Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 4

GP14 Purcell Championship at Swords Sailing & Boating Club

by John McGuinness 27 May 2016 12:47 BST 21 May 2016

The Irish GP14 fleet returned to domestic competition at the weekend after a very enjoyable World Championship in Barbados over Easter, made all the more enjoyable when we had an Irish winner in Shane McCarthy & Andy Davis.

The Purcell Championship hosted by Swords sailing club on Saturday 21st was sailed over four races. The first race saw our newly crowned world champion first at the weather mark and remained there for the rest of the race. With Keith Louden & Alan Thompson taking second and Hugh Gill with his new boat and new crew Simon Revill beginning to find some form in third.

Race 2 saw Shane & Damian round the weather mark in first followed closely by John & Donal McGuinness in second and Keith & Alan in third. On the second beat the wind shifted to right favouring the McGuinness brothers who were first to the weather mark and held it all the way to the finish. Shane & Damian took second followed by Keith & Alan in third.

Race 3 started with significantly less breeze than the morning races and saw the McGuinness Bros get to the weather mark first followed by Shane & Damian. With the breeze slowly dying the world champion showed his superior speed in light airs and passed John & Donal to leeward on the second reach and held the position to the finish. The McGuinness brothers were second with Richard Street & Simon Dickson in third.

Race 4 was sailed in a light-shifting breeze. Curley Morris & Laura McFarland lead at the weather mark with Richard Street & Simon Dickson in second followed by Shane & Damian. At the end of the of the first lap Keith & Alan were at the back end of the fleet but an inspired tack to the left at the start of the second beat paid dividend and put them in the top four at the weather mark. Next time around at the weather mark they had got themselves into second just behind Richard & Simon. With the race shortened and one leg to go it was a drag race to the finish with Keith & Alan coming out on top and finishing first with Curly & Laura in Second and Richard & Simon in third.

Shane & Damian retained the Purcell Championship with two first and a second. Keith & Alan's dramatic comeback in the last race was enough to wrestle second place from John & Donal who finished third overall.

Katie Dwyer & Michelle Rowley took first overall in the silver closely followed by Michael Cox & Josh Porter in second and Cathal Sheridan & David Cooke taking third in the silver. Pat Savage and Linda Darby took first overall in the Bronze fleet while Bernie Grogan & Rosena Cuddy finished a credible second.

Thanks again to the event organisers and members at Swords Sailing and Boating Club for providing a warm welcome and great racing.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmCrewClubFleetR1R2R3R4Pts
114158Shane Mc CarthyDamien BrackenGraystones S C Gold12144
214055Keith LoudenAlan ThompsonSligo Y C Gold23416
314143John Mc GuinnessDonal Mc GuinnessMoville Y CGold412107
413981Richard StreetSimon DickBlessington S C Gold683312
514130Hugh GillSimon RevillSutton D CGold377515
614077Curley MorrisLaura Mc FarlandEast Antrim S CGold958215
713993Niall HenryOssian GeraghtySligo Y C Gold5411716
814105Katie DwyerMichele RowleySutton D CSilver11105621
913917Michael CoxJosh PorterNewtownards Y CSilver7613922
1014074Cathal SheridanDavid CookeSkerries Y CSilver12961227
1113988Simon JefferyAlan HenryEast Down Y C Silver15129829
1214116Peter BoyleStephen BoyleSutton D CSilver1011101531
1314040Bill JohnsonJames JohnsonLough Foyle Y CSilver813141435
1414138Simon CullyLibby TurnerBlessington S C Silver1313121136
1513749Pat SavageLinda DarbySwords S C Bronze1613151341
1613850Bernie GroganRosena CuddySwords S C Bronze1713161645
1713782Michael CollenderBrian WalkerMullingar S C Bronze1413191946
1813608Keith LeonardBarbara LeonardSwords S C Bronze1813191950

Related Articles

GP14 Northern Bell series at West Kirby
Someone was lying GP sailing is a nice and calm sail... they said! You stay dry when sailing a GP... they said! Someone was lying to me! Posted on 12 Sep
54th West Lancs 24 Hour Race this weekend
First staged in 1967, one of the great fixtures of the UK dinghy sailing calendar West Lancashire Yacht Club's famous 24-Hour Race is back this weekend. The 54th edition of the race once again brings Southport's Marine Lake to life, powered by the energy of sailors, volunteers and supporters who keep this unique tradition thriving. Posted on 10 Sep
Musto GP14 Masters Championship at South Cerney
Strong, gusty and shifty winds with rain in the Cotswolds South Cerney Sailing Club, within the Cotswolds gravel pit water park, welcomed the GP14 fleet for the South Cerney GP14 open and the Musto National Masters Championship. Posted on 10 Sep
2025 Doyle Sails GP14 Championship of Ireland
Strong turnout and competitive racing at Rush Sailing Club Despite the late August calendar providing events such as Fireball Worlds and the Melges15 Nationals that included possibly 8-10 GP14 regulars, Rush SC played host to a fantastic edition of the GP14 Irish Nationals over the weekend of August 22-24. Posted on 31 Aug
GP14 Northern Bell Series Standings after 5 events
47 boats have taken part so far in the series The GP14 Northern Bell Series Championship is hotting up. The door is wide open for those with one event left to qualify for the series and two events remaining (West Kirby next weekend, and the Inlands at Windermere to close the season. Posted on 31 Aug
GP14 Nationals at Tenby overall
Five teams went into the final day with a shot of winning The final day of the GP14 day was set to be a showdown between 5 boats who all mathematically had a shot at winning. In the driver's seat was Barnham/Sexton on 10 points, but vulnerable with their discard of a 13. Posted on 11 Aug
2025 WLYC 24 Hour Race Last Call!
Just one week until entries close at midnight on 15th August The countdown is on - just one week until entries close at midnight on 15th August for the West Lancashire Yacht Club 24 Hour Race 2025. Posted on 8 Aug
GP14 Nationals at Tenby day 4
Catch up day One race today, with a new wind direction, a steady 8-10knots from the southwest, with a long beat against the tide. With that the fleet was well behaved and we got away clean on the first attempt. Posted on 7 Aug
GP14 Nationals at Tenby day 3
Sunny and breezy as the tail end of storm Floris was still blowing After storm Floris had kept the fleet ashore on Monday, allowing for trips to chandleries and boat repairs for some, thers explored the town of Tenby and, once the sun came out, played games on the beach. Posted on 6 Aug
GP14 Nationals at Tenby day 1
75th anniversary starts with two bullets for new boys on the block with a borrowed boat Thanks to Vanessa Devereaux for planning and organising the 2025 GP14 National Championships as it kicked of in style at beautiful Tenby. The welcome from the Sailing Club volunteers was amazing as they guided the fleet through the narrow streets. Posted on 5 Aug