Thrills and spills were the order of the day for the opening races at Calves Week 2019, Schull, sailed in a brisk westerly wind, gusting close to thirty knots at times writes Michael Murphy
Race Officer Kieran McSweeney, who was drafted in at short notice in place of principle race officer Alan Crosbie, elected to set up his starting line south of the harbour entrance and succeeded in getting all six classes of the sixty-two boat fleet away, without mishap.
All the fleets had a though beat through Long Island sound, with all bar White Sail two rounding Goat Island for a bumpy downwind leg outside the islands to the Amelia Buoy.
The conditions took their toll on the fleet with six retirals before the halfway stage.
In Class 0/1 it was a perfect start for Denis Murphy's “Nieulargo” who clocked up first in both handicap divisions ahead of Frank Whelan's “Eleuthera”, with the much smaller “Antix Beag” claiming third in IRC for Antony O'Leary, while Paul O'Higgins “Rockabill VI” took third in Echo.
In class two Jonny Swan's “Harmony” from Howth took the IRC prize, with George Radley in “Cortegada” filling the Echo slot.
In class three it was a clean sweep for Tralee based David Buckley who sailed “Jaguar” to victory in both IRC and ECHO ahead of the “Musketeer” crew from Cobh who notched up a second in IRC and third in Echo. Dan O'Donovan from Dungarvan sailing Club “Second Count” and the Schull based Quinlan family filled the third spots.
Class four saw Rob O'Reilly's “Bonjourno” claim the IRC prize ahead of the Murphy Family in “Shelly D”, with the order reversed in echo. Richard Hanley's “Saoirse ”from KYC, claimed third in IRC, with the Buckley crew in “Tete-A-Tete filling third in Echo.
White Sail one, saw Michael O Leary's “Act Two” from the Royal Irish Yacht Club claim both prizes, with Bryan Heffernan's “Aisling” filling both seconds.
In White Sail Two, victory went to the local boat “Dreamcatcher” sailed by Frank Murphy, ahead of Andrew Mackey's “Lorna Drew.
