Commodore’s Welcome

From the Commodore

On behalf of our Flag Officers and Committee, I would like to welcome you to the AIB DBSC 2022 season. I am now entering my second season as Commodore of DBSC and I am looking forward to a full racing season this year, commencing with our first race on Saturday April 23rd. Our aim is to provide you with top quality racing over 9 race courses on 4 days a week. We could not achieve this without our great committee, and fantastic band of race management teams, race officers, and patrol crew organisers, all of whom work hard on your behalf to maintain the marks, ribs and committee boats, liaise with class captains, manage patrol crews, provide results, and run the racing as well as many other activities that go on behind the scenes all with the aim of delivering competitive, fun and safe racing to our valued members.

In recognition of their outstanding commitment during the 2021 season, we awarded our entire team of volunteers the DBSC Viking award ‘for Outstanding Contribution’ for the second year in succession. We presented this award as well as the rest of our beautiful prizes to 2021 winners in the magnificent setting of the National Maritime Museum in November 2021.

It is with sadness that we remember 3 of our key volunteers who passed away in 2021. Larry Martin, a long standing volunteer, most recently the Green Fleet ‘Flagger’ in 2020 who passed away in March, our much loved DBSC stalwart Carmel Winkelmann who passed away in June, and our dear friend and Director of Racing Jack Roy who passed away in December. Jack ran Thursday Red Fleet races during our 2021 season, and will be sorely missed by all his many friends in DBSC, and in the wider sailing community in Ireland and internationally.

Our PRO and Vice Commodore Ed Totterdell leads our team of highly qualified race officers who are busy finalising our 2022 racing programme.

DBSC was Mitsubishi Sailing Club of the year 2021

After a year’s absence we welcomed back our two winter series, the AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot and Spring Chicken winter series. We are planning to deploy our marks and put the hut in place in time for our first scheduled race on April 23rd. Our marks are just part of the fixed costs that we incur each season regardless of the number of entries. Other fixed costs include rib and committee boat maintenance, berthing fees, storage fees, hut maintenance and many other expenses. Despite our generous sponsorship deal with AIB Private Banking for which we are extremely grateful, there is continued pressure on our finances and we constantly endeavour to reduce costs where possible.

The clubs have planned lift-in on the weekend of April 9th, so it’s time to get sanding and anti-fouling! I’m sure you are all looking forward to a full season of racing in 2022 – I certainly am.

It was great to see the beautiful Dublin Bay 21 Footers returning to their home in Dun Laoghaire and racing in DBSC last August. They will race on Tuesdays and Saturdays this coming season and Geraldine will join Naneen, Estelle and Garavogue in June.

Sincere thanks to our title sponsor AIB Private Banking, We were pleased to invite AIB aboard MacLir to watch the Water Wags racing on September 15th, and we look forward to more such events in 2022. Thanks also to our supporters Gunpowder Gin, MGM Boats, Viking Marine, Killen Marine and Facet Jewellers, and to the waterfront clubs for their support in 2021. We look forward to working with them again in 2022.

Finally we wish all of our members a most enjoyable sailing season and look forward to seeing you all on the water in April.

Ann Kirwan, Commodore