THE FINAL DAY - 12TH JULY
Saturday's gale force winds and rain gave way to sunshine for the final day of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, with the 460-boat fleet sailing their last races in glorious conditions on Dublin Bay.

All was still to play for in nearly all of the 21 classes and the overall prize for the Volvo trophy. Three contenders were identified going into the final day, with the leaders of the IRC1, IRC2 IRC3 all looking like they could take the top regatta prize.

In Class IRC Zero Paul & Richards', Tanit, won the last race of the regatta, but the overall title went to Alan Hogg’s Mills 40, Argie Bargie with Richard Fildes Corby 37, Impetuous, second in class and Peter Rutter’s Corby 36, Quokka in third.

Dave Kelly, tactician on Argie Bargie describes the tense finale to the big boat class, which also gave Argie Bargie the prize for best visiting boat:

"Going into the last race, there were four boats that were still in with a shout and we had a poor start to the race, probably last on handicap but we remained steady.

"The breeze on the other hand did not, it was all over the place and the top mark was right near the shore, making it difficult to judge the best approach, some boats hit a hard left and made some big gains, it was tense out there but we kept going and the team effort today was superb, especially changing gears as the wind veered and accelerated around the bay.”

In IRC Class One, DMYC’s Barry Cunningham, racing Contango won the last race of the day in sparkling conditions in Killiney Bay. That made sure of third place overall in class but Paul O’Higgins Rockabill V was the overall winner of class IRC One, with Steven Northmore’s Plymouth based A35, Waterjet in second.

In IRC Two, Anthony Gore-Grimes' Dux, went out with a bang, winning the last race and securing second overall behind John Murphy’s Corby 26, Kinetic, which had sewn up the class victory yesterday.

However, it was Flor O’Driscoll’s J24, Hard on Port, which took their fourth bullet of the event to win the overall IRC prize. A Corkman, O'Driscoll sails under the burgee of the Royal St.George YC.

“This has been an extremely well run regatta and I congratulate all of the Clubs on a tremendous effort," he said.
"Thanks also to my crew - having a consistent team is so important and one of the main reasons for our success.”
Grainne Murtagh, working the bow on Hard On Port, said: “It was just superb sailing conditions today, 15 to 20 knots in the puffs and flat water, it really doesn’t get better than that. From Sutton we could see hundreds of boats in the sunshine, an amazing sight. Flor O’Driscoll is a great guy and I am really happy that we have won at such a high profile event.”

Only one boat in the entire 460-boat fleet managed to keep a clean sheet for the entire event. David Gorman of the National Yacht Club took the Flying Fifteen title and the overall one-design dinghy trophy with his string of six consecutive victories, not dropping a single race all weekend.

In the one-design keelboats, top marks went to Laser SB3 skipper Ben Duncan, adding another event win to his incredible winning streak for 2009. Duncan and crew slipped on the last day to win the event on countback from local sailor Sean Craig, with Sligo skipper Brian Reilly putting in two wins on the final day to finish third.
Topping the J109 fleet, Christie Cancer Care put opening day jitters behind them to open up a commanding lead at the top, with a string of firsts and seconds putting them six points clear in the end.

The fireball title was one of many that went to visitors from overseas. Andy Pearce and crew Adam Broughton were the first of a pair of English entries heading the 25-boat fleet.

"It's been great racing here," said Pearce, "fantastic conditions, and nice to get 25 Fireballs out."
As the fleets returned to the harbour at the end of racing, they formed a supporter flotilla for the returning Green Dragon, Ireland's entry in the Volvo Ocean Race. Skipper Ian Walker, along with bowman Justin Slattery and James Carroll from the Green Dragon crew, were welcomed ashore by thousands of well-wishers gathered on Dun Laoghaire pier.

"It's just fabulous to see Dublin like this," said Slattery, "all the boats out and beautiful weather in Dublin Bay with nearly 500 boats out there - what a spectacular way to come into the bay."

Gaelgóir celebrity Hector Ó hEochagáin was on hand to compere proceedings and put the Green Dragon's achievements among Ireland's sporting highlights from 2009.

