J/24 Irish Northern Bank Champs at Lough Neagh Sailing Club

The Irish Northern Bank J/24 Championships decider was the final race that narrowly separated Andrew Algoe and Ben Cooke in Scandal just ahead of Barry O’Neill in Just 4 Fun, both from Royal St George YC, and both well clear in points from club-mate Desmond Fortune in Hard on Port, third overall. The Kinneo Plate, a perpetual trophy for best Westerly built boat in this event, went local to Stuart Harrison in Jay from Lough Neagh SC, for a very creditable 7th place ahead of 8th placed Ron Finnegan in another Westerly, Just 4 One from Dundalk and Carlingford SC.

100 sailors took part in 20 boats, including 9 old Westerly built J/24s. They came from far and near, from Loughs Erne, Neagh and Ree, inland, and from Belfast, Strangford and Carlingford Loughs, Coleraine and Dublin Bay, on the coast. This event was an Irish debut for James Byrne’s Gossip, imported a few months ago from Britain and Andrew Mannion’s Jeb Stuart, a very recent arrival from Holland, that brings the number of J/24s in Ireland up now to 64.

The Northern Bank was main Sponsor for an event keenly supported by Ireland’s most widespread and active keelboat class, with 8 windward-leeward races set by LNSC’s Race Officer, Tom Beckett on the southern part of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in these islands. First race signal was at 10.15 am each day and no race started later than 4.30 pm on Saturday or 2.00 pm on Sunday. Winds were light to moderate but often very shifty on both days.

This was the fourth event in a 2004 circuit of six Irish J/24 Championships. Results across these events will decide the award of a new set of Champion of J/24 Championship trophies and select six Irish places at next year’s 2005 World J/24 Championship which, in world-wide rotation, will be back in Europe, and in Britain, conveniently nearby. After this fourth of six events in the Irish 2004 J/24 circuit, top scoring helms and boats so far include Andrew Algeo, Scandal, Barry O’Neill, Just 4 Fun and Joey Kelly’s Dandy Rocker from Lough Erne YC, fourth places in this Northern event.

Eight race prizes to mark good places in individual races went to Stephen Bradshaw’s Jibberish, Tim Sheard’s Jay Kay, Robin Eagleson’s Luder Too, James Byrne’s Gossip, Anthony Clendenning’s Jezebel, David Taylor and Paul Barbour’s Taz, Joey Kelly’s Dandy Rocker and Andrew Mannion’s Jeb Stuart. And, to show there is something for all who take part in Irish J/24 events, a mention of the three women who shared the helm race about in Michael Clarke’s Jeriatrix, Judie Anderson, Michelle Doherty and Edwina Ternan. They made 15th overall, fourth among the nine Westerly boats, and beat each of their LEYC club mates in at least one race, Jorvik, Virjin, Dandy Rocker and Jigalo.

Overall Results: