Rockshore Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club - Day 7

Prizes for the Rockshore Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North of Ireland YC © Robert Hastings

A week out, the dogs on the streets could have told us that the weather was not looking good for the last day of racing. True enough, with a base rate 18 knots gusting 33 knots and a miserable drizzle that would get Uncle Liam's three strands of hair really wet, it was decided early in the morning to call the racing off. I personally don't remember a series like it with so many full-on proper hiking and bone hurting windy days in November and December... that said, it was really good fun!

Without any racing to be had, it was to the bar that everyone descended to, sure after all it is Christmas and we had to have our traditional Christmas Dinner followed by the prize-giving.

Too much wind at the conclusion of the Rockshore Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North of Ireland YC - photo © Robert Hastings

First prize to be awarded was the coveted W Anchor t-shirt for misdemeanours that happened during the series. There were two nominations, first was to Woo Kearney for causing a lot of luffing and mark rounding mischief at the leeward mark in Race 13.

The second nomination was to Gerry Reid, our long and cold suffering race officer. This man puts a lot of time and passion into the series, but he is only human. Back on the 4th December racing was cancelled at the last minute. He proclaimed there was over 40 knots of wind at the end of the pier.... turns out he had his wind instrument set on kilometres per hour.

As race officer, we couldn't let this go so Gerry was awarded the W Anchor t-shirt which he took and wore in good spirits.

Special t-shirt awarded to Gerry Reid at the end of the Rockshore Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North of Ireland YC - photo © Robert Hastings

On to the main prizes, it wasn't a great shock to know who had finished where as the results stood from the previous week.

In third place was Luke McIlwaine from Newcastle Sailing Club with his crew Ryan Wilson from Carrickfergus Sailing Club. In second place was Liam Donnelly and Rick McCaig both from Carrickfergus Sailing Club, and in first place was the ever consistent but not flawless (only three capsizes this series) Peter Kennedy from Strangford Lough Sailing Club and Stevie Kane from RNIYC who picked up the Bosun Bob's Frostie Series Trophy for the second year in a row.

A big thank you to the Committee at RNIYC who facilitate the fleet, to Ross Kearney, Andrew Vaughan, Gerry Reid, Jack Anderson, who put in a lot of hard work in the background and to all the committee boat and rescue volunteers who let us have fun racing every weekend, it is greatly appreciated. Thanks also go to Bosun Bob's Chandlery and to Rockshore for sponsoring the event. Lastly, thanks to Stevie Kane from Ridgeway who provided all the wine at our tables.

Peter Kennedy and Stephen Kane collect the trophy for the second year in a row - Rockshore Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North of Ireland YC - photo © Neil Mathews

As for 2023, the RS400 and RS200 calendar is just about finalised. The events lined up so far are:

• RS Westerns, 1st - 2nd April @ Galway City SC
• RS Northerns, 6th - 7th May @ Strangford SC (Castleward)
• Irish RS Games 30th June, 1st - 2nd July @ Blessington SC
• RS400 UK Nationals 31st July - 4th August - Mounts Bay, Cornwall (There are a good number of local crews planning to go to this event which will be BIG in every sense!)

The RS400 Frostie Series will be back at RNIYC next November and December and I already can't wait!

Series Overall Results: