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National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

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National Yacht Club Latest News
Hazel and Len “Skipper” Sheil out for a day sail in Dublin Bay aboard their Sterling 28 Gay Gannet, with the anchored vessel a reminder of his time as a much-travelled ship’s Radio Officer.
Len Sheil – “Skipper” to his many friends for as long as anyone can remember – was the very embodiment of Dun Laoghaire sailing with a cruising emphasis, as his father Commander Richard Sheil RNR, was Harbour Master of the…
National Yacht Club junior sailors try out the trapeze on a 29er skiff dinghy
When the weather plays ball, the kids enjoy sailing! The two weeks of the Easter break may have been cold and split by the last (we hope) storm of the season, but they certainly deliver some great sailing for our…
Royal Cork Yacht Club's Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain (right) were the overall winners of the Irish 29er Youth Sailing Nationals oat Howth Yacht Club
A Cork-Dublin partnership won the 29er Investwise Irish Youth Sailing National Championships at Howth Yacht Club on Sunday. The double-handed skiff title was won by reigning Irish 29er class national champions Ben O’Shaughnessy (Royal Cork YC) and Ethan Spain of the (National…
The annual lift-in of boats at the National Yacht Club (green crane in the foreground) and Royal St. George (red crane in the background) took place in perfect weather conditions on Saturday, April 15th ahead of the 2023 Dublin Bay Sailing Club summer season
Saturday’s (April 15th) Lift-in of yachts and boats at Dun Laoghaire Harbour in perfect calm and sunny conditions marked the opening of the 2023 summer sailing season on Dublin Bay.  In the harbour, the National Yacht Club and neighbouring Royal St. George YC lifted in approximately…
The late Leonard
Afloat.ie regrets to record the death in his 89th year of Len "Skipper" Sheil of the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire, who was the epitome of the quiet yet effectively enthusiastic Dublin Bay sailor with a strong and active interest…
The start of the 2021 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race. The D2D  is an Irish showcase race of the 2023 series and one of 15 testing races that make up RORC's offshore championship
Since the 1940s, the Royal Ocean Racing Club has organised a season of multiple races and organised the first RORC Season’s Points Championship in 2000 using the IRC Rating System. The series quickly became, and still is, the largest racing…
Close racing during the Student Match Racing Invitational hosted by the National Yacht Club over the weekend of 1-2 April
Skipper Loghlen Rickard with crew Oisin Cullen and Kate O’Connor on UCD 2 were the victors in the National Yacht Club’s inaugural Student Match Racing Invitational, which took place in Dun Laoghaire last weekend 1-2 April. The event brought six…
Two of the newly restored Dublin Bay 21s being put through their paces
The next stage in the Dublin Bay 21 restoration project is getting out on the water and racing the Naneen, Garavogue, Estelle and Geraldine in their original sailing condition. And that’s exactly what will be happening later this month with…
National Yacht Club Match Racing Invitational logo
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the National Yacht Club’s inaugural Student Match Racing Invitational is taking place in Dun Laoghaire this weekend 1-2 April. The event brings together the top varsity sailors in the country in what promises to be…
Sailors from the National Yacht Club flew to the OptiOrange event in Valencia, Spain to compete in the 12 races series
National Yacht Club Winter sailing programmes have been full throttle in the various classes supported by the club, preparing actively for the beginning of the racing season. The Flying 15 winter training has led the way with an early launch…
Ireland's John Lavery and Alan Green (IRL 4083) make a strong start in race one of the Flying 15 World Championships at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Australia
After six races sailed and five to count, Ireland's John Lavery and Alan Green are in the top ten of the Flying 15 World Championships at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Australia. Steady sailing from Dublin Bay's Lavery and Green saw…
Finn Lynch (second from right) takes his place on the podium for his tenth European place at the ILCA 7 championships in Andora, Italy
Ireland's top hope for Paris 2024, Finn Lynch, worked back from disappointments on Thursday to finish tenth European and 13th overall in ILCA7 European Championships in Andora, Italy today.  Although Lynch will rue mistakes made in gear failure and rules…
The winning St Andrew's College teams at The Leinster Schools Team Racing Championships 2023, sponsored by Viking Marine
The latest update regarding Schools team racing is that the Leinster Schools Team Racing Championships, which took place on Sunday the 12th of March in the National Yacht Club was an outstanding success considering some challenging wind shifts and speed, writes Eunice…
Howth's Ewan McMahon competing on a windy day four at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Andora, Italy
Gear failure for Finn Lynch on the first day of gold fleet racing at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Andora, Italy, has been a setback for the National Yacht Club ace. Lynch was forced to use his discard when…
Ireland's Paris 2024 campaigner Finn Lynch has sailed a consistent ILCA 7 Qualification Series at the European Championships at Andora, Italy where 191 are competing
Consistent sailing by Olympic Paris 2024 campaigner Finn Lynch puts him in the top ten of the ILCA 7 European Championships in Andora, Italy. The National Yacht Club ace, ranked as high as second in the world last season, added another two…
Close racing at the Viking Marine Leinster Schools Team Racing Championships 2023 at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. See photo gallery below
18 teams set an all-time record at the Viking Marine Leinster Schools Team Racing Championships 2023 at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Dublin's St Andrew's College took first and second places, with Holy Child Killiney 1 taking third…

The home club of Laser Radial Olympic Silver medalist Annalise Murphy, the National Yacht Club is a lot more besides. It is also the spiritual home of the offshore sailing body ISORA, the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race and the biggest Flying Fifteen fleet in Ireland. Founded on a loyal membership, the National Yacht Club at the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay enjoys a family ethos and a strong fellowship in a relaxed atmosphere of support and friendship through sailing.

