GP14 Leinster Championships at Skerries Sailing Club

Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan during the GP14 Leinster Championships at Skerries © Chris Scot

The first ‘major’ in the Irish GP14 calendar saw 28 boats from across Ireland and the UK, line up on a foggy morning in Skerries Sailing Club, to eagerly contest this year’s Leinster championship.

As is the norm with the Irish GP14 Fleet, the standard of competition is very high with little distance separating the fleet, in fact only 5 points separated the first 6 boats after 3 races.

Liam Dineen, OOD, expertly laid an Olympic triangle course round which Hugh and young Dan Gill from Sutton Dinghy Club showed the way through the fog and light wind conditions to achieve there first victory in Race 1.

With the wind slightly increasing and the fog becoming intermittent, Niall Henry & Oisin Gearaghty from Sligo Yacht Club decided it was time for there first race win of the event with Carl Jeffs and Jim Toothill from the UK snapping at their heels.

Race 3 saw an increase of the wind to a force 3 and the fog almost lifting completely. Everyone was up on the rails fighting hard for that extra inch on the line. They fought so hard that the OOD made 2 general recalls and used the final sanction of the black flag on the third start.

John and Donal McGuinness form chased the Gill’s in a close match at the end of which Hugh and Dan Gill managed their second race win. The 28 boats returned to shore though the fog to a well deserved BBQ hosted in SSC, which saw the party go on through most of the night.

Day 2 was unfortunately abandoned due to lack of wind and dense fog. Hugh and Dan Gill took a well deserved overall victory with the special addition of Dan becoming the youngest winner of the GP 14 Leinsters at 14.

Skerries Sailing Club ran a very professional event with all the sailors exceedingly happy with the club due to its great venue and warm hospitality. The Next in the calendar is the Ulster Championships at Newtownards Sailing Club on the 25th/26th of July which promises to be another great event.

Overall Results: