Sailing Club of The Month - Tralee Bay Sailing Club

Tralee Bay Sailing Club (TBSC) is situated in Fenit, Co. Kerry and was founded in 1956 by a group of local enthusiasts. The clubhouse overlooks Tralee Bay with a view that ranges from Blennerville Windmill across the Maharees and westward to Brandon Point. It is the combination of the spectacular backdrop and the protected inshore waters of Tralee Bay, which provides a tremendous venue for competitive sailing events such as National Championships, WIORA and more.

To the seaward of Tralee Bay more vigorous conditions prevail – south to Dingle and West Cork and north to the Shannon Estuary and Galway. There is a marina with a number of visiting berth as well as facilities, making the location perfect for keelboat events. TBSC is home to a wide range of sailing, with a good mix of competitive racing and sociable cruising occurring within the club. There is also a number of local shops, cafes, and restaurants in the area to be frequented and enjoyed. The Bay is home to a family of three dolphins who love to interact with keelboats and dinghies alike. Ultimately, TBSC is all about the people from the sailors to the volunteers. TBSC has developed a strong sense of community among its members and engages with the further community of Fenit. Our members span a wide range of ages and we take great pride in how we have made the club a family club with many boats being crewed by various generations.

In the 1970s TBSC hosted the Fireball Worlds, which marked the first of many large events held by the club. The 1970s also marked the beginning of TBSC’s participation and wins at WIORA with winners of the Sonia Cup including G. O’Sullivan’s Ceilí and T. O’Keefe’s Conrí.

The 1980s marked a period of greater activity in the club, commenced by Commodore James Lynch and the club was renovated. In 1981 Hugh Culloty and Der O’Sullivan won WIORA in Jack Lynn Jane, a Prospect 900 in gale force winds. Eddie Barry won the Sonia Cup in Siamsa II in both 1982 and 83. There were four more TBSC wins of the Sonia Cup by TBSC sailors between 1987 and 93: once by M. Jones in Maud, and three times by T. and M. O’Keefe in Orion. In 1993 WIORA was held in Fenit and was featured on the television show Saturday Sports.

In 2003, Dan Counihan sparked the beginnings of TBSC’s Oppie fleet buying four second-hand oppies. Three more were bought by Donal Browne, Billy Moyles, and Mike O’Connor. Over the next twenty years the club would produce many exceptional oppie sailors who would race on the Irish team and go on to be some of the most highly decorated sailors in the club.

In 2006, TBSC’s Dis-a-ray won the Ita McGibney Cup at WIORA, and in 2008 TBSC hosted the Oppie Nationals which was attended by 220 participants making it one of the largest dinghy events held in Ireland ever at the time. In 2012 TBSC’s Sophie Browne won the Consul Cup in Oppies and came 13^th overall and 2^nd girl in the Optimast World Championship in New Zealand.

2013 marked the year Brian O’Sullivan helmed his boat Amazing Grace to win the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race. Amazing Grace was the first Kerry boat to win the race in the 20 years of its existence. In the same year TBSC hosted the ICRA Nationals. TBSC also saw success in WIORA this year with Ridire Bán, skippered by M. McDonnell winning the White Sails fleet and Diarmuid Dineen’s Growler winning the Beneteau Cup.

Dave Buckley’s Boojum won WIORA IRC3 in 2014, and the following year, Gary Fort won WIORA IRC3 in Jaguar (J24) and Finbarr O’Connell won Best Sigma in Treyona. 2015 was also the year that Brian and Frances O’Sullivan raced and completed the Fastnet Race in Amazing Grace.

By 2016, the club boasted over 140 members making it the heartbeat of sailing in the Tralee area and was celebrating its diamond jubilee (60 years). According to Afloat, “The Roll Call of historic sailing events – local, national and world level – which have been staged here in the club’s sixty years would put many a larger and longer-established club to shame.”

2018 marked the first year that Gary Fort gave his boat, Jaguar, to an all female crew to compete in the TBSC Jones Cup. This led to an increased push within the club to encourage young female sailors to stick with the sport and to transition from dinghies to keelboats.

2019 was a big year for the club, and especially was the year of TBSC J24 excellence. TBSC’s Janx Spirit, helmed by Tadhg Ó Loingsigh and crewed by Hugh Stewart, Tadhg McSweeney, Brian Fox, and Donnagh O’Buachalla, became the ICRA under 25 J24 National Champions. Jibe, helmed by Fergus Kelliher, also won the J24 Easterns. The same year TBSC brought home prizes from Calves Week. Dave Buckley and his crew won IRC3 in Jaguar (J24). Diarmuid Dineen’s Growler also won ECHO 3. In dinghies, Eimer Moriarty placed 3rd Girls at the RYA Youth Nationals 29ers. The same year she placed top 20 in the world at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Poland representing TBSC. She has gone on to coach many of TBSC’s current dinghy sailors and worked on the Dinghy Committee.

Paddy Cunnane won the Laser Standard Munsters in 2020 and performed at an incredibly high standard regionally and nationally throughout the year. Ellie Cunnane, also placed first female at the ILCA 6 Munsters the same year.

In 2021, TBSC hosted WIORA as Covid restrictions began to ease. The event was a massive success with TBSC boats performing well in the event with Gary Fort’s Jaguar coming 2^nd in IRC1 and Dave Buckley’s Eclipse coming 2^nd in IRC2. In dinghies, TBSC hosted the Mermaid Nationals and Eimer Moriarty demonstrated what was described by the ILCA as the “true Kerry grit and determination that is drilled into the hardy sailors from TBSC” to hold onto the title of top Irish girl at the Youth Worlds.

Stephen Cunnane demonstrated immense skill at the French Laser Nationals in 2022, placing 9^th overall in the standard fleet. TBSC’s J24s also had an exceptional 2022. Fergus Kelliher and the crew of Jibe also came 10^th overall at the J24 Europeans. Tadgh Ó Loingsigh’s Janx Spirit also excelled coming 2^nd in the Irish J24 Nationals and 4^th in the UK J24 Nationals. In 2022, Daithí Murphy became the youngest helm in TBSC to win the TBSC Jones Cup and TBSC Keelboat of the Year on Chinook, aged 16. This came as the club continues to develop pathways for younger sailors to keep them sailing.

The Sailing School in Fenit represented a significant undertaking to expand club property and activity options. It was initiated by Micky OSullivan and an able committee which was fronted ably by Lorna Browne for several years. Over the years it has evolved and changed hands being run by Brian O’Sullivan as the Tralee Bay Maritime Centre for a while. It has been a catalyst for many people to join the membership of the club after being bitten by the sailing club. It also provided young dinghy sailors with the opportunity to develop their instructing and coaching skills. The building continues to operate as a water sports and recreation facility run by our partners at Wild Water Adventures and gives the club a great street presence in the village of Fenit.

In 2023, TBSC had a large amount of sailors, young and old, dinghies and keelboats, representing the club across all levels of sailing. Despite a delayed start to the season due to the dredging of the marina, the club was very busy at home as well. In dinghies, TBSC’s Ellie Cunnane commenced campaigning a 49erFX for the 2028 Olympics after many years spent dominating in the Laser Radial. Riona McMorrow Moriarty came 8th in the Topper Worlds with two 1sts in the first two races. Ian and Mike Magowan also came 2nd in the Waterwag fleet at the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. TBSC hosted the GP14 Munster Championship which was a massive success and has led to an increase in the number of GP14s in the club. In keelboats, Cormac Murphy’s Chinook came 3rd in ECHO 3 in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. This year also saw the Topper fleet in TBSC grow in size and skill under the supervision of head coach Eimer Moriarty.

Interview with Ellie Cunnane:

Ellie Cunnane, despite her young age has had a long history of racing and coaching with TBSC. She has competed in Oppies, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, 49erFX, J24, and other keelboats, and is a highly decorated sailor locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

“My favourite part of sailing in TBSC has to be the nature and the scenery. Between the mountains, wildlife, and the lighthouse there’s always a little bit of beauty brought to every sail. My favourite memory of sailing for TBSC is competing at the ISAF Senior Worlds 2023 in the Hague. We were the first Irish team [alongside Erin McIlwaine] to compete in the event in the FX and it was great to represent my club at this level. The ILCA 6 Munsters in 2020 where I was first female was my first prize I won for TBSC in Lasers.”

Interview with Tadhg Ó Loingsigh

Tadhg Ó Loingsigh is one of the most decorated younger members of the club. He sailed Oppies, Lasers, keelboats, and now sails GP14s and his J24 Janx Spirit. He has also coached many of the young up and coming sailors in the club.

“My favourite part of TBSC is the people in the club. We have a great bunch of enthusiastic, nice people who love sailing. The 2022 J24 season is my favourite memory of sailing for TBSC. We had a great season coming 4^th in the UK Nationals and 2^nd in the Irish Nationals to European Champions, Headcase. My first regional prize was winning the Oppie regatta fleet just before I moved out of it.”

Interview with Daithí Murphy

Daithí Murphy is the youngest keelboat helm in TBSC at 17 having first taken the helm at age 14. He has sailed Oppies, Toppers, Lasers, GP14s, and keelboats, as well as being a regular coach and instructor. In 2021 he helmed and won a race at WIORA, aged 15.

“My favourite thing about TBSC is the location. We are on the Atlantic so we get lots of wind and big waves which is great craic for sailing. My favourite memory is one Saturday in 2022 myself and some friends, took our Lasers out in really heavy wind, we then came back in and two of us went straight back out in the Soling, surfed Mynx’s waves, and won the Jones Cup. The first prize I won for TBSC was 4 or 5 years ago, I won a deck of Oppie boat parts cards for being top Tralee boat in the Oppie Munsters Regatta Fleet.”

Extracts from an interview with founding member Paddy O’Sullivan by Jacqui Browne

“Anytime you drove out to Fenit in 1956, there was never a sail boat to be seen and seldom any other boat except for fishing boats and the occasional ship. The absence of all kinds of pleasure craft was in stark contrast with the Dun Laoire scenario with which I was familiar and I wondered if anything could be done about it. I met Tom Clifford who was of the same mind and we both spoke to others, including Jerry O’Sullivan and the late John Walsh, and found a shared enthusiasm for the idea of forming a Club to promote pleasure craft activities. We became aware that separately several other groups of people were discussing the same topic, despite the common perception around Tralee at that time that the Bay was too dangerous for amateurs.”

“The first name of the Club was to be in Irish – Cumann Bad Traighli (Tralee Boat Club).”

“There was tangible enthusiasm among the members of the new Club and five of them immediately set about building sailing dinghys in a store in the “Island of Geese”, Tralee, owned by the Sack Company (part of Dennys). The dinghy class boat, made of marine plywood was the “Heron”, 10’6” long of single chine design and one each was built and launched by Eddie Barry, the late Fionan Harty, the late Michael Kennedy, Jerry O’Sullivan and Brendan Walsh.”

“Records show that the existence of the slip was due in no small way to the late John Walsh who administered the whole job, organised the labour and provision of materials, and joined the construction team with his own manual work. The Club still owes him a great debt of gratitude. At long last, we now had the means of launching and retrieving dinghys from our very own ground. To celebrate, on Sunday the 3rd of July 1960, all dinghys and other boats anchored in blustery winds just off the end of the new slip for an official opening and blessing of Boats by Rev. Fr. O’Mahony C.C., Churchill. Despite the poor weather, a large crowd gathered ashore and later the same evening, a gala dance was organised by the Club in the Pier Hall, Fenit.”