Commodore Update - July 2025

At Howth Yacht Club, hospitality and a warm welcome are central to who we are. These values not only define our daily operations but also underpin our reputation — both at home and abroad.

With this in mind, I’m pleased to share that we are launching a new hospitality enhancement programme over the coming weeks. This initiative will introduce a number of changes aimed at elevating the overall member and guest experience, ensuring our food, service, and clubhouse atmosphere continue to reflect the highest standards.

We are delighted to welcome the expertise of fellow sailor and award-winning restaurateur Niall Sabongi. Niall is a celebrated chef, a Fáilte Ireland Food Champion, and a passionate advocate for sustainable practices in hospitality. He and his team will be working closely with our staff and events team on-site to support this exciting new phase.

This is a positive, forward-looking initiative, and I’d like to thank our HYC staff for their continued dedication — this project is designed to support and build on their hard work, and we hope they will enjoy and benefit from what’s to come.

As always, the club is buzzing with activity. Sigma 33 Offshore One-Design Championship are taking place this weekend and we’re proud to host this prestigious event and warmly welcome all visiting boats. Best of luck to all competitors — may the weather be kind!

There is ongoing contact with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine around the proposed dredging of the harbour.  Planning permission has been granted for the project, and we are waiting on the EPA to give it's recommentations before the DAFM can go out to tender for the project. We will continue to put forward HYC's case and to work with the department to ensure that the best interests of the club are to to the forefront of this project. 

Our sailors continue to shine on the water.  Congratulations to the skippers and crews of Outrajeous, The Big Picture, and Indian for fantastic performances in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race. Special congratulations also go to Ross McDonald and crew on taking top honours at the Royal Yacht Squadron Commodore’s Invitational Race — a wonderful achievement and great representation of Howth on the international stage. 

And finally, huge congratulations to our high performance sailors Eve, Ewan, Robert, and Sean on their latest world rankings – a fantastic achievement that reflects their dedication and talent.

As the season continues, I look forward to seeing many of you around the club — whether out on the water, at an event, or simply enjoying the summer at HYC.


Kevin Monks
Commodore