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Grand Soleil 34 'Justtina' Has Dublin Bay Debut Ahead of Busy 2019 Season

23rd November 2018
Dublin debut - This moderately sized racer-cruiser is a reinvention of a classic design Dublin debut - This moderately sized racer-cruiser is a reinvention of a classic design

The new Grand Soleil 34 'Justtina' that is cutting a dash as it debuts on Irish waters at the DBSC Turkey Shoot marks a return to sailing for her skipper John Treanor who forged a love for yacht racing on his first Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead ISORA race over 30 years ago.

"I set out to buy a boat that could be cruised by just myself and my wife (Tina). Hence the easy single handed set up", Treanor told Afloat.ie,  "But at the same time, having raced in my youth, I wanted to buy something that could cruise fast and had the potential to race well if I chose to do so".

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0809Its long windows and wide stern make this Small Grand Soleil instantly recognisable. The deck plan has been arranged for easy singlehanded or shorthanded racing, and that was a feature that appealed to new owner John Treanor

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0809This new Grand Soleil model is an attempt to produce a boat with the same impact that the previous Finot-designed GS34 had

Treanor says he set out to buy a J112E but when he went to look at the boat at Key Yachting in the UK he also saw the GS 34 which had just arrived and he says "it seemed to better match my requirements than the J". 

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0809Christened 'Justtina', the name honours John Treanor's wife and sailing partner, Tina

Below he relates the story of how the boat was purchased and his plans for her.

"Myself and Tina subsequently saw the two boats side by side at the Southhampton Boat Show and I got the clear instruction “You are buying the Grand Soleil”.

A few weeks later, I sailed the tiller version on a blustery day in Southhampton.

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0809Justina has an aluminium mast with high performance tapered profile 9/10 fractional rig, has two sweepback spreaders in order to maximize jib roach and a 9/10 forestay

The tiller just didn’t work for me as the helming angle was wrong and the tiller tended to kick aggressively upwards in the gusts. In addition, the tiller intrudes into the open layout of the cockpit and reduces the free movement of the crew.

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0809John Treanor on the wheel of Justtina with support from Maurice O'Connell of North Sails Ireland (left). He opted for the twin wheel version that allows much more cockpit space

However, I am sure that an out and out racing owner would probably opt for the tiller version. Ultimately I opted for the twin wheel version.

Regarding performance, the boat is currently been sailed with a very limited sail wardrobe and the rig has not yet been set up properly.

In addition, to say that it is not been helmed very well (my fault) would be an understatement!

Despite all that, she performs well on the water and on the odd occasion when I do my job right she can point as high and sail faster than the 109s. Which is better than I expected.

Downwind she can’t sail as deep as the 109s but with a proper kite would probably sail faster than them.

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0854The design aim of the GS34 is to create an offshore racing boat that is both easy to sail at maximum performance and a very comfortable fast cruiser

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0809

Grand Soleil 34 Justtina 0809

Regarding my plans for next season, I am not based full time in Ireland so that somewhat limits my ability to take part in long series racing.

So, for now, I plan to do the ICRAs followed by D2D then back to Cork for Sovereigns Week and back for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

I will try to do a couple of ISORAs (my first ever racing experience was a Dunlaoghaire to Holyhead ISORA over 30 years ago)

And then a few weeks based in Crookhaven in August.

Published in Turkey Shoot
Afloat.ie Team

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Dublin Bay Sailing Club Turkey Shoot Winter Series

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Turkey Shoot Series reached its 20th year in 2020.

The popular yacht series racing provides winter-racing for all the sailing clubs on the southside of Dublin Bay in the run-up to Christmas.

It regularly attracts a fleet of up to 70 boats of different shapes and sizes from all four yachts clubs at Dun Laoghaire: The National Yacht Club, The Royal St. George Yacht Club, The Royal Irish Yacht Club and the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as well as other clubs such as Sailing in Dublin. Typically the event is hosted by each club in rotation.

The series has a short, sharp format for racing that starts at approximately 10 am and concludes around noon. The event was the brainchild of former DBSC Commodore Fintan Cairns to give the club year-round racing on the Bay thanks to the arrival of the marina at Dun Laoghaire in 2001. Cairns, an IRC racer himself, continues to run the series each winter.

Typically, racing features separate starts for different cruiser-racers but in fact, any type of boat is allowed to participate, even those yachts that do not normally race are encouraged to do so.

Turkey Shoot results are calculated under a modified ECHO handicap system and there can be a fun aspect to some of the scoring in keeping with the Christmas spirit of the occasion.

As a result, the Turkey Shoot often receives entries from boats as large as Beneteau 50 footers and one designs as small as 20-foot flying Fifteens, all competing over the same course.

It also has legendary weekly prizegivings in the host waterfront yacht clubs immediately after racing. There are fun prizes and overall prizes based on series results.

Regular updates and DBSC Turkey Shoot Results are published on Afloat each week as the series progresses.

FAQs

Cruisers, cruising boats, one-designs and boats that do not normally race are very welcome. Boats range in size from ocean-going cruisers at 60 and 60 feet right down to small one-design keelboats such as 20-foot Flying Fifteens. A listing of boats for different starts is announced on Channel 74 before racing each week.

Each winter from the first Sunday in November until the last week before Christmas.

Usually no more than two hours. The racecourse time limit is 12.30 hours.

Between six and eight with one or two discards applied.

Racing is organised by Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Series is rotated across different waterfront yacht clubs for the popular after race party and prizegiving. The waterfront clubs are National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC), Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC) and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC).

© Afloat 2020