What is The Irish Coast Guard?

The Irish Coast Guard provides nationwide maritime emergency response, while also promoting safety and security standards. It aims to prevent the loss of life at sea, on inland waters, on mountains and in caves; and to safeguard the quality of the marine environment.

What is its main role of the Irish Coast Guard?

The main role of the Irish Coast Guard is to rescue people from danger at sea or on land, to organise immediate medical transport and to assist boats and ships within the country's jurisdiction. It has three marine rescue centres in Dublin, Malin Head, Co Donegal, and Valentia Island, Co Kerry. The Dublin National Maritime Operations centre provides marine search and rescue responses and coordinates the response to marine casualty incidents with the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Is the Irish Coast Guard service 24/7?

Yes, effectively, it is the fourth "blue light" service. The Marine Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) Valentia is the contact point for the coastal area between Ballycotton, Co Cork and Clifden, Co Galway. At the same time, the MRSC Malin Head covers the area between Clifden and Lough Foyle. Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Dublin covers Carlingford Lough, Co Louth to Ballycotton, Co Cork. Each MRCC/MRSC also broadcasts maritime safety information on VHF and MF radio, including navigational and gale warnings, shipping forecasts, local inshore forecasts, strong wind warnings and small craft warnings.

How many emergencies does the Irish Coast respond to each year?

The Irish Coast Guard handles about 3,000 marine emergencies annually, and assists 4,500 people - saving an estimated 200 lives, according to the Department of Transport. In 2016, Irish Coast Guard helicopters completed 1,000 missions in a single year for the first time.

Does it also handle medical emergencies?

Yes, Irish Coast Guard helicopters evacuate medical patients from offshore islands to hospital on average about 100 times a year. In September 2017, the Department of Health announced that search and rescue pilots who work 24-hour duties would not be expected to perform any inter-hospital patient transfers. The Air Corps flies the Emergency Aeromedical Service, established in 2012 and using an AW139 twin-engine helicopter. Known by its call sign "Air Corps 112", it airlifted its 3,000th patient in autumn 2020.

Is the Irish Coast Guard an all-island body?

The Irish Coast Guard works closely with the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which is responsible for the Northern Irish coast.

How much does the Irish Coast Guard cost?

The Irish Coast Guard is a State-funded service, with both paid management personnel and volunteers, and is under the auspices of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is allocated approximately 74 million euro annually in funding, some 85 per cent of which pays for a helicopter contract that costs 60 million euro annually. The overall funding figure is "variable", an Oireachtas committee was told in 2019. Other significant expenditure items include volunteer training exercises, equipment, maintenance, renewal, and information technology.

What resources does the Irish Coast Guard have?

The Irish Coast Guard has four search and rescue helicopter bases at Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo, run on a contract worth 50 million euro annually with an additional 10 million euro in costs by CHC Ireland. It provides five medium-lift Sikorsky S-92 helicopters and trained crew. The 44 Irish Coast Guard coastal units with 1,000 volunteers are classed as onshore search units, with 23 of the 44 units having rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) and 17 units having cliff rescue capability. The Irish Coast Guard has 60 buildings in total around the coast, and units have search vehicles fitted with blue lights, all-terrain vehicles or quads, first aid equipment, generators and area lighting, search equipment, marine radios, pyrotechnics and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Community Rescue Boats Ireland also provide lifeboats and crews to assist in search and rescue. The Irish Coast Guard works closely with the Garda Siochána, National Ambulance Service, Naval Service and Air Corps, Civil Defence, while fishing vessels, ships and other craft at sea offer assistance in search operations.

How quickly can Irish Coast Guard assets respond?

The helicopters are designated as airborne from initial notification in 15 minutes during daylight hours, and 45 minutes at night. The aircraft respond to emergencies at sea, on inland waterways, offshore islands and mountains and cover the 32 counties. They can also assist in flooding, major inland emergencies, intra-hospital transfers, pollution, and can transport offshore firefighters and ambulance teams. The Irish Coast Guard volunteers units are expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time of departing from the station house in ten minutes from notification during daylight and 20 minutes at night. They are also expected to achieve a 90 per cent response time to the scene of the incident in less than 60 minutes from notification by day and 75 minutes at night, subject to geographical limitations.

