Day 1 of the 2023 GP14 Munster Championships on Saturday (17 June) saw 26 crews arrive at Tralee Bay Sailing Club. This was the first time in over 40 years the fleet had been in Fenit, writes Andy Johnston.

PRO John Leech, having welcomed the fleet at the morning briefing, got the fleet on the water for a midday first gun. Oscillating wind meant a few delays but Race 1 got under way by 12.20pm in about seven to eight knots.

With dolphins surfacing on the start line close to the committee boat, Ger Owens and Mel Morris had a great start and led Sean Craig and Stephen Boyle to the weather mark. Close behind them were JP & Carolyn McCaldin, Ruan & Tash O’Tiarnaigh, Curly Morris and Meg Tyrrell, and Colman Grimes and Ross Gingles.

By start of second triangle, Owens and Craig had extended their lead with Grimes and O’Tiarnaigh and a fast-improving Ross Kearney and Daniel Nelson looking for the last podium spot. Grimes took third with Kearney fourth and O’Tiarnaigh fifth, with Conor Twohig and Matthew Cotter finishing well to take sixth.

The start of Race 2 was AP a couple of times before getting into sequence. Then crashing thunder and lightning interrupted things with the PRO sending the fleet home temporarily.

Within 15 minutes Met Éireann had posted a Status Yellow warning for Kerry, indicating the lightning was here for the rest of the day. That was the trigger to abandon racing, with four races and an earlier start mow scheduled for Sunday (18 June).

Race 1 results can be found on the Tralee Bay Sailing Club website HERE.