Malahide Yacht Club Annual Wicklow Vase
Every year, the unique “Wicklow Vase” event brings together a thrilling mix of dinghies and keelboats off the coast at Malahide Yacht Club, where the North Dublin estuary transforms into a battleground of strategy, skill—and sometimes sheer cheeky luck.
What’s the Wicklow Vase all about?
The Wicklow Vase is a handicap race that pits small dinghies and larger cruising keelboats against each other. By using a handicap system, each vessel (regardless of size or type) has a theoretical finish time. The challenge? Beat that finishing mark. It’s what makes the ‘little guys’ competitive and keeps the bigger boats on their toes.
That mix of crews—from seasoned keelboat sailors to dinghy hot‑shots—is what gives the event real character.
This years event takes place next Saturday 28th June just outside the safe watermark at the entrance to Malahide Estuary. Some years there’s a gentle breeze—ideal for dinghies to shine, others a stronger stream enough to push the keelboats onto a fast handicap berth.
Race Officer on the day; Niall Gallagher and his team will set a challenging course. A well-timed tack, knowing when to hug the tide, or choosing the right angle soon translates into precious seconds—handicap seconds.
What makes the Wicklow Vase so enjoyable is the club spirit.
- Dinghy sailors, often part of MYC’s youth or adult dinghy squads, learn seamanship beyond speed—upwind angles, tide planning, reading larger vessel movements.
- Keelboat teams, meanwhile, get a cheeky benchmark as they mix with the nimble dinghies, whose quick acceleration can take them by surprise.
Support craft—safety ribs, mark‑laying boats, club volunteers—are crucial, keeping the race flowing and ensuring everyone’s safe, especially when those dinghies ride the tide just right, buzzing past cruising yachts.
Malahide Yacht Club’s Wicklow Vase is more than just a sail race—it’s a celebration of sailing diversity, teaching dinghy crews boat-on-boat awareness while giving keelboats refreshing competition.
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