GP14 Hot Toddy at Sutton Dinghy Club, Dublin

Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan power their way upwind to Hot Toddy victory © Chris Scott

The last event of the GP14 Association of Ireland 2008 calendar certainly came with a bang. Events this season have been held in fairly light breezes but the Hot Toddy proved a break from the norm.

Competitors arrived at Sutton Dinghy Club to Force 5-6 conditions but as the morning progressed the breeze dropped allowing the 24 crews to launch in Force 4-5 conditions. Race Officer Scorie Walls decided to hold four races due to Sunday’s weather forecast of gales.

Race 1 was a standard Olympic triangle but there was nothing standard about the winning crew. An excellent performance from new combination Paul Maguire and Stuart Boyle from the home club showed the fleet a clean pair of heals, leading from start to finish. The usual suspects of Tim Corcoran with Brendan Brogan and Niall Henry with Ossian Geragthy completed the podium places. In fourth place saw a welcome return to two previous stalwarts of the fleet Damian Bracken and Alan Parker.

Windward / Leeward racing was the format for race 2 a nearly saw the opening of that famous bottle of champagne. Keith Louden and Dessie Hughes from Lough Foyle Sailing Club lead from the start and nearly got a chance to open the bubbly they have on ice for when they win their first GP14 race but the merciless Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan snatched the victory on the last run before the finish. Champagne is still on ice!!

Race 3 continued with a windward / leeward with the breeze beginning to drop to a more manageable Force 3-4. Paddy O’Connor and Tania McHale from Sligo Yacht Club took line honours closely followed by the ever consistent Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan.

Race 4 saw a return to the Olympic Triangle and a return to the top for Corcoran and Brogan providing them with a 4.5 point overnight lead from fellow club mates Henry and Geraghty who in turn lead third placed Sligo boat O’Connor and McHale by a slender 0.75 points.

The majority of the fleet banked on the forecast of gales for Sunday and an impromptu end of season party took of aided by “The King” Elvis Pressley. Great craic was had by all due to the excellent party and food laid on by the members of Sutton Dinghy Club.

To the relief of many hungover sailors the gale duly arrived on Sunday morning with many boats packed away before the Race Officer got out of bed, as if to simply to reinforce the fact there would be no sailing.

This gave Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan overall victory and with it the Gold Fleet League trophy for the season. Jonny Park and Bob Stinson from Newtownards Sailing Club used their heavy weather prowess to secure Silver Fleet honours but it was not enough to wrestle the Silver League trophy away from Ken and Ryan Louden from Lough Foyle Yacht Club.

Alex Walsh and Paul McCarthy from Swords S&BC showed a rich vain of form in their newly acquired boat to secure the Bronze Fleet. Peter Collings and Jane Holland from Sutton Dinghy Club secured the Bronze League.

Donal McGuinness GP14 Association of Ireland President (himself a first time helm this weekend) thanked Richard Estaugh of Speed Sails for his generous support of £250 vouchers for the winners of the Speed Sails Silver and Bronze leagues.

Overall Results:

For more information check out www.gp14ireland.com