GP14 Munster Championship at Tralee Bay Sailing Club - Day 1
by Andy Johnston 18 Jun 2023 13:32 BST
GP14 Munster Championship at Tralee Bay - Day 1 © Andy Johnston
Day 1 of the 2023 GP14 Munster Championships saw 26 crews arrive at Tralee Bay Sailing Club. This was the first time over 40 years the fleet had been in Fenit.
PRO John Leech having welcomed the fleet at the morning briefing got fleet on the water for a midday first gun. Oscillating wind meant a few delays but Race 1 got under way by 12:20 in about 7-8knots
With dolphins surfacing on the start line close to the Committee boat, Ger Owens & Mel Morris had a great start and led Sean Craig & Stephen Boyle to the weather mark. Close behind them was JP & Carolyn McCaldin, Ruan & Tash O'Tiarnaigh, Curly Morris & Meg Tyrrell and Colman Grimes & Ross Gingles.
By start of second triangle Owens and Craig had extended their lead with Grimes & O'Tiarnaigh and a fast improving Ross Kearney & Daniel Nelson looking for the last podium spot. Grimes took third with Kearney fourth and O'Tiarnaigh fifth with Conor Twohig & Matthew Cotter finishing well to take sixth.
The start of Race 2 was AP a couple of times before getting into sequence.
Then crashing thunder and lightening interrupted things with PRO sending the fleet home temporarily. Within 15 mins Met Eireann had posted a Status Yellow warning for Kerry indicating the lightening and thunder was here for the rest of the day.
That was the trigger to abandon racing for the day with four races and an earlier start now scheduled for Sunday.
Race results on Tralee Bay Sailing Club website: traleebaysailingclub.ie/events-2