Seven IDRA 14s made the trip North over the weekend for their annual Northern Championships, with the usual entourage of “camp followers” young and old to enjoy the hospitality and beautiful scenery for their 22nd consecutive year at Carlingford Lough Yacht Club, at Killowen Point near Rostrevor.
Carlingford Lough lived up to its reputation for day one of the event, with wind coming over the Cooley Mountains wreaking havoc on the race course.
Continual mark moving under the guidance of Philip O'Conor and Colin "The Haircut" Matthews did however mean the two schedules races were successfully completed, with Ronan Melling and Louise Coulter in 14/160 “Dragon” being the only ones to capsize!
Day 2 on Sunday - yet again everything was thrown at sailors today as two races were completed under the watchful eye of Tim Gibbons. The second race incorporated the traditional Glenny Cup race to Warrenpoint and back, with local CLYC boats racing alongside the visiting IDRAs. What started out as a light shifty beat to the first mark finished with an exhilarating sleigh-ride reach from Warrenpoint all the way back to Killowen.
IDRA 14 Results:
1. 14/134 Alan Henry/Simon Revill SDC
2. 14/38 Alan Carr/Dana Kilroy SDC
3. 14/140 Frank Hamilton/Jenny Byrne DMYC
4. 14/126 Charles Sargent/Caoimhe Fleming SDC
5. 14/160 Ronan Melling/Lorraine Smith CYBC
6. 14/71 Donal Heney/Louise Coulter CYBC
DNC 14/124 Stephen Harrison/Stephen Johnston DMYC
Warrenpoint Trophy (Handicap): 14/126 Charles Sargent/Caoimhe Fleming SDC