Please select your home edition
Edition
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350

The oldest video footage of yacht and dinghy sailing in Ireland

by Magnus Smith 17 Mar 05:00 AEDT
Royal Cork Yacht Club greening for St Patrick's Day © Royal Cork Yacht Club

As we prepare for St Patrick's Day tomorrow, let us direct our exploration of the video archive towards anything Irish. We have discovered several videos from Ireland, starting as early as the 1920s!

Here is the oldest video: Dun Laoghaire Regatta 1926 - featuring sailing, rowing and swimming.

Jumping ahead we now have the Howth YC Regatta and Lambay Races - 1942

Sadly this video is silent (or rather, has a humming noise) but shows good footage from the Skerries Regatta in 1950

If you want to see more from Skerries there is a three-part set of longer videos that cover the harbour area:

  • Part 1 - skip to 7m10s for sailing
  • Part 2 - skip to 2m03s for sailing
  • Part 3 - skip to 1m14s for sailing

Next up, you need to ignore the Cowes Week footage at the start of this video, and skip to 0m23s, as it also covers the 505 racing in Cork - 1957 (the Worlds were in France on this year, and there was no Europeans until 1966, so was this a Nationals?)

Update: we later found Clontarf Easter Week Regatta (Dublin) 1960 - Firefly, Int14, Cadet, 505

We now go straight to: 1970 Fireball Worlds at Fenit, Tralee Bay

We end with another Cork video: 505 World Championships 1982

What of the rest?

Do you know the location of any other Irish sailing videos? We would love to share these with sailors worldwide. You can submit video links for immediate review.

Keep watching with:

Related Articles

Foiling Frenzy at Fraglia Vela Malcesine
The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! The Moth Worlds at Lake Garda are something else! Regardless of where sailors are in their careers, or the reputation they have, everyone wants to be there and have a tilt at the title. Posted today at 3:45 pm
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
Some thoughts on provisioning for distance sailing
A new perspective on provisioning and time spent at sea One of the great joys of distance racing unfurls the moment that the dock lines are untied. Suddenly, the myriad packing lists that inevitably define most trip-planning efforts become about as relevant as a tax return from eight years ago. Posted on 1 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Sailing and the summer solstice
Celebrating sailing and the longest day of the year If you love long evenings and early mornings, this is one of the best times of the whole year, as the summer solstice (Friday, June 20) and the entire rich expanse of summer are about to burst into bloom. Posted on 17 Jun
Video Review: The Amazing Cure 55
Composite Construction meets Cruising Convenience It was two years ago at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show that I talked to Dave Biggar about his ideas and plans for the Cure 55. At the 2025 show I got to step on board the yacht and see how his ideas became reality. Posted on 17 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun
Boat Books Australia FOOTERBarton Marine Pipe GlandsCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER