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Cumann Badoireachta & Seoiltoireachta, An Cheathru Rua, is in Connemara and must be the westernmost sailing club in the country! It is as far west as you can get in County Galway without getting your feet wet – the next parish is the Aran Islands and then America.

Over the weekend of 21/22 May they hosted an invitational event for the Flying Fifteen fleet and four boats from the class stronghold of Dun Laoghaire made the trip across the country to this new venue. Alan Green took his own boat, Mach Five (4026) and teamed up with Bryan Willis from Whitehead. Ian Mathews and Keith Poole travelled with Mike Wazowski (4099), Ben Mulligan and Cormac Bradley took Enfant de Marie (4081) on the road and Alistair Court and Conor O’Leary brought Ffinistere (3750).

The Flying Fifteen Invitational fleet gathered at Cumann Badoireachta & Seoiltoireachta, An Cheathru Rua, in Connemara Photo: Maria Uí Bhriain

They were all rewarded with wonderful sailing, a very warm welcome from the Chonamara Flying Fifteen community and endless hospitality over the weekend. And as for the sailing conditions, we were blessed with robust breeze for the two days but still managed to get five races in over the weekend.

And over and above all this they went to great lengths when one of the travelling quartet had a bearings problem on the way down on Friday evening. Parts were cannibalised from another road trailer at the venue and brought back to the east side of Galway in order that the boat could make the final part of the journey and a further plan was made when it was discovered that the second bearing on the same trailer was in trouble. Another sailor from the 420 community stopped at the roadside in Galway on Friday night when he saw “a jacked-up trailer with boat” on the hard shoulder and offered help as well.

Saturday morning revealed a slightly lumpy seascape in the inner bay off the Pier at Carraroe under grey clouds, but we were advised that we would be sailing outside on the open sea. A quick meeting was convened to set out the flags for a conventional 5-minute start sequence and we used as Galway GAA flag for the Warning Signal/Class Flag and a small white pennant for the Preparatory Signal. It worked fine and our only concern was for the gentlemen who had to hold the Class Flag for all of the five minutes in blustery conditions.

Cumann Badoireachta and Seoiltoireachta race officials fly the flags from the Connemara Committee Vessel at the Flying Fifteen Invitational

Race Officer Cian O’Brien ran five excellent races with a minimum of fuss, with a long course of two laps in the open sea on the Saturday for three races and two three-lap races in the inner bay on the Sunday. His lines were good and the downwind legs in the brisk breezes were great fun and really exhilarating. The upwind legs were hard work, but the reward was the off-wind legs. Windward-Leeward courses were the norm for the weekend. The forecast had suggested 16/17 knots on Saturday with gusts in the low twenties and that was the order of the day. On the Sunday the wind had gone further west and on initial viewing, the inner bay seemed calmer, but the “older wisdom” of the members on the shore advised that sailing in the open sea should not be contemplated and so we raced “inside” and had another two exhilarating races. Sunday was more blustery, with wind coming off the land making life that bit more interesting! Indeed, a blast came through during the countdown for the second race which led to the abandonment of the start, on the advice of one of the senior travellers. Opinions ashore afterwards gauged that wind at 30knots.

On the water, the “north-south” combination of Willis & Green won four of the five races, only dropping Race 4 which was won by Ian Mathews & Keith Poole, who matched this result with four second places. The winners and second placed boats didn’t have it completely their own way, though the winners did stretch their lead in the latter parts of each race. Upwind, particularly on the first beats, Ben Mulligan & Cormac Bradley were in close company with both Willis and Mathews and Messrs Court & O’Leary were never too far away either. Of the local fleet, of which there were eleven, Niall O’Brien and Mairtin Hehir (3621) gave an excellent account of themselves and but for an unfortunate spinnaker problem in the last race would have appeared further up in the overall rankings. Their best finish was a third in Race 3. Dermot Flaherty & Thomas McDonagh (3704 but using sail number 3955) also put in appearances among the visitors and scored a second place in Race 4.

But aside from the placings on the water, the encouraging aspect of the Chonamara Flying Fifteen Community is their enthusiasm for racing the boat and how that has been instilled across a number of father and son teams, a father and daughter team and a number of all-junior teams. It was infectious and hugely encouraging. To give you a sample of what I am getting at, Mary Nic Dhonncha and her father Sean Mac Donncha race 3275, Mind over Matter, Cian Mac Donncha & Eanna Gannon raced 3408, but conditions made it a challenge for them. They don’t all fly spinnakers on the downwind legs, but they all endeavour to finish. All the visitors found themselves being quizzed by the younger members of this fleet and their enthusiasm was genuinely infectious.

On the Saturday night, a buffet dinner was organised for competitors and helpers alike in “An Chistin Bar” just around the corner from the club. From my perspective, all the crews were in attendance plus the race management team. Later on, Alan Green could be seen having an engaging conversation with some of the younger members of the fleet, while Messrs Court, O’Leary and Bradley talked spinnaker techniques and teamwork with the crews who had been snapping at their heels on the water. Bryan Willis had a father and son combination in awe over an older boat, completely refurbished at his facility in Larne. None of the travellers were left in their own company.

Ashore, all the crews were given a very generous lunch pack on Saturday and after Sunday’s racing sandwiches, cake and tea/coffee were being offered to all the competitors and organisers alike. A mobile food stall was on site on the Saturday morning for a hot breakfast. Vehicles and people were volunteered to haul boats out of the water on both days. Additionally, a camera man was taking footage ashore and afloat and a report on the regatta featured on TG4 on Sunday night.

A very generous prize-giving took place outside in sunshine, conducted by Mike Hopkins, who was later acknowledged by Alan Green for his work in setting up the regatta, with a prize for the solitary Classic Boat and overall prizes for 10th to 1st. Volunteers were also acknowledged.

Bryan Willis (left) and Alan Green (centre) were overall winners Photo: Seán Ó Mainnín

Keith Poole (left) and Ian Mathews Photo: Seán Ó Mainnín

Cormac Bradley and Ben Mulligan Photo: Seán Ó Mainnín

Flying Fifteen invitational event at Cumann Badoireachta & Seoiltoireachta, An Cheathru Rua

For those who were unable to go to Carraroe, you missed a thoroughly enjoyable weekend with superb conditions for racing Flying Fifteens. No, we can’t always be sure of the weather, but the enthusiasm, warmth of welcome and hospitality of the Chonamara Flying Fifteen Community would have made a wet, storm blown-out weekend in the West a pleasure.

This is a venue we need to come to as a Class for a formal regatta!