Bloomin' windy in the West Indies – gusting up to 30–knots during the race writes Irish crew Laura McFarland about race four of the GP14 World Championships in Barbados yesterday.
Only one race was sailed due to the very strong winds and the fleet battered its way up the first beat then the choice was on for mad enough to fly a kite or not. Mad enough was Paddy O'Connor & Brendan Brogan who moved from 30th to 5th after the 2 reaches. Only to regret it on the way down the run when they just flew too close to the wind and had their kite burnt with a gust that put them in the drink.
Other technical failures unfortunately were with Dobson & Tunicliffe. A busted rudder early in the first race meant they had to abandon their race, dash to shore, get a replacement rudder and get out for the second race which did not happen.
Leading Irish hope for the world title, Shane McCarthy and Andy Davis on the other hand had a grand old day with another third. Sam Watson & Andy Thompson bunged in a happy 4th - get it folks??!! JP & Carolyn McCaldin worked their butts off and got a 5th - Carolyn has the bruises to prove it! Keith Louden & Alan Thompson as pathfinder held their way and finished a great 6th.
1 GBR 14187 MIKE SENIOR CHRIS WHITE
2 GBR 14023 NICK CRAIG TOBY TASTIC LEWIS
3 1RL 14158 SHANE McCARTHY ANDY DAVIS
4 GBR 14194 SAM WATSON ANDY THOMPSON
5 IRL 14047 JP McCALDIN CAROLYN McCALDIN
6 IRL 14055 KEITH LOUDEN ALAN THOMPSON
7 GBR 14182 STEVE BENNETT JACK BENNET
8 GBR 14181 ANDY HATELEY BEN PICKERING
9 GBR 14091 GARY DEIGHAN DALE KNOWLES
10 GBR 14090 NEAL GIBSON GEOFF PHILLIPS
No overall results so far