How are Irish Coast Guard units managed?

Units are managed by an officer-in-charge (three stripes on the uniform) and a deputy officer in charge (two stripes). Each team is trained in search skills, first aid, setting up helicopter landing sites and a range of maritime skills, while certain units are also trained in cliff rescue.

Are Irish Coast Guard volunteers paid?

Volunteers receive an allowance for time spent on exercises and call-outs. What is the difference between the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI? The RNLI is a registered charity which has been saving lives at sea since 1824, and runs a 24/7 volunteer lifeboat service around the British and Irish coasts. It is a declared asset of the British Maritime and Coast Guard Agency and the Irish Coast Guard. Community Rescue Boats Ireland is a community rescue network of volunteers under the auspices of Water Safety Ireland.

Does the Irish Coast Guard charge for rescue?

No, it does not charge for rescue and nor do the RNLI or Community Rescue Boats Ireland.

What communications systems do the Irish Coast Guard use?

The marine rescue centres maintain 19 VHF voice and DSC radio sites around the Irish coastline and a digital paging system. There are two VHF repeater test sites, four MF radio sites and two NAVTEX transmitter sites. Does Ireland have a national search and rescue plan? The first national search and rescue plan was published in July, 2019. It establishes the national framework for the overall development, deployment and improvement of search and rescue services within the Irish Search and Rescue Region and to meet domestic and international commitments. The purpose of the national search and rescue plan is to promote a planned and nationally coordinated search and rescue response to persons in distress at sea, in the air or on land.

Is the Irish Coast Guard responsible for pollution response?

Yes, the Irish Coast Guard is responsible for responding to spills of oil and other hazardous substances with the Irish pollution responsibility zone, along with providing an effective response to marine casualties and monitoring or intervening in marine salvage operations. It provides and maintains a 24-hour marine pollution notification at the three marine rescue centres. It coordinates exercises and tests of national and local pollution response plans.

What is the Irish Coast Guard's safety record?

The first Irish Coast Guard volunteer to die on duty was Caitriona Lucas, a highly trained member of the Doolin Coast Guard unit, while assisting in a search for a missing man by the Kilkee unit in September 2016. Six months later, four Irish Coast Guard helicopter crew – Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith -died when their Sikorsky S-92 struck Blackrock island off the Mayo coast on March 14, 2017. The Dublin-based Rescue 116 crew were providing "top cover" or communications for a medical emergency off the west coast and had been approaching Blacksod to refuel. Up until the five fatalities, the Irish Coast Guard recorded that more than a million "man hours" had been spent on more than 30,000 rescue missions since 1991.

What was the Government response to the Coast Guard fatalities?

Several investigations were initiated into each incident. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board was critical of the Irish Coast Guard in its final report into the death of Caitriona Lucas, while a separate Health and Safety Authority investigation has been completed, but not published. The Air Accident Investigation Unit final report into the Rescue 116 helicopter crash has not yet been published.

When was The Irish Coast Guard formed?

The Irish Coast Guard in its present form dates back to 1991, when the Irish Marine Emergency Service was formed after a campaign initiated by Dr Joan McGinley to improve air/sea rescue services on the west Irish coast. Before Irish independence, the British Admiralty was responsible for a Coast Guard (formerly the Water Guard or Preventative Boat Service) dating back to 1809. The West Coast Search and Rescue Action Committee was initiated with a public meeting in Killybegs, Co Donegal, in 1988 and the group was so effective that a Government report was commissioned, which recommended setting up a new division of the Department of the Marine to run the Marine Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC), then based at Shannon, along with the existing coast radio service, and coast and cliff rescue. A medium-range helicopter base was established at Shannon within two years. Initially, the base was served by the Air Corps.

