Peter Beamish was elected Commodore and Barry MacNeaney was elected Vice Commodore of the RAYC with Joe Carton of Howth returned as Rear putting in place a strong team for the Alfred going forward. Tributes were paid to outgoing Commodore Ailbe Millerick for his six years stewardship of the Alfred and for handing over the club in fine fettle, both organisationally and financially for the future. A strong race is programme in place for 2010. Commodores report for 2009 attached. Ailbe thanked Dublin Port, the RAYC committee, the waterfront club Commodores and DBSC for their support in making hte Alfred a success.

Published - 26 March 2010
Attachment - Commodores Report 2009

Tim Goodbody's White Mischief took the Dublin Port Boat of the Year honours at the RAYC Prizegiving Dinner. Goodbody's extraordinary record in the Simgma 33 class including a European Championship and eight of the last ten National Championships was recognisedby the Alfred. Paul Murphy was posthumousy awarded the John O'Leary Memorial trophy for his services to sailing. Ruth Murph accepted it on his behalf. (photo) Carol Beamish, Commodore Ailbe Millerick & Ruth Murphy. (more photos in Gallery)

Published - 30 November 2009

The RAYC Annual Blacktie Prizegiving & Dinner will be held in the National YC at 800 pm on 28th November 2009. Tickets will be at a premium so send your email admin@rayc.ie for tickets.

Published - 6 November 2009

RAYC News - South Coast Sigma take Patriots Cup 2009
The UK Sigma team showed precision in only dropping one match (11-1) in the Royal Alfred Patriots Cup 2009 team racing event sailed at the weekend in Dun Laoghaire. Tim Goodbody Sr & John Sheehy of the Royal Alfred team (6-6), lost their chance of running Sigma's close, by losing the last two matches of the competition on Sunday giving RStGYC (7-5) team of Sam Hunt and Marty O'Leary the runner up slot. Andrew Fowler was forced to cry off the George team at the last minute. Only one point divided 2nd to 4th with Lough Derg’s (6-6) Stefan Hyde & Peter Bayly going down on the tie break with the Alfred. The sailors were delighted with the 30 races run by Brian Reddy SRO in variable conditions and racing was completed by 1400 Sunday before the forecasted gale. The racing was ably umpired by an international team of umpires (led by the Alfred Commodore) from the Solent, Clyde, France and Ireland. Many thanks to the Royal Irish for hosting the event and to all involved in making the event a success.
International Umpire Team & Jury: Ailbe Millerick IU/NJ IRL (Chief Umpire) Philip Gage IJ GBR (Jury Chairman) Jean-Miltiade Bouyoukas NU/IJ FRA Michael O’Connor IU/IJ IRL George Chapman IJ GBR Norman Long NU/IJ IRL Charles Darley RU GBR Gordon Davies NU/NJ IRL

Published - 7 September 2009

A fleet of eight SB3s, about the right size for the confined space, sailed up through the lifted Toll Bridge at 1030 last Friday to do battle in some epic racing for the Royal Alfred YC 2009 Liffey Challenge . Weather conditions were initially poor with drizzle which was unfortunate for spectator appeal and photo opportunity but at least by lunchtime the skies had cleared. The lunchtime hordes from the accountancy firms, law firms and IFSC companies by the River gathered in good numbers to watch, armed with their panini and cappucinos.
Indeed, an early afternoon hazard for the fleet for a number of races was a large number of divers and 2 large ribs, complete with camera crew up above on the quayside. This turned out to be the filming of a "suicide jump" episode of RTE's "Fair City", rather spoiling the element of surprise for any SB3 sailing soap followers, not to mention the disruption for the TV director caused by loud, exhuberant SB3 crews hailing for room at an obstruction! Anyway, the action started off fast and furious with very patchy morning winds and incredibly close racing, especially for the first tack after the start in by the wall and later as all eight boats tended to round the windward mark together. Extremely fast out of the blocks was "Trade Credit Brokers", sailed by Aidan O'Connell with Graham Elmes in the middle, who won the first three races.
Race Officer and RAYC Commodore Ailbe Millerick called for a brief halt for lunch then racing resumed. The wind increased at this stage, ironing out a few of the treacherous light spots. The lads on "TCB" lost some momentum and Cathy MacAleavey on "Bluebird", racing with Laser Radial star daughter Analise and ex 49-er campaigner Russell MacGovern, really came into it with two race wins on the trot. However, "Squalo Bianco" raced by Sean Craig, Alan Green and wife Heather Craig had been chipping away and ended up winning the last two races to take the trophy by the narrowest of margins. Many others in the fleet, such as young Ben Shanahan, Jerry Dowling and Marco Sorgassi had strong individual races. The stronger wind produced some good planing down by the favoured north wall and some really tight racing. A couple of boats spun out for nasty little brushes with the quayside wall. Thankfully no damage or injuries resulted.
The SB3 class are very grateful to the RAYC for organising the Liffey Challenge, the Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club for their facilities and of course Dublin Port Co. for their support in running the event and generous sponsorship.
Final results (Top 3) : 1st 3281 "Squalo Bianco", RStGYC, Sean Craig, Alan Green and Heather Craig, 13 points ; results ; 1,1,2,2,3,4 (5) 2nd 3033 "Bluebird", NYC, Cathy MacAleavey, Russell MacGovern and Analise Murphy, 14 points ; 1,1,2,3,3,4 (8) 3rd 3279 "Trade Credit Brokers", RStGYC, Aidan O'Connell, Graham Elmes and Carol O'Kelly, 16 points ; 1,1,1,4,4,5 (8). David O'Brien Afloat.ie

