Location Dublin Bay, Ireland Design Open timber punt | Year 1887 Crew 2 | |
Designer Thomas B. Middleton (1900 design, James or Mamie Doyle) Role "A class of sailing punts, with centre boards, all built and rigged the same, so that an even harbour race may be had with a light rowing and generally useful boat." | ||
The Water Wag is the oldest one design dinghy in existence, having been devised in 1886 and formalized as a one design class in Ireland in 1887. The design (last modified in 1900) is still sailed to this day.(Last edited April 2016)
Contents
The Water Wag inspired similar one design fleets around Ireland and subsequently around the world. One interesting example of a one design class is the now defunct Dublin Bay Sailing Club's "25-footer". Today the Water Wags race on Wednesday evenings from April to September inside or outside Dún Laoghaire Harbour, Ireland.
The Water Wag Club
The Water Wag class has been administered by The Water Wag Club, consisting of a President, Vice-Presidents, Hon.Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Captain and committee members. There being no club premises, committee meeting are held in the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Monday Evenings. Current Captain of the Water Wags is Mr. Sisk.
Club Officers
President:
King:
Captain:
President:
Design
In 1886 the Water Wag was designed as a one-design sailing and rowing boat by Thomas B. Middleton of Shankill Corinthinan Sailing Club. Water Wags are silver spruce planked boats with a sloop rig and 75 sq feet of main sail, and with a 60 sq ft spinnaker and no jib. The boat is open decked, with single mast close to the bow . Middleton who was a solicitor and not a professional yacht designer prepared a concept sketch for the boat which may have been developed into a construction drawing by Robert Mc.Allister of Dunbarton Scotland. it is probable that Mc.Allister reviewed his drawing with the eminent Scotch designer G.L. Watson before constructing the first boat 'Eva' for Thomas B. Middleton in late 1886.
In 1900 a new design which differs from the earlier design by being 1'-3" longer, having a transom and flying a jib, which was designed by James (or Maimie) Doyle from Kingstown was introduced. The new design was subject to some minor adjustments of sheer line and rudder size over the years 1901-1902 before the design was finalised.
The Class has never been tempted to adopt construction materials other than wood. Traditionally the sails were made of calico, cotton, and subsequently silk. In recent years Terylene and nylon have been used with the effect that coloured spinnakers are now used by most boats.
A variant of the original design, with its double-ended hull, found its way to Herne bay Sailing Club in Kent, and during the 1920s and 1930s several boats were built locally and the class was actively raced during the 1930s and 1940s. These boats, however, were not built to the strict one-design principle of the originals and as well as differing from the original in several respects (foredeck, bowsprit, mast position) they also differed slightly from each other and so raced as a handicap fleet. By the early 1950s most of the boats had been sold out of the Kent club and racing ceased. One of the last boats to be built in Kent, by E and B Gammon at Herne Bay in 1947, Zander is in the collection of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
A variant of the 1900 design was adopted by many clubs in India and Sri Lanka, the main difference being the use of Teak planking which being heavier, resulted in the boat requiring more freeboard. A small foredeck was added to assist in keeping the boat dryer.
Today, in Dun Laoghaire harbour, a fleet of up to 28 Water Wags can be seen racing, by anybody walking along the piers between 18.45 and 20.00 every Wednesday from late April till mid September.
Identification
Water Wags do not carry any symbol on the sails, and have no individual identifying mark beyond the sail number on the main sail and different spinnaker colours.
Despite every boat of the Water Wag Class having a unique name- none of the names are painted or engraved on the hulls.
All boats are referred to by their names and not by their numbers.
It is traditional that at the end of a race the competitors hail the winning boat and give the crew three cheers. e.g. Moosmie Ahoy- Hip Horray, Hip Horray, Hip Horray. The winning boat must than respond by hailing the other boat and respond as follows: e.g. Swift Ahoy- Hip Horray, Hip Horray, Hip Horray.
20th century hull update
In 1900 the Water Wag design was changed to a transom stern, lengthening the boat by 15 inches and making the stern of the boat much larger. The outward angled transom was designed to improve the aesthetics of the boat, and to save building cost. The sail area was increased from 75 sq. ft. to 110 sq. ft. by adding a jib.
Boat Builders
The current fleet was built by the following boat builders:
Skee Gray (Dún Laoghaire)- 1, 29, 30.
John Gray (Kingstown)- 2, 3, 6, 8, 14, 17, 24, 37.
Kelly (Portrush)- 4.
Anon.-9, 35.
Doyle (Kingstown)- 10, 15.
Michael Mahony (Dún Laoghaire)- 11, 12, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22.
Stapleton- 23.
Tweedy (Portaferry)- 18.
Walter Levinge (Athlone)- 25.
Kennedy- 26.
Derek Paine (Greystones, Co. Wicklow)- 32, 33, 34, 36.
Skol Ar Mor (Brittany, France)- 46.
Mallon (Oughterard)- 39
John Jones (Bangor, Wales)- 38, 40, 42, 43, 47.
Jimmy Furey (Lecarrow, Co. Roscommon)- 31, 41, 44.
Cathy MacAleavey with Jimmy Furey - 45.