"It's like Ireland winning the Grand Slam or Paul O'Connell leading the Lions," he said.

"If we can win this in the years to come it would be another huge sporting achievement."

"Who knows, it's a great competition, and when you see what they do out there in the middle of the ocean, they're unbelievable sportspeople."

"It's great that they finished the race and next time, let's go and win the bloody thing, get Ericsson out of there."

Overall regatta results are available on www.dlregatta.org

DAY 3 RACING - 11TH JULY
Weather cut into proceedings from both ends at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta today (SATURDAY), with fog delaying the start and strong breeze, gusting to over 28 knots, bringing racing to a premature end.

Most courses had two races scheduled but just one race was managed on most before wind and deteriorating visibility cancelled racing. The curtailment did not make racing any less intense, with just seconds separating the top boats in IRC0.

Maurice 'Prof' O'Connell, tactician on board Tiamat, said that it was nearly impossible to split the top boats on corrected time. "It was very close, we could have come first or fourth, we just don't know. It was that close." In the end, Tiamat did take fourth slot, with Plymouth-based Argie Bargie taking the gun. "Conditions were very good," said skipper Alan Hogg. "It was a steady 155 degrees wind direction, very steady breeze in the high teens into the high twenties, very fair race conditions." The win puts Argie Bargie on level first place with Howth boat Impetuous. "Yes, it's going very well, it's just pity we didn't get a second race today," said Hogg.

With discards now coming into play, some class winners have already been decided. In IRC1 and IRC2, organisers can begin engraving the trophies, and both will go to Irish boats. Class One winner Paul O'Higgins spent the day trying to keep his closest challenger, English IRC Champion Waterjet, behind him to ensure the win. "I think we finished a place ahead of her on the water," said O'Higgins, "and I hope that finishes up the series from our point of view.
"The breeze grew throughout the race, and we probably had too much sail on the second beat, we were flying a number two and we probably should have had a number three, and that meant that we were beaten out of first place by an Elan 38 from England, but we hope we did enough to get through today."

In IRC2, Kinetic have built up a cushion of seven points and can enjoy tomorrow safe in the knowledge that their title is secure, with discards now in play.
Kinetic and Rockabill are both now contenders for the overall regatta trophy, along with Kiwi sailor Ben Duncan in the Laser SB3 class, all of whom have been supremely consistent in big fleets.

Flying Fifteen leader Dave Gorman also kept up his streak of wins, with a gun in every race so far.

In the Interreg trophy, an Ireland v Wales team competition sailed in J80s, it was the visitors that got the upper hand today, with spinnaker issues putting one of the top Irish boats out of the running and allowed Wales take the lead. "We were a little frustrated, we didn't manage to get the spinnaker up at all, so Wales got the upper hand in the race today. Andrew [Fowler] led the whole way round and unfortunately had a problem at the leeward mark," said Irish skipper Laura Dillon. The Irish woes let Welshman Callum Edge through the gap into first.
"Andrew let us in, and after following him around for the last couple of days, it was the first mistake he has made, so it was nice to capitalise on it for once, and Wales managed to get a win," said Edge. Wales go into the final, double-points day, with a four-point lead, but are already looking ahead to the return event, says Edge. "In Wales, we'd really like to try to reciprocate this. It would be great to have the event maybe in Holyhead or Abersoch with the local clubs there."
Today sees the final races but also the homecoming celebrations of the Green Dragon, Ireland's Volvo Ocean entry, which comes into Dun Laoghaire after finishing fifth in the round-the-world marathon.

WELSH & IRISH TEAMS JOIN BATTLE .......
Irish & Welsh teams join batte in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

Thanks to sponsorship by the Irish-sea.org body four Welsh and four Irish crews will sail the fleet of eight ISA Sailfleet J80s in a new event during the regatta.
Welsh teams are expected from the Royal Dee Yacht Club (2), Pwllheli Sailing Club and the South Caernarvon Yacht Club. While Ireland will be represented by teams from Howth Yacht Club, Lough Derg Yacht Club, The National Yacht Club and The Royal St George Yacht Club.

Top class helms and crews are expected. The Welsh charge will be led by Callum Edge, Paul Kearns, Owen Matthews and Wil Partington. The Irish will be lead by Laura Dillon, Andrew Fowler, Alistair Kissane and Geoff O'Donoghue.

The competition will consist of a scheduled round of 10 races. Weighted scoring, increasing day by day, will ensure that the battle for the cup will reach a climax on the final day. The J80s will sail on the same courses as the SB3s, with a separate start.

The Irish-sea.org marine leisure network links the seaboard regions of Wales and Ireland to promote the growth of the marine leisure industry on both sides of the Irish Sea and to develop the Ireland Wales coastal zone into a centre of excellence for all types of water sports. It forms an initiative under the EU Interreg IVA Programme and is a partnership between the Irish Marine Federation, North Wales Watersports and the South Wales Marine Leisure Federation.

IRELAND -V- WALES
A new team competition comprising four boats from Wales and four from Ireland will race for the 'Irish Sea' Cup in the national fleet of J80 keelboats as part of Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta next week. Crews will wear green and red shirts to identify nation status.

The eight boat fleet racing event will race the same course as the SB3s and has entries from the National YC, Howth YC, Lough Derg and a combined team from the Royal St. George YC and the Royal Irish YC. Former sailing association boss John Crebbin is in charge of the new event that welcomes Welsh teams from Pwhelli, Royal Dee, Portdinorwic and South Caernarvonshire. The competition has been brought about through an Irish Marine Federation Inter-Reg project that aims to promote boating on both sides of the Irish Sea.

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Sailing Instructions are now available for this year's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. Simply click the link below to view. (please note you will need Adobe Flash to view this document). Alternatively you may download in PDF below.

ADDITIONAL EVENT INFORMATION: Will be emailed out to all competitors within the next 7 days.
  PDF Download
  SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

BEGINNERS OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PART...
A great way to be part of the Regatta - no sailing experience necessary!

RACE ALL DAY PARTY ALL NIGHT

Sailing West is an ISA and RYA accredited sailing school, based in Dun Laoghaire they provide the highest quality of training to all levels of experience, from Start Yachting to Yacht Master.

This year at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, Sailing West is helping to get people on the water, even people who have never sailed before! You can be involved for 1 day, or for the whole regatta, and with an instructor on each boat you will learn to sail and might even win your races!! Apres Sail, Dun Laoghaire’s Yacht Club’s are full of atmosphere, music and hot sailors!
2 Sailing Packages Available, both including sailing gear and safety equipment, the chance to helm and crew, and tickets to Apres Sail events!

CORK 1720s Max 5 people plus an instructor.
SUNFAST 37’ YACHT Max 8 people plus an instructor.
Contact Sailing West on 01 230 4227 or info@sailingwest.ie

For Entries only, please follow the link below




  Volvo Ocean Race - Galway
  Corporate Class Entries

SEEKING THE WHITSAILOR!
Even with four times the entry of any other Irish regatta this year Volvo Dun Laoghaire organisers continue to push for entries for the capital's biggest sporting event on water in three weeks time. In a mail shot to Dublin Bay clubs this morning the event secretary is seeking a bigger turnout from the White Sail class, just one of 25 classes competing in the 450 boat fleet to date. In one of a number of new intitiatives this year the event will host an inaugural 'White Sail Cup' but the organisers believe many White Sail boats are still to enter. "There are 30 boats entered so far in this class but we're sure this can be doubled in the next three weeks" said Regatta Chairman Phil Smith, who is himself a white sail racer.

IDRA Shines On
There are 14 IDRAs entered in this years VDLR. First raced in 1947 from Dun Laoghaire, the IDRA 14, now equipped with a trapeze and spinnaker, remains one of the most popular two-person adult dinghy classes racing in Dublin Bay, with fleets currently based at Dun Laoghaire (DMYC and RStGYC), Clontarf and Sutton. Twenty-four boats (approximately three quarters of the active fleet) competed in the last regatta, and competition will be intense again this year, with former and present national champions Alan Carr, Alan Henry and Pat O’Neill all expected to take part. The class will also take its usual keen interest in social events during the regatta.

