findings from the Associated Press. Samples taken recently indicate that a high concentration of viruses is detectable even more than a kilometre offshore.

DL baths plan green lit The derelict baths site at Dun Laoghaire will be developed following a vote by local councillors to proceed with revised plans first outlined back in April.

The €2.5 million project will see the baths developed into artists' studios with a gallery and café as well as green space.

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Gregor's Golden Globe Ireland will have an entry in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, the solo, non-stop around the world race.

Irish sailor Gregor McGuckin has declared his interest in the race that will have 25 entrants.

Gregor McGuckian will race the 2018 Golden Globe

The 24 men and 1 woman – Britain’s Susie Bundegaard Goodall – have each paid an initial A$3,000 entry fee, though some names remain confidential

Sutton Dinghy Club settles with former Instructor over finger incident A former sailing instructor has settled her case against Sutton Dinghy Club over an incident in which she lost a finger.

As The Irish Times reports, representatives for Hannah Fitzsimons alleged that she had been "required to carry out an unsafe activity and was caused or permitted use a dangerous or unsafe method for towing boats in difficulty".

The claim stemmed from the incident on 11 August 2011 in which her left ring finger was amputated while she was towing a dinghy by hand in waters adjacent to the clubhouse.

An accomplished musician, the Sutton woman said the accident had forced her to give up on plans to be a music teacher and rendered her unable to play the flute or the piano.

until sponsorship announcements are made. Other entrants hail from America, Austria, Brazil, Italy, Norway, Palestine, Russia and Switzerland McGuckin (30), an Ocean Yachtmaster has made several Atlantic and Indian Ocean crossings.

Now with more than 35,000 sea miles under his belt, McGuckin is currently skippering a 62ft yacht in the Caribbean.

Sligo Heli rescue record The Sligo-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter will have completed more than 300 search and rescue missions in 2015 by the end of this month, setting a new record.

Rescue 118 and the rest of the Sikorsky S-92 fleet based at Shannon, Dublin and Waterford will have completed at least 877 missions between them by year's end.

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

O'Sullivan's Marine turns the tide

With expanded staff and premises, plus a brand new website and online offerings, the Tralee boatbuilders and dealers emerge from the storm of the recession ship-shape for the future

Wow, what a brutal storm.

Even stronger for those further west!

Spinnaker up, absolutely flying along at well above hull design speed.

Pushing hard, clinging on to the surfing waves, getting the most out of every surge. Everyone and everything working to the maximum limit, anticipating the next wave, the next sail change or even dropping that spinnaker, consider play safe or continue flat out. And then bang: that rogue wave, that slight misjudgment and it was crashing down around us.

In many ways, we realised very early on what was happening, but we could never have anticipated the extent of that crash. Who else did? Fortunately, we recovered quickly, assessed the situation as calmly as possible and planned the next steps.

With a great crew on board, we managed to limber home, battened down the hatches, licked

our wounds and came back fighting fit, ready to take on whatever was thrown at us.

then the business has moved several times, always getting bigger and more ambitious.

That describes the economy in Ireland after September 2008 and what happened to most businesses, especially in the marine trade. We at O’Sullivans Marine were no different.

The staff grew, too.

Jerry’s son Brian joined in 1978, coming home after college with the intention of staying around for a year or two. More than three decades later, he’s still an integral part of the team.

But we steadied the course, fixed what wasn’t perfect, trained up the crew, brought in new skill sets and were ship-shape once again.

History of O’Sullivans Marine We have been around for over 50 years, and boy has that time gone by in a flash.

It all began in 1963 when Jerry O’Sullivan started the business and we built our first boat – which was in timber, believe it or not. Within two years we had already progressed to building our first fibreglass boat. And since

In 1980, we built a new factory on the outskirts of Tralee where we manufactured boats, but we still ran a shop in Tralee town centre.

We subsequently moved everything marine in to that purpose-built development in 1990, with over 12,500 square feet of boat-building space, a service bay, offices and the marine shop.

founder, the late Jerry O'Sullivan

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AFLOAT 2015 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Overview of some of OSM boats including some Linder Aluminium boats and OSM's Irish made 18’ Sheelin

The OSM 650 RIBis centre stage

Why Tralee? True, it’s not the centre of Ireland’s marine trade. The simple answer is that it’s a great place to live, but that’s not all. Coming from two large families in Kerry, both Jerry and his wife Noreen had strong connections all around them and, indeed, had several other business interests on the go at the time in Tralee. To relocate to a stronger market location might have made good business sense, but with a large family of their own, the thought was never really entertained.

In any case, Kerry has its own strong maritime traditions. Being a founder member of Tralee Bay Sailing Club in the late 1950s, Jerry had saltwater running through his veins, and to go into the marine business just seemed a natural progression.

By the time the 1990s were over, the aforementioned development outside Tralee proved too small once again. So out came the diggers to expand over the next seven years with up to 30,000 square feet of covered space with another 20,000 of outdoor storage space, along with a private car park, and still allowing room for further expansion. We completed that round of developments by May

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2007 – probably not great timing in retrospect.

We have seen recessions before and probably will again, but we believe that the worst is over with this one, and we’re climbing back up the graph. We also believe that now is the time to prepare for the next phase and be ready for that filling tide. Reports confirm daily that Ireland is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe yet again, if not the fastest.

A selection of engines, with a large rope display behind

Fully stocked chandlery

13' Shillela

All the signs are positive, so we must be ready to catch the breeze as it picks up and avail of whatever opportunities come our way.

The USP of OSM Our unique selling point here at O’Sullivans Marine is our very extensive selection of boats that we build here in Tralee, ranging in size from 2.5 to 8 metres.

Many of the ‘old reliables’ are still being built; they’re truly ageless. Take the 19’ Mayfly, for example, or the 18’ Sheelin. Several decades on, these boats are still in strong demand. And the major advantage these models have over other lake boats is the fact that they are all fibreglass with practically no timber above the waterline, so maintenance is minimal.

18' Striker ready for launch

A Mayfly is fitted out

HR223

If a sea boat is more to your liking, we have quite a selection in stock and ready to order, both brand new and second-hand (and many available at special prices). All are fully certified and all pass with flying colours the requirements of the Recreational Craft Directive, the EU statutory regulation determining safety and build standards. Being CE certified, you can also rest assured all our craft are high-quality builds, safe and seaworthy.

All of this from a renowned boat-building yard that had 70 Cork 1720 sports yachts on the start line at Cork Week in 2000, some of which are still racing competitively throughout Ireland and abroad to this day. The same can be said for most of the leading boats in the National 18 class a few years later.

Now we are producing another racing craft: the Irish Coastal Rowing Federation’s own one– design coastal rowing yawl. This is a four-man (plus a coxswain) specialist coastal rower, proving extremely popular throughout the coast of Ireland. We build these to a high standard and to a strict weight tolerance and design.

AFLOAT 2015 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

OSM staff; Maurice O’Sullivan, Jo Quirke, Brian O’Sullivan, Thomas Gibney

OSM website home page

Our steadfast crew

Our loyal suppliers

Going online

We have reinforced our already excellent crew this year and are looking at some further reinforcements for 2016.

At O’Sullivans Marine, we are fortunate to be able to count on several big names in the marine industry who have supported us over many years with the supply of excellent products.

Our most significant development as of late here at O’Sullivans Marine is our new website and online shop at OSMarine.ie – expanding our already significant online marine presence by growing our chandlery and spare parts section, covering the proverbial needle to the anchor.

Thomas Gibney has been added to take charge of the technical IT side along with social media and other marketing roles. He joins our seasoned campaigner Maurice O’Sullivan, who has been integral to the team for over 30 years along with Jo Quirke, who has been and is at the front line for almost two decades now.

Brian O’Sullivan is our ever-present skipper at the helm and the main driving force behind the whole campaign. Born into the business, Brian has cut his teeth in the marine industry and still runs a tight and competitive ship.

This team is the backbone of the business, and with Sean, Bernard, Ian, John and David coming into the team with their complementary skill sets, this makes for a pretty formidable outfit in any situation.

Our future goals So much has happened throughout the history of our business, with wind shifts all over the place. And as any good sailor will know, if you don’t keep on top of the shifts, you will find yourself left behind, even on the start line.

Over the past 12 months, we have changed tack yet again, and decided the other side of the course was better going forward. That meant heavy investment in our IT side, with new systems and new crew to get us fully race-ready with our ‘secret weapon’ – our aforementioned new website and online shop.

But we bring another dimension to the marine industry in Ireland and

We have long-established relationships with many leading brands in the business, such as Linder Aluminium Boats from Sweden; Gemini Ribs and inflatables from South Africa; Poseidon Boats from Greece; Tohatsu Outboards from Japan (one of our longest contracts, in fact – we’ve been selling Tohatsu in Ireland since 1975); Brenderup Trailers from Denmark; Garmin and Raymarine from UK and USA; Sole, Yanmar and Volvo inboard diesel engines; Ultraflex steerings; International Paints and Precision Paints from the UK; Whale from Northern Ireland.

And that’s to name but a few of our vast selection of quality and reliable brands – a selection that’s grown since our expansion into the online marketplace.

to all customers, both returning and potential, by stressing value for money with excellent service and back-up.

Our experienced and well-trained staff know the industry, know the products and go the extra yard to satisfy the requirements of every customer. We cover all aspects of owning a boat, including engines and trailers, not to mention safety equipment, servicing, maintenance and, of course, repairs.

And yes, we still build our own range of boats, truly ‘made in Tralee’.

As with any new developments, there are plenty of challenges, some foreseen and some totally unpredictable. But isn’t that what makes life really interesting?

This has been and still is a massive undertaking, with an inventory of several thousand products, and more being added on a weekly basis. But it’s very much worth it, as for one, it renders our location on the Wild Atlantic Way practically insignificant.

That’s also thanks to our network of delivery companies shipping out overnight to most parts of the country, and within two days to the UK and Europe. We’ve only just begun and have already sold to as far afield as Belgium, Spain, Finland and even Greenland.

These are again exciting times. We believe our prices to be very competitive and our goal is to remain competitive by giving you the best value on the market today.

Facebook competition The O'Sullivans Marine page on Facebook is a real winner – simply log on to OSMarine.ie to connect with our Facebook page, click 'Like' and you'll be entered in a draw for some brilliant prizes!

Special boat/trailer offer O'Sullivans Marine currently has a special offer on the 18' Sheelin allfibreglass, fully CE-certified lake boat, equipped with a Tohatsu 6hp four-stroke engine and with oars and stainless steel pins as standard. The deal includes a Brenderup galvanised trailer, with both boat and trailer covered by five-year warranties. And all for the special price of only €5,885 inc VAT. It's first come, first served on this very limited offer!

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SEASON PREVIEW

2016

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

16

2016 Busy year for busy sailors ahead Things are on the move again. There’s a buzz in the air. W M Nixon anticipates the sailing possibilities for 2016 in a fixtures list so diverse that he reckons that anyone who thinks they know everything that’s going on clearly doesn’t.

If you want anything done, then ask a busy man to do it. And the busier people are ashore, the keener they are to get afloat when they can.

There was nothing more sluggish than the sailing and boating scene during the recession years. There was less zest for going sailing when you’d all the time in the world to do it

because there was nothing to do ashore. And anyway, as a vehicle sport, sailing was a very identifiable expense which could be reduced or even discarded as the recession rumbled on.

Of course, it wasn’t as simple as that. Anyone with businesses to run knew they’d to keep a very close eye on things all the time if they were to survive at all. Thus we became experts at the short sailing break. The four–day regatta became all the rage, and even if the good times roll again as never before, it seems likely the four–day regatta is going to stay popular.

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

SEASON PREVIEW

Wicklow bound…..George David’s Rambler 88 has the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2016 in her sights. The biennial classic starts from Wicklow on June 18th 2016.

Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

2016 17

Dates correct at time of press. Please check dates with organisers before travel. Updates on sailing.ie snretseW ASUI seitisraV ASUI spihsnoipmahC retsnuM 1 rellevarT snretseW rorriM spihsnoipmahC retslU snretsaE 004SR 2 rellevarT 3 rellevarT tsimitpO retsnieL sretsnieL tsimitpO spihsnoipmahC retslU llecruP & TO 41PG snrehtroN 42/J snrehtroN 004SR 6102 puC taobstropS tsaoC tsaE nogarD nrehtroN biuqS 6102 secaR yabmaL lanoitaN ARCI lanoitaN rerafyaW sthguannoC tsimitpO dnalerI dnuoR ovloV yadsmoolB derflA layoR spihsnoipmahC retsnieL sretslU 41PG snretseW 004SR snretseW 002SR puC gnicaR maeT PV tsimitpO 6102 tseW yhgniD spihsnoipmahC thguannoC sretslU tsimitpO spihsnoipmahC retsnieL 4 rellevarT lanoitaN rorriM sretsnieL 41PG snrehtuoS 004SR snrehtuoS 002SR spihsnoipmahC dlroW 6102 AROIW lavitseF emitiraM wolkrA snretseW 42/J attageR yhgniD nottuS 6102 snaeporuE rorriM slanoitaN 024 puC s'tnediserP ytilibaliaS slanoitaN llaberiF slanoitaN hsirI tsimitpO lanoitaN hsirI biuqS spihsnoipmahC lanoitaN slanoitaN hsirI 004SR sretsaM & hsirI 41PG spihsnoipmahC retsnuM snrehtroN rorriM pihsnoipmahC retsnuM reppoT C senotsyerG fo etsaT pihsnoipmahC hsirI nogarD slanoitaN 42/J dnalnI rerafyaW sretsnuM tsimitpO sretsnuM llaberiF 5 rellevarT sloohcS-retnI dnalerI llA htuoY & nmutuA 41PG htuoY dnalerI llA ASI

IUSA Westerns IUSA Varsities Munster Championships Traveller 1 Mirror Westerns Ulster Championships RS400 Easterns Traveller 2 Traveller 3 Leinster Optimist Optimist Leinsters Ulster Championships GP14 OT & Purcell J/24 Northerns RS400 Northerns Sportsboat Cup 2016 Dragon East Coast Squib Northern Lambay Races 2016 ICRA National Wayfarer National Optimist Connaughts Volvo Round Ireland Royal Alfred Bloomsday Leinster Championships GP14 Ulsters RS400 Westerns RS200 Westerns Optimist VP Team Racing Cup Dinghy West 2016 Connaught Championships Optimist Ulsters Leinster Championships Traveller 4 Mirror National GP14 Leinsters RS400 Southerns RS200 Southerns World Championships WIORA 2016 Arklow Maritime Festival J/24 Westerns Sutton Dinghy Regatta Mirror Europeans 2016 420 Nationals Sailability President's Cup Fireball Nationals Optimist Irish Nationals Squib Irish National National Championships RS400 Irish Nationals GP14 Irish & Masters Munster Championships Mirror Northerns Topper Munster Championship Taste of Greystones C Dragon Irish Championship J/24 Nationals Wayfarer Inland Optimist Munsters Fireball Munsters Traveller 5 All Ireland Inter-Schools GP14 Autumn & Youth ISA All Ireland Youth

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

2016

06–07 25–28

26–27

10 23–24 23–24 23–24 23–24 24

08 14–16 14–15 21–22 21–22 21–22 21–22 27–29 27–29 28–29

04 10 10 11–12 18 18 18–19 25–26 25–26 25–26

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FIXTURES LIST

February

March

April

May

June IUSA Westerns IUSA Varsities Fireflies Fireflies Killaloe SC Kenmare

Munster Championships Laser Baltimore Sailing Club

Traveller 1 Mirror Westerns Ulster Championships RS400 Easterns RS200 Easterns Traveller 2 Topper Mirror Laser RS RS Topper East Down YC Sligo YC County Antrim Yacht Club Royal St George YC Royal St George YC Lough Derg YC

Traveller 3 Leinster Optimist Championships Optimist Leinsters Ulster Championships GP14 OT & Purcell J/24 Northerns RS400 Northerns Sportsboat Cup 2016 Dragon East Coast Championship Squib Northern Championship

Topper Optimist Optimist Topper GP14 J/24 RS Various Dragon Squib

Wexford Harbour B&TC Royal St George YC Royal St George YC Donaghadee SC Swords Sailing & BC Sligo YC Cushendall Sailing & Boating Club Howth YC Royal Irish YC Killyleagh SC

Lambay Races 2016 ICRA National Championships 2016 Wayfarer National Championship Optimist Connaughts Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race Royal Alfred Bloomsday Regatta Leinster Championships GP14 Ulsters RS400 Westerns RS200 Westerns

All Classes Cruisers Wayfarer Optimist Cruisers All Classes Topper GP14 RS RS

Howth YC Howth YC Ramor Watersports Club Foynes YC Wicklow SC National YC Skerries SC East Down YC Sligo YC Sligo YC

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

www.sailing.ie July 01 01–03/07 01–03 02–03 02–03 02–03 02–03 02–04 10–15 15–17 16–17 16–17 17 22–24 23–30 23–24 23–24 23–24 23–29 27–30 30–01

Optimist VP Team Racing Cup White Sails and Non Spinnaker Team Challenge Dinghy West 2016 - Sailing the Wild Atlantic Connaught Championships Optimist Ulsters J/24 Southerns Fireball Leinsters Irish Nationals Volvo Cork Week & IRC European Championships Ruffian 23 National Championship Optimist Crosbie Cup Leinster Championships Traveller 4 Mirror National Championships Laser Radial World Championships (Men's & Youth's) GP14 Leinsters RS400 Southerns RS200 Southerns World Championships WIORA 2016 Arklow Maritime Festival

Optimist Cruisers All Dinghies Laser Optimist J/24 Fireball Topper Various Ruffian 23 Optimist Laser Topper Mirror Laser GP14 RS RS Topper Cruisers All Classes

Malahide YC Royal St George YC Galway Bay Sailing Club Lough Derg YC Malahide YC Royal Cork YC Wexford Harbour B&TC Royal Cork YC Royal Cork YC Dun Laoghaire MYC Lough Ree YC National YC Carrickfergus SC Sutton Dinghy Club Royal St George YC Sutton Dinghy Club Lough Ree YC Lough Ree YC Ballyholme YC Royal Western YC Arklow SC

J/24 Westerns Sutton Dinghy Regatta Mirror Europeans 2016 420 Nationals Sailability President's Cup Fireball Nationals Optimist Irish Nationals Squib Irish National Championship National Championships RS400 Irish Nationals RS400 Irish Nationals GP14 Irish & Masters Munster Championships Mirror Northerns Topper Munster Championship Taste of Greystones Cruiser Regatta Dragon Irish Championship

J/24 All Classes Mirror 420 Various Fireball Optimist Squib Laser RS RS GP14 Topper Mirror Topper Cruisers Dragon

Lough Ree YC Sutton Dinghy Club Royal Cork YC Howth YC Kinsale YC Howth YC Lough Derg YC Kinsale YC Galway Bay Sailing Club Schull Harbour SC Schull Harbour SC Skerries SC Kinsale YC Royal North of Ireland YC Kinsale YC Greystones SC Kinsale YC

J/24 Wayfarer Optimist Fireball Topper All Classes GP14 TBC

Royal St George YC Cullaun SC Royal Cork YC Killaloe SC Killyleagh SC Sutton Dinghy Club Sligo YC TBC

J80 Squib

TBC Lough Derg YC

August 06–07 07–07 07–12 09–11 12–13 12–14 15–19 19–21 20–23 26–28 26–28 27–29 27–28 27–28 27–28 28 31–04

September 02–04 03–04 10–11 10–11 11–11 17–18 24–25 24–25

J/24 Nationals Wayfarer Inland Championship Optimist Munsters Fireball Munsters Traveller 5 All Ireland Inter-Schools Championship GP14 Autumn & Youth Championship ISA All Ireland Youth Championships

October 01–02 15–16

ISA All Ireland Senior Championships Squib Inland Championship/Freshwater Regatta

Irish Sailing Association, 3 Park Rd, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin A96 K3C3 Tel: 01 2800239

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

It’s indicative of amazingly changed times. Today, it’s beyond imagination to realise that at the height of Scotland’s industrial pomp around Glasgow for eighty years into the 1960s, there used to be a Clyde Fortnight. Two whole weeks of sailing on the trot. Except for Sundays of course, when the church services became yachting events. But even with that spiritual input, it was conspicuous consumption gone mad to be able to show you’d the resources and free time to go off yacht racing for a clear fortnight, knowing your employees – or rather, your inherited company’s employees – would keep those profits and dividends rolling in while you swanned about on the bonnie waters of the Firth.

SEASON PREVIEW

2016

It took special stamina, too. But times and tastes have changed in any case.

There are so many other sports, entertainments and interests vying for our attention these days that sailing has to keep re-inventing itself to make its mark. Yet beneath it all there’s still that elementally simple appeal so eloquently expressed by the folksy Floridian Clark Mills, who in 1947 created the Optimist dinghy:

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“A boat, by God, it’s just a gleamin’ beautiful creation. And when you pull the sail up on a boat, you’ve got a little bit of really somethin’ God-given. Man, it goes bleetin’ off like a bird’s wing, you know, and there’s nothin’ else like it”.

It’s still as simple as that. So apart from the usual frostbite races and leagues, it’s more than appropriate that the first major sailing event in Ireland in 2016 is the legendary Optimist Training Week at Baltimore during the half – term break in February. Yes folks, February. For sure, we know that in the old Irish calendar, February 1st is St Brigid’s Day, and officially the first day of Spring. But for many sailors, St Patrick’s Day on March 17th is about as early as we want to get. And for most of us, Easter is quite soon enough, thank you.

Nevertheless we salute the keen Opty kids who in February drag their families along with them

down to Baltimore – even unto the family dog – in a caravanserai which tells us much about Irish sailing. But what we also know is that Irish sailing is universal, and from times past we’re well aware that our new season is reckoned to start with the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race on December 26th in the dying days of the old year. So the up-coming dash to Hobart is when our new year begins, and back in December 2012 when Gordon Maguire won it overall - his second overall win in this great Australian annual classic - he was undisputed Afloat.ie “Sailor of the Month” for January 2013.

Flying machine.

The new Mark Mills-designed 45ft Concubine arrives in Australia on November 22nd

ISA/Afloat.ie National Sailing Awards. Sailors of the Month, Sailor of the Year, Mitsubishi Motors Club of the Year and many other well-earned awards will be swept through in a festival of mutual congratulation and camaraderie which perfectly captures the spirit of a sport which has a longer history in Ireland than anywhere else.

As we’re on the cruiser-racer theme, we’ll stay with it for now through to the August fixtures, and anyone totally into dinghies and nothing else is invited to scroll down a dozen paragraphs to where we emerge from the world of truck-racing for a consideration of the Olympics, the inshore racing classes, and the dinghies.

Optimists racing at the Cork Dinghyfest 2015 in conditions rather different from those they’ll be expecting at Baltimore in February. Photo: Robert Bateman

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the Optimists gearing up for their February Sailfest in Baltimore, things at home really start on Friday February 4th when the Irish sailing focus closes in on the august yet friendly premises of the Royal College of Surgeons on St. Stephens Green in the heart of Dublin for the annual ISA/Afloat.ie National Sailing Awards. Sailors of the Month, Sailor of the Year, Mitsubishi Motors Club of the Year and many other well-earned awards will be swept through in a festival of mutual congratulation and camaraderie which perfectly captures the spirit of a sport which has a longer history in Ireland than anywhere else.

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YEARS OF FIREBALLS REUNION!

2016

But for now staying with cruiser-racers, in recent months Gordon Maguire has been making the Mediterranean scene with success aboard the Mark Mills-designed Max 72 Caol Ila (ex-Alegre), but as the Australian season currently swings back into top gear, he’s in the Matt Allen camp aboard the Carkeek 60 Ichi Ban. However, another Irish line of interest continues with Wicklow-based designer Mark Mills, whose newest 45ft footer Concubine – fresh built in Dubai – is going to an Adelaide owner who will have her at optimum trim for her first big outing in the Hobart race.

10:29 Page 1

SEASON PREVIEW

Can they do it again? The Royal Cork Yacht Club – with Marine Minister Simon Coveney – at the ISA/Afloat.ie Sailing Awards 2014 ceremony in the RCSI in Dublin on Friday 6th March 2015, when they swept the board and took the Mitsubishi Motors “Club Fireball 50 poster A4_Layout 1 23/10/2015 of the Year” award for good measure. The 2015 awards will be presented at the same venue on Friday, February 4th 2016.

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday 6th February 2016

Royal St George YC 7.30pm till very, very late!

INTERESTED? Please email your details to fireball50reunion@gmail.com so we can keep you updated on progress

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

SEASON PREVIEW

2016

They might have been designed precisely with Irish requirements in mind…….the J/109 class is finally beginning to take off at all main centres.

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University sailing also comes top of the bill in the Springtime, with the Irish championship seeing titleholders UCD defend a position which also saw them representing Ireland at the Student Yachting Worlds in France in October, when they placed third overall. It sounds reasonable enough, but Ireland has won the Worlds a couple of times in the recent past, so there’s work to be done here.

Another area where work is being done is in the growing interest for Under 25 Squads in doing great things with revitalised J/24s. Cillian Dickson of Howth led his Under 25 group to success both in J/24 and open racing in 2015 with the J/24 Kilcullen, and the word is that 2016

will see at least three similar teams making the scene at national and local events.

But for boats with a lid, the top item on the agenda has to be the fact that this is a biennial Commodores’ Cup year, and we’re the defenders. In 2014, thanks to the single-minded determination of Anthony O’Leary, a competitive three boat team was somehow assembled from some very disparate parts, and the title - won in 2010 but undefended in 2012 in the depths of the recession - was re-taken in very positive style after a week of ferocious racing in late July in the Solent.

The RORC Brewin Dolphin Commodore’s Cup 2016 will be raced from Cowes from 23rd to 30th July 2016, and

ICRA racing at its best – Liam Burke’s Corby 25 Tribal from Galway making knots at Kinsale in the ICRA Nats 2015. The ICRA Nats 2016 are at Howth from June 10th to 12th. Photo: ICRA

far from having to scrape around to assemble a team, the word is that ICRA may be mounting a two–team defence/challenge on our behalf, as the RORC event has seen the rating band lowered to 1,000 to make it attractive to boats like J/109s. These super boats are finally taking off in Ireland as a premier class.

It has taken some time, but as we’ve been saying for years, the J/109 might have been designed with the Irish context in mind, and they’re going to be a major part of our sailing for many years to come.

Through the season, cruiser-racer events swing into action at every level, both at home and nearby abroad, with the RORC Easter Challenge in the Solent (Antix defending for

Ireland here), the Silver’s Marine Scottish Series at Tarbert from May 27-30 (Rob McConnell’s A35 Fool’s Gold from Dunmore East is the defender) and then the big home one, the ICRA Nats at Howth from June 10th to 12th, staged just a week after Howth’s at-home major, the Lambay Races on June 4th.

These super boats are finally taking off in Ireland as a premier class

The start of the 2014 Round Ireland Race, with eventual winner Tanit in right foreground. In 2016, Volvo Cars Ireland come aboard as race sponsors. Photo: Kevin Tracey

2016 Race Schedule

4

Saturday 28 May

Race 5

Friday 3 June

Race 6

2nd July

th

rd

rd

23 July 6th August 27th August

Race 11

Qualifying Race Qualifying Race Qualifying Race

3+ 3+ 3+

ISORA/RAYC - Dun Laoghaire to North Arklow to Wicklow

50 miles

0.9

Pwllheli Castle Race Coastal

50 miles

0.9

Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead

60 miles

1.2

Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire

100 Miles

1.3

Dún Laoghaire to Douglas.

80 miles

1.2

10.00 10.00 08.00 08.00 08.00

Offshore Costal Coastal Day Race

4

ISORA/RAYC ‘Lighthouse Race’ Dun Laoghaire

60 miles

1.0

Coastal Night Race

4

ISORA/RAYC

35 miles

1.1

20.00

Coastal Night Race

4

Pwllheli to Pwllheli

35 miles

1.1

20.00

Qualifying Race

3+

Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli

75 miles

1.2

08.00

Coastal Day Race to Greystones

4

ISORA/RAYC Coastal Day Race

50 miles

0.9

10.00

Coastal Day Race

4

Pwllheli to Pwllheli Coastal Day Race

50 miles

0.9

08.00

Qualifying Race

3+

Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire

80 miles

1.2

08.00

Race 12

10th Sept

Note 1

- (RAYC) = Royal Alfred Yacht Club Coastal Series details here

Note 2

The Start times shown here are approximate only and may change – see the SI for each race.

