Irish GP14 National Championship at Ballyholme Yacht Club

by Irish GP14 Association 24 Aug 2017 13:47 BST 19-21 August 2017

The 2017 Irish Nationals were held on 19th-21st August at Ballyholme Yacht Club. 29 boats competed which included one visiting team from the UK – John Hayes, an ex 470 campaigner from Southport who was sailing with Joel James.

Overall numbers were down a bit on previous years due to a number of mitigating factors. However those unable to attend missed a superb event with a wide range of conditions, superb race management, excellent hospitality and exceptionally close racing.

Chief measurer Jimmy McKee was in attendance on Friday night & Saturday morning to scrutineer and weigh boats. The forecast for Saturday was borderline and the fleet were held ashore initially for an hour or so to allow the wind to subside. When the fleet did eventually take to the water, the lull in conditions proved to be only temporary. Shortly after the start of race one, the committee boat began recording gusts of 30 knots. The ensuing white knuckle race saw Shane MacCarthy & Damian Bracken winning from Sligo's Niall Henry & Ossian Geraghty with Sutton sailors Alan Blay & David Johnston 3rd. With only 15 boats finishing and conditions refusing to abate, the race committee made the sensible decision to send the fleet home after a single race. Once ashore competitors enjoyed a superb bar-b-que where the famous Ballyholme rib-eye steaks lived up to all of the pre-event hype.

The forecast for the second day of racing could not have been more different to the first. This time, conditions looked borderline on the light side, with even the most optimistic forecasts predicting gusts of just 7 knots. Nevertheless, with a race to make up the race committee sent the fleet out and after a hour or so floating around the breeze did eventually appear. Niall & Ossain took first blood in the challenging conditions winning the opening race from English visitors John Hayes & Joel James. The right hand side of the beats seemed to be consistently paying in the ebbing tide but getting out there through the various holes & shifts was't completely straightforward! Ger Owens & Melanie Morris found a way though, knocking in 2 bullets in race 3 and 4 from Alan Blay & David Johnsson and Keith Louden & Alan Thompson respectively. Silver fleet sailors Doire Shiels & Andrew Sexton also had a good day, recording a 7th and a 3rd to take control of the silver fleet. After a long day on the water, the race committee decided the fleet had had enough after 3 races and the fleet returned home..

The Irish GP14 AGM was held on Sunday evening and saw Stephen Boyle step down after 3 years as class president. David Cooke takes over as the new president and no doubt will strive to continue the excellent progress made over the past few years as the class builds towards a 2020 World Championships in his home club. Following the AGM, many of the sailors gathered in the nearby Jamaica Inn with a surprise birthday cake for class stalwart Hugh Gill who is celebrating another big one!

With 3 races scheduled for the final days sailing, and just 2 points separating the top four boats the championship was swide open. Race 5 saw Shane & Damien record their second race win from John & Joel. Race 6 and another race winner, this time John & Joel taking line honours with Keith Louden & Alan Thompson in second position. So going into the final race the championship was set for one of the closest finishes in recent years with Ger & Mel holding a narrow one point lead but Shane & Damian, John & Joel and Nial & Ossian all still in with a real chance of overall victory.

In the end however, Ger & Mel held held their nerve and won the last race and with it, the overall event. Doire Shiels & Andrew Sexton won the Silver fleet finishing in 10th overall while Sutton's Shane MacLoughlin & Rory Murdoch won the bronze fleet. Top youths were Gareth & Richard Gallagher in 12th position overall.

Thanks to our OOD Robin Gray and his team for exceptional race management, David Fletcher for all his hard work in organising the event and everyone at Ballyholme Yacht Club who contributed to such an enjoyable championship.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Division	Helm	Crew	Club
1st	14076	Gold	Ger Owens	Mel Morris	Royal St George YC
2nd	14203	Gold	Shane McCarty	Damian Bracken	Swords YC
3rd	14188	Gold	John Hayes	Joel James	Southport SC
4th	14214	Gold	Keith Louden	Alan Thompson	ISA
5th	13993	Gold	Niall Henry	Ossian	Sligo YC
6th	13977	Gold	Alan Blay	David Johnston	Sutton Dinghy Club
7th	14143	Gold	John McGuinness	Donald McGuiness	Moville BC
8th	14130	Gold	Hugh Gill	Conor Twohig	Sutton Dinghy Club
9th	14219	Gold	Curly Morris	Laura McFarland	EABC
10th	14054	Silver	Doire Shiels	Andrew Sexton	Sutton Dinghy Club
11th	14192	Gold	A G Duffin	Andy Coshill	NSC / EDYC
12th	14209	Silver	Gareth Gallagher	Richard Gallagher	Moville BC
13th	14212	Silver	Michael Cox	Josh Porter	Newtownards SC
14th	1420	Silver	Peter Boyle	Stephen Boyle	SDC
15th	13901	Silver	Steven Nelson	Johnny Nelson	DSC/NSC
16th	14105	Gold	Katie Dwyer	Michelle Rowley	Sutton Dinghy Club
17th	14144	Gold	Colman Grimes	Eoin Boylan	Skerries SC
18th	14207	Silver	Simon Jeffery	Rebecca Jeffery	EDYC
19th	14074	Silver	Cahil Sheridan	David Cooke	Skerries SC
20th	13207	Silver	Adrian Lee	Edward Coyne	Youghal SC
21st	13910	Silver	Brian Andrews	John McArthur	Newtownards SC
22nd	3	Bronze	Shane MacLoughlin	Rory Murdoch	Sutton DC
23rd	13915	Bronze	Geoff Murdoch	Jane Murdoch	N.S.C.
24th	14171	Silver	Lawrence Baalham	Robbie Richardson	Donaghadee SC
25th	13180	Bronze	Martin Dews	Victoria Dews	Donaghadee SC
26th	13466	Bronze	Mathew Street	Rian O'Haillies	Blessington SC
27th	14061	Bronze	Michael Collender	Brian Walker	Mullingar SC
28th	14077	Bronze	Michael Brines	J Donaldson	LEYC
29th	2	Bronze	Orla Gray	Erica Markey	Sutton DC