Please select your home edition
Edition
GP Watercraft

GP14 Riocard O'Tiarnaigh Challenge at Swords Sailing & Boating Club

by Keith Louden 2 Jun 2016 08:21 BST 22 May 2016
Keith Louden and Alan Thompson leading during the GP14 Riocard O'Tiarnaigh Challenge © Paul Rainey

The Riocard O'Tiarnaigh Challenge was again this year held at Swords Sailing and Boating Club on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd of May. It was sailed as a combined event with the Purcell Trophy this year due to the 2016 World championships being held in Barbados at Easter. A warm welcome was given by the club to all competitors and their friendship and hospitality was extended thought the weekend, with their incredible race management on the water and their fantastic catering and ashore.

The results of the Purcell trophy were rolled over from the Saturday and used partly as qualifying for the Riocard O'Tiarnaigh Challenge final. A total of 7 races would be sailed for qualifying purposes with one discard to be used. After the Purcell event results were counted three shorter races with separate fleet starts were scheduled to be sailed on the Sunday morning.

Qualifying positions for the gold and silver fleets were wide open with a number of boats able to fill the four qualifying positions for each fleet.

In the first two races on the Sunday morning in the gold fleet Keith Louden and Alan Thompson took two race wins and Shane McCarthy & Damian Bracken took two second places. John & Donal McGuinness qualified in third place, this left the last place open and to be contested in the final race by three boats. Niall Henry and Ossian Geraghty took the race win and with other results going their way, they grabbed the final place. However they would later choose not to contest the final and pass on the final slot to Hugh Gill and Simon Revill.

The Silver fleet was just as hotly contested with the final places being decided in the final race of qualifying with Michael Cox and Josh Porter, Simon Jeffery and Alan Henry, Katie Dwyer and Michelle Rowley and Simon Cully and Richard Street all making it through.

The bronze fleet sailors Ian Nish and his crew Des, and Keith and Barbara Leonard who had already qualified, went out on Sunday morning to test out the conditions and get some practice in preparation for the final.

At lunch time the wind died away completely but when PRO Peter Smyth blew his whistle to signal end to lunch the wind duly obliged and within half an hour it had settled in to a steady force 3 in strength. However it was still shifting back and forth in direction, as it had done all weekend in preparation for the final.

The first race saw a great start by Katie Dwyer & Michelle Rowley and when they rounded the windward mark with a sizeable lead they could not be caught by Shane McCarthy & Damian Bracken, a result which would prove significant for the girls by the end of the day. John & Donal McGuinness crossed the line in third place.

Second race saw Shane McCarthy and Damian Bracken take an early lead which they would maintain to the end and with positions changing behind them Keith Louden & Alan Thompson took second and John & Donal McGuinness were third.

In the third and Final race points counted double which meant any number of boats could still win the event, Keith Louden & Alan Thompson led at the windward mark and held on to that lead until the final leeward mark when they were passed by Shane Mc Carthy & Damien Bracken. Keith Louden & Alan Thompson finished second and Katie Dwyer & Michelle Rowley in third.

This result gave Shane McCarthy & Damien Bracken the Riocard O'Tiarnaigh Challenge win, Katie Dwyer & Michelle Rowley took second in a break of tie with Keith Louden & Alan Thompson in third place.

Overall Results: (double points final race)

PosHelmCrewClubFleetR1R2R3Pts
1Shane MacCarthyDamien BrackenGraystonesGold2125
2Katie DwyerMichele RowleySutton D CSliver14611
3Keith LoudenAlan ThompsonSligo Y CGold52411
4John Mc GuinnessDonal Mc GuinnessMoville S C Gold33814
5Simon CullyLibby TurnerBlessington S C Silver771024
6Simon JefferyAlan HenryE D YCSliver651425
7Hugh GillSimon RevillSutton D CGold861226
8Michael CoxJosh PorterNewtownards Y CSliver481628
9Ian NishDes Mc GuiganSwords S C Bronze991836
10Keith LeonardBarbara LeonardSwords S C Bronze10102040

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