Displaying items by tag: Lough Foyle Yacht Club

26th May 2022

GP14 Ulster Championships at Lough Foyle Yacht Club Won By Ross Kearney and Andrew Vaughan

Ross Kearney and Andrew Vaughan from Royal North YC on Belfast Lough topped the 26 strong GP14 fleet at the Ulster Championships over the third weekend this month. The event was hosted for the first time since 2018 by Lough Foyle Yacht Club near Derry in the north west of Ireland. Kearney was Afloat’s sailor of the month in September 2018.

The club lies at Culmore Point on the north shore of Lough Foyle where the River Foyle meets the Lough and from where in a very different craft, St Colmcille is said to have started his journey to the island of Iona off Mull on Scotland’s west coast to found the Abbey. The Gaelic cuil mor does indeed depict the location well as the ‘big corner’.
In conditions described as testing with south westerly gusts it was clear that this would indeed provide a valuable precursor for the forthcoming World Championships in Skerries in August.

GP14 dinghies racing on Lough Foyle GP14s on Lough Foyle

With the GPs keen to make their mark, the first race suffered from over eager starters and after the second general recall the black flag claimed the Sutton pairing of Hugh and Dan Gill. With the fleet up and away, the locals, Keith and Mateo Louden (LFYC) used their knowledge of the Lough, to go right early and to good effect, though with the wind variable around the course, those who made good use of the puffs were also faring well.

After several position changes on the long beats, the strategy of conservatively playing the right allowed Colman Grimes and Ross Gingles from Skerries SC to take the first win of the weekend, followed by Ger Owens and Melanie Morris of the Royal St. George YC who managed to keep Peter and Stephen Boyle of Sutton DC at bay down the last reaching leg. First in the Silver fleet were Conor Twohig and Matthew Cotter from Sutton with the tenacious Lara Sunday and Jennifer Bryce of Newtownards SC 1st in Bronze.

The second race saw rain clouds blow in and with the river now fin full spate, rounding the weather mark proved dramatic. Having sat out the first race, the fresh-legged Hugh and Dan Gill from Sutton claimed first slot with Kearney and Vaughan second and the Boyles showing their consistency with two 3rds now under their belt. Sam Wray and Luke Henderson of Sligo YC took 7th place and first Silver and with some swapping around in the bronze fleet, it was now Mullingar’s Michael Collender and Brian Walker time to shine.

Race three had a light air start which caught the fleet out with several struggling to make the line. Ger Owens and Mel Morris spotted the favoured right-hand corner having noticed earlier in the day and were largely uncontested, pulling out a very substantial lead and easy win. The Gill’s conviction that the left should pay finished with an 18th, while in contrast Josh Porter and Cara McDowell of Newtownards SC came second having noticed Ger and Melanie’s progress. Peter and Stephen Boyle made it a hat-trick of 3rd places. First Silver were Michael Cox and Claire Cromie of Newtownards SC with Collender and Walker went on to improve their positions in the Bronze fleet with a 10th.

Overnight results left the contest wide open with Owens leading overall but unable to sail the next day.

Day Two brought the same conditions and John and Donal McGuiness of Moville had a better day and took first In Race 4 with the host club’s Keith and Mateo Louden second and the Sligo pair, Diarmaid Mullan and Lauren Donaghy in third.

Puffy shifty conditions produced an awkward sea for Race 5. Kearney and Vaughan made the most of it, powering through the chop to secure another win, putting them in a good position to close out the series provided they could discard their 11th. Hugh ad Dan Gill took second.

It was close at the top going into the final race and again the black flag was out. At first, the Boyles looked good but overlaid the windward mark with Grimes and Gingles having a decent beat, but Conor Twohig and Mathew Cotter pipped them to the mark. After a windy reach, Grimes and Gingles closed out the race with another win, but a fourth was enough to secure the title for the Royal North pair. Twohig and Cotter’s second in the final race gave them the Silver overall first and the Bronze went to Michael Collender and Brian Walker.

Ross Kearney and Andrew Vaughan from Royal North YC on Belfast Lough topped the 26 strong GP14 fleet at the Ulster Championships

In July the same stretch of water will see very much bigger 70-foot boats sail through with the Round the World Clipper Race fleet arriving for its stopover in Derry mid-month.

Published in GP14

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Boats Head for 'Foyle Days' 2011

Next weekend's Foyle Days (21 and 22) is set to welcome the return of the Johanna Lucretia, a two masted wooden schooner built in 1945, along with other vessels which are to visit the north-west city, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The annual maritime festival will bring the sailing boats upriver on the River Foyle and berth at the Queen's Quay. The public are invited to come on board free of charge and explore the vessels. The largest being the 96ft Johanna Lucretia, which was built originally as a fishing boat but never used for that purpose.

Over the years she has changed hands between Dutch and UK interests for recreational use. Several years ago she starred in the RTE TV reality show 'Cabin Fever' where she replaced the show's first ship Camaret of Cornwall (branded as 'Cabin Fever') after it ran aground off Tory Island.

During the two-day festival (11am-5pm) the boating community at the event will include the Coleraine Yacht Club, Foyle Paddlers, Foyle Punts, Lough Foyle Yacht Club, Lough Swilly Yacht Club, Moville Boat Club, RNLI and the Foyle (SAR) Search and Rescue.

Visitors to Foyle Days can call to the Clipper stand and learn more about the city's entry of the Derry~Londonderry boat in the 2011-2012 Clipper Round the World Race. Learn more about the countries the crew will visit and also how to get involved in the event. For more information about the race, at 40,000 miles is the world's longest race go to www.clipperroundtheworld.com/

Running alongside the festival a continental market with 40 stalls will be open to all at the recently revamped Guildhall Square. For further details about Foyle Days click here.

Published in Maritime Festivals

Lough Foyle Yacht Club

Lough Foyle Yacht Club is situated on the banks of the River Foyle at Culmore Point, approximately 3 miles north of the Foyle Bridge.

New members are always welcome. If you are interested in finding out more about the club and sailing at Culmore, come along to our club and talk to us. Members will be at the club on the days and times shown on our Sailing Programme or Contact us: [email protected]

Lough Foyle Yacht Club, Culmore Point, Londonderry BT48 8JW, N. Ireland. Email: [email protected]

(Details courtesy of Lough Foyle Yacht Club)

Have we got your club details? Click here to get involved

Published in Clubs

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About The Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a 'must do' race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.

The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.

In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.

George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7

The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.

So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC's longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.

Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race "must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?"

In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard's brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America's Cup with Moro di Venezia.

Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP's of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.

The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.

World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.

The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany's Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.

THE COURSE RECORD

The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.

However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2024

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 19 October 2024.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST Saturday, 21 October 2024

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth