Comfortable Win for MacCarthy and Thompson at GP14 Nationals at Cultra

5th July 2022

Jane Kearney and Ollie Goodhead from Royal North and South Shields SC (14242) in the mix at a leeward mark

In a warm-up for the 12-day long GP14 Worlds in Skerries in early August, a very competitive 40-strong fleet came to the line for the Ridgeway Irish GP14 Championships hosted by the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on the south shore of Belfast Lough last weekend. The competitors travelled from all over Ireland; from Sligo to Greystones, from Blessington to Youghal and from Lough Foyle to County Down; a great spread of interest throughout the country.

Sutton Dinghy Club's Conor Twohig and Matthew Cotter (14165) and Keith and Mateo Louden from Lough Foyle

And it was the 2016 World Champion Shane MacCarthy from Greystones teamed up with Andy Thompson, who began the event with a win and went on to dominate the fleet with three more firsts and two seconds, finishing very comfortably in first place 12 points ahead of Ger Owens and Mel Morris from Royal St George and East Antrim. Ger Owens won the event last year at Lough Erne in Fermanagh with Brendan Brogan.

Ruan and Rebekah O'Tiarnaigh (14215) finished 12th. Not long after a busy Bangor Town Regatta in Excession

In third slot were the host club’s Ross Kearney and Andrew Vaughan, a new pairing for this year, who had shown some early form with victory at the Ulsters back in May.

Best placed in the Silver Fleet was another RNIYC crew, Chris Clayton and Rory Higgins who came 13th overall and in the Bronze, it was Kerri-Ann and Megan Boylan from Skerries at 26th.

A 40 strong GP14 fleet on Belfast Lough

Day 1 saw the fleet very keen to get afloat but like a good Race Officer at a start, the Beachmaster had to be satisfied everyone was complying with the ‘rules’. Hence the grid lock but once they got off, it was an Olympic course. Principal Race Officer Nigel Kearney set gate starts which a 105-strong fleet can expect at the Worlds.

A steady 12- 14 knots with gusts of 17 persisted through Races 1 and 2 with a slight easing for Race 3. With the lull came a shift shortly after the start causing fetch to the windward mark and that race was abandoned. It was restarted but the restart had to be abandoned too and then it was finally off. A long day and the fleet returned ashore around 5.30.

The Sunday brought a stronger breeze resulting in minor gear damage with some crews to shore and then going back to the race area. There were lots of position changes, Ross Kearney and Andrew Vaughan were knocked out of the number 2 slot to finish third overall.

Published in GP14, Northern Ireland Waters, Belfast Lough

Published in GP14

Tagged under

GP14

About The Author

Betty Armstrong

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Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down

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