Irish Flying Fifteen East Coast Championship at National Yacht Club

Shane McCarthy and Hugh McNally recorded a perfect score of five race wins to take the penultimate regatta of the Irish Flying Fifteen season, the East Coast Championship, hosted by the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire this past weekend.

With a fleet that boasted entries from the four coastlines of Ireland, North, South, East and West they had it almost all their own way on Saturday but faced a few challenges on Sunday. Or at least that is what I garnered at the prize-giving on Sunday.

As this columnist speculated in the pre-regatta review, local stalwarts David Gorman & Chris Doorly (4099) finished second overall, counting three second places, discarding a fifteenth and also scoring 4.5 points in the fourth race. Visitors Peter & Juliette Kennedy (3920) also had a successful weekend by finishing third overall in Peter's last regatta in this boat which returns to Dun Laoghaire and a new owner in the growing fleet of Fifteens in the Royal St George.

Irish Flying Fifteen East Coast Championship - Niall Coleman (l) and Conor Grimley (r) collect the first prize for the Silver Fleet - photo © Cormac Bradley

The Silver fleet also enjoyed close racing with the podium places covered by only six points and a hometown 1-2-3. Niall Coleman & Conor Grimley (4008) finished 10th overall to win this category with 42pts, ahead of Niall Meagher & Nicki Matthews (4128) in 11th with 47pts and Alan Green & Caroline Hanniffy (4026) in 12th with 48pts.

Another visiting boat sailed by Bryan Willis and Michael Lynch (4074) finished 13th overall and won the Bronze fleet with a 15.5pt margin over Alan Balfe & Byron Smith (3995) with Peter and Alex Sherry third in the division, two places and 15pts adrift of Balfe.

Irish Flying Fifteen East Coast Championship - Bryan Will (l) and Michael Lynch collect the Bronze Fleet 1st prize - photo © Cormac Bradley

Gold fleet boats took nine of the top ten positions with positions 4 - 9 occupied by Phil Lawton & Neil O'Hagan (3803), Niall & Ronan O'Briain (4092), Trevor D'Arcy & Alan McClernon (3782), Andy McCleery & Colin Dougan (4120), Emma Pierce & Ian Smith (3892) and Ian Mathews & Keith Poole (4093).

Race Officer Eddie Totterdell and his team provided excellent racing with races at approximately 50 minutes' duration and quick turnarounds. In his winner's acceptance speech, Shane McCarthy noted that the lines were always square, attributable to the comms between Eddie and the pin-end RIB, manned by John McNeilly. Although this correspondent didn't get to sail all the races, the consensus view was that a "proper" regatta had been sailed and due thanks were given to the race team, the results team and all the volunteers who had made the event possible.

Saturday was a challenging day on the water with very lumpy conditions on the course. I am led to believe that Sunday was a bit easier, but that said, some very experienced Flying Fifteeners claimed that they were feeling the effects of the five races over the weekend.

Irish Flying Fifteen East Coast Championship - NYC Commodore, Peter Sherry and Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen Class Captain Joe Hickey, welcome the competitors to the prizegiving - photo © Cormac Bradley

In opening the prize-giving, NYC Commodore, Peter Sherry, a Fifteener himself, and Joe Hickey, Dul Laoghaire Flying Fifteen Class Captain 2024, thanked all the visitors who had attended the regatta. All the volunteers were thanked as well.

Due notice was given of the Southern Championships, due to be sailed at Lough Derg Yacht Club over the weekend of 12/13 October. Chris Doorly, on behalf of FFAI, advised the gathering that a Class AGM would be held soon and requested that new people consider taking office.

Overall Results: (top ten)