Scheduled for May and July, the Nations Cup will coincide with several major regattas: the IRC Welsh Championships in Pwllheli, and the Scottish Series in Tarbert, before the spotlight shifts to the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta from 10th to 13th July, and concluding with the IRC Northern Ireland Championships in Bangor.
Already, four Flying Fifteens are signed up for Dun Laoghaire with a fleet of 20 plus ultimately expected, making it one of the biggest one-design fleets at Ireland’s biggest sailing event from July 9-13.
The non-spinnaker Cruiser 2B class leads the entry count in the four non-spinnaker classes for July’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. Three local boats plus a Beneteau Oceanis 37 from Arklow Sailing Club comprise the four-boat fleet to date, including Colin O’Brien’s Spirit, a Jeanneau 39DS and Paul Conway’s Contessa 32, Cevantes, both from the Royal St George Yacht Club.
Xaviera, an X4 owned by Jonathan Anderson, was the name drawn from the hat in January to win back her entry fee in this year’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta’s early entry incentive.
Entered in the coastal class, Xaviera sails under the burgees of the Clyde Cruising Club and the Royal Irish Yacht Club.
As Afloat readers will recall, Xaviera was on form in Belfast Lough at Bangor Regatta in 2024 but she makes her Dun Laoghaire Regatta debut on Dublin Bay this July.
The overseas prospect of ace helmsman Jamie McWilliam of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club would add extra spice to the Cruisers One division of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta next July. McWilliam is considering entering Ireland’s biggest sailing regatta in his recently acquired BB10 one-design keelboat, Pelikanen.
