Howth Yacht Club has advised that the Lambay Races will take place on Saturday, June 3rd, this year and have invited all MYC Cruisers and Crews to enter the event. The starting areas will be in the vicinity of Howth Harbour and boats will race north to round Lambay Island before returning to finish beside Ireland’s Eye.
This is a key event of Howth YC’s sailing season and is unique on the Irish sailing calendar in providing the challenges of an offshore race in a manner that allows boats of all sizes to savour point-to-point racing around a course that always poses challenges. Local features such as headlands, inlets, high ground and a range of water depths require decisions about which should be sought or avoided, all the time while crews enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Fingal coast and the islands that mark the north and south ends of the racecourse.
2023 will be the first time since pre-pandemic 2019, which saw nearly 100 boats racing, that the Lambay Races will run as a standalone Open Event. We hope to exceed the 2019 entry this year and will very much welcome and appreciate visiting boats. Racing will be provided for all types of keelboats, whether racing on handicap or as one-designs. Crews intending to compete in the 2023 ICRA Championships will also get the opportunity to study the waters on which that event will be raced on in September.
The Handicap Classes will see close competition between Snapshot, the 2022 Boat of the Year, who will be seeking to retain primacy over both its bigger and smaller sisters, the J109s and the J97s, while a locally based J112 will be trying to show them that size does matter. The X302s will be the boats to beat in Class 2 while In Class 3 the mix will include some quick Sigma 33s, Impalas, a newly refurbished and modified Bolero and a Laser 28, all of them looking to take their first silverware of 2023. The Whitesails Class will possibly be the one with the biggest range of boat sizes competing, although the Elan 33s have always shown themselves to be ones worth keeping an eye on.
In the One-Design category, we will have dedicated races and trophies for visiting Classes including the Ruffian 23s, who are celebrating 50 years of sailing, and the E-Boats from Clontarf Y&BC and Skerries SC. They will be joining the Howth YC based One Designs including the Howth 17s, celebrating the 125th anniversary of their adoption as a Howth icon, the Puppeteer 22 Class that has recently expanded further with three more boats joining the Club’s fleet of 30+ and the Squibs, which continue their fleet revival and now have 14 boats racing from Howth.
Racing is arranged with two starting areas, each with its own Committee Vessels and under the direction of our most senior Race Officers. This will allow the extended list of Class starts to be completed promptly, with boats sent off to Lambay from two directions to minimise congestion. The prize list includes an extensive range of trophies and prizes for IRC, handicap and one-design racing. Class-specific trophies for the Sigma 33s and Shipman 28s are provided although both will both will also be competing in Class 3. An on-the-water photographer will capture the action afloat and ensure that the formal prize-giving later in the afternoon is properly recorded.
Further details can be accessed at https://www.hyc.ie/open-events and entries can be made online via the link provided at that address. Owners are encouraged to enter before 22.00 on Sunday, May 28th, after which a late-entry fee will apply.
Those seeking berthage or craneage can contact the HYC marina team, either by phone at 01 8392777 or by email at marina@hyc.ie .
This is a full-day event and the Club’s hospitality team will be on hand from early morning to provide pre-sailing tea, coffee and breakfast rolls. After sailing, competitors will be greeted with a barbeque on the Club deck area with music from a DJ in the bar area. Into the evening, the restaurant and bar will cater for all with music provided by a live band.
MYC have supported this event for many years and hope that many of our sailors with partake and enjoy our Fingal Coastline
