Yacht clubs in Dunlaoghaire

Glenalla

Recently moved to the Dunlaoghaire area and hoped to join one of the clubs. Not interested in racing. I have a small day boat which I plan to put in the marina. I have two small kids who want to learn to sail and do some sailing courses.
I would like to join the club from a social aspect, dining etc:
I am also a keen hill walker and notice the clubs have hill walking groups although how many are active?
Can anyone point me in the direction of which club would be most suitable in their opinion.
I am aware everyone has their own taste when it comes to clubs.

Thanks

Tabnabs

The DM is the cheapest for entry, the National is the most cruising orientated, the George is the biggest and the Irish is the most exclusive. It depends on what you want, your budget and who you know to propose and second you (if applicable).

pedroeibar1

Bluntly - hill-walking has nothing to do with sailing so IMO it is a poor criterion to join/forgo joining a yacht club.

Clubs are personal, choice of membership is very subjective. Which one would you feel most comfortable in? Do you have friends or work colleagues who are members of any of the DL clubs? If not, ring the club secretary, explain your position and ask if you can visit and see what is on offer. The George has a ‘temporary membership’ category (don’t know about the others) and I would certainly suggest trying that to see how you like it.

The RSGYC and the RIYC have reciprocal membership with many overseas clubs and that can be very useful if you travel on business– e.g. entertaining or staying at the Royal Thames YC in central London at a reasonable rate.

All clubs have junior sections, (check the age limits in each club) and if your kids are at school locally they will know other kids who sail and that could be a club choice / decision factor. I know one kid who has classmates in the George and National and there is considerable competition between them.

Dining – IMO the George and Irish have the better dining facilities. The G has both a formal diningroom and an informal bistro.

Most of the clubs (certainly the George) have a number of ‘outside’ activities – veteran car run, Golf day, billiard competition, quiz nights, ‘big screen’ for all the rugby internationals. Also have a series of social evenings during the off-season, e.g. music night, Italian/French dinner nights, Game dinner, etc. The golf, hill-walking type events usually are side- activities, not core events and while promoted/publicised by the club are usually organized by a small group of members rather than the club itself.

Temporary membership gets you in, you meet/make friends and after that you will need a proposer and seconder – it will not be difficult to join, all the clubs are looking for new members.

Not sure that I fully agree with Tabnabs, I think the days of club membership on social grounds are over; what can happen is that members of a particular sector attract more of their ilk.

Tabnabs

The social standing side is pretty much still a feature. All new entrants to the George have their professional listed (in a club circular) when they are accepted as members. Does the Irish still operate a blackball system for new applicants? The DM and Nat' are much less interested in these aspects however.

pedroeibar1

I don't know about the Irish but I'd guess their blackball system is long gone (reminds me of a classic Private Eye cover featuring the Queen and an Oxford Union member).
On the RSGYC circular the occupation is shown, but IMO it is used as an identifier, as in 'oh, him /her'. By the time a name appears on a circular in any club the member is 'in' because to have him/her rejected at that stage would result in the loss of the proposer & seconder (and back in the day, the four sponsors). I never served on an election committee but I do know of just one case, many years ago, when a proposer was taken aside and it was suggested that he withdraw a proposal as 'the timing was not opportune' - a polite way of saying that his candidate would not get in.

HeidiHeidi

I'm a member of the NYC, so I suppose I could be accused of being biased - but I get around all the clubs on a regular basis and IMO the dining room in the NYC is streets ahead of the other clubs. We do post-racing burger dining, sailing suppers and the occasional family Sunday lunch, and they're all fantastic (well, as club dining goes - not exactly Michelin-starred stuff!). The Irish used to be tops, but IMO hasn't been for some time now.

The NYC also has a lot of active cruising members - I don't know much about it as I'm a full-time racer, but I know there are a few organised cruises-in-company during the season.

There is also a hillwalking group during the off-season - again, I've never participated but I think they've a reasonable number of participants.

I'd agree that if your kids are a big reason for your joining a club, then figure out where their friends are members and that would be the logical place to start. All the clubs, as far as I know have, big junior sections with lessons and summer clubs - again I'm most familiar with the NYC set-up but don't want to come across as plugging it unfairly!

PM me if you want any further details about any of the above.

(ETA - NYC also has reciprocal arrangements with overseas clubs, which I keep forgetting about - but really should find out more and avail of the privilege sometime :D)

Glenalla

Thanks for your comments.
My kids are three and four so not at school as yet. I am new to the area and don't know anyone in the clubs so don't have a proposer or seconder.
I have been involved in sailing in N Ireland, Carlingford Lough area and enjoyed cruising the Irish Sea, Ireland South Coast and Scotland. With two young children we now enjoy canoeing and day sailing.

Tabnabs

Of course, if you just want you kids to learn how to sail when they are old enough, then there's a great school in DL for all-comers.
http://www.inss.ie/

HeidiHeidi

Tabnabs wrote: »

Of course, if you just want you kids to learn how to sail when they are old enough, then there's a great school in DL for all-comers.
http://www.inss.ie/

Haha, I was so keen not to be seen to be overpromoting the NYC that I forgot to say this as well!

Unless you particularly want to be in a club from a social point of view, then membership plus keeping a boat in the marina can be very expensive. The kids could learn in the INSS (or even do courses in one of the clubs, they're not restricted to members although you will pay a little bit more for the courses) and you can sail from the marina without joining a club.

However, the all of the clubs are desperate for new members these days, so you'd probably knock a deal out of any of them if you go at it right.

johnciall

Pretty sure the Irish doesn't straight blackball anymore.

Their are votes taken on membership but i don't know what the yes/no criteria are given I keep missing the votes.

THe irish also has the usual dining rooms & non sailing social activities going on Barely a week passes without an email from the secretary updating on stuff.

As for the Irish being the most exclusive, I know historically it used to be but i think attitudes are changing as the younger generation become full members.

pedroeibar1

johnciall wrote: »

As for the Irish being the most exclusive, I know historically it used to be.....

?? It certainly claimed to be, but that would of course be disputed! Of course, adopting a white ensign was a bit of snobbery/pretension. I remember when I crewed an Irish boat (waaay back, in Miss Bradshaw's time) there was a snuff box available and it passed around after dinner (I kid you not!) so if a gold snuff box was a marker of exclusivity, so be it. But at that time there were silver clothes brushes in the Cloakroom at the George and wimmin were not allowed to the right of the main door and all clubs had 'Visitors' changing rooms, none of which were good or catered for the female species.

johnciall wrote: »

............. but i think attitudes are changing as the younger generation become full members.

Didn't know the Irish had young members:P:D:D:D

johnciall

well I'm 30 this year and i've been a member in one form or another since i was 16, as have all of my siblings and quite a few of my friends

neris

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I'm a member of the NYC, so I suppose I could be accused of being biased - but I get around all the clubs on a regular basis and IMO the dining room in the NYC is streets ahead of the other clubs. We do post-racing burger dining, sailing suppers and the occasional family Sunday lunch, and they're all fantastic (well, as club dining goes - not exactly Michelin-starred stuff!). The Irish used to be tops, but IMO hasn't been for some time now.

The NYC also has a lot of active cruising members - I don't know much about it as I'm a full-time racer, but I know there are a few organised cruises-in-company during the season.

There is also a hillwalking group during the off-season - again, I've never participated but I think they've a reasonable number of participants.

I'd agree that if your kids are a big reason for your joining a club, then figure out where their friends are members and that would be the logical place to start. All the clubs, as far as I know have, big junior sections with lessons and summer clubs - again I'm most familiar with the NYC set-up but don't want to come across as plugging it unfairly!

PM me if you want any further details about any of the above.

(ETA - NYC also has reciprocal arrangements with overseas clubs, which I keep forgetting about - but really should find out more and avail of the privilege sometime :D)

like Howth

Would have thought clubs these days are eager to take members in rather then turning people away cause someone in the club doesnt like their job or profession. I know the Irish are up their own holes with snobbery but cant see ques of people waiting to join up

pedroeibar1

Glenalla wrote: »

...My kids are three and four so not at school as yet. I am new to the area and don't know anyone in the clubs so don't have a proposer or seconder.

Back on topic........For temporary membership you will not need proposers etc. However, none of the clubs have anything for children that age. At the back of my head I've 12 yrs for the Juniors in most clubs, but open to correction.

Tabnabs

neris wrote: »

like Howth

Would have thought clubs these days are eager to take members in rather then turning people away cause someone in the club doesnt like their job or profession. I know the Irish are up their own holes with snobbery but cant see ques of people waiting to join up

[Mod] Whilst your opinion is fascinating, if you've nothing constructive to add then you're not obliged to post in this thread. [/Mod]

miss no stars

Tabnabs wrote: »

[Mod] Whilst your opinion is fascinating, if you've nothing constructive to add then you're not obliged to post in this thread. [/Mod]

Out of interest, why is a negative opinion of one of the clubs the OP is considering deemed to be not constructive and unwelcome?

Glenalla

Thank you all for your comments.

I am aware that these are opinions only and everyone is entitled to theirs.
I am trying to gauge the pros and cons of the clubs from people on boards who are current members as I don't have the time to spend years joining each one to find out for myself and I don't know anyone in the area who can point me in the direction of the club best suited to my family requirements.

Thanks

Fratton Fred

I can't speak of the others, but for me the national is a great club and if you have kids, it's meant to be the best choice. The Guinness is good as well.

From what I can gather though, there is no wrong choice, they're all good clubs.

uberalex

The RIYC has got a hill-walking group .riyc.ie/p/club-groups.html

spaceHopper

The DMYC are running a introductory membership at the moment www.dmyc.ie;

miss no stars

Link not working? Mentioned here: http://www.dmyc.ie/joining-the-dmyc/