Who was The Irish Coast Guard's first director?

The first director of what was then IMES was Capt Liam Kirwan, who had spent 20 years at sea and latterly worked with the Marine Survey Office. Capt Kirwan transformed a poorly funded voluntary coast and cliff rescue service into a trained network of cliff and sea rescue units – largely voluntary, but with paid management. The MRCC was relocated from Shannon to an IMES headquarters at the then Department of the Marine (now Department of Transport) in Leeson Lane, Dublin. The coast radio stations at Valentia, Co Kerry, and Malin Head, Co Donegal, became marine rescue-sub-centres.

Who is The Irish Coast Guard's current director?

The current director is Chris Reynolds, who has been in place since August 2007 and was formerly with the Naval Service. He has been seconded to the head of mission with the EUCAP Somalia - which has a mandate to enhance Somalia's maritime civilian law enforcement capacity – since January 2019.

Where are Coast Guard Units located in Ireland?

Achill, Co. Mayo Ardmore, Co. Waterford Arklow, Co. Wicklow Ballybunion, Co. Kerry Ballycotton, Co. Cork Ballyglass, Co. Mayo Bonmahon, Co. Waterford Bunbeg, Co. Donegal Carnsore, Co. Wexford Castlefreake, Co. Cork Castletownbere, Co. Cork Cleggan, Co. Galway Clogherhead, Co. Louth Costelloe Bay, Co. Galway Courtown, Co. Wexford Crosshaven, Co. Cork Curracloe, Co. Wexford Dingle, Co. Kerry Doolin, Co. Clare Drogheda, Co. Louth Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Dunmore East, Co. Waterford Fethard, Co. Wexford Glandore, Co. Cork Glenderry, Co. Kerry Goleen, Co. Cork Greencastle, Co. Donegal Greenore, Co. Louth Greystones, Co. Wicklow Guileen, Co. Cork Howth, Co. Dublin Kilkee, Co. Clare Killala, Co. Mayo Killybegs, Co. Donegal Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford Knightstown, Co. Kerry Mulroy, Co. Donegal North Aran, Co. Galway Old Head Of Kinsale, Co. Cork Oysterhaven, Co. Cork Rosslare, Co. Wexford Seven Heads, Co. Cork Skerries, Co. Dublin Summercove, Co. Cork Toe Head, Co. Cork Tory Island, Co. Donegal Tramore, Co. Waterford Waterville, Co. Kerry Westport, Co. Mayo Wicklow Youghal, Co. Cork

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18th May 2024

Casey's Windjammer Takes the IRC 2 Gun in DBSC Saturday Race

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's fourth AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season was sailed on May 18th in sub-ten knot northerly winds on a hazy Dublin Bay.

In a nine-boat turnout, J109s took the top three places in IRC One with Barry Cunningham's Chimaera of the Royal Irish Yacht Club finished in 1 hour 28 minutes and 03 seconds corrected from Brian Hall's National Yacht Club (NYC) Something Else on 1 hour 31 minutes and 05 seconds behind on corrected time. Third was RIYC's Richard and Tim Goodbody's White Mischief which finished in 1 hour 32 minutes and 36 seconds corrected.

Overall, the Goodbodys lead Hall in the Saturday Series by a point.

Cruisers Two IRC was a one, two, three for the Royal St. George Yacht Club with Lindsay Casey's J97 Windjammer winning the five boat race in 1 hour 39 minutes and 52 seconds corrected from the Lovegrove family's Sigma 33 Rupert on 1:41:56. Third was another Sigma 33, Moonshine skippered by David O'Flynn.

Overall, Casey leads O'Flynn in the Saturday Series by four points.

In an unbeaten run so far this series in the two-boat IRC Three division, Edward Melvin's Sonata One Design, Ceol na Mara of the National Yacht Club beat Myles Kelly's Senator 22 Maranda of the DMYC .

In Class 5a (White Sails), Johnnie Phillips's Elan 333 Playtime won the ECHO handicap race from Colin O'Brien's Jeanneau 39DS, Spirit. Third was Peter Richardson's Dehler 36 Deliverance.

In the one-design fleets, under Race Officer Jim Dolan, Geraldine (number 7) won from Estelle (number 3). In third place was number six, Naneen in a four-boat Dublin Bay 21 race.

David Mulvin won the 18-boat Flying Fifteen races from Niall Coleman with Alan Green third.

In a five-boat scratch race for the Beneteau 31.7s, Christ Johnston's Prospect won from Brian Geraghty's Camira. Eoin O'Driscoll's Kernach was third.

The Dun Laoghaire Cup at the Royal Irish Yacht Club, incorporating championships for the 1720, SB20, B211 and J80 classes, meant DBSC racing was not held in these classes on Saturday, May 18. Results after day one at the Cup are reported here.

Results in all DBSC classes are detailed below.

Summer racing continues on Dublin Bay next Tuesday.

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17th May 2024

Royal Irish Yacht Club Boats Sweep the DBSC Cruisers Zero Thursday Podium

Kyran McStay's X-35 D-Tox was the winner of Dublin Bay Sailing Club's fourth AIB-sponsored Thursday evening race of the 2024 season as Royal Irish Yacht Club boats swept the Cruisers Zero IRC podium.

The McStay boat took the victory in a light north-westerly of four to eight knots in a corrected time of 1 hour 39 minutes and 02 seconds from the overall IRC Zero leader Paul O'Higgins, JPK 10.80 (Paul O'Higgins) in a time of 1:39:24 corrected. Sean Lemass's, First 40, Prima Forte was third overall in 1:44:50 corrected.

Full results in all classes below

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16th May 2024

DBSC Dinghy Fleets Complete Four Tuesday Races in ILCA, Fireball, IDRA 14, PY and Melges 15 Classes

After some late April cancellations, Tuesday night AIB-sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) dinghy sailing is off to a gentle start in May with some good turnouts across ILCA 6 and 7, Fireball, IDRA 14, PY and a DBSC debutante Melges 15 class. Four races have been sailed with three to count after discard with Royal St. George boats on top in several of the competing classes.

Frank Miller, sailing IRL 14915 Ballderdash from the DMYC, leads a six-boat Fireball class in the Tuesday night AIB sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy sailing Photo: Afloat

Miller leads Fireballs

Frank Miller, sailing IRL 14915 Ballderdash from the DMYC, leads a six-boat Fireball class by four points from Louise McKenna's Pink Fire on 7. Third, on tie break is another lady helm Cariosa Power of the DMYC on seven.

O'Beirne has three-point margin in ILCA 6

Royal St. George's Judy O'Beirne, on six points, leads a 16-boat ILCA 6 class from clubmate Mary Chambers on nine. Michael Norman of the Irish National Sailing Club is lying third on ten. O'Beirne finished second last weekend at the ILCA 6 Masters Championships at Howth Yacht Club.

The Melges 15 class are enjoying a debut season in the Tuesday night AIB-sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy racing Photo: Afloat

Flying Tiger is three points clear in Melges 15s

Class promoter John Sheehy leads the way in a seven-boat Melges 15 class that makes its DBSC debut in 2024. In a clean sweep so far for the Royal St. George Yacht Club, Sheehy's Flying Tiger (No 564) has two race wins to put him three points clear of Theo Lyttle's Surf Baby (566) on seven. Lying third is David Williams (637) on eight.

There is an 11-boat ILCA 7 fleet competing in Tuesday night AIB sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club dinghy sailing Photo: Michael Chester

Cowman on top in ILCA 7

In another top three for the Royal St. George in the ILCA 7s, Niall Cowman, on five points, leads Gavan Murphy on eight in an 11-boat fleet. Ross O'Leary is lying third on 11.

