Boats, Boating, Sailing, WIORA, Galway Bay, Tralee, Clifden, Foynes, Royal Western Yacht Club, Irela

Afloat.ie: Hallmark Top Boat at OneSails McWilliam West Coast Superleague 09

Friday, 20 November 2009

The Onesails McWilliam West Coast Super League – an extracted series of six events on the West Coast of Ireland – is organised by the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association (WIORA) with the help of various clubs involved: Galway Bay Sailing Club, Tralee Bay Sailing Club, Clifden Boat Club, Foynes Yacht Club and the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland. For a breakdown of the year's events and pics, please see over the fold.

This year's events where the Northwest Offshore Racing Association Regatta/GB09; O'Sullivan Marine 100 Mile Race; the West Coast Championships; Clifden Regatta; Foynes Yacht Club Regatta and the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland’s October series.

In excess of one hundred boats took part in the various events during the Onesails Mc William West Coast Super League and the final placing where not decided until the October series was completed at the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland.

The overall winner of the Onesails McWilliam West Coast Super League is Jackie Ward and Crew sailing their Class 3 Parker 27 from Clifden Boat Club, they fought off stiff competition from Thomas and Kieran Whelan’s Class 1 X332 Chaos who finished second overall and Raymond McGibney’s Class 2 Dehler 34 Disaray who finished third overall.

At the recent prize giving hosted by Foynes Yacht Club to a well worthy applause Jackie and Crew picked up a host of prizes and the overall IRC cup which where presented by Sue and Des McWilliam of Onesails McWilliam.

Hallmark crew with Des and Sue McWilliam

Simon McGibney, Commodore of the West of Ireland Offshore Association, also paid tribute to Jackie and his crew for their outstanding achievement of becoming the first West Coast boat to win their division at the Irish Cruiser Racer Association National Cruiser Championships which where held in Tralee Bay Sailing Club earlier this year for the first time ever on the West Coast. Simon also thanked Sue and Des McWilliam for their very generous sponsorship of the Super League.

Mustang Sally crew being presented with their trophy by Sue McWilliam

In Echo the overall winner is Rob Allen’s Class 1 Corby 36 Mustang Sally from the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland with Dave Griffen’s Class 2 Dehler 34 Egalite from Clifden Boat Club finishing second overall and Brian O’ Sullivan’s White Sails Bavaria Navillus II from Tralee Bay Sailing Club finishing third overall.

Results after all six events completed:

Overall IRC

1st Jackie Ward Hallmark Parker 27 Clifden Boat Club

2nd Thomas & Kieran Whelan X332 Chaos Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland

3rd Raymond Mc Gibney Dehler 34 Disaray Foynes Yacht Club

Echo Overall

1st Rob Allen Corby 36 Mustang Sally Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland

2nd Dave Griffin Dehler 34 Egalite Clifden Boat Club

3rd Brian O’ Sullivan Bavaria Navillus II Tralee Bay Sailing Club

Class 1 IRC

1st Thomas & Kieran Whelan X332 Chaos Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland

2nd Martin Reilly Corby 29 Esperanto Sligo Yacht Club