Seafly Open Meeting at Newcastle Yacht Club

Newcastle, Co.Down

For the fourth year in succession John Rusk and Bernard Davey piloted ‘Ososlo’ to victory in the Seafly Championships staged by Newcastle Yacht Club in Dundrum Bay over the weekend of 21st & 22nd July. The event, first established in 1975 consists of four races over varying courses on a Saturday and Sunday in July or August. The poorest result is discarded and the three best results are added together, 1 for first, 2 for second and so on. The boat/crew with the lowest score is the winner and holder of the Silver Salver. Having thrown down the gauntlet the previos week the biggest entry that anyone could remember in recent times registered, all vowing to knock ‘Ososlo’ off its rostrum. The resulting competition was fierce with no corner given. What was also remarkable was the fact that all ten boats competed in every race and so many young sailors were involved. Katie Gibson and Michael Mullan especially sailed their socks off.

In a stiff southerly the surprise lightweight entry of Glen Ward and Katie Gibson in ‘Pampam’ showed the way until a wayward spinnaker took its toll allowing Rusk and Davey to coast to an early win over Derek Rooney and Frank Campbell (Sea Swallow) with Kingsley & Victoria Singer (Nososlo) third. Race two the wind abated slightly but drama was about to unfold when Ward protested Rusk for not giving way while tacking at the south mark. Despite clocking up another win the protest committee upheld the Ward protest and ‘Ososlo’ was disqualified. This effectively put Ward and Gibson into the lead after the first day with a first and fourth. This had the club buzzing with anticipation for the next two races on Sunday as other combinations like Mark Miskelly and Lesley McDonald (Ippolitow) had come into the reckoning.

By Sunday morning the wind had shifted to the northwest with the more experienced Gavin Ward joining his brother Glen in ‘Pampam’ as he stepped up a gear for the last two races. Unfortunately a broken boom while they were challenging for the lead towards the end of lap 1 put paid to their efforts. All the time Ricky Cole and Norman Parker (Revival) were consistently getting into the frame. The last race was a bit of a lottery with the wind dropping out light and variable allowing the whole fleet bunch up on the last two legs promising a major upset. However, the Ward brothers, using a borrowed boom, pulled clear and registered another win with Rusk and Davey close behind. Ricky Cole with a fresh crew (Fiona Mullan) took third spot. A packed clubhouse assembled afterwards for the prize giving conducted by Commodore Gary Law.

Overall Results: