The last “salt-water” regatta for the Irish Flying Fifteen fleet was hosted this past weekend by the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. Early in the week beforehand, the forecast was for a robust Saturday and a more genteel Sunday…….and so it proved. Saturday was projected to see winds in the high teens with gusts in the twenties from a northerly direction and on arrival at the club this appeared to be the case. In his regatta briefing IRO, Con Murphy, advised the fleet that out in the Bay the wind was blowing in accordance with the forecast. He suggested that he would be racing windward-leeward course of two rounds and they would monitor the wind during the course of the day.
Launching off the NYC slipway isn’t the easiest in a northerly, but a reduced fleet from the 26-boat entry got away without too much drama. Outside the harbour it became apparent that not only was the wind a possible issue but there was an ugly sea running as well. An early casualty of the conditions was a broken kicker, with the crew retiring to shore and re-emerging from the harbour in a RIB to supplement the rescue team. Another combination sailed to the starting area, did their own assessment and returned to shore.
With the tide still flooding, the wind was effectively blowing at right angles to the main tidal stream and this created a lumpy sea with cross waves the order of the day. The port tack was reasonably comfortable as there was greater sense of “going into the waves,” but the starboard tack was less so.
The first race and subsequent races got away punctually without the use of either a U-flag or a Black Flag.
Peter Kennedy & Stephen Kane (3920) claimed the first win of the day, with the new National Champions, Niall & Ronan O’Briain (4902) finishing second and Shane McCarthy & Richard Rigg (4085) closing out the podium places. While the upwind legs were hard work, the downwind legs were exhilarating, with big swells helping the Fifteens surf easily downwind. At the leeward gate, the majority preference was to go to the left and head off to the open area of the Bay for the subsequent beat. Nineteen boats finished this first race, which had some excitement in it with a few keels being shown off in the robust spinnaker conditions.
McCarthy & Rigg took control of the first day with two race wins in the second and third races, but the National Champions kept in touch with a third and a second and Kennedy & Kane scored a second and a fifth. This left these three at the top of the table with McCarthy & Rigg on 5, O’Briain & O’Briain on 7 and Kennedy & Kane on 8pts. Class Chairman Hammy Baker and Class Secretary Peter Chamberlain (3756) led the chasing pack with a (4,5,4) with Ian Mathews & Keith Poole (4093) scoring 7,6,6, and visitors Andy McCleery & Colin Dougan (4037) scoring 13,4,3.
The attrition rate grew as the afternoon went on – Phil Lawton & Neil O’Hagan (3803) had scored a 5th in Race 1 but a broken main halyard in Race 2 left them with an early shower and a no-show in Race 3. Spinnaker complications also “did” for David Gorman and Chris Doorly (4099) and Lee Statham & Andy Paul (4070), which left each of them with a high 27pt score in the third race.
Back ashore, the wind speed recorded for the day was in the range 20 – 25knots.
Saturday evening was taken up with an AGM, dinner and the small matter of Ireland V Tonga at the Rugby World Cup. The AGM discussed potential venues for the 2024 regatta calendar which, if it comes to fruition, will see visits to the South Coast, the West Coast, the East Coast, the British Nationals in Strangford and two options for a Northern Championship and, potentially, the “freshwater water regatta” in Lough Derg (subject to invitation). Other matters to get an airing were the issues of membership numbers and membership fees (which impact on places at the next Worlds [UK]) and the need for new blood on the committee. The financial report indicated a stable condition with the prospect of some additional income from a hosted event earlier this year. Given the day on the water, the attendance at the dinner was modest and even fewer lasted the eighty minutes of play in the rugby.
Sunday was a completely different day, light airs, a glimpse of sunshine, and heavy rain as boats were being packed up. Race 1 saw the fleet split between inshore and offshore with the majority favouring the inshore route. However, as the fleet made its way upwind more boats started defecting to the middle and left of the course. Niall Meagher & Nicki Matthews (3938) led the way in Race 1 but were overtaken by Lawton & O’Hagan and McCarthy & Rigg. Interestingly, while the majority of the fleet went inshore on the downwind legs, those who played “chicken” by going right were rewarded for their ambition. Mathews & Poole and Tom Galvin & Cormac Bradley (3757) were among those who benefitted by this tactic.
Light airs for Sunday's racing at the NYC hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Con Murphy
For the final race, it seemed that both hard right and hard left on the beat paid and those in the middle were left to take the crumbs from the wind gods’ table. Gorman & Doorly scored spectacularly by staying hard left to lead the race by a comfortable margin. Behind them came Kennedy & Kane and Baker & Chamberlain. In the fading breeze, Race Officer Murphy signalled a shortened course at the leeward gate by showing an “F” flag. Nobody seemed to be aggrieved at the idea of an early finish.
At the prize-giving, NYC Commodore Peter Sherry (and competitor) again welcomed everyone to the National Yacht Club and presided over the presentations, capably assisted by the Dun Laoghaire Class Captain Robin Hilliard.
Additional prizes were awarded to 1st Lady Crew, Margaret Casey, 4028, 14th Overall and 1st Lady Helm, Geraldine O’Neill, 3706, 24th Overall.
2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships results. See full results sheet below
Thank-you gifts were presented to IRO Con Murphy and the sixteen volunteers who had given their time to the regatta over the weekend.
Shane McCarthy closed out the prize-giving by thanking everyone who had contributed to the success of the event – his crew, his fellow competitors and the volunteers without whom the event would not have taken place.
Richard Rigg (L) with National Yacht Club Commodore Peter Sherry and Shane McCarthy (R), 1st Place, Gold Fleet at the NYC hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley
Peter Kennedy (L) and Stephen Kane (R ), 2nd Place Gold Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley
Niall (L) and Ronan O’Briain (R), 3rd Place Gold Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley
Lee Statham (L) and Andy Paul (R), 1st Place, Silver Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley
Neil O’Hagan (L) and Phil Lawton (R), 2nd Place, Silver Fleet at the National Yacht Club hosted 2023 East Coast Flying Fifteen Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Cormac Bradley