Note 3

Block Online Entry Fee – All Races: Individual Online Race Entry:

Note 4

Prizes for Offshore, Coastal, Silver Class & 2-­‐Handed Class Series.

£260 / €360 £75 / €100

Series Sponsor:

Race Sponsors (2015):

Start

Description

Weight

th

Race 4

Race 10

4

Coastal Day Race Sat. 14 May

Race 9

Coastal Day Race

Distance (approx.)

Sat. 23 April

Race 3

Race 8

ISAF Category

th

Race 2

Race 7

Type

Race 1

Date

Race No.

For full details : www.isora.org

10.00

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

SEASON PREVIEW

2016

Meanwhile the re-vitalised ISORA programme (defending champion is Shanahan family’s J/109 Ruth from the National YC) will have swung into action in the Irish Sea with a stated commitment to impinge adversely as little as possible – if at all – on long-established events, but for serious old salts the real story in June will be the countdown to the Volvo Round Ireland Race from Wicklow on Saturday June 18th.

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Volvo Cars Ireland are in for the long haul on this one. So their first outing with the classic biennial circuit will be run fairly conservatively in the knowledge that legislation is going through the Dail to re-organise the administration of Wicklow Harbour (among other ports).

Thus it’s on the cards that in the future, Wicklow Sailing Club and their supportive new sponsor will find they have a harbour much-improved to host visiting boats. But for 2016, the Royal Irish YC in Dun Laoghaire will be providing support berths for larger craft, as too will Greystones Marina in between.

But even with the current facilities, it’s going to be quite a happening with serious multi-hulls involved for the first time, and Grand Prix racers of the calibre of George David’s

Rambler 88 stepping up to the plate, while in the body of the fleet the Shanahan’s Ruth has unfinished business – in 2014 they missed the win by seven minutes to Richard Harris’s Tanit from Scotland.

Until this late-June stage of the season, the south coast will have been fairly quiet in terms of events with an international flavour, but all that changes between 10th and 15th July when the Royal Cork’s Volvo Cork Week swings into action with the added interest (to put it mildly) of the IRC European Championship.

This completely new event – a joint venture between the RORC and the RCYC – is still at the developmental stage, but with some far-thinking organisers behind it such as Anthony O’Leary of Royal Cork and Michael Boyd of RORC, it has all the makings of something very special indeed, and will blend in well with July’s expanding European programme as teams work on their performance with the Commodores’ Cup at the end of July providing the Grand Finale.

Yet another new boat design. But the new Phil Morrison-designed National 18 has been making a very good impression in Cork Harbour. Photo: Robert Bateman

Enduring favourite. Catapult on her way to being top scorer in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores Cup 2014. In her new guise as Anthony O’Leary’s Antix of Munster, she is expected to be a leading contender in the 2016 Commodore’s Cup – and in the IRC Euros in Cork before that Photo: Rick Tomlinson

It’s going to be quite a happening with serious multihulls involved for the first time, and Grand Prix racers of the calibre of George David’s Rambler 88 stepping up to the plate, while in the body of the fleet the Shanahan’s Ruth has unfinished business Back to her birthplace. Ian Malcolm’s Howth 17 Aura at Carrickfergus, where she was built by John Hilditch in 1898. Several vintage Hilditch-built boats plan to join the 150th Anniversary celebrations of Carrickfergus Sailing Club and the Royal Ulster Yacht Club on Belfast Lough next June. Photo: Damian Cronin

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

As she was, so she is again. Tern – seen here (third left) with the Belfast Lough No I Class in 1898 – has been so faithfully restored in 2015 that she even has replicated the inverted 2 for her number 7. They couldn’t find a 7 in the sailmakers loft when the boats were being commissioned in a hurry in May 1897, so they made do with an upside-down 7 for a few seasons. Photo: Courtesy RUYC

SEASON PREVIEW

2016

The Cork Week site for the inaugural IRC Europeans Photo: Bob Bateman

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WIORA 2016

West Coast

from

June July

Championships 29 Kilrush, Co Clare

02

ROYAL WESTERN YACHT CLUB

afloat WIORA2016.indd 1

Photo by Gareth Craig www.fotosail.com

Proudly sponsored by

4 days, 7 races IRC ECHO classes White Sails ECHO classes Alan Crosbie - Race Officer www.westernyachtclub.com www.wiora.org

But of course not everyone seeks the international limelight.

There are plenty of local events to keep cruiserracers busy, and the WIORA Championship 2016 will be from June 29th to July 02nd, hosted by the very venerable Royal Western of Ireland Yacht at Kilrush, which is itself a place re-born since the marina and harbour were taken over by leading harbour engineers L & M Keating.

Inevitably with the August Bank Holiday Monday being precisely on August 1st, traditional events in 2016 will find themselves being compressed into that first week of August, but if you were really keen it might be just be possible to finish the WIORA at Kilrush and then hare round to Schull for Calves Week from Tuesday August 2nd to Friday August 5th, but there are probably too many temptations on the way as you progress along Ireland’s top cruising coast.

However, if you’re not into total relax mode by the time August arrives, then there’s the Olympics in Rio to gather you up in its crazy five ring circus with the sailing events in a continuous tapestry from 5th August 21st August.

The Irish challenge for the 2016 Olympiad is still in something of a state

27/11/2015 12:53 p.m.

of flux as three places have been secured with other possibilities, but the whole thing is total melting-pot stuff, so it’s too early yet to make predictions.

But you don’t have to look to Rio for stellar performance in 2016 as we’ve top level dinghy racing coming to Ireland with the Laser Radial Youth World Championship being hosted in a joint venture by Dun Laoghaire Harbour and the Royal St George YC from Saturday July 23rd to Saturday July 30th, yet another event which has relevance in a different context as the administration of Dun Laoghaire Harbour could well be in a new context in the near future.

Any overview of the dinghy and inshore keelboat scene soon reminds you of the exasperation some observers feel at a global sport which boasts something like 143 recognised World Championships in its annual international programme. And that’s only counting World Championships. Add in Europeans, and numbers increase exponentially, but we have a Europeans in Ireland in 2016 with the Mirrors gathering from 7th to 12th August for racing with one of the most interesting little boats afloat at the RCYC in Crosshaven.

2016 Photos: Bob Bateman

National Championships

Eight National Championship Titles & Corinthian Cups Progressive ECHO & IRC

10–12

June 2016 Howth Yacht Club

Photo: ICRA Boat of the Year: George Sisk’s Farr 42 Wow from the Royal Irish Yacht Club

For more information: www.cruiserracing.ie

Irish Cruiser Racing Asscociation

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Senior Hilditch boat. The Mylne-designed Belfast Lough Island Class yawl Trasnagh, seen here under her new Bermudan rig in 1933, is expected to join the 150th Anniversary celebrations in Belfast Lough in the summer of 2016. Photo courtesy RNIYC

2016

MAIN EVENTS February 4th

SEASON PREVIEW

ISA/Afloat.ie Annual Awards RCSI, Dublin

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May 27th to 30th Silver’s Scottish Series Tarbert, Loch Fyne

June 10th to 12th ICRA Nats Howth

June 18th Volvo Round Ireland Race Wicklow

June 22nd to 27th Belfast Lough Classics Carrickfergus & Bangor

July 10th to 15th Volvo Cork Week & IRC Europeans Royal Cork YC

July 23rd to 30th Laser Youth Radial Worlds RStGYC

July 23rd to 30th Brewin Dolphin Commodore’s Cup Cowes

August 5th to 21st Sailing Olympics 2016 Rio de Janeiro

August 7th to 12th Mirror Europeans Royal Cork YC

October 1st to 2nd All-Ireland Helmsman’s Championship

October Student Yachting World Cup France

October 22nd Rolex Middle Sea Race Malta

For their owners, all boats are interesting - that’s the way it is with boats. Indeed, for many participants, it’s not so much the sport as the vehicles themselves which are the raison d’etre of the whole business. And thus we find that in Ireland as elsewhere, traditional, classic and vintage boats are moving ever higher up the agenda with each season’s programmemaking.

It could be argued that there’s nowhere better in the world to find such intriguing and individual boats playing an accepted and natural role in the sailing scene than in the Greater Dublin region. 2016 may also be witnessing the centenary of the Easter Rising and the Irish Revolution. But despite the turmoil of a hundred years ago, we’re basically a very settled and civilised society, and when we find a boat type we like, we tend to stay with her. And equally as a reasonable society we will happily accept the restrictions of one–design racing in order to provide affordable sport.

Thus around Dublin we can find the Water Wags whose class organisation dates back to 1886, even if the boats themselves are the new-fangled version from around 1902 or thereabouts. Equally part of the scene are the Howth 17s, undiluted since 1898.

And even boats which we think of as new – such as the International Dragons – are now vintage and some of their best racing in 2016 will be in Glandore where the presiding genius is Don Street and Gypsy, numbering 167 years between them, though it’s rude to ask which way the division falls.

Part of the traditional and classic boat scene in Dublin is the annual Leinster Trophy Race of the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association at the June Bank Holiday, and newlyelected DBOGA President

Dennis Aylmer with his Cornish Crabber Mona is defending champion. But this year, the classic focus shifts to Belfast Lough at the end of June, as both Carrickfergus Sailing Club and Royal Ulster Yacht Club are celebrating their 150th Anniveraries.

They’ll have many separate events, but as Carrickfergus was also the location of the famous Hilditch boat-building yard where many famous wooden one– designs were built between 1892 and 1914, there’ll be a Hilditch Regatta at Carrickfergus morphing into a RUYC Classic Yacht Festival across Belfast Lough at Bangor between Wednesday June 22nd and Monday June 27th, with vintage fleets eligible including Strangford Lough Rivers, the Glens, Howth 17s, Belfast Lough Waverleys, Ballyholme Bays and indeed any classics willing to travel such as Water Wags and vintage Dragons.

There may even be an appearance by two of the Hilditch daddies of them all, the Fife-designed Belfast Lough Class I 25ft LWL OD Tern of 1897 vintage which has re-emerged in the Mediterranean so effectively restored that she won her class at Les Voiles de St Tropez in September 2015, and the Mylnedesigned 39ft LOA Island Class yawl Trasnagh, built in 1913 to join her sisters at Cultra anchorage to make up a fleet of the world's first true cruiser-racer one–designs.

At the other end of the size scale, one of the best new events of 2015 was the Dinghyfest at Royal Cork in August, which was such a success straight out of the box that they’re going to run it again in 2016 on much the same format, and the word is that classes are already queuing to take part in something which could well be a very welcome distraction from Olympic angst.

1720 - 2020

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

REVIEW

20 15

THAT WAS

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15 BAD WEATHER IS GOOD WEATHER FOR IRELAND'S 2015 SAILING SEASON BY WM NIXON

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Anyone with whatever you like in the way of a boat and a selection of sundry sails to power her along can have a season of pleasant memories - provided there’s a summer of reliably good weather. It takes an atrocious summer to prove the real mettle of a sailing and boating community. W M Nixon reckons Ireland had a great sailing year in 2015 despite the weather, and he takes an enthusiastic canter around its more outstanding events.

Is a summer of settled weather really what we need for the classic Irish sailing season?

The classic Irish sailing season is a unique creature. For although we stage more than our fair share of major events with an increasing tendency to settle on the four–day regatta format as being the ideal, the underlying backbone of our sport continues to be club racing, midweek and weekend alike.

Evening and weekend racing went through something of a dip in the boom years as people became bedazzled by the attractions of the big regatta shows, pouring their resources and energy into seeing and being seen in glamour events at key venues.

2015 Year in review

Having a blast! The J/109s racing in July’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta capture the spirit of 2015. Photo VDLR/David Branigan

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

The light air start of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race . Photo: Michael Chester

And as for those who complain that it was too cold and too wet, you can always retort with the old Scandinavian wisdom: “There’s no such thing as bad weather. Just bad clothes….”

2015

Year in review

Cherishing the local while spreading the wings a bit – the 118-year-old Howth 17s ventured across Dublin Bay for the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. Photo: VDLR

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Cherishing the local while staying local – the mostly veteran International Dragons in Glandore have had a good year. Photo: Kathleen Hayes

Yet after a while, you begin to get the notion that if absolutely everyone wants to be there and is there, then what’s the point? So maybe record turnouts had ceased to be fashionable in any case. But as it is, the onset of the austerity years meant that those who managed to continue to sail at all (for inevitably many took time out from our sometimes expensive vehicle sport) found that what was being provided on their own doorstep was the best value for money.

In this new cherishing of the local, once again we were reminded of how utterly dependent we are on something over which we have no control whatsoever.

The weather. And within the big weather picture, the most important single factor is the wind. And the fact is, in a summer of good and settled weather, the time for evening racing is also the time of day which is least likely to have any wind at all.

So although fair-weather sailors may remember the weather of 2015 as something which is better forgotten altogether – a fact reinforced by some of the year’s worst conditions being in the peak sailing months – the reality is that most club Sailing Secretaries have happily been able to report a good season for regular club home events, with a

high proportion of races completed.

All too often in a good summer, as boats crawl across the evening finishing line on a shortened course in the faintest of zephyrs, you’ll hear the slightly apologetic mantra: “Well, we got a result”. But how much better it is that crews should arrive back into the clubhouse with the full course sailed, great sport enjoyed, and the exuberant mood of an evening well spent afloat racing just as hard as you can against people who are your friends and neighbours ashore. And as for those who complain that it was too cold and too wet, you can always retort with the old Scandinavian wisdom: “There’s no such thing as bad weather. Just bad clothes….”

We certainly heard a lot of that old saying during 2015, yet any overview brings a cornucopia of spectacular sailing memories with sunshine somehow breaking through at every turn. If we had to pick four highlights in Ireland, they’d be the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race on June 11th, the Sovereigns Cup/ICRA Nats at Kinsale from June 24th to 27th, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta on Dublin Bay from 9th to 12th July, and the Cork Dinghyfest 2015 at the Royal Cork in Crosshaven from August 20th to 23rd.

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

The wild and woolly west – racers in the WIORA Championship in Galway Bay took on everything the Atlantic could throw at them.

Photo: Gareth Craig

Supporting those four pillar events are other popular happenings such as the WIORA Championship (a real cracker in 2015, staged on Galway Bay from Galway Port by Galway Bay SC), the much-loved West Cork regattas in their traditional time-frame of early August, sailed as a family-friendly four–day event which nevertheless calls itself Calves Week, the timehonoured Regatta Weeks in the first half of August on the Shannon’s great lakes of Lough Ree and Lough Derg where Shannon One Designs set a stately pace

for a fleet including visitors such as the increasingly vibrant Dublin Bay Water Wags (first established as a class in 1886), and the traditional and classic gatherings for the mostly gaff–rigged craft in the Glandore Classics in July, preceded by the DBOGA’s Leinster Plate in Dublin Bay as May morphs into June, with the fleet returning to Poolbeg Y & BC in the heart of Ringsend where, in July, they could celebrate the re-birth of the famous John Kearney-designed Ringsend-built yawl Mavis at Camden in Maine.

The historic Mavis newly restored - she will definitely look much better with full rig in place, but for now she greets the Fall in Camden, Maine.

Photo: Denise Pukas

Cork Harbour OD Elsie (1896) and Victorian cutter Airlie find a bit of summer at the Glandore Classics.

an extremely diverse fleet which included some very elderly classics. But while visitors were disappointed, for the locals it was only a postponement, as they knew that, for them, the Lambay would be raced as part of some other event in the crowded HYC programme which, thanks to the annual Laser Frostbites, has been continuous since April 1974. And in due course the Howth classes did indeed contest their Lambay Races, and the HonSailSec could proudly announce: “We got a result”.

Dennis Aylmer’s Cornish Crabber Mona won the DBOGA Leinster Trophy.

Photo: Dave Owens

Year in review

The biggest cancellation was Howth YC’s timehonoured Lambay Race on June 6th, when a dense southwesterly airflow gusting to 39 knots-plus would have made it irresponsible to start

2015

George Sisk and his crew of old (and not-so-old) mates after winning the ICRA Nationals at the Sovereign's Cup

With events being successfully slipped in under the meteorological radar as Race Officers looked out for some hopeful evidence that a malevolent weather front would soon be followed by a benign weather back, inevitably some happenings failed to make the cut. The biggest cancellation was Howth YC’s time-honoured Lambay Race on June 6th, when a dense southwesterly airflow gusting to 39 knotsplus would have made it irresponsible to start giving racing signals to

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Boat of the year? George Sisk’s well-tested Farr 42 WOW was a star at both Kinsale and Dun Laoghaire, and was also in the frame in the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race.

2015

Year in review

Meanwhile the frustrations of that big nonevent on June 6th seemed to spur the reviving Howth fleet to greater effort, and they went on to make hay with the opposition in many classes at both the Sovereigns Cup/ICRA Nats in Kinsale in late June, and the big one, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in July. And for those who sail on the south side of Dublin Bay, the expansion of local sailing horizons as Greystones Marina gets further into its stride is a wonder to behold. One of the most rapidlygrowing events on the East Coast is Greystones Regatta at the end of August, which fits in with the late summer Bank Holiday Weekend in the UK, and can thus link in with cross-Channel events coming across from North Wales.

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Off the island throughout 2015, we’d memorable results in the RORC Easter Challenge in the Solent in April, the British GP 14s in August, the Rolex Fastnet Race the same month, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October.

After the bumpy ride which it provided through the main summer months, while it might be over-stating it to say that the weather smiled throughout early Autumn, it certainly did everything it could to help weekend sailing events. The MSL Park Motors Autumn League at Howth had superb racing throughout six glorious Saturdays, and although the CH Marine Autumn League at Royal Cork had one or two days which were less than perfect, it ended on a high with perhaps the best day’s sailing of the year anywhere and at any time in Ireland, its special quality emphasised in retrospect by the fact that as we write this annual report in mid-November, the weather pattern has gone to pot with Winter Leagues so far blown out.

Off the island throughout 2015, we’d memorable results in the RORC Easter Challenge in the Solent in April, the British GP 14s in August, the Rolex Fastnet Race the same month, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October. As for the cruising front, it was here that prolonged periods of generally bad weather had the greatest ill effects, but nevertheless some fine voyages were completed, and the round Ireland cruise – always an attractive project in any year – was a real challenge completed by a variety of craft.

Now that’s what we call an ensign…..The Colombian Tall Ship Guayas was part of the fleet that visited Belfast Lough in July

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Ronan O Siochru and his Irish Offshore Sailing crew well on the way to winning the Sailing Schools’ trophy in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2015. Photo: Rolex

At the other end of the size scale, the Tall Ships came to Ireland in considerable strength to Belfast in July.

At the time, their exuberant presence was a painful reminder that Ireland north and south is lacking in a proper sail training ship even though the gallant schooner Spirit of Oysterhaven does her best. But there’s no escaping the fact that Spirit is a large yacht rather than a ship in any traditional sense, so the work behind the scenes by Atlantic Youth Trust to provide a new 40 metre brigantine was of special interest. At the time of writing, the word is that AYT has got over the first hurdle by receiving a supportive Letter of Intent from the Irish Government

which – in official circles – is considered significant, while in Northern Ireland the eventual implementation of the Stormont Agreement will open the way towards positive involvement with an all-Ireland sailing ship which will be much more than just a sail training vessel in the formally-accepted style.

But that’s something for the future, meanwhile who were the top winners in 2015? On the international front, it was a decidedly mixed year for those who hope to represent Ireland in the Rio Olympics in August 2016, and as it’s all very much work in progress and will remain so until March 2016, we’ll move on to global events which provided winners whose results will stick.

In a very hairy Transatlantic Race in July, it was Carrickfergus navigator Ian Moore who called the shots to such good effect on the RP 63 Lucky that she won overall. We formerly knew Lucky as Loki which Gordon Maguire skippered to the overall win in the 2012 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. But she ceased to be Lucky after Moore moved aboard Bella Mente for Cowes Week, and in the Fastnet Race Lucky got hung up on the Shingles Bank shortly after the start (as many have done before), and there she stayed for hours.

2015

Year in review

At the other end of the size scale, the Tall Ships came to Ireland in considerable strength to Belfast in July

It was not to be a special year for new boats, with one outstanding exception. In one of the most remarkable examples of club, class, group and community effort, the completely new Phil Morrison-designed National 18 was finally brought to the water thanks mainly to the Cork Harbour division of the class, with very tangible financial support from the Royal Cork Yacht Club and energetic fund-raising by class members. They were the stars both of the British and Irish National 18 Championship at Crosshaven in July, and the Dinghyfest there in August.

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(above) Letting the ould fella have a zizz…..Paddy Cronin on his own in the cockpit at the helm aboard Encore while his dad Dermot grabs a kip below during their successful Rolex Middle Sea Race and (left) Paddy and Dermot back in Malta Photo: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex/ Barry Hurley

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Antix takes second for line honours in the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race

Dave Cullen of Howth took his classic Half Tonner Checkmate XV to the Worlds in Belgium with a crew of all the Irish talents, and won comprehensively.

2015

Year in review

In the Rolex Fastnet Race, first Irish boat to finish was Enda O’Coneen’s Open 60 Kilcullen, but the best-placed Irish was RORC Commodore Michael Boyd with the Grand Soleil 43 Quokka 8, while the most memorable result was by Ronan O Siochru of Irish Offshore Sailing in Dun Laoghaire who took his hardworked Sunfast 37 round the course to such good effect that she was top-placed sailing school boat out of a class of 32 sailing school entries.

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At the other end of the sailing experience spectrum, Dave Cullen of Howth took his classic Half Tonner Checkmate XV to the Worlds in Belgium with a crew of all the Irish talents, and won comprehensively.

Ian Moore then re-surfaced in October navigating aboard the Italian Cookson 50 Mascalone Latino in the 606-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race, and placed second overall to the TP 52 B2 (Michele Galli) by just seven seconds…….But even as everyone was still digesting this frustrating almost-madeit, there was good news for

Ireland with Malahide YC father and son team of Dermot & Paddy Cronin winning the Double-Handed Division with their First 40.7 Encore with almost two hours to spare.

Nearer home, Anthony O’Leary of Cork was settling in with command of his new red Ker 40 Antix (formerly Catapult), getting off to a flying start with the Top Boat award in the Easter Regatta in the Solent.

Then in the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race in June (enjoying a magic bubble of good weather in a mostly miserable month), it looked like Munster’s Antix might take the overall win at mid-race as she battled with Adrian Lee’s Cookson 50 Lee Overlay Partners for line honours. But it was a race for J Boats of several sizes, with Liam Shanahan (NYC) and his family on the J/109 Ruth having their performance so sharpened by a couple of hundred miles of boat-forboat racing against sister-ship Mojito that they won the Dingle dash by 22 minutes, and Antix found herself back in eighth.

Ruth then went on to further glory offshore, and became the ISORA Champion 2015.

Liam Shanahan on the helm of Ruth with the Skellig astern and victory ahead in the Dingle race. He also became ISORA Champion 2015.

Liam Shanahan (pictured centre) lifts the Wolf Trophy at the National Yacht Club. Also pictured left to right Michael Boyd (Commodore of RORC), Stephen Tudor (Hon Sec ISORA) Derek Matthews RDYC, Peter Ryan, Barry Mac Neaney RAYC, Larry Power NYC

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Round up the usual suspects…. the prize winners at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta.

Photo: VDLR

The two big four-day regattas at Kinsale and then Dun Laoghaire were mirror images of each other, in that Kinsale started light and finished good and fresh, while Dun Laoghaire started with stacks of breeze and a dismasting or three, but then finished light. Either way, it was great sport, and veteran skipper George Sisk revelled in it all by winning his class in both events with his Farr 42 WOW, and in Dun Laoghaire he did so with such style he was also Boat of the Regatta.

With a total of 32 different sets of prizes to be given out at the end of the regatta, anyone who felt they knew what was really going on was clearly deluded, but out of it all there emerged the popular overall win over everyone by George Sisk and the golden oldies on WOW, and it was a victory cheered to the rafters.

Huff of Arklow sailing again at Dun Laoghaire after 45 years away. Photo: VDLR

The GP 14s – racing their Leinster Championship – provided one of the most numerous classes at the Volvo Regatta in Dun Laoghaire.

Photo: VDLR

Year in review

While Kinsale had been strictly cruiser-racers, the huge 420 boats-plus Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta was variety gone mad, with a historic visit for her first race in Dublin Bay in 45 years by the restored

At a time when the entire future of Dun Laoghaire Harbour is a matter of public debate with an intrusive cruise liner berth being proposed by commercial interests, Dun Laoghaire could not have chosen a better time to put on such a superb show of being Ireland’s premier leisure harbour, and it was arguably the best Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta ever since it was introduced in its contemporary form back in 2002.

The huge 420 boatsplus Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta was variety gone mad

2015

Other winners in Kinsale included John Maybury’s J/109 Joker from Dun Laoghaire, Ross McDonald’s X332 Equinox from Howth, the Corby 25 Fusion (Richard Colwell & Ronan Cobbe) also from Howth, and the Howth Under 25 J24 helmed by Cillian Dickson.

Flying Thirty Huff of Arklow (Andrew Thornhill) at one end, right down to GP 14s having their Leinster Championship and Water Wags doing their thing at the other.

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

The GP14 Worlds at East Down YC in Strangford Lough launched a hundred boats every day in smooth style. Photo: W M Nixon

Creating a buzz – the advent of the new Phil Morrison National 18s in Cork Harbour was the result of remarkable class, club and community effort. Photo: Robert Bateman

Shane McCarthy & Andy Thompson of Greystones were the international pacesetters in the GP 14s

2015

Year in review

In the dinghies, the new National 18s at Crosshaven at the end of July saw Tom Dwyer (RCYC) win his tenth Cock o’ the North trophy, an unprecedented record, and then in the British GP 14 Opens in August in Devon, Shane McCarthy & Andy Thompson of Greystones put it neatly away to bring home the title.

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The Dinghyfest at Crosshaven in late August lived up to its billings and then some, winners including Jack Ryan & Ben Graf (Lough Ree, Mirrors), Geoff Power (Dunmore East, Toppers), Paul McMahon & Laura Houlihan (Howth, RS400), Marty OLeary & Rachel Williamson (RStGYC, RS 200), Dara Donnelly & Cliona Coyle (NYC, RS Feva), Douglas Elmes & Colin O’Sullivan (Howth, 420), and Tommy Dwyer & Willie Healy (Cork, National 18).

The dinghy brigade were also well represented in the cruising stakes, as a remarkable round Ireland voyage by the Ogden brothers of Baltimore SC

in their Drascombe Lugger showed what could be done by grit and sheer determination even in one of the worst summers ever experienced for round Ireland cruising.

And finally, the traditional season came to its close with the AllIreland Helmsman’s Championship raced in the first weekend of October in the SailFleet J/80s at the National Yacht Club under the masterful direction of Race Officer Jack Roy. By that time in the season, even the keenest Corinthian sailors are beginning to feel a little jaded, so they need a crisply run event. With the weather obliging with an increasing sou’easter as the weekend progressed, Jack Roy did the business from the Committee Boat.

And out on the racecourse, defending champion Anthony O’Leary of Cork crewed by Dan O’Grady of Howth and Cian Guilfoyle of Dun Laoghaire - did the business big time too, providing one of the most convincing wins seen in the All Ireland for several years.

The main man….Anthony O’Leary retained the All Ireland Title in convincing style. Photo: David O’Brien

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Who will be Afloat.ie

SAILOR OF THE YEAR

2015

It’s that time of year again. Deciding on la crème de la crème is never easy. And in a vehicle sport like sailing where so many elements beyond athletic ability and the capacity for quick thinking are involved, it can be surprising and reassuring just how widely the net can be cast. W M Nixon takes a look over the runners and riders, all of whom have already been winners for one glorious month.

JANUARY

CONOR CLARKE

Conor Clarke, who cut his sailing teeth on Dublin Bay, was our Sailor of the Month for January after a dream debut at the Key West Regatta with his Melges 24 Embarr. In fact, “dream” is the theme of the story, as they made their debut in the kind of conditions you could only fantasise about in mid-January Dublin, with 18 knots of breeze in an air temperature of 25 degrees and sunshine sparkling on the bluest sea imaginable. Cheerfully admitting that the Key West event had long been on his bucket list, Clarke had also brought out a dream team of all the talents with 470 Olympic hopefuls Stuart McNay and Dave Hughes as helmsman and tactician, while Maurice Prof O’Connell was there to knock them back into shape. This happened in the one race when things went pear-shaped, when the Prof did it to such good effect that that they went up through the fleet from the crab grass to battling for the lead against the Norwegian crew at the last gybe. They went on to win overall with one race to spare, but they raced that one anyway for the sport.

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FEBRUARY

NEIL HEGARTY

Neil Hegarty of Cork was awarded the Irish Cruising Club’s historic premier trophy, the Faulkner Cup, as February drew to a close. A former dinghy sailor who was at the front of the fleet both as crew and helm in boats as diverse as IDRA 14s, Enterprises and 505s, Hegarty went on to campaign keelboats with the J/24 and Impala 28 fleets. He has since graduated with aplomb into long distance voyaging and detailed cruising in exotic locations with his 2003 Dufour 34 Shelduck. His award-winning 2014 cruise was Transatlantic from Cascais in Portugal via the Canaries to the Caribbean, which was then cruised in detail including Cuba, followed by island and port-hopping along the East Coast USA until eventually the boat was laid up in advance of the hurricane season near the Chesapeake. In the finest traditions of cruising, he not only kept an informative log, but at its conclusion he made a detailed analysis of all the special equipment which he had found particularly useful during this exemplary voyage.

MARCH

FIONN LYDEN

Fionn Lyden (19) of Baltimore became March’s winner by ushering in the new month with a stellar role in bringing University College Cork’s First Team to overall victory in the decidedly breezy Intervarsity Team Racing Nationals at Schull from February 27th to March 1st.

Of all forms of sailing, this is of course the most group-oriented. But Lyden’s achievement emerged above the efforts of his team mates with his additional acclamation as First Year Sailor of the Year from among the large turnout at the championship. Indeed, everyone – both participants and organisers alike – deserved an award at a series in which the highly-regarded Fastnet Marine Outdoor Education Centre and a large team of volunteers skillfully dealt with deteriorating conditions to get a worthwhile result.

APRIL

ANTHONY O'LEARY

2014 “Sailor of the Year” Anthony O’Leary of Royal Cork YC started his 2015 season in winning style by book-ending April with a runaway overall victory in the RORC Easter Challenge in the Solent from April 3rd to 5th as the new month got under way, and then rounding it out with a convincing win in the Brooks Macdonald Warsash Spring Championship, a twelve race series which concluded on Sunday April 26th. O’Leary’s new Antix was the unmistakably Munster red state-of-the-art Ker 40 which was formerly Catapult, key member of Ireland’s winning 2014 Commodore’s Cup Team, in which she was also the top individual points scorer. Most of the crew were very new to the boat, but the results speak for themselves, and by the end of the month, the remarkable new Antix with her very dished stern was being sailed as though the crew had been with her for at least a year. As for their remarkable skipper, his season-long success continued to the end, with his stylish retention of the All Ireland Helmsman’s Championship title in October by a very convincing margin in the SailFleet J/80s.

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MAY

ROB McCONNELL

May 2015 was a good month for Dunmore East, with the confirmation that the long-awaited dredging of this pretty fishing/sailing port – a €6 million contract – would swing into action in June, and then from far-off Scotland came the news that one of Waterford Harbour Sailing Club’s most popular and enthusiastic skippers had emerged as overall winner of the Silvers Scottish Series 2015. Rob McConnell is well-known at all Ireland’s main sailing centres, as he campaigns his A35 Fool’s Gold with targeted campaigns of skill - coupled with sheer joy in sailing - in any event which can be fitted into a busy schedule. Crewed by friends who may be from all parts of Ireland but undoubtedly have a Dunmore East emphasis, he can be relied on to be always in the frame on the leaderboard. In line with this approach, the Scottish Series was regarded as unfinished business after Fool’s Gold finished second overall in 2014, and in 20215 they clinched it in style.

MAY INTERNATIONAL AWARD

SYDNEY GAVIGNET When a round Ireland record has stood for nearly 22 years, clearly it is something very special, and the 44 hour time set by Steve Fossett’s 60ft trimaran Lakota in 1993 had withstood several challenges, including three by top French skipper Sidney Gavignet. And it was Ireland’s own Damian Foxall – a frequent shipmate of Gavignet – who first got him hooked on the challenge of the round Ireland record. So it was ironic that a mid-race call to Foxall to beef up one of the crews in the Volvo Ocean Race meant he was unavoidably absent on other business when Gavignet saw the opportunity developing for the MOD 70 MusandamOman to knock off the Ireland target at the beginning of May. That month of notably atrocious weather provided one of those rare but perfect record conditions where a deep low pressure area sat plumb over the country on May 4th. Donegal proved to be obtuse, but Gavignet and his crew were soon making up lost time as they streaked down the Connacht coast in a strong nor’wester, and though they were well shy of taking the originally anticipated ten hours off Lakota’s time when they returned to the finish line at the Kish L/H off Dublin Bay, they’d got down to within shouting distance of 40 hours in rugged sailing.

JUNE

LIAM SHANAHAN

The comprehensive overall victory in the 280mile Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race by Liam Shanahan in his family’s J/109 Ruth was the highlight of a busy month of Irish sailing in June, with Ruth emerging as winner in the last fifty miles of racing after a head-to-head all round the course on three coasts of Ireland with sister-ship Mojito. When Ruth finally crossed the finish line at the entrance to Dingle Harbour at 1945hrs on the summery evening of Sunday June 14th, she and her crew had been racing at a high level of sustained intensity for forty-seven and three-quarter hours. Their reward was in knowing that they’d beaten all four larger boats already in port on corrected time, while their closest rival Mojito was a clear two miles astern. It was the duel between Ruth and Mojito which set them apart in every sense, and the heightened performance it provided made Liam Shanahan a very worthy Sailor of the Month.

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JUNE INTERNATIONAL AWARD

JUSTIN SLATTERY The clear win by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 was achieved by solid consistency in the classic “good series” style favoured by regular champion sailors.

Except that, instead of being a pleasant five–day championship regatta staged at some agreeable summer venue, the Volvo Ocean Race was made up of nine legs which took the fleet right round the world, getting them south of both Good Hope and Cape Horn, yet also back north again across the equator. In such a challenge, a mixture of experience and exceptional sailing talent is at a premium, and Ireland’s Justin Slattery (40) has both in abundance. He was a key crew member aboard Abu Dhabi, which was well placed top of the leaderboard with a scoreline of 1,3,2,2,1 after the first five legs. But with four legs still to be raced, experience became the key ingredient, as the leading boat had to defend her position against a chasing fleet with three close contenders. But the crew of Abu Dhabi kept their cool, they kept their boat intact too, and they sailed on to win overall by 24 points to the 29 of Team Brunel and the 33 of Dongfeng Race Team, making Justin Slattery the winner of an Afloat. ie International Award for June 2015.

JULY - RACING

GEORGE SISK George Sisk of Dun Laoghaire was Sailor of the Month (Racing) for July with his Farr 42 WOW already having a glorious season with victory at Kinsale in June before she was declared Top Boat at the conclusion of the often breezy four-day Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in July. To achieve this, WOW and her veteran crew (some of them very veteran indeed) had won three of the four demanding offshore races, further demonstrating that this is their preferred area of sailing - four weeks earlier they’d notched up a good Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race in an event in which size benefits meant that the J/109s rather than a Farr 42 were ideal for the course and the conditions. George Sisk sets an example which any sailing enthusiast could usefully follow, and his own quiet but steady and determined enthusiasm for our sport is inspiring and has already been further acknowledged with WOW becoming ICRA “Boat of the Year” 2015.

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JULY - CRUISING

NATHANIEL & FERGUS OGDEN When the Ogden brothers (Nathaniel (23) and Fergus (16) sailed their 18ft Drascombe Lugger Lughnasa in to their home port of Baltimore to berth at the new in-harbour pontoon in the evening sunshine of Wednesday July 29th, a casual observer might well have thought that this was just another characterful Drascombe concluding a couple of hours of sailing in weather which had, albeit briefly, been much better than that experienced for most of July. But Lughnasa was successfully completing an eight weeks voyage of clockwise circumnavigation of Ireland.

Sailed as a fund-raiser for the RNLI, the voyage would have been quite something for a Drascombe Lugger in a reasonably normal summer. In the exceptionally bad weather of 2015, it was an extraordinary achievement.

AUGUST - OFFSHORE

RONAN O SIOCHRU The Rolex Fastnet Race offers an ideal “living lesson” for the increasing number of offshore sailing schools in Europe, providing as it does clear stipulations of the basic requirements for those hoping to take part. This means that a beginner to sailing in May of a Fastnet Race year can aspire to take part in the historic race in August if he or she has stayed with an offshore sailing school’s gruelling course of training and participation in distance races in the build–up to the start of the 608-mile marathon off Cowes. So when, with only an hour or so to go to the prize-giving of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2015 in Plymouth on the evening of Friday August 21st, it emerged that the recently-finished Class 4 Jeanneau Sunfast 37 Desert Star of the Dun Laoghaire-based Irish Offshore Sailing was winner of the Roger Justice Trophy for the bestplaced sailing school boat in the entire fleet out of 33 sailing school boats, and was additionally second overall of all the Irish entries, it was the stuff of dreams. Desert Star’s crew were Louise Gray, David McDonnell, Rupert Barry, David Garforth, Symeon Charalabides and Sam Lamont, while the first mate was Kristian Aderman and the skipper/chief instructor was Ronan O Siochru of Irish Offshore Sailing and the Royal St George YC in Dun Laoghaire.

AUGUST - INSHORE

SHANE McCARTHY & ANDY THOMPSON 2015 was very much the year for the GP14 dinghy at the top levels of the popularity polls in Irish dinghy sailing.

And it has also been the year in which Greystones Sailing Club have been flexing their muscles both as a hotbed of dinghy racing, and as a popular addition to the list of centres for keelboat activity with the new marina bedding in. These positive themes united in the Greystones GP 14 crew of Shane McCarthy and Andy Thompson. Their sailing year started well with wins in the season’s early regional events, they had their skills sharpened in the large GP14 fleet racing at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in July, and then their campaigning really started to sing with the British GP 14 Nationals at Brixham in Devon in the first week of August. McCarthy & Thompson led the charge to such good effect that they had the title won outright without having to sail the final race.

AUGUST - INTERNATIONAL

DAVE CULLEN

Dave Cullen of Howth is well-known in sailing circles as an affable bloke whose amiable appearance disguises a very keen determination to win.

And in Irish business life, his management style at Euro Car Parks is so highly regarded that the company regularly features in the frame in those annual competitions for “best place to work in Ireland”. Both these aspects of the Cullen way of life came together when he and his team took his Classic Half Tonner Checkmate XV to the Worlds at Nieuwpoort in Belgium from 17th to 21st August. For sure he had some of the best sailors in Ireland in his crew. But then such people wouldn’t join any crew unless they were certain that their skipper was in Belgium on serious racing business, and not just in pursuit of fun. They won the title with a race to spare.

SEPTEMBER

DAVID GORMAN & CHRIS DOORLY Dave Gorman and Chris Doorly of the National Yacht Club became September’s winners on the basis of a great half hour or so of sailing in Dublin Bay on the morning of Sunday 13th September. Anyone who read Chris Doorly’s riveting account on Afloat.ie of the penultimate race of the Mitsubishi Motors Flying Fifteen Championship, and has raced a sailing boat at any level – whether local, regional, national or international – will have identified totally with this dedicated duo as they sailed their hearts out. And they did it all just to secure a third place, in order to put themselves in the happy position of knowing they were champions without having to sail the last race. This was the big one, the Irish Championship with visiting superstar Steve Goacher – three times World Champion – expected to sweep the board. And even if he was off form – which he wasn’t - the class in Dun Laoghaire is now in such vibrant condition, and growing, that the lively home fleet was putting up half a dozen crews who were in there with more than a shout. But Chris and Dave did it. And being proper sportsmen, they still sailed the last race anyway, but the fact that they were able to discard the fourth place it provided shows the kind of form they’d been in throughout the championship.

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

OCTOBER

DERMOT & PADDY CRONIN Malahide father-and-son crew of Dermot (63) and Paddy (31) Cronin took October’s title after their clearcut win by almost two hours in the IRC DoubleHanded Division in the 606-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race. Sailing their keenly-campaigned First 40.7 Encore, Team Cronin tackled conditions and the opposition as though they were a fully-crewed boat. And though overall

NOVEMBER

it proved to be a race which suited boats around the 50ft mark, the 40ft Encore was very much in contention in her open Class 6 against racers sailed by numerous experienced crews, placing sixth overall out of 18 boats.

It says everything about the skill and dedication with which Dermot and Paddy raced that we find ourselves easily making comparisons with their showing against the fully-crewed boats, whereas the real story is that they won the Double-Handed Division with plenty of time in hand.

TIM GOODBODY

Veteran Royal Irish YC sailor Tim Goodbody became the Afloat.ie “Sailor of the Month” for November for his enormous contribution to Irish and international sailing over many decades, both as an active participant, as a race organiser, and as an administrator of leading sailing organisations. By locating the award in November 2015, we also highlighted the fact that at the Dublin Bay SC Annual Prize-Giving on November 15th in the Royal St George YC, three generations of the Goodbody family received major awards. The breadth and depth of Tim Goodbody’s commitment to every aspect of sailing is unrivalled. He has campaigned successfully to international level in the Dragon, the J/24 and the Sigma 33, and as well he was lead helm on Irish Independent, the Dubois 40 which was the backbone of Ireland’s 1987 Admirals Cup team - our most successful AC squad ever, they placed fourth out of thirteen teams, while Irish Independent won the Fastnet Race overall. His benefit to our sport is incalculable, but perhaps Tim Goodbody’s greatest single contribution is the example he sets is in his own smoothly organised, quietly enthusiastic, very successful and highly enjoyable sailing.

DECEMBER

JOHN TWOMEY

The entire Irish sailing community breathed a sigh of relief and approval when John Twomey and his crew of Austin O’Carroll and Ian Costello qualified to sail for Ireland in the September 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. The Providence Team IRL Sonar crew looked to be battling for vital places

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in the trials in Melbourne, but in the end they secured the slot on December 2nd with a race to spare. It’s an extraordinary achievement, not least in that former Kinsale YC Commodore Twomey will be racing in his 11th Olympic Games. And his experience and enthusiasm showed through in setting out to do the remaining race with as much determination as he would have shown had his Olympic place still depended on it.

