When the Dublin Bay Water Wags started racing 133 years ago in 1887, every boat had a Spinnaker Guy, and a vital role he played too in dealing with the eternal contest with Tidal Eddy. So far, however, there’s no word that a Lazy Jack or a Bob Stay has been seen racing aboard any of these historic boats. But it seems that the Guys are now to be found everywhere, even on the helm, and of course they’re all Good Guys to a man - or indeed a woman, should it be Mrs Guy.
This all came to a weird sort of peak yesterday (Wednesday) evening, when perfect sunlit racing conditions rounded out a classic ridge day, providing sailing prospects so encouraging that, despite the dampening effects of social distancing and whatever, the class had its best turnout of 2020 thus far, 25 boats being on the line for two races sent off by the ubiquitous Con and Cathy Murphy.
The “weird peak” emerged from the fact that the first race was won by Guy O’Leary, while the second – after a slight kerfuffle towards the finish line with that Howth guy Ian Malcolm racing the 1915-vintage Barbara – was won by Guy Kilroy. Other guys and gals figured in the top results, but for the moment it’s enough to be contemplating this Guyfest at the front of the fleet, when you remember it was in a fleet already deploying 25 Spinnaker Guys.
Classic summer evening in Dun Laoghaire as 27 guys are busy downwind in the Water Wags. Photo: Con Murphy