WAGS LEAD THE WAY IN DUBLIN BAY
With over 100 years of history behind them the Wags are backs as a key part of the heritage section in VDLR 2009 . Although the Water Wag Club was founded in Shankill in 1887 it prospered in Dun Laoghaire as a club for Corinthian sailors racing in one-design ‘double ended’ boats. That was, of course, until it was realised that the rules governing the design of the boats were not strict enough, resulting in some boats employing a standing lug rig in preference to the balanced lug. Some boats built in Scotland had ten planks per side instead of the 11 used by all the Irish boats, and boats were built with cedar planking and using silk sailcloth in the mainsail which cost £45 to build compared with the original boats which cost £13.

In 1898 the Club Members agreed to make the drawings and specifications more precise, and to revise the design with a more affordable boat with a transom stern (costing £14 and 10 shillings) better suited to being kept on a mooring within Kingstown Harbour (the earlier design was selected as being appropriate to a beach-launched boat by two men on the stone beach at Corbawn Lane).

The oldest boat in the Water Wag Fleet is Erica, built by Hollowey & Son in Dublin Docks in 1896. This boat is the last of the original ‘double ender’ design and is now retained for display use only, as she has no boats to race against.

Coquette, Wag no 17, is 100 years old this year and her centenary will be celebrated with a race in Dun Laoghaire last night for the Coquette cup. The class held a BBQa nd birthday cake in the RIYC after racing. Coquette is sailed by Seymour Cresswell whose mother, Germaine, and father (also Seymour Cresswell) campaigned her successfully in Dublin Bay for many years.

The class are also holding a Wags day on Sunday 28th June which will include an invitation race to people who don't usually sail wags. There are a number of wags for sale and the class would much rather have them out racing rather than sitting in garages awaiting buyers.

HOWTH HITS 111
The Howth 17 footers are 111 years old this year, and the oldest one-design keelboat class in the world continues to race from its original home port. One of the nine boats that Dublin Bay Sailing Club commissioned in the early part of the 20th century celebrates its 100th year this year – Oona, originally launched as Nautilus, will return to Dun Laoghaire in July to take part in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. Oona’s current owner, Peter Courtney, will also be defending his 2007 title and will be a tough opponent in this fiercely competitive class. The Howth 17s will be 18 in number for the first time in their long history when a new boat is launched in May to the same design drawn by Walter Herbert Boyd in 1897.

FEEDER RACE TO VDLR - LYVER CUP TROPHY RACE
HOLYHEAD TO HOWTH - RORC Qualifying Race for the Fastnet 2009 Friday 3rd July 2000hrs 100NM

Organised jointly by the Royal Dee YC & Liverpool YC this feeder race to the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta should not be missed if you are wishing to clock up your miles in advance of the Fastnet race. It is an ideal time for any sailors to transport their boats from the Royal Dee Yacht Club, which holds its annual regatta a week before the race, to Dun Laoghaire. The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta starts less than a week later on Thursday 9th July.

For Further Info please contact:
Peter Summerfield T: +44 (0)151 428 1120 E: p.summerfield@btconnect.com
  For Notice of Race & Entry Form Click Here

ATTENTION ALL WELSH SAILORS
To all Welsh sailors:

One of the key objectives of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta committee has been to expand the overseas participation in the biennial Regatta with special emphasis on the Irish Sea nations and we have just secured an exciting sponsorship package.

The Irish Sea Inter-Reg Project is offering attractive financial support to Welsh sailors coming to Dun Laoghaire this July. A brief flier is attached which highlights:

Sponsorship of full ferry costs for boats trailing to the Regatta
or
Sponsorship of the full entry fee for Welsh boats already entered that introduce or encourage another Welsh boat to enter the Regatta.

Launch of the team competition between Wales and Ireland in eight J80’s provided by the Irish Sailing Association and to be raced as part of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. The competition will comprise four days of fleet racing with each nation providing four four-man crews to race for the Welsh Irish Cup.

We hope you will encourage some of your countrymen to come and join what will be a lively four days on and off the water.

Please contact the Regatta Secretary for further details on sponsorship package: Tel: +353 87 2235148


Please do contact us if you require any further information on how to avail of this sponsorship.


  Welsh Sponsorship Package
  CLICK HERE TO ENTER ONLINE

'IRISH OPEN' FOR WHITE SAIL ENTRIES ....
All IRC entries will compete for the inaugural 'Irish Open Championship Perpetual Trophy' . This Championship is open to all visiting and local entries in the White Class class with an IRC non-spinnaker handicap rating.

There will be great kudos in being the first winner of the coveted ISORA trophy for the best non-spinnaker boat.

Please see Racing Section for Amendment to NOR

  Click Here to Enter Online Now

THE GROWTH OF THE J109
The 2009 VOLVO Dun Laoghaire Regatta 9-12th July will see the second appearance of the up and coming J109 Class.

With 10 boats now in Dublin Bay and a further 5 at least spread around the Irish coastline, the boat is proving to be the ideal boat of its size both for racing and if one has the time, for cruising.

With its fantastic upwind performance even in light airs, and the 1,183 sq.ft. Asymmetric providing fast off the wind sailing, as many pundits have said, “it ticks all the boxes”.

The VOLVO Dun Laoghaire Regatta hopes to attract a one design fleet of 20+ J109’s with many boats crossing the pond from the UK to join the Irish fleet.

WHITE SAIL EVENT IS RESPONSE TO DEMAND
THE IRISH TIMES - FRIDAY 9TH JANUARY, 2009
DAVID O'BRIEN WRITES....

SAILING: IS IT a contradiction to provide a championship for a gentleman's racing class, or has cruiser racing changed so much that this year's regatta season will be filled with white sails? An idea hatched mainly to get seldom-used boats off moorings has become the biggest of all racing classes on Dublin bay and in Cork harbour.

The attraction was easy to see; a bunch of friends sailing together on an average cruiser could participate in simple racing after work or at weekends without any of the high-end hassle of spinnakers, big cheque books and large crews.

Because 75 per cent of all Irish sailing is undertaken in keelboats, the development of what now amounts to one of few growth areas in the sport has a significance for the majority of Irish sailors. Its popularity has sparked talk about defining the white sails to offer a little bit more than a cruise in company. A set of rules was published by the Irish Cruiser Racer Association (ICRA) last November and it has put white sail racing on a national footing.

Although providing a championship trophy might sound like an oxymoron, the move to inaugurate a white sail national championship is an inevitable response to demand from the sailors themselves.

Dun Laoghaire has its finger on the pulse in gearing up to meet this demand that may top 100 boats next July. Organisers of Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta are pitching it as the first national white sail championship in the world. They expect national title honours to be awarded in a fleet comprising three divisions - super, one and two.

In Cork, in the Housework's white sail Friday fleet, 30 boats are on the water, and, according to Royal Cork admiral Mike McCarthy it has opened the sport to a new group of sailors, and, with this experience, some of the boats have progressed to regular Thursday and Saturday racing.

Now RCYC is considering the introduction of two classes for Friday nights, and in Dublin the success of the winter turkey shoot and its coming spring chicken series has also been an entrée for the Dublin Bay Sailing Club summer season.

As the fleets increase and become more competitive, there have inevitably been some difference of opinion on where the fun racing stops and the full racing starts. For example, Dun Laoghaire regatta organiser Phil Smyth, a white sail competitor himself, says some of the Dublin bay white sail class are dissatisfied with the sail cloth rule that currently permits high-tech sails alongside traditional dacron.

A MUST DO EVENT FOR YOUR CLASS
A number of classes have already confirmed that they will be making Dun Laoghaire Week the major event for the class in 2009 by running a key championship or special social event during the week to attract large turnouts and visiting boats. These classes are:

J109 Open Irish Championship

Wag Worlds

Fireball Open Championship

The inaugural Irish White Sail National Championship

This year will also see the addition of some new classes joining the Regatta for the first time.

If your class would like to run a special series/championship or have a class social event during the event – contact the Regatta Secretary at sec@dlregatta.or for further information.