SAILOR of the

YEAR 2015 Help us decide...

As in previous years, Afloat magazine is asking the public to help decide who should be crowned Ireland’s Sailor of the Year for 2015 The overall national award will be presented to the person who, in the judges’ opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to, Irish watersports during 2015.

This year voting will take place through www.afloat.ie in January.

The boating public gets to nominate their top three through the online poll, Afloat.ie gets a vote too and the Sailor of the Year judges decide the final winner.

The awards are administered and judged by Afloat magazine.

The 2015 Sailor of the Year will be named on Thursday, February 4 2016 at a joint presentation

by Afloat and the Irish Sailing Association (ISA).

By supporting your favourite nominee you are creating additional awareness of their nomination and highlighting their success.

Please note: One vote per IP address. Your vote DOES NOT determine the overall winner. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Thanks for your interest!

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RACING R

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FROM AN EXAMINATION OF THE DINGHY AND ONE–DESIGN SCENE TO BUSY AUTUMN LEAGUES IN DUBLIN AND CORK, THE IRISH SAILING CALENDAR CONTINUES RIGHT UP TO CHRISTMAS DAY

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National Yacht Club Commodore Larry Power, Flying Fifteen captain Ronan Beirne with national champions David Gorman and Chris Doorly at the class prizegiving

Flying Fifteens' rescue drama Joe Coughlin’s crew Ed Ruane was recovering after a dislocated shoulder during the Flying Fifteens Frostbite Series finale, after his skipper went overboard leaving him grappling with the spinnaker in Force 4 winds. Both were quickly rescued and racing resumed, with Ronan Beirne and David Mulvin doing enough to take the series.

Youth worlds bound – Douglas Elmes and Colin O'Sullivan

420 youths' UK win Irish 420 dinghy youth pairing Douglas Elmes and Colin O'Sullivan got a boost for the Youth Worlds when they won the UK 420 End of Season Regatta at Grafham Water, seeing their early fourpoint lead secure victory when the series was cut short by strong winds on 29 November.

RS Sailing on Belfast Lough

Dinghy scene needs work

Etchells draw Irish crews

More work is needed to revitalise dinghy sailing in Ireland despite 2015's successes, said ISA president David Lovegrove at November's forum for Irish sailing classes, which heard that Nationals entries are still the gauge for participation. While the ISA moves to improve funding and training for coaches, and get classes involved in the 'Try Sailing' initiative, Inactive boats, over–emphasis on single-handers and lack of transition from junior to adult sailing remain pressing issues, as does event planning - with next year's Dinghyfest still up in the air due to a missed tender deadline and conflicting schedules.

Though a rare sight in Ireland today, there was a distinct green flavour to the Etchells Worlds in Hong Kong, with local expat Jamie McWilliam placing 16th, while Burrows/Burrows/Downer flew the flag for Howth YC in 27th.

Irish-born Noel Drennan was the best of the bunch, placing ninth with Baby Doll.

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Success for UCD sailors UCD 1 took the Gold Fleet at the IUSA Easterns at Dingle Sailing Club on 18 October, the first event of the varsity sailing season. Their success was followed on 20 October by fellow UCD sailors' thirdplace finish at the Student Yachting World Cup in La Baule-Le Pouliguen near Nantes.

Clodagh blows the sailing away, but not the Fireball party!

UCD 1 took the Gold in Dingle

While Storm Clodgah produced the wind conditions she promised, meaning that sailing was impossible in the last weekend of November, the Irish Fireball family weren’t completely inactive as they had gathered at the National Yacht Club to celebrate the 2015 regatta season.

Forty five were in attendance including most of those who had raced over the past season, though there were a number of absentees.

The class was joined by a significant number of Fireballers who haven’t got their feet wet in competition this year but remain stalwart supporters of the class.

The end of season party is a chance to award the Travellers Trophy medals and prizes and to recognise those who have stood out by way of contribution, excellence, consistency, performance and support to the class.

Photos by Frank Miller

October series competitors gather at Foynes Yacht Club

Cormac Bradley (L) and Kenny Rumball – Liam Bradley Trophy winner.

Suzie Mulligan (L) and Hermine O’Keeffe (DL Class Captain) – Suzie won the Captain’s prize.

Foynes YC's busy October Sailing's future stars kept Foynes Yacht Cub busy over the October mid-term break for an ISA Go Racing course, the first in the club's 53-year history. That followed a successful six-race cruiser series, and Laser and Topper fleets returning to the water for the winter season.

GP14 league winners

Marie Barry (L) and Mary Chambers (14865) – Winning helm of the Travellers Trophy Silver Fleet.

Greystones SC's Shane MacCarthy and Damien Bracken reaped the Gold Fleet spoils at the final event of the Craftinsure GP14 Irish League in October.

But it was the duo of Ger Owens and Melanie Morris who would be overall winners of the Hot Toddy title on the day.

GP14 Gold League winners Shane MacCarthy (right) and Damien Bracken of Greystones Sailing Club with James Hackett Millngar SC commodore (centre)

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Marie Barry (L) and Louise McKenna – Leading Lady Helm, Travellers Trophy.

Marie Barry (L) and Barry McCartin (15114) – Winning helm of the Travellers Trophy.

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Children’s Sailing Courses Adult Sailing Courses Race Training Programmes Instructor Training Corporate & Group Events After School Programmes Transition Year Programmes Powerboat Courses ICC Assessments VHF Courses First Aid Courses

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More gold for McConnell in CH Marine Autumn league Rob McConnell ended the season as he started in when he won class one of Royal Cork's popular CH Marine Autumn league. The Waterford based A35, that took Scottish series victory in May, took another fine win when he won seven of ten races in class one in Cork Harbour in October. See all of Afloat's weekly online photo coverage of the league here: http://tinyurl.com/oy574k8

Mixed cruisers in the CH Marine league – Photo: Bob Bateman

Pyewacket Trophy presented

Autumn league prizewinners at Howth

Howth Autumn League Howth Yacht Club celebrated the completion of one of its most successful Autumn Leagues, managing to complete the full series of six consecutive races for the second year in a row. Almost one hundred keelboats entered this year’s MSL Park Motors Mercedes Benz sponsored event, with nine classes racing and boats competing for 17 trophies across the scratch, IRC, ECHO and

handicap divisions.

With their worst score being a discarded 2nd place, Dave Cullen and his team on their half-tonnerCheckmate XV capped an excellent season by winning Class 2 IRC and by 3.5 points from Stephen Quinn’s J97 Lambay Rules. Checkmate’s performance was good enough to win Heineken Trophy for the top overall performance of the regatta.

The Royal Cork was packed for the junior sailing Laying Up supper and prizegiving on 13 November, including the presentation of the Pyewacket Trophy to Peter McCann, who accepted on behalf of himself and Harry Whitaker. Rear Admiral Celine McGrath also paid tribute to Darren O’Keeffe on his retirement from junior sailing administration.

Royal Cork was packed for the junior sailing Lay up. Photo: Bob Bateman

ICRA gathering moves pre-season A more relevant 'pre–season agenda' is the impetus behind the move of the ICRA's annual conference to March 2016. The Limerick event will mark the inauguration of Simon McGibney as the first ICRA commodore from west of the Shannon, and see briefings in this issue on the Commodore's Cup and Round Ireland Race.

Cruisers race at the McSwiggans' October League at Galway Bay Sailing Club

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RORC gala prizegiving Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing's Azzam has been named as RORC Yacht of the Year. The VOR victor, skippered by Ian Walker, was presented with the Somerset Memorial Trophy at the club's annual blacktie gala, which also saw the Season's Points Championship go to Fastnet winner Géry Trentesaux.

International Sailors of the Year Kiwi 49er duo Peter Burling and Blair Tuke shared the male prize as 2015's ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year, while double Olympic medalist for Britain and 'extreme' sailor Sarah Ayton was on hand to accept her female award at the gala event in Sanya, China in November.

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Celebrating success on Dublin Bay Array of ancient yachting silverware awarded across DBSC's 22 classes Photos by Joe Fallon

The Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) prizegiving highlight of the Dun Laoghaire sailing season was held in November at a packed Royal St.George YC clubhouse.

Prizes, including an array of ancient yachting silverware,were awarded in all of DBSC's 22 classes by outgoing Commodore Pat Shannon.

DBSC Premier Awards include the Waterhouse Shield and in 2015 it was awarded to Cruisers II yacht Peridot (J.McCann, Y.Charrier, P.Cadden and H.O’Donnell) for the most successful yacht in handicapped classes.

The George Arthur Newsom Cup trophy for the most successful yacht in one-design classes goes to Michael O'Connor's SB20 Sin Bin. The Dun Laoghaire Harbour Trophy for the most successful new yacht in DBSC racing goes to Conor Ronan's Ruthless.

The Dr. Alf Delany Memorial Cup, for the most successful boat racing on dinghy courses goes to Tom Murphy's OK Dinghy.

Silverware – DBSC's incoming Commodore Chris Moore, outgoing Commodore Pat Shannon and rear– Commodore Jonathan O’Rourke with the spread of Dublin bay trophies

The Brendan Ebrill Memorial Cup is awarded to Royal Irish skipper Colin Byrne sailing the Xp–33 Bon Exemple.

A full list of DBSC's 131st season prizegiving is below:

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

DBSC 2015 season prizewinners

From top left Row 1: Michael O’Connor, Max and Georgia Goodbody, Jim McCann, Jack Roy (DBSC Race officer), Sandra Moore (DBSC race office) Colin Byrne Row 2: Tom Murphy, Wendy Bass, Rodney Martin, Vincent Farrell, Tom Power, Tim Kane Row 3: Brendan Briscoe, Tony Fox, John Hall, Brian Hall, Derek Ryan, Denis Power Row 4: Des Fortune, Hugh O Donnell, Jonathan Nicholson, Ann Evans, Pam McKay, Barry Cunningham Row 5: Joe Costello, John Counihan, Paget McCormack, Howard Knott, John O’Rahilly Row 6: Rick Johnson, Charles Broadhead, Monica Schaefer, Henry Leonard, Philip Lovegrove, Paul McCarthy. Photos: Joe Fallon

Three generations award Family affair, from left Tim, Georgia, Max and Richard Goodbody were all DBSC prizewinners

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Three generations of Goodbodys collected prizes from Dublin Bay SC on 13 November. Tim Goodbody, whose Sigma 33 retirement was also saluted by the Royal Irish YC, was overall winner on Thursday and Saturday racing, while son Richard topped both days in the Dragon, and grandchildren Max and Georgia took the RS Feva Mitchell Cup.

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DBSC 2015 season prizewinners

From top left Row 1: John Sugars, Con Murphy, Frank Heath, Ian Melden, Rob Johnson, Dan O’Connor Row 2: Matt Minch, Frank Elmes, Brian Denham, Richard O’Connor, Lucy Grant, Ann Kirwan Row 3: Lorcan Balfe, Chris Helme, Christine Heath, Michael O’Connor, Cathy McAleavey, Niall Coleman Row 4: Chris Doorly, Brian Mathews, Keith Poole, Paul Smyth, David Stedmond, Pete Evans Row 5: Conor O’Leary, Jill Fleming, Noel Butler, Ruth McKay, John Fitzgerald, Frank Hamilton Row 6: Therese Clarke, Des Fortune, Hugh Sheehy, Owen Laverty, Dan O’Beirne, Donal O'Sullivan, DBSC Hon Sec. Photos: Joe Fallon

DBSC commodore retires Dublin Bay Sailing Club Commodore Pat Shannon retired at the club's AGM on 23 November. In his final report to members of Ireland's biggest yacht racing club, Shannon led his annual review with the DBSC's response to the "misconceived" cruise liner berth plans for Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Pat Shannon

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

DBSC Cup and Trophy winners 2015 Centenary Trophy Knox-Gore Bowl Knox-Gore Cup Martin Cup Tiamat Trophy Osterberg Cup Weir Cup West Pier cup Briscoe Trophy Silver Foam Trophy Centenary Cup T.P. Early Cup Silver Salver Lady Shamrock Jack Kennedy Cup Mercia Cup Annette Cup Smalldridge Cup Viking clock Trophy Sanderling Trophy Whimbrel Rose Bl Anna Livia Trophy Gerry Henry Salver White Sail Trophy Burford Trophy Rupert Bowl Sigma 33 Trophy J.B. Stephens Bective Lights Long John Silver Horrigan Cup Feanor Trophy Arandora Trophy Oxford Cup Old Time Cup RIYC Cup Torry Cup Pterodactyl Cup Challenge Trophy Hamilton Reid Maguire Memorial Cup Pair of Silver Vases The McMullen Cup O’Meara Trophy British Airways J.Lamont Brown John Donnelly Cup Huet Trophy Malindi Cup Midweek Shipman Trophy Sunday SB3 Cup Bealtaine Trophy Equinox Trophy Lunasa Trophy Crichton Trophy Blue Bird Trophy Melden Trophy Goldsmith Cup Flying Fifteen Gun Fifty Somethings Blake Cup Brian S.Ryan J.B.Kearney Iolar Cup Amy Cup Stella Cup Shannon Cup Minx Trophy Nuits St.George Half-Way Trophy Melampus Cup The Kennedy Cup Bay Cup Crews Challenge The Windmill Cup Early Bird Trophy Lanaverre Sailcraft Tray Pioneer Trophy Seapoint Cup PY Junior Trophy Mitchell Cup Lawson Cup