Aeros are PY Class winners

The National Yacht Club's Noel Butler in an RS Aero, Orion is clear at the top of the DBSC PY scoreboard on three points from clubmate Damien Dion on 8.5 in another Aero. Third is Brian Sweeney's Royal St. George Dutch Gold.

Dart leads three IDRA 14s

Pierre Long, sailing number 1612 Dart, leads a three-boat IDRA 14 class (all from the DMYC) but is tied on points after four races sailed with Frank Hamilton sailing number 140, Dart.

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11th May 2024

Phillips's Elan 333 'Playtime' is Cruiser 5A Saturday Winner

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's third AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season was sailed on May 11th in light to medium south-easterly winds on a hazy Dublin Bay.

No results were posted in IRC Zero, as the first ISORA Cross-channel race of the season took a number of regular boats away from the bay in the race to Pwhelli in North Wales.

In a nine-boat turnout, J109s took the top two places in IRC One with Richard and Tim Goodbody's White Mischief of the Royal Irish Yacht Club finished in 1 hour 28 minutes and 03 seconds from Brian Hall's National Yacht Club (NYC) Something Else just 16 seconds behind on corrected time.

Colin Byrne's XP33 Bon Exemple, of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, was 11 seconds further back in third place.

Overall, the Goodbodys lead Hall in the Saturday Series by two points.

In Cruisers Two IRC, the Sigma 33 Moonshine skippered by David O'Flynn of the Royal St. George was the winner from clubmate Lindsay Casey's J97 Windjammer. Third in the five-boat turnout was Jim McCann's Royal Irish Mustang 30 Peridot.

In a two-boat IRC Three race, Edward Melvin's Sonata One Design, Ceol na Mara of the National Yacht Club beat Myles Kelly's Senator 22 Maranda of the DMYC by 33 seconds on corrected time.

In Class 5a (White Sails), Johnnie Phillips's Elan 333 Playtime won the ECHO handicap race from Colin O'Brien's Jeanneau 39DS, Spirit. Third was Peter Richardson's Dehler 36 Deliverance.

In the one-design fleets, under Race Officer Jim Dolan, Garavogue won from Geraldine in a three-boat Dublin Bay 21 race.

Overall leader, NYC's David Gorman, was second in the first race and third in the 18-boat Flying Fifteen races to be on nine points and Ken Dumpleton in second on 20. Third overall is Neil Colin on 23.

In a three-boat scratch race for the Beneteau 31.7s, Christ Johnston's Prospect won from Brian Geraghty's Camira. Michael & Bernie Bryson's Bluefin Two retired.

In the seven-boat B211s scratch division, Jimmy Fischer's Billy Whizz beat overall leader Joe Smyth's Yikes. Third was DBSC Vice-Commodore Jacqueline McStay in Small Wonder from the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Results in all classes are detailed below.

Summer racing continues on Dublin Bay next Tuesday.

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9th May 2024

Winners Count Their Luck as Many Yachts Retire from DBSC Thursday Light Wind Race on Dublin Bay

After last week's cancellation, Dublin Bay Sailing Club's third AIB Thursday evening race of the 2024 season was another gentle affair in light southerly winds where results were marred by plenty of retirals.

On the North Bay race course, in division zero, there was only one finisher, the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) JPK 10.80 champion Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins) with clubmates Sean Lemass's First 40, Prima Forte, Kyran McStay's X-Yacht D-Tox and Royal St. George Yacht Club's Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia all retiring.

In a ten-boat IRC One turnout, Barry Cunningham's J109 Chimaera took the gun in a corrected time of 1 hour 44 minutes and 31 seconds from clubmate Philip Byrne's XP33 on 1:46:41 corrected. Unfortunately, the rest of the fleet either retired or did not finish. Overall this means Byrne's X-yacht now leads from Cunningham's J-boat in DBSC's hottest cruiser division.

There were no finishers In Cruisers Two IRC or Cruisers Three IRC or IRC Five, but RIYC's Rodney and Sally Martin Sun Odyssey 32 Gemini managed the only finish in Cruisers 4B.

A long last leg on a failing wind and building tide spelt the end for many competing boats.

There were some one-design class finishes on the Scotsman's Bay race area, with Philip Lawton's Puffling winning from Neil Colin's FFuzzy. Alastair Court's ffinisterre was third in a 14-boat turnout for the Flying Fifteen classes where five of the local fleet are competing at the European Championships in France.

National Champion Michael O'Connor of the Royal St. George was the 7-boat SB20 winner from Richard Hayes in Carpe Diem. Third was Grzegorz Kalinecki's SportChip.ie

Dublin Bay 21s Tuesday Racing Gets Underway

After several cancellations, the first DBSC Tuesday race for the Twentyones took place on May 7th. Nineteen crew members and all four boats took part. The lighter winds facilitated a lovely sailing experience for the newcomers to the fleet. Geraldine won from Estelle. Garavogue was third, with Naneen in fourth.

Dublin Bay 21 Garavogue pictured on Tuesday (May 7th) in a light airs DBSC race Photo: Gary O'Sullivan

Summer racing continues on Dublin Bay with DBSC Saturday racing in the club's 140th season this weekend and also the first ISORA Irish cross-channel race of the season on Saturday morning at 8 am with a bumper 21-boat fleet in prospect.

Results in all classes below

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8th May 2024

Puffin Wins 23-Boat Water Wag Race at Dun Laoghaire

Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly, aboard the committee boat 'Spirit of the Irish', set a three-round windward/leeward course in a 10-knot southwesterly breeze for the third Water Wag race of the AIB/DBSC 2024 season.

The 23-boat fleet’s start was postponed due to a 40-degree wind shift. The start line was relaid, and the course was adjusted before the starting sequence got underway. A number of boats were OCS, and the next start got away under the U flag with boats all clear.

The wind dropped to 3 knots on the last round, and the final downwind leg was slow. Judy and Grace O’Beirne sailing Shindilla had a good lead at the leeward gate before the final windward leg when Sean and Heather Craig sailing Puffin split tacks and benefitted from a better breeze on the beat finally taking the lead by a small margin.

Seán & Heather Craig sail No. 52 Puffin to a win by a small margin from No. 19 Shindilla, Judy & Grace O’Beirne in Wednesday night's Water Wag AIB/DBSC race at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ann Kirwan

Top 3 results were:

No. 52 Puffin, Seán & Heather Craig
No. 19 Shindilla, Judy & Grace O’Beirne
No. 42 William Prentice and crew

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5th May 2024

J109 'Something Else' is DBSC Saturday Race Winner

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's second AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season was sailed on May 4th in medium westerly winds on an overcast Dublin Bay.

Sean Lemass's First 40 Prima Forte won from Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia in IRC Zero in a one-and-a-half-hour race.

In a six-boat turnout, J109s took the top three places in IRC One with Brian Hall's National Yacht Club (NYC) Something Else taking the gun in a one-and-a-half-hour race by a winning margin of one minute on corrected time.

Tim Goodbody's White Mischief finished in 1 hour 29 minutes and 43 seconds to take second place. Barry Cunningham's J109 Chimaera, both of the Royal Irish Yacht Club was thirty seconds further back in third place.

Overall, the Goodbody's lead Brian Hall from Barry Cunningham. The Race Officer was Barry MacNeaney.

In Cruisers Two IRC, Lindsay Casey's Royal St. George J97 Windjammer topped a three-boat turnout with Jim McCann's Royal Irish Mustang 30 Peridot in second. Third was the Sigma 33 Moonshine skippered by David O'Flynn of the Royal St. George.

In a two-boat IRC Three race, Edward Melvin's Sonata One Design, Ceol na Mara of the National Yacht Club beat Myles Kelly's Senator 22 of the DMYC by almost two minutes on corrected time.

