Three major sailing championships will be hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire in Autumn 2024 in what will be a three week jamboree of keelboat racing, culminating in the IRC European Championship.
First up is the ICRA National Championships, which will see yachts across all classes competing on exciting Dublin Bay courses and with plentiful shoreside entertainment. The ICRA National Championships will run from Friday, 30th August to Sunday, 1st September. The timing of this event may put some of the Dun Laoghaire fleet at a dis-advantage if they are not careful to maintain crew discipline on ICRA’s Eve – typically, the last Thursday night race of the Dublin Bay Sailing Club season can be a rowdy affair!
Crews of J boats will barely have time to hose down their boats and fold away their racing sails before the Key Yachting J Cup Ireland kicks off with preliminaries in the Royal Irish yacht Club on Friday 6th September 2024. First run in the RIYC in 2023, this very successful event returns with back-to-back racing on the weekend of Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September 2024. We expect large entries from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland given the opportunity to race in the ICRA’s and/or the IRC Europeans the week before and the week after.
Crowning off the three weeks of competition will be the Maples IRC European Championship which runs from 12th – 15th September 2024. Run in conjunction with the Royal Ocean Racing Club, this will bring the cream of Grand Prix cruisers racers to Dun Laoghaire and will prove to be a spectacular event for both participants and spectators. In a special partnership with RORC, RIYC are preparing a format which will be inclusive for Club, Regatta and Professional sailors alike while Dublin is only 20 minutes away by metro and full of sights and experiences for fellow travellers.
Running the events on consecutive weeks allows visiting boats to come and enjoy their pick of top level racing and also enjoy some downtime with their friends and families exploring the hinterland of the area. The Preliminary Notice of Race will be issued in the next few weeks.
“We are delighted to be hosting this unique jamboree of sailing in the Royal Irish Yacht Club next year. Our club’s excellent facilities, under the stewardship of our sailing manager Mark McGibney are gearing up to welcome all the sailors and guests. This is a great opportunity for Dun Laoghaire to show the World what a fantastic location it is for yacht racing. There are many attractions for the visiting crews their family and friends to enjoy “ said Jerry Dowling – Commodore of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.
Dun Laoghaire in Dublin Bay is a popular IRC racing venue (photo Afloat.ie)