Carthy Wins Opening Race of Mermaid Week

2nd August 2010

After a two hour postponement the slack winds filled in for a Race Officer Liam Dinneen allowing him to run today's first race of Mermaid week in near perfect conditions with NW 9 knots and sunshine. There are thirty three boats racing, from clubs in the Dublin area, Wexford and of course Foynes. The oldest boat sailing this week is No. 11 Oonagh built in 1937 whilst the newest boat is No. 188 Innocence built in 1997.

All age groups are sailing from pre-teen to some in their eighties. There are five pairs for brothers helming ten competing boats - Enda and Anthony Weldon from Rush, James and Vincent McCormack from Foynes, James's sons Darragh and Mark McCormack, Jim and Anthony Carthy from Rush and veterans Shay and Martin O'Toole from Skerries. There are also many husband/wife crews.

Frankie Browne of Skerries in Cara II (No. 135) got a great start and built on his lead during the first beat and again on the first run. He lead for the first eight legs, but on the ninth and last leg he failed to cover effectively and was beaten by Jim Carthy in No. 123 Vee (Rush) in 1st and Jim Dempsey in No. 183 Wannago (Skerries).

The 2009 Champion, Paddy Dillon (131 Wild Wind, Rush) was a solid fourth, with Anthony Carthy (188 Innocence, Rush) in fifth. Derek Joyce (187 Zuleika, Wexford) who had been in the top three also lost out on the last beat and came in sixth.

The winner of the "Daphne" fleet (equivalent of Silver Fleet) was Alan Berg of Rush, sailing No 93 Swallow. The winner of the "Designer" fleet was Mark Boylan in No. 177 This Is It, sailing a boat his father Joe built and sailed for many years. Best local boat was Vincent McCormack in No 119 Three Chevrons.

Racing today starts at 10:30 with live updates on the Mermaid Week website http://www.dublinbaymermaid.org/foynes2010/index_files/Commentary.htm.

Published in Shannon Estuary

Tagged under

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

Shannon Foynes Port Information

Shannon Foynes Port (SFPC) are investing in an unprecedented expansion at its general cargo terminal, Foynes, adding over two-thirds the size of its existing area. In the latest phase of a €64 million investment programme, SFPC is investing over €20 million in enabling works alone to convert 83 acres on the east side of the existing port into a landbank for marine-related industry, port-centric logistics and associated infrastructure. The project, which will be developed on a phased basis over the next five years, will require the biggest infrastructure works programme ever undertaken at the port, with the entire 83 acre landbank having to be raised by 4.4 metres. The programme will also require the provision of new internal roads and multiple bridge access as well as roundabout access.