Irish Mirror Westerns at Mullingar Sailing Club

Action from the Irish Mirror Westerns on Lough Owel © Gerardine Wisdom

Action from the Irish Mirror Westerns on Lough Owel © Gerardine Wisdom

Lough Owel in Mullingar was the setting for the Mirror Westerns over the weekend July 11th and 12th. Forty Mirrors made the trip with a poor forecast predicted, however the rain didn’t arrive until late in the afternoon so a great weekend was enjoyed in force 4 winds with occasional force 5 gusts.

The first race on Saturday began in a gentle force 3 Southerly gradually building to a force 4 for the rest of the day.Barry and Ronan Armstrong from Sligo took the win by quite a big margin using the shifts well, followed by Cillian Dickson and Peter Regan from Lough Ree,and Peter and Andrew Collings from Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club in third, with Julie Donnellan and Hazel McDermott from Lough Derg heading up the silver fleet and Alfie Wisdom and Megan Mulcahy also from Lough Derg leading the bronze fleet in the Mirror Association’s Winder boat.

Race two was quickly away with Graham Daly and Eoin Hickey from Skerries leading all the way round to take the bullet from Cillian Dickson and Peter Regan, with the Collings brothers again in third and Cormac and Meabh Dickson again in fourth.Jack Maye and Muiris Fitzgerald from Sligo took the Silver fleet win, with Adam and Johnny Hill from Royal North took the bronze fleet win.

The final race of the day was gustier with rain squalls arriving half way round but everyone coped well and Cillian Dickson and Peter Regan excelled in the breeze to win with Graham Daly and Eoin Hickey close behind, then a big gap to the third boat of Barry and Ronan Armstrong, followed by you guessed it... the Collings brothers. Julie Donnellan and Hazel McDermott clearly liked the conditions to lead the silver fleet and Adam and Johnny Hill led the bronze fleet.

Luckily the near gale force winds and rain abated the next morning to leave a sunny force 4 to 5 from the west. Cillian Dickson and Peter Regan started where they had left off and took another bullet followed by Peter and Andrew Collings who also liked the breeze, with Barry and Ronan Armstrong in third, chased hard by Kerri-Ann and Megan Boylan from Skerries in fourth. Kevin Hackett and Hugh Duffy from Mullingar won the silver fleet race and Adam and Johnny the bronze fleet race.

The last race, like all weekend, used the outer loop trapezoidal course with a leeward gate on the outer loop, and was over in a flash in the strong winds with lots of planing reaches and again was won by Cillian Dickson and Peter Regan who became worthy Western Champions. In second place and thus second overall were Graham Daly and Eoin Hickey, followed by Cormac and Meabh Dickson in third. Colm and Roisin Hackett from Mullingar won the silver fleet race and with great consistency won the silver fleet overall. Kevin Martyn and Jack McDermott from Lough Derg won the bronze fleet last race.

Overall Results:

1. Cillian Dickson and Peter Regan (LRYC) 4.25pts
2. Graham Daly and Eoin Hickey (SSC) 9.75pts
3. Barry and Ronan Armstrong (SYC) 11.75pts
4. Peter and Andrew Collins (DMYC) 12pts
5. Cormac and Meabh Dickson (LRYC) 17pts
6. Kerri-Ann and Megan Boylan (SSC) 28pts

Silver Fleet
1. Colm and Roisin Hackett (MSC) 40pts
2. Julie Donnellan and Hazel McDermott (LDYC) 43pts
3. Jack Maye and Muiris Fitzgerald (SYC) 44pts

Bronze Fleet
1. Adam and Johnny Hill (RNIYC) 36pts
2. Alfie Wisdom and Megan Mulcahy (LDYC) 37pts
3. Kevin Martin and Jack McDermott (LDYC) 63pts