Cruisers 0 Lively Lady Cruisers 0 Tsunami Cruisers 0 WOW Cruisers 0 WOW Cruisers 1 Gringo Cruisers 1 Gringo Cruisers 1 Something Else Cruisers 1 Something else Cruisers 2 Bendemeer Cruisers 2 Jester Cruisers 2 Peridot Cruisers 2 Peridot Cruisers 2 Peridot Cruisers 2 Peridot Cruisers 3 Hard on Port Cruisers 3 Hard on Port Cruisers 3(b) Papytoo Cruisers 3 Supernova Cruisers 3 Supernova Cruisers 3(b) Asterix Cruisers 3(b) Saki Cruisers 5 Calypso Cruisers 5 More Mischief Cruisers 5 Persistence Cruisers 5 Persistence Sigmas 33 White Mischief Sigmas 33 White Mischief Sigmas 33 White Mischief Sigmas 33 White Mishief 31.7s Attitude 31.7s Prospect 31.7s Prospect 31.7s Prospect Dragons Diva Dragons Diva Dragons Diva Dragons Zu Glens Glenmarissa Glens Glendun Glens Glendun Glens Glenluce Glens Glenluce Glens Glenluce Glens Glenluce Ruffians Bandit Ruffians Bandit Ruffians Crescendo Ruffians Diane II Shipmans Gusto Shipmans Gusto Shipmans Malindi SB20 Sin Bin SB20 Sin Bin SB20 Sin Bin SB20 Sin Bin SB20 Sin Bin Water Wags Mollie Water Wags Mollie Water Wags Mollie Flying 15’s Flyer Flying 15 Frequent Flyer Flying 15’s Hi Fibre Flying 15’s The Gruffalo Mermaids Aideen Mermaids Jill Mermaids Jill Mermaids Tijuana Squibs Femme Fatale Squibs Perfection Fireballs Fireball 15061 IDRA 14’s Chaos IDRA 14’s Doody IDRA 14’s Dunmoanin’ IDRA 14’s Dunmoanin’ IDRA14’s Slipstream PY KI Dinghy 59 PY Milky Bar Kid Laser PY Buster III Laser PY 180353 Lasers 4.7 Laser 4.7 173012 Optimists PY PY 4616 RS Feva RSFeva Toppers Topper

Derek Martin Vincent Farrell George Sisk George Sisk Tony Fox Tony Fox John & Brian Hall John & Brian Hall Lindsay J. Casey & Denis Power Declan Curtin Jim McCann & others Jim McCann & others Jim McCann & others Jim McCann & others Flor O’Driscoll Flor O’Driscoll Maurice Walsh & Frank Guilfoyle J.McStay. J.Timbs, J.Monaghan, J.Costello J.McStay. J.Timbs, J.Monaghan, J.Costello M.Boushel, F.Mitchell l & J.Counihan Paget McCormack & Ben & Ml..Ryan Howard Knott Eamonn Doyle C.Broadhead, Ian Stuart & Jerry Collins C.Broadhead, Ian Stuart & Jerry Collins T.N. Goodbody T.N. Goodbody T.N. Goodbody T.N. Goodbody Trina Milner, John Sugars & David Owens Chris Johnston Chris Johnston Chris Johnston Rick & Rob Johnson,Richard Goodbody Rick & Rob Johnson Richard Goodbody Rick & Rob Johnson Richard Goodbody Matt Minch & Tim Pearson & Conor Grimley Frank Elmes David Houlton B.Denham,D.Houlton JMcCambridge Donal H. O’Connor Lucy Grant Donal H. O’Connor & Richard O’Connor Donal H. O’Connor & Richard O’Connor Ann Kirwan Ann Kirwan Lorcan Balfe Chris Helme & Alan Claffey Christine Heath, G. Miles & C, Duggan, G.Crisp Christine Heath, G. Miles &C, Duggan, G.Crisp Andrew Gray & Bernard Smith Michael O’Connor Michael O’Connor Michael O’Connor Michael O’Connor Michael O’Connor Cathy McAleavey Cathy McAleavey Cathy McAleavey Niall Coleman Chris Doorly & Alan Green Michael McCambridge & Peter Murphy Keith Poole & Ian Mathews Brendan Martin & Dan Brennan Paul Smith & Pat Mangan Paul Smith & Pat Mangan David Stedmond Vincent Delaney Jill Fleming Stephen Oram Ruth & Pam McKay Jennifer Byrne & John Fitzgerald Frank Hamilton Frank Hamilton Heather Keenan Tom Murphy Hugh Sheehy Gary O’Hare Rob Cahill Luke Daly Hannah Leonard Odhran Prouveur Max Goodbody Hugh O’Connor

Saturday Echo overall Thursday Echo overall Saturday IRC overall Thursday IRC overall Thursday Echo overall Saturday Echo overall Saturday IRC overall Thursday IRC overall Tuesday Echo overall Most improved boat Thursday ECHO overall Saturday Echo overall Saturday IRC overall Thursday IRC overall Saturday IRC overall Saturday Echo overall Tuesday overall Thursday IRC overall (3a) Thursday Echo overall Thursday IRC overall (3b) Thursday Echo overall Saturday Echo overall Thursday Echo overall Saturday IRC overall Thursday IRC overall 1st Saturday Series-Trophy Thursdays overall Thursday & Sats combined Saturday overall Saturday Overall- Echo Thursday Overall -Echo Thursday overall One-Design Saturday Overall-One Design Thursday overall Combined Sunday & Thursday Saturdays Overall Special conditions Thursday overall Crews races Dalkey Island Race Saturday overall Ladies Race Sts & Thurs combined + regatta Olympic races Saturday Overall Sat & Thurs overall Best Tuesday Boat Thursday overall Saturdays overall Thursdays overall Special conditions Sunday overall Special Conditions Special Conditions- 3rd series) Special Conditions (Sunday Series 2 etc) Thursday overall Wags Series 1 Wags Series 2 Wednesday Overall Thursday overall First Thursday Series Special Conditions Saturday overall Saturday-special conditions Saturday overall Tuesday Overall Thursday;special conditions Saturday Overall Thursday Overall Tuesday overall Special Conditions Special conditions Saturday overall Tuesday overall Special Conditions Tuesday overall 1st series Tues, & Sat.combined Tuesday overall Tuesday overall-2nd place Laser September Series Optimist September Series PY September Series RS Fever September Series Topper September Series

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Email: leinsterboats@gmail.com • Call Ronan Beirne 086 2543866 AGENTS FOR

SAILS

Ireland's largest sail loft Est. 2011 Based in Galway docks “Expertise at your service”

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Tel: 01 280 4286 Email: sails@downersails.ie www.downersails.ie

SAIL SERVICE LOFT

High performance sails for racing and cruising NEW SAILS

SAILS AND CHANDLERY

WINTER VALET SERVICE SAILS WASHED & STORED

COLLECTION FROM MARINAS & CLUBS Crofton Avenue SPRAYHOODS Dun Laoghaire SAILCOVERS Co. Dublin DODGERS Tel: 01 280 4286 T: +353 1 846 2206 M:RIGGING +353 86 255 0655 Email: sails@downersails.ie SECOND HAND www.watsonsails.com www.downersails.ie SAILS AVAILABLE

    

New sails Spray hood, Canopy & lazy bags Repairs Sail & cover cleaning Sail Storage

Sail collection organized nationwide � +353(0)87 62 89 854

� yannick@westsails.ie

www.westsails.ie 55

IRELAND

UK

MEDITERRANEAN

Oceanis 35

NEW 2016

€139,000 INC VAT DELIVERED

Gran Turismo 40

NEW 2016

€365,000 INC VAT

www.bjmarine.net

PWLLHELI BANGOR PWLLHeLi cardiFF bangor MALTA MaLta PWLLHELI BANGOR MALTA IRELAND UK IRELAND UK MEDITERRANEAN MEDITERRANEAN

GREYSTONES greYstones GREYSTONES 1 287 8334 +353 1+353 287 8334 +353 1 287 8334

+44 7979 578238 +44 7979 578238 +44 7979 578238

+447815561554 +44 289 1271434 +356 +356 270 19356 +44 2891271434 27019356 +44 2891271434 +356 27019356

wanted b r o k e r a g e b o at s i n g o o d c o n d i t i o n WW AN AT NETD ED BR Ke e eB O a taS OOO d dC C OO nn d IdtI ItOI O nn BO RO KR ea RG aG BO t SI nI nG G 2014

beneteau oceanis 48

Beneteau Sense 55 55 Beneteau Sense

2009

beneteau First 40

Oceanis 48 48 2012 Beneteau Oceanis 2012 Beneteau

€139,000

€325,000

€349,000ex vatvat €349,000ex

2007

beneteau oceanis 43

beneteau antares 13.80

sealine s42

Antares 13.80 2014 Beneteau Antares 13.80 2014 Beneteau

€349,000 €349,000 2004

2004 2004

€175,000

Reduced Reduced

€157,500 €157,500 2008

Mark Mills 37

RayRay 375375 Sedan Bridge S42S42 2009 Sedan Bridge 2007 Sealine 2009 SeaSea 2007 Sealine

Beneteau First 40 40 Beneteau First

2006

2005 2005

Reduced Reduced

dufour 34

€139,000 €139,000

2004

beneteau barracuda 9

£155,000 £155,000

Jeanneau Leader 805 SunSun Odyssey 32 32 2007 Jeanneau Odyssey 2007 Jeanneau

Reduced Reduced

island Packet 32

1994

J-Boats J/109 J-Boats J/109

beneteau First 25s

€149,000 €149,000

€69,950

beneteau antares 780 Beneteau Antares Serie 9 9 Beneteau Antares Serie

2014

neW ModeL

€ 48,950 € 48,950 2016

beneteau barracuda 8

€52,500

€49,000 €49,000

2016 sea ray 255 sundancer RayRay 255255 Sundancer 2002 Sundancer 2002 SeaSea

€54,950 €54,950

2003 2003

€49,000

Antares S 9S 9 1996 Beneteau Antares 1996 Beneteau

S31S31 2007 Moody 2007 Moody

€114,950 €114,950

2004

Sold Sold €79,000

€69,000

£149,000 £149,000

€179,000 €179,000

2013

1170 2001 Rodman 1170 2001 Rodman

Fairline Phantom 43 43 Fairline Phantom

€146,500

€157,500

€135,000

2005 2005

neW ModeL

€59,000 €59,000

2008 Beneteau beneteau antares 5.80 Antares 5.80 2008 Beneteau Antares 5.80 2008

€34,950

€39,000 €39,000

sales@bjmarine.net sales@bjmarine.net sales@bjmarine.net

2013 NEW

NEW

€29,900

€29,950 €29,950

CALL FOR OUR MARINA & HAULAGE RATES

CROSSHAVEN BOATYARD C O R K H A R B O U R ’ S O N E S T O P B O AT I N G S H O P

A SELECTION FROM OUR BROKERAGE LIST e39,500 2001 Oceanis 311 Clipper Volvo 18hp

REDUCED

REDUCED

e38,500

e119,000 2006 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 Yanmar 54hp

1985 Oyster 37 BMC 30hp

e135,000 2006 Dufour 44 Performance Volvo 55hp

e59,000

e29,500

1997 X-302 Yanmar 18hp

REDUCED

REDUCED

e64,500 2000 X-332

1983 Colvic Liberator 35 Volvo 35hp

Yanmar 18hp

e70,000 1962 Laurent Giles 42 Yanmar 35hp

e79,500

e19,500

e54,250

2003 Bavaria 38 Volvo 55hp

1989 Sadler 32 Sea Panther 30hp

2004 Beneteau Oceanis 323 Volvo 19hp

e12,995 1980 Mirage 28 Yanmar 15hp

e12,000

REDUCED

REDUCED

REDUCED

1980 Conati 31 Nanni 14hp (2000)

e9,950

e14,500

1992 Jaguar 24 Mercury 10hp O.Board

2002 First 211 Honda 5hp O.Board

e114,000 2016 Dufour 310 Grand Large Volvo 19hp

REDUCED

£165,000 stg.

e77,500 2008 Merry Fisher 925 Yanmar 260hp

2005 Oyster LD43 Twin Yanmar 440’s

e59,000 2007 Finnmaster 7600 Volvo 190hp

e29,500 REDUCED

2006 Seamark 26 Perkins 90hp

A NUMBER OF BOATS SOLD - CURRENTLY SEEKING MORE - CONTACT US NOW Crosshaven, Co. Cork, Ireland. Tel +353 (0)21 4831161/ +353 (0) 862546123 matt@crosshavenboatyard.com (yard services) donal@crosshavenboatyard.com (broker) or hugh@crosshavenboatyard.com (broker) For full listing log on to www.crosshavenboatyard.com Irish Agent for

and Seaward

Mediterranean offices in Malta, Spain and Portugal.

DUBLIN Coal harbour Dun Laoghaire Tel: 01 280 2020

CORK Pier Road Kinsale Tel: 021 470 9600

BELFAST 3 Quayside, Carrigfergus Marina, Co. Antrim Tel: 078 0122 8805

UK hamble Point Marina southampton Tel: 0044 2380 456318

VisiT ouR BRoKeRAge Stand E035 AT The London Boat Show

Swan 57

Hallberg Rassy 62 (1998)

4 cabin layout, full cruising spec, rigging replaced 2012. €239,000

4 cabins 2 heads, bowthruster, generator, aircon, in mast furling €489,000

Beneteau Oceanis 343 Clipper (2005)

Sun Odyssey 33i (2010)

Yanmar 30hp diesel, full cruising specification including in mast furling mainsail €69,950

6 berths in 2 cabins, wheel steering, Yanmar 21 hp, sprayhood, cockpit table, autopilot, heating, hot water, teak cockpit €77,500

Hallberg-Rassy 40 (2008)

Teak decks, diesel heating, radar, autopilot, Lying ireland £239,000 stg Tax Paid

Dehler 37 CR (1997)

2 cabin version with ash interio, folding prop, furling genoa, electric winches, gennaker with snuffer, diesel heating, full electronics pack €77,950

Reduced

Malo 36 (1999)

2 cabin version. Teak decks, diesel heating, radar, autopilot, Lying ireland €149,000 euro Tax Paid

Sun Odyssey 36i Performance (2009)

Yanmar 19hp engine , 2 cabin version, diesel heating, teak decks, sprayhood, autopilot, radar, rope cutters on prop, spinnaker deck fittings €95,000

Bavaria 36 (2013)

2 cabin version, shallow keel, in mast furling, bowthruster, sprayhood, windlass, €109,900

Sun Odyssey 35 (2006)

2 cabin version, sprayhood, windlass, radar, autopilot, furling genoa, €72,900

Sun Odyssey 39DS (2007)

An immaculate example of this performance cruiser with an excellent specification €114,000

Bavaria 38 (2003)

Sun Odyssey 43DS (2005)

3 cabin layout with deep keel option. one owner from new €79,950

3 cabins 2 heads, in mast furling, passerelle, radar, skipper maintained €144,900

Hanse 311 (2002)

Sun Odyssey 39i

Wheel steering, diesel heating, self tacking jib, cruising chute, radar, autopilot €47,500

www.mgmboats.com

Performance version 3 boats available, 2006, 2007, 2008 from €109,000

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

The 24/7 Boat Show

JUST

E10

PER AD

This month’s featured boats... log on to www.afloat.ie for hundreds more SAILING CRUISERS

MOTOR CRUISERS

RIBS

Contention 33 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32i Ruffian 8.5 Bavaria 38 Colvic Liberator 35 Sadler 32 Dufour 310 Grand Large Moody 33 Mk I Jeanneau Sun Shine 36 Trapper 28 Beneteau First 305 Westerly Pageant UFO 34 Sadler 32 Heavenly Twins 26 MK III Comfort 30 Hunter 41 DS Sangermani 60' Yawl MacGregor 26X Beneteau Oceanis 311 Clipper X-Yachts X-332 Oyster 37 Albin Viggen 23 Tony Castro 3/4 Ton Offshore 8M Beneteau Oceanis 473 Clipper Hanse 341 Beneteau Cyclades 39.3 Westerly Konsort - Twin keel Jeanneau 32i Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 24.2 Sigma 292 Jeanneau Arcadia 29 "Elad II" Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40 Moody 29 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40 Beneteau First 31.7 Westerly Centaur Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 24.2 DYNAMO 25 Leisure 20 Half Tonner SIBELIUS Beneteau 35 Jouet 24 Beneteau Evasion 36

Nimbus 280 Coupe Jeanneau Merry Fisher 925 Starfisher 670 Colvic Northerner Sealion Aquador 26 HT Finnmaster 7600 2006 Sea Ray 260 Sundancer O'Sullivan's OSM 606C Quicksilver 700 Weekend Oyster LD43 Arun 52 Ex RNLI Wellcraft 26ft 1 x 280 hp Princess 37 with Flybridge Galia 485 Gibert Marine Jamaica 27 Nelson 27 Mitchell 31 MK II Jeanneau Leader 805 Mitchell 31 MK II Glastron GS 249

Ifanta "Red eye" 5.2 SRI Avon Workboat W465 Zodiac Yachline Tornado 5.4m vsr 5.2 Zodiac Medline Lencraft Intruder 7.5m Jeanneau Rigiflex Cap 400 Honwave Inflatables Tomkat Rib Zodiac Pro 650 Zodiac YachtLine 480 De Luxe

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e19,950 e59,950 e10,500 e79,500 e29,500 e19,500 e114,000 e26,500 e29,500 e7,950 e25,500 e7,800 e16,000 e17,500 e28,250 e13,750 e139,000 e200,000 e17,500 e39,500 e64,500 e38,500 e4,250 e16,900 e6,450 e147,000 e65,000 e105,000 £22950 e54750 e22,500 £19950 £18500 e87000 £17950 e97,750 £44950 e8,500 e24950 e4500 e3500 e25000 e40,000 e4900 e56,000

e59,000.00 e77,500.00 e34,950.00 e24,950.00 e69,950.00 e62,500.00 e25,000.00 e13,500.00 e32,950.00 e235,000 e120,000 £9500 e50,000 e10,500 e36500 e34950 e48000 e39,950 e48000 e27950J

e14950 ePOA e6500 e16,000 £13500 e9750 e35000 e3,500 £505 e2,000 e9500 e11950

SPEED BOATS Broom Capricorn Bayliner 192 Karnic 2260 Weekender Sea Ray 175 Bowrider Sport Monterey 214FSC Searay 175 Sport

e8000 e9,950 e23,000 e19,900 e20000 e16900

FISHING BOATS Poseidon Kingfisher 720 Warrior 175 Merry Fisher 625 Warrior 165 Quicksilver 640 Pilothouse Fisher FM 520 Endeavour Seajeep Linder Sportsman 355 Orkney Longliner 16 Myra 21 Warrior 165 Beneteau Antares 710 Quicksilver 530 Pilothouse Quicksilver 640 Quicksilver 530 pilothouse

e45,000 e17500 e26500 e14000 e26900 e5500 £8695 £2995 ££5,750 e9,950 e8,950 e22500 e13900 e26800 e16500

DINGHIES Flying Fifteen SB20 Flying Fifteen 3648 Gekko Shannon One Design No 168

e3900 e9250 e6000 e25,000

All of these boats can be seen on our website with full specifications, details, images and contact details.

Simply log on to the site and search under the boat make and model! www.afloat.ie/boats-for-sale

AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

We want your boat!

Selling your sailing cruiser, motor boat, dinghy or speedboat? Get straight to your target market with a classified listing on Afloat.ie

WIN A PAIR OF DUBES!...

Win a pair of Dubarry GORE-TEX lined Clipper deck shoes in our Nautical Crossword 1

2

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Dedicated to the Irish market:

No Clutter (designed for easy browsing) No fictitious boats, only genuine craft for sale Only Boats and Equipment (No chickens, bikes, caravans or guitars) Easy 1,2,3, steps to log in and place your ad All ads include ability to load photos, video and location maps

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Latest Boats appear on all 15,000 editorial pages of Afloat.ie Regular Promotion of Boats for Sale in Afloat magazine Regular Boat for Sale features on Afloat.ie, Ireland’s No.1 Boating Site Targeted E-newsletter to a targeted Boat buying readership Regional Press and TV Ad campaigns planned

Simply log on to the site, register and upload your boat

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For just €10 you can add your boat to Ireland’s biggest marine market place.

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Let us give your boat maximum exposure with Ireland’s biggest boating contact list of over 10,000 boaters at home and abroad.

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Afloat magazine in association with Dubarry brings you a nautical crossword (No. 164). Complete the crossword, cut it out and send it to Dubarry/Afloat crossword, PO Box 12561, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Entries to be received no later than Friday 26 February 2016 and entries must be on official entry form (below). The first correct entry out of the hat will receive a pair of Clipper 2000 shoes.

Employees, relatives and friends of Baily Publications and Dubarry are ineligible for this competition.

Across 1. Rebuild the Mole of Troy? Such silly behaviour! (10) 6. Could what makes him attractive be gold? (4) 10. Conifer Street is ahead of the rest. (5) 11. With such tranquillity, which loch continues to host a monster? (9) 12. Get Mother's escort, perhaps, a type of cosmetic. (7) 15. Carried a child in front of Edward. (5) 17. Someone unearthed Egyptian zinc initially in the canal town. (4) 18. I, Mother, have the makings of a Moslem priest. (4) 19. Relented when taunted (having lost the head). (5) 21. The asphalt nipped you guys, by the sound of it. (7) 23. Scandinavian preferred by vegetarian cannibals? (5) 24. Six Cardinals? What a vista! (4) 25. Even Dorian Gray existed at first on the periphery. (4) 26. Bring on the popular dog. (5) 28. Running in a gallant way. (7) 33. Will a hake swim awkwardly if you do this while blowing out candles?

(4,1,4) 34. Is partial to fibs about potassium. (5) 35. Inquisitive regarding numbers?

Then you begin. (4) 36. Is it what you plot to cross the ocean, or is it part of a meal? (4,6) Name

Tel No’s.:

Answers & Winner The winner of our Autumn Issue Crossword is:

Jane Kelly Kilpedder, Co Wicklow

Down 1. Get an aristocrat to an Irish party. (4) 2. Preserve what may cause a dame alarm. (9) 3. It controls one's spirited output. (5) 4. Is such a boat light of beam - or beam of light? (5) 5. The artist gets in for wet weather. (4) 7. Vote in just some of the selected candidates. (5) 8. Capsized, with the sound wiped out. (6,4) 9. After the air raid, cardinals find one of Santa's reindeer. (7) 13. Sparkling wine which is a central ingredient to a pastille. (4) 14. Took for granted that a ship has a turn near a European sea. (7) 16. The trainee officer might be involved in a mishap, mind. (10) 20. Sail around nine parks. (9) 21. Ram wandering in a sugary crop?

You'll find it in the pub. (7) 22. Sheepish types identified by Cardinal Wesley. (4) 27. Accountants surround Kildare with bakers' produce. (5) 29. The article she is in is lacking in colour. (5) 30. Give Hades a ring to say "Hi". (5) 31. Its principal attraction is inclined to attract tourists! (4) 32. Carl leaves an English city for an insular location. (4)

Address

Shoe size:

Solution for Crossword No. 163 Autumn Crossword: Across 1. Dig 3. Silver paper 8. Ranger 9. Pleasure craft 11. Askew 13. Firth 15.

Elegant 16. Deposit 20. Swans 21. Tries 23. Cairo 24. Bacteria 25. Angles 26.

Nature study 27. Was Down 1. Direct debit 2. Gendarme 3. Sweet 4. Vapours 5.

Plaza 6. Plucky 7. Roe 12. White horses 13. Fangs 14. Heeds 17. Son-in-law 18.

Ballast 19. Big cat 22. Spear 23. Candy 24. Bun

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AFLOAT 2016 IRISH SAILING ANNUAL

Soundings WITH WM NIXON

Huff's return perfectly timed How many years should be allowed to elapse before a legendary classic boat returns to the place of her greatest glory? In Ireland, the answer seems to be about 45 years - two generations or thereabouts. Certainly that’s the ideal time-span judging by the success of the return of Huff of Arklow to Dun Laoghaire in 2015, warmly welcomed back to the harbour where she was a pace-setter in style during the 1950s, but had ultimately left in 1970.

We can say this with some certainty, for Huff had undergone a previous restoration under another owner, but when he returned to Dun Laoghaire with her about twenty years ago, there definitely wasn’t the same impact. She simply hadn’t been away for long enough. And instead of being amazed that the old girl was continuing to sail, those who had known her well in her prime were still sufficiently hale and hearty to be very critical of what the new owner had done.

Indeed, they’d a field day of it, as the poor man had decided to mark his restoration

by giving her a white hull, whereas the distinctive dark blue topsides pretty well defined Huff of Arklow when the great Douglas Heard owned her. But even if a boat has been scrupulously maintained to her original appearance, you still need a decent interval to elapse.

When the current Norwegian owners of Denis Doyle’s legendary 1981-built Frers 51 Moonduster put out tentative enquiries about bringing her back to Crosshaven for Cork Week a few years ago, they were gently rebuffed on the grounds that the death of Denis Doyle in 2001 was still too recent to be celebrating any return by his most famous boat.

But whereas Moonduster is representative of a widelybuilt type, Huff of Arkow is not only older, but she’s a rare bird. Basically, her concept was that of an enlarged Flying Fifteen. Douglas Heard had been a friend of the FF creator Uffa Fox during the 1930s in their International 14ft racing days, when Uffa was using the developmental ethos of the International 14 to conceive innovative boats such as the famous deep-chested Avenger

History re-born. The restored Huff of Arklow began her return to Ireland in 2015 on Belfast Lough with the Tall Ships gathering.

Photo: W M Nixon

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of 1928, arguably the world’s first planing dinghy.

This is the advanced line of thought which went on into the Flying Fifteen and her few cruising variants. We may think of Ireland in the 1950s as a staid and do-nothing sort of place, yet in 1951 it was two Dun Laoghaire owners who most enthusiastically ran with the planing hull cruising boat concept. Douglas Heard of Royal St George YC had the Flying Thirty Huff of Arklow built by Tyrrell’s of Arklow, while Freddy Brownlee of the National YC commissioned the Flying Thirty-Five Flying Fox to be built by Uffa Fox himself at the Medina Yacht Co in Cowes.

Both of them were based in Dun Laoghaire throughout the 1950s, but the planing cruiser concept was still only in its infancy, and while both were indeed flyers in the right conditions, they weren’t the successful all-rounders that regular racing wins require.

That said, they made fine fast cruisers, and Huff went to both Iceland and the Azores long before such places were profitable or popular.

In 2015, the time was ripe

History in the making.

Aboard Huff of Arklow as she comes racing to the weather mark in Dublin Bay for the first time in 45 years. Photo: W M Nixon

for the newly-restored Huff to return to Dublin Bay, her re-birth having been achieved

by Uffa Fox enthusiast Andrew Thornhill of Bristol with the work done down Plymouth way by master shipwright Dominic Bridgman. But with such a packed programme for the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, it was good that there was assiduous preliminary work done by Dominic’s wife Barbara to make sure the Huff’s return was optimised, and they came at Dublin Bay by a circuitous approach, first of all taking in the Tall Ships assembly in Belfast.

Thus their Dun Laoghaire arrival was carefully choreographed, and it went very well indeed. It was quite a moment when – on the breezy first day – Huff of Arklow came racing to the weather mark in Dublin Bay for the first time in 45 years. And thanks to the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta’s policy of automatic revision of ECHO ratings after each race, by the end of the series Huff found she’d won her class by a whisker. A remarkable restoration project had been matched by some classic Irish hospitality.

BLUEWAY.....

DO IT YOUR WAY!

JOIN THE EXPERIENCE IN 2016!

Do it your way and create your unique Blueway Experience!

Whether you’re into paddling, walking, cycling, or simply hooked on the outdoors, make yours a trip to remember!

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Model Volvo XC90 D4 FWD momentum

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Terms & Conditions: †Includes delivery & related charges. Model is shown for illustrative purposes only. ††The Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV) is payable if you renew or retain the vehicle at the end of the agreement. Further charges may be applied by your Volvo Dealer subject to kilometre limits/condition of the vehicle. *Lending criteria and terms and conditions apply. APR 5.9% which is inclusive of a documentation fee of €63.49. To qualify for this finance offer a minimum deposit of 10% applies. Rate quoted is correct as at 19th October 2015 and is subject to change. Offer available on the Volvo XC90 D4 FWD Momentum (Geartronic) models ordered from 19th October 2015 to 31st January 2016, at participating Volvo dealers only. This is a Hire Purchase agreement provided by Bank of Ireland t/a Bank of Ireland Finance. Fuel consumption for the Volvo Range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 44.1 (6.4) – 68.9 (4.1), Extra Urban 47.9 (5.9)– 85.6 (3.3), Combined 48.7 (5.8) – 78.4 (3.6). CO2 Emissions 153 – 94 g/km. All new Volvo cars come with a 3 year warranty and 2 years’ roadside assistance.