In Class 5a (White Sails), Tim Costello's Bavaria 35 Just Jasmin was the ECHO handicap winner from Charles Broadhead's Sigma 38, Persistence. Third was Peter Richarson's Dehler 36 Deliverance.

In the one-design fleets, under Race Officer Jim Dolan, Estelle won from Geraldine in a three-boat Dublin Bay 21 race. The restored vintage fleet recently announced its 2024 racing programme in a new class website.

Overall leader, NYC's David Gorman, was second in the first race but won the second in the 14-boat Flying Fifteen races under Race Officer Declan Traynor.

In the seven-boat B211s scratch division, Joe Smyth's Yikes won from Jacqueline McStay's Small Wonder from the Royal Irish Yacht Club. Third was Pat Shannon's B211 Beeswing.

Results in all classes are detailed below.

Summer racing continues on Dublin Bay next Tuesday.

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2nd May 2024

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Thursday Racing Cancelled Due to No Wind

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's (DBSC) Thursday evening racing was cancelled tonight due to very light winds.

Winds measuring just over one knot meant the second Thursday race of the 2024 AIB summer season was scrubbed in all classes at Dun Laoghaire.

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27th April 2024

Ideal Conditions for First Saturday Races of Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Summer Season

There were ideal conditions for Dublin Bay Sailing Club's first AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season, on April 25th, in medium north-easterly winds and a classic Dublin Bay chop.

In a ten-boat turnout, J109s took the top three places in IRC One with Tim Goodbody's White Mischief having a ten-second lead on corrected time over second-placed Barry Cunningham's J109 Chimaera, both of the Royal Irish Yacht Club. Third was John Hall's National Yacht Club (NYC) Something Else.

In Cruisers Two IRC, the J97 Windjammer topped a four-boat turnout with the Royal St. George Mustang 30 Peridot in second. Third was the new National Yacht Club Blacksheep (William Despard).

In the one-design fleets, NYC's David Gorman was the winner of both Flying Fifteen races from Alan Green in an 18-boat fleet.

In the seven-boat B211s scratch division, Pat Shannon's Beeswing won from Joe Smyth's Yikes. Third was Ian Bell's Ocean Venture.

Results in all classes below

Summer racing continues on Dublin Bay with Sunday's ISORA 28-mile race from Dun Laoghaire at 11 am.

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26th April 2024

Royal Irish Dominates the Podium in Dublin Bay Sailing Club's First AIB Thursday Evening Race of 2024 Season

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's first AIB Thursday evening race of the 2024 season on April 25th got off to a gentle start as light easterly winds died away and led to the abandonment of racing in many classes.

However, the bigger cruiser classes, in divisions Zero, One, and Two, all completed racing with Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) entries, taking all but one of the podium places in Zero and One.

ISORA champion Paul O'Higgins's JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI from the RIYC took the gun in Cruisers Zero IRC from clubmate Sean Lemass's First 40 Prima Forte. In third was Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia of the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

Some of the cruiser class racing becalmed in Scotsman's Bay in the first AIB DBSC Thursday night race of 2024 Photo: Afloat

In a ten-boat turnout, Philip Byrne's XP33 from the RIYC won from clubmate and multiple J109 Irish champion John Maybury in Joker II. In a one, two, three for the RIYC, Barry Cunningham's J109 Chimaera took third.

In Cruisers Two, the Sigma 33 Boojum (Stephanie Bourke) of the Royal St. George Yacht Club was the IRC winner from clubmate Paul Keelan's HB31 Hazy Blues. Third in the six-boat fleet was Leslie Parnell's First 34.7 Black Velvet from the RIYC.

There were some one-design class finishes, with Michael Bryon's Bluefin Two of the National Yacht Club (NYC) winning the first 2024 victory in the 31.7 class. Shane McCarthy, also of the NYC, was the Flying Fifteen race winner.

Summer racing continues on Dublin Bay with the first DBSC Saturday race of the club's 140th season this weekend and a Viking Marine ISORA Irish coastal race on Sunday.

Results in all classes below

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