Dublin Bay Mermaid
The Dublin Bay Mermaid is a one-design, wooden sailing dinghy originally designed for sailing in Dublin Bay, Ireland.
It is a 17-foot, half-decked, centreboard boat rigged as a Bermuda sloop, designed for the Dublin Bay Sailing Club in 1932 by John B. Kearney.[1] The class still actively races with fleets in Dun Laoghaire, Rush, Skerries and Foynes. The class usually have 5 Championship level events every year, these include the Munster Championship, the Leinster Championship, the National Championship, Skerries Regatta and Rush Regatta. Regular club racing also runs from May to September but can start as early as April and continue up until the end of October depending on the club. The national class association is the Mermaid Sailing Association.
The boats have a helm and 2 crew with a main sail, jib and spinnaker. The Olympic racing course is most commonly used at Championship level racing events and the class gets great levels of turnouts with a minimum of 20-30 boats always competing at the National Championship event which is held every year.
The table below lists the pre-1940 boats with their original names are. The boats were not completed in numerical order as sail numbers were not allocated until some years after the first Mermaids were launched.:[2]
Mermaids
Name | Sail No. | Builder | Year Launched | Fate | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amy | 1 | Walter Levinge, Athlone | 1933 or 1934 | Still exists | Prototype | |
Delphis | 2 | Michael Mahony, Dun Laoghaire | 1935 or 1936 | Wrecked 1963 | ||
Iolar | 3 | John Gray, Dun Laoghaire | 1935 or 1936 | Still exists | ||
Stella | 4 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1937 | Wrecked 1964 | ||
Celia | 5 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1937 | Still exists | ||
Oonagh | 11 | Walter Levinge, Athlone | 1937 | Still exists | Originally No. 4, changed in 1938 | |
Daphne | 6 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1938/39 | Still exists | ||
Ruby | 7 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1938/39 | Still exists | ||
Tuano | 10 | John Gray, Dun Laoghaire | 1938 | Wrecked 1985 | Later renamed Falcon | |
Eight | 8 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1939 | Still exists | Renamed Minx in 1941 | |
Minthamme | 9 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1939 | Still exists | Renamed Mantis in 1940 | |
Nombril | 12 | Christy Mahony, Dun Laoghaire | 1939 | Still exists | Later renamed Maybe | |
Dabchick | 14 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1939 | Still exists | ||
Olga | 15 | Christy Mahony, Dun Laoghaire | 1939 | Wrecked 1995 | ||
Nike | 18 | Henry Skinner, Baltimore | 1939 | Still exists | Originally No. 13, changed in 1945. Renamed Claire |
See the table below for a full list of boats.[3] An * indicates that the number originally used on an earlier boat, since wrecked or broken up. 'W' and 'B' after a number indicates wrecked or broken up respectively. A name or names in brackets indicates earlier name(s). Boats highlighted in bold have won the National Championship.
Sail No. | Name | Year Built | Sail No. | Name | Year Built | Sail No. | Name | Year Built | Sail No. | Name | Year Built |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Amy | 1933/34 | 51 | Siobhan | 1949 | 101 | Fiona | 1962 | 151 | Cherokee | 1971 |
2 W | Delphis | 1935/36 | 52 | Amelia (Mehitabel) | 1949 | 102 | Endeavour | 1962 | 152 | Jo-Col | 1973 |
3 | Iolar | 1935/36 | 53 | Miranda | 1949 | 103 | Eileen | 1962 | 153 | Sea Mew | 1973 |
4 W | Stella | 1937 | 54 | Hycilla | 1949 | 104 | Spruce | 1963 | 154 | Sea Hawk | 1973 |
4 * | Ferga | 1958 | |||||||||
5 | Celia | 1937 | 55 | Ferdia II | 1949 | 105 | Ferdia III (Skippy) | 1962 | 155 | Mayfly | 1972 |
6 | Daphne | 1938/39 | 56 | Cherie (Alverna) | 1954 | 106 | Tartara | 1962 | 156 | not allocated | |
7 | Ruby | 1938/39 | 57 | Lady Margaret(Eimear) (Aille) | 1957 | 107 | Hope | 1941 | 157 W | Judy | 1973 |
8 | Minx (Eight) | 1939 | 58 | Celine (Careless / St. Brigid) | pre 1953? | 108 B | Lorelei | 1962 | 158 | not allocated | |
9 | Mantis (Minthamme) | 1939 | 59 | Annette | 1954 | 109 | Trudy (Fly One) | 1965 | 159 | not allocated | |
10 W | Tuano (Falcon) | 1938 | 60 | Sandra (not certified) | 1951/52 | 110 | Katie Girl (Juanita) | 1963 | 160 | Fenelda | 1972 |
11 | Oonagh | 1937 | 61 | Jan-Mari (Mimi) | 1947 | 111 | Perhaps | 1963 | 161 | Pearl | 1973 |
12 | Maybe (Nombril) | 1939 | 62 | Cliona | 1950 | 112 | Nualita | 1964 | 162 | Aisling | 1974 |
13 * | Sparkie | 1961 | 63 | Zircon (Gem / A.E.) | 1953 | 113 | Una C. | 1963 | 163 | Tuskar | 1973 |
14 | Dabchick | 1939 | 64 | Charmian II | 1953 | 114 | Nichapando | 1965 | 164 | Gail (Engedi) | 1974 |
15 B | Olga | 1939 | 65 | Orla (Linda) | 1953 | 115 | Philadelphis (Doreen) | pre 1953? | 165 | Sea Fox | 1975 |
16 W | Saoirse (Jill) | 1940? | 66 | Naiad | 1953 | 116 | Labasheeda (Andimica) | 1955 | 166 | Isadora | 1975 |
16 | Saoirse | ? | |||||||||
17 | Meave | 1940 | 67 | Fifi | 1954 | 117 | Jane | 1968 | 167 W | Jolene | 1979 |
18 | Clare (Nike, Claire) | 1939 | 68 | Laura | 1953 | 118 | not allocated | 168 | Aoibheann | ? | |
19 | Langeline (Christine) | 1945 | 69 | Trix | 1953 | 119 | Three Chevrons | 1966 | 169 | Shivona | 1977 |
20 | Nereid | 1945 | 70 | Dot | 1956 | 120 | Nicola | 1963 | 170 W | Sheldrake II | 1980 |
21 | Aideen | 1956 | 71 W | Jeannie | 1960 | 121 | Red Seal (Clodagh / Cliona II) | 1963 | 171 | C'est Ca | 1979 |
22 | Joy | 1947 | 72 | Sallywake | 1953 | 122 | Fionnuala | 1964 | 172 | Emma Anne | 1982 |
23 | Gipsy | 1945 | 73 | Lively Lady | 1960 | 123 | Vee | 1965 | 173 | Jubilee | 1982 |
24 | Mairead | 1957 | 74 | Biddy | 1962 | 124 | Meg | 1964 | 174 | Golden Chevrons | 1983 |
25 | Louise | 1957 | 75 | Brenda Marie (Marianne) | 1961 | 125 | Maid Marion | 1963 | 175 | Nora | 1983 |
26 | Thumbalina | 1953 | 76 | Helen | 1960 | 126 | Dixie | 1964 | 176 | Silver J | 1983 |
27 W | Frances | 1953 | 77 | Tiller Girl | 1960 | 127 | not allocated | 177 | This Is It | 1989 | |
27 * | St Francis | 1964 | |||||||||
28 W | Jacqueline | 1956 | 78 | Gigi | 1962 | 128 | Gina | 1964 | 178 | Bobby's Girl | 2011 |
29 | Milk Wood | 1956 | 79 B | Kaye II | 1959 | 129 | Kilmoon | 1966 | 179 | Bean Adhmaid | 1995 |
30 | Elenora | 1956 | 80 B | Jean | 1953 | 130 | Joanna Rose | 1966 | 180 | Night Owl | 1995 |
31 | Eva | 1946 | 81 | Rosalie | 1953 | 131 | Wild Wind (Paula) | 1964 | 181 | Kim | 1989 |
32 | Elf | 1946 | 82 | Margo | 1953 | 132 | Duotina | 1965 | 182 | Dolphin | 1994 |
33 | Ferdia | 1946 | 83 W | Betsan | 1953 | 133 | Rebecca | 1967 | 183 | Wannago | 1997 |
34 | Sanderling (Joan) | 1946 | 84 | Nanno (Iduno) | 1953 | 134 | Jill | 1967 | 184 | Grace Dieu | 1996 |
35 | Nymph | 1956 | 85 | Akita | 1953 | 135 | Cara II | 1967 | 185 | The Message | 1997 |
36 | Elizabeth | 1953 | 86 | Marguerite | 1954 | 136 | Zayda II | 1967 | 186 | My Di | 1997 |
37 | Puffin (Cloud) | 1953 | 87 W | Reckless (Jessie) | 1960 | 137 | Pandora | 1968 | 187 | Zuleika | 1996 |
38 | Syrena | 1953 | 88 | Kirkie May | 1961 | 138 | Zeila | 1968 | 188 | Innocence | 1997 |
39 | Trurvey (Lize) | 1956 | 89 | Realt na Mara | 1961 | 139 | not allocated | 189 | Azeezy | 2003 | |
40 | Chargesheet (Seagull) | 1957 | 90 | Deirdre (Noka) | 1955 | 140 | Ariano | 1969 | 190 | Mayhem | 2012 |
41 | Mary C | 1946 | 91 | Penguin | 1955 | 141 | Alanna | 1969 | 191 | Maybe | 2012 |
42 | Carina (Stella Maris / Sari Maria) | 1946 | 92 | Grainne | 1955 | 142 W | Aida (Dawn) | 1969 | 192 | Ariel | 2012 |
43 | Salome | 1946 | 93 | Swallow | 1955 | 143 | Barbecca | 1969 | |||
44 | Sea Spray | 1947 | 94 | Hema | 1955 | 144 W | Overdraught (Carefree) | 1970 | |||
45 | Avril J | 1950 | 95 | Ingrid | 1955 | 145 W | Capella | 1968 | |||
46 | Argo | 1953 | 96 | Solace | 1961 | 146 | Fugitive | 1968 | |||
47 | Sea Goon (Finnuala) | 1960 | 97 | Sybill | 1961 | 147 | Tijuana | 1969 | |||
48 | Schuss (Rinn Slea) | 1961 | 98 W | Breda | 1962 | 148 | Nimrod | 1971 | |||
49 | Lady Joanne (Rosemary) | 1960 | 99 | Aoife | 1960 | 149 | SÃ Gaoithe | 1970 | |||
50 | Chico | 1956 | 100 | Zest (Patricia) | 1962 | 150 | Sea Wytch | 1970 |
References
- Smyth, Paul (2000) The Dublin Bay Mermaid, A History 1932 - 2000, p3, Kompass Ireland, Dublin
- Smyth, Paul (2000) The Dublin Bay Mermaid, A History 1932 - 2000, Appendix 3, Kompass Ireland, Dublin
- Mermaid Sailing Association records