Lough Derg Yacht Club’s Wolf Regatta celebrates its 50th anniversary

50 years ago, in 1973, Donal Gleeson, with his wife Renée, planned an end of year regatta, the Wolf Regatta for the Shannon One Design (SOD) boats, at Lough Derg Yacht Club (LDYC) in Domineer.

The Wolf Regatta was to extend the season and to have some fun before the boats were stored away for the winter. The fun part is a fancy-dress regatta dinner, where costumes of wit and wonder are designed to win the fancy dress prize. Donal was from Dublin where he worked as a post-man, but moved to Domineer, his grandparents homeland, and was a driver for Carey’s Glass.

The regatta is called after Donals favourite soccer team Wolverhampton and the regatta’s burgee is designed after the Wolves flag, yellow background with a big W. The 50th anniversary burgee was sponsored by Harmony Solar and was run under the standard sailing rules, but as an old hand at the regatta will tell you it was ‘Donal’s rules of participation’, that was the first and last word.

The regatta was held in Dromineer for the first few years, then moved around the lake, e.g., Killinure point, and finally Terryglass, now the home of the Wolf Regatta on the Bank Holiday Weekend in October.

Many historic milestones can be seen in this year regatta participants. Five boats participated in the first regatta in 1973, and children of families that participated in the first regatta participating again 50 years later, the Mulvihill’s, Gleeson’s and Knights. After Donal Gleeson died 2009, his daughter Sarah along with Renée organised the regatta. Donal Junior, who served fourteen years in the Irish Navel Service, is now the organiser.

The weather was favourable for this year’s event in which fifteen boats participated, with ten races and one discard, under Alan Algeo’s keen mind for race design.

Ian Croxon and his crew James Sammon and Sophie Sanders in SOD 73, won the Walter Levinge Trophy, the 73 was built by Walter Levinge in 1961. The lovely wooden trophy was made by Jimmy Furey, who started making SOD’s in 1971. Levinge’s grandson Tristan Couper sailed in SOD 80, also built by Levinge. LDYC sailors, Rachel Algeo, Natalie Guy, and Patricia George were second in SOD 142, built by Eric Goodbody. The Silver fleet trophy, the ‘Dan the Man clock,’ was won by the SOD 138, with DJ Algeo, Conor Temple, and Shauna Gresham. The 138 was built by Peter Quigley.

The Dan the Man Clock trophy has a bittersweet history, named after Donals’s cousin Dan Gleeson, who drowned in Shannon Harbour. The clock was made by Reneés Gleeson’s father in Dan’s memory.

Many tales of old were told at the dinner and with many thanks to the mark layers and safety crew, John O’Callaghan, and Brendan Garland, to the community hall and Paddy’s bar in Terryglass and the organisers of the fancy dress party, a great time was had by all.

The Wolf Regatta is taken seriously as are all SOD racing events, but with a fun underlay and comradery. Full results of the Wolf regatta can be found at: www.sailwave.com/results/wolf2023.html. Go to LDYC.ie web page for more information on sailing.