The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR) committee have been working diligently on our Sailing Instructions for Ireland’s largest regatta, which features up to 300 boats and takes place in two weeks (July 10th). Addressing the complexities of multiple class needs across the seven available course areas on Dublin Bay, the 2025 edition also includes the inaugural Melges 15 European Championships.
Win a Greek Bareboat Charter for You and three friends! Enter the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR) before Sunday, 29th June, and you’ll be in the draw for an unforgettable sailing holiday in the Greek Islands.
The Irish Melges 15 class is preparing for next month’s inaugural European Championships, as part of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, by hosting a regional championships this weekend on the Europeans’ race track in Dublin Bay.
The top-scoring boat at the Welsh IRC event was Xpletive (Mike Crompton) from South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club and Pwllheli Sailing Club, while the top visiting yacht was Adam Kyffin’s Corby 29 Eazitiger from the Liverpool Yacht Club.
Excitement is building for the inaugural Melges 15 Europeans, which will take place as part of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. Hyland Shipping will sponsor the Melges 15 Race Course as well as becoming a bronze sponsor of the regatta itself.
As many around Dún Laoghaire know, one of the social highlights of the four-day regatta is the lunch hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club, at which actress Amy Huberman led the style charge on the last occasion. The fundraising effort this year will be for Dun Laoghaire sailor Hannah Leonard, who was left with severe brain injuries after she was struck by a car in Sicily last October.
“Artificial” is one of the last words that spring to mind when you’ve spent many years in and around Dun Laoghaire Harbour. It’s all on such a scale, and constructed with so much locally-quarried material in a project begun 207 years ago in 1817, that it doesn’t really seem so very odd when those of a certain mind-set refer to it, without any irony, as “this wonderful natural feature of Dublin Bay”.
An Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, County Council, Jim O’ Leary was on hand to make this week’s joint launch of the 10th Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, Ireland’s largest sailing event and the town’s Coastival Festival, which runs in July.
VDLR is now a major international sailing event, with everything from Olympic and world-class professionals to weekend sailors and their craft travelling from as far afield as the U.S.A to participate.
“The purpose is to get boats involved that don’t normally race but would like to try racing/be involved in a regatta from the social side”, explained VDLR Event Director Paddy Boyd.
