Day two of the Mermaid National Championship sponsored by Volvo yesterday at Tralee Bay Sailing Club in County Kerry saw sailors awake to a steady 18 knots gusting 22 when what was expected was 10-12 knots by the forecast! A pleasant surprise by all accounts although with everyone a little rusty after the ‘break’ last year it was going to make for an interesting day on the water.
A slight delay on the first start scheduled for 11 o'clock saw the fleet get away in wet and windy conditions with everyone fully hiked and trying not to fall out! A full Olympic course was sailed with pretty physical conditions, especially on the downwind legs. The Mermaids hummed along with heart rates up at the gybe marks!
There were a number of protests lodged after racing so the results link below are the final results taking into account outcomes of protests, according to organisers.
First race results: 1st place went to 188 Innocence from Foynes Yacht Club helmed by Darragh McCormack and crewed by brothers Mark and Noel. 2nd place went to 102 Endeavour from the Royal Irish Yacht Club helmed by Roger Bannon and crewed by Kate Grimes and Barry Hayes. 3rd place went to 187 Zuleika from Wexford Harbour Sailing Club helmed by Derek Joyce and crewed by Cillian Joyce and Brian Fenlon.
A Mermaid race start in Tralee Bay
With wind strength and direction holding steady the second race got off with no delay, hardly time to eat the sandwich! Results of Race 2: 1st place went to 187 Zuleika from Wexford Harbour Sailing Club helmed by Derek Joyce and crewed by Cillian Joyce and Brian Fenlon. 2nd place went to 119 Three Chevrons from Foynes Yacht Club helmed by Vincent McCormack and crewed by Roisin McCormack and Michael Lynch. 3rd place went to 177 This Is It from Skerries Sailing Club helmed by Mark Boylan, with crew Aileen Boylan and Niall Collins.
The 3rd race start sequence was about 3 minutes underway when a 30 degree wind shift called a halt to proceedings. A much appreciated, very quick rejigging of marks saw the fleet getting off a clean line within 10 minutes for a 3rd and final race of the day. The wind had eased slightly but tired bodies meant a big effort from everyone! The sