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.

Dublin Bay Mermaids sailing in Rush, North Dublin, August 2008
Dublin Bay Mermaids starting a race, August 2008

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 Sí Gaoithe 1970
50 Chico 1956 100 Zest (Patricia) 1962 150 Sea Wytch 1970

References
  1. Smyth, Paul (2000) The Dublin Bay Mermaid, A History 1932 - 2000, p3, Kompass Ireland, Dublin
  2. Smyth, Paul (2000) The Dublin Bay Mermaid, A History 1932 - 2000, Appendix 3, Kompass Ireland, Dublin
  3. Mermaid Sailing Association records


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