Bathing in the gentle waterfront ambience of Dun Laoghaire on the edge of South County Dublin, the National Yacht Club has graced the waters of the Irish Sea and far beyond for more than a century and in 2020 celebrates its sesquicentennial.  

The club is particularly active in dinghy and keelboat one-design racing and has hosted three World Championships in recent years including the Flying Fifteen Worlds in 2003, 2019 and the SB3 Worlds in 2008. The ISAF Youth Worlds was co-hosted with our neighbouring club the Royal St. George Yacht Club in 2012...

National Yacht Club Facilities

Facilities include a slipway directly accessing Dun Laoghaire Harbour, over eighty club moorings, platform parking, pontoons, fuelling, watering and crane-lifting ensure that the NYC is excellently equipped to cater for all the needs of the contemporary sailor. Berths with diesel, water, power and overnight facilities are available to cruising yachtsmen with shopping facilities being a short walk away. The club is active throughout the year with full dining and bar facilities and winter activities include bridge, snooker, quiz nights, wine tasting and special events.

National Yacht Club History

Although there are references to an active “club” prior to 1870, history records that the present clubhouse was erected in 1870 at a cost of £4,000 to a design by William Sterling and the Kingstown Royal Harbour Boat Club was registered with Lloyds in the same year. By 1872 the name had been changed to the Kingston Harbour Boat Club and this change was registered at Lloyds.

In 1881. the premises were purchased by a Captain Peacocke and others who formed a proprietary club called the Kingstown Harbour Yacht Club again registered at Lloyds. Some six years later in 1877 the building again changed hands being bought by a Mr Charles Barrington. and between 1877 and 1901 the club was very active and operated for a while as the “Absolute Club” although this change of name was never registered.

In 1901, the lease was purchased by three trustees who registered it as the Edward Yacht Club. In 1930 at a time when the Edward Yacht Club was relatively inactive, a committee including The Earl of Granard approached the trustees with a proposition to form the National Yacht Club. The Earl of Granard had been Commodore of the North Shannon Y.C. and was a senator in the W.T.Cosgrave government. An agreement was reached, the National Yacht Club was registered at Lloyds. The club burgee was created, red cross of Saint George with blue and white quarters being sky cloud, sea and surf. The Earl of Granard became the first Commodore.

In July of 1950, a warrant was issued to the National Yacht Club by the Government under the Merchant Shipping Act authorising members to hoist a club ensign in lieu of the National Flag. The new ensign to include a representation of the harp. This privilege is unique and specific to members of the National Yacht Club. Sterling’s design for the exterior of the club was a hybrid French Chateau and eighteenth century Garden Pavilion and today as a Class A restricted building it continues to provide elegant dining and bar facilities.

An early drawing of the building shows viewing balconies on the roof and the waterfront façade. Subsequent additions of platforms and a new slip to the seaward side and most recently the construction of new changing rooms, offices and boathouse provide state of the art facilities, capable of coping with major international and world championship events. The club provides a wide range of sailing facilities, from Junior training to family cruising, dinghy sailing to offshore racing and caters for most major classes of dinghies, one design keelboats, sports boats and cruiser racers. It provides training facilities within the ISA Youth Sailing Scheme and National Power Boat Schemes.

Past Commodores

1931 – 42 Earl of Granard 1942 – 45 T.J. Hamilton 1945 – 47 P.M. Purcell 1947 – 50 J.J. O’Leary 1950 – 55 A.A. Murphy 1955 – 60 J.J. O’Leary 1960 – 64 F. Lemass 1964 – 69 J.C. McConnell 1969 – 72 P.J. Johnston 1972 – 74 L. Boyd 1974 – 76 F.C. Winkelmann 1976 – 79 P.A. Browne 1979 – 83 W.A. Maguire 1983 – 87 F.J. Cooney 1987 – 88 J.J. Byrne 1988 – 91 M.F. Muldoon 1991 – 94 B.D. Barry 1994 – 97 M.P.B. Horgan 1997 – 00 B. MacNeaney 2000 – 02 I.E. Kiernan 2002 – 05 C.N.I. Moore 2005 – 08 C.J. Murphy 2008 – 11 P.D. Ryan 2011 – P. Barrington 2011-2014 Larry Power 2014-2017 Ronan Beirne 2017 – 2019

At A Glance - National Yacht Club 2024 Events

  • 24th February Optimist Sprint
  • 25th February Leinster Schools Team Racing
  • 3rd March Leinster Schools Team Racing
  • 13th April Lift in
  • 20th April Leinster Schools Team Racing
  • 23rd – 24th, 27th – 28th April University Invitational Match Racing Championships
  • 11th – 12th May 29er Easterns and Invitational Match Racing Nationals
  • 25th – 26th May Women at the Helm Regatta
  • 15th June NYC Regatta
  • 22nd – 23rd June Topper Southern Champs
  • 10th July NYC Junior Regatta
  • 5th September NYC End of Season Race
  • 21st – 22nd September F15 East Coast Championships
  • 5th October Start of F15 Frostbite Series
  • 12th October Lift Out
  • 19th – 20th October RS Aero Easterns

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