Published - 16 June 2009

David O'Brien AFLOAT. Wednesday, 13 May 2009 Sean Lemass's Galileo was the winner of a windy Lee Overlay Offshore race to Arklow last Saturday where westerly breezes gusting to over 35 knots greeted the Dublin fleet at 10am. Buoyed up by the sponsor's own recent performance in the Caribbean 15 boats came to the line in Scotsman Bay, a significant increase in numbers now participating in this coastal and offshore league hosted by the Royal Alfred YC. In a mix of new and old craft, Gallileo led to Sandycove point on their way out of Dublin bay hugging the coast in a flooding tide to Arklow followed by the little Jeanneau Sunfast 3200 Big Hillie style.
Rules for the series include the stipulation that the boats must be skippered, helmed and crewed by her regular Corinthian crew one of the reasons perhaps for some to opt out of DBSC round the cans format and take off for a day passage to Arklow instead.
Second overall was Tsunami and third the Royal Alfred's Vice-Commodore Peter Beamish in Aztec. Off Wicklow head, there were big waves for the return trip to Dublin and there was a good surfing encounter between Aztec and Big Hillie style.
Mick Creedon's Sarnia, the oldest and slowest boat in the fleet, finished ninth on RAYC's IRC result sheet. League Sponsor Adrian Lee's own performance in the Caribbean this Spring is described in May Afloat. There is also a review of the Jeanneau Sunfast 3200.

Published - 16 May 2009

This year there is a change in the Alfred program for 2009 with the Dublin Port RAYC Bloomsday Open Regatta taking place on June 13 for which the Alfred Trophies will be presented. As it is a Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta year there will no Superleague. The success of the Baily Bowl requires that there be two events run on two seperate weekends in May with Sigma's, First 31.7's and J109's racing 9th and 10th May from the RIYC. The SB3's, Dragons, Squibs Flying 15's (East Coasts), RS Elites race 16th & 17th May 2009 from the National YC. The Alfred expects some 20 visitors to Dun Laoghaire and a total of 130 boats participating on the two weekends. Racing on the Liffey is scheduled both SB3's (fleet) and Etchells (random pairs team racing) and the Patriots Cup Team Event is scheduled for early September in J80's.

Published - 10 April 2009
Attachment - Baily Bowl 16-17 May NOR & Entry

The fleets, in a straw poll reported that they really enjoyed the Volvo Regatta festival for that's what it was, a great festival of racing. The fickle summer conditions with cells rolling across the bay twisting the gradient wind direction and vacuuming the wind behind in their wakes made for frustrating conditions for the SRO's: but the sailors were more sanguine having sailed much of the season in the same conditions. Remember the ICRA event in RCYC and the Soverigns in Kinsale more breeze but where was summer? The depth and professionalism of the race organisation in Dun Laoghaire was truely stunning delivering all that was needed for the first class regatta that it was and over 522 boats had great fun over the four days. Kudos to the Clubs for the shore events and the race organsation under Brian Craig and Ciara Dowling the miriad of volunteers for a really special event which now has transgressed the irritations of the weather. Thanks to Philip Smith for originally pushing the idea to the Dun Laoghaire Combined Clubs in early 2004 to resurrect the event from the ashes of the 60's Dun Laoghaire Week, getting the sponsors lined up and good luck to him as he takes over the Chair from Brian Craig for the 2009 Volvo Regatta.

Published - 25 July 2007

Matt Davis and his crew enjoy receiving the Lee-Overlay Trophy at the prizegiving dinner in the Royal St George Yacht Club. Adrian Lee's Irisha took the runner up prize with Oliver Sheehy's White Tiger third. The Alfred Commodore Ailbe Millerick thanked Adrian for sponsoring the series in its inaugural year. Adrian has committed Lee-Overlay to sponsoring the racing for five years to 2009. The program will continue in 2007 with day and Overnight racing.

Published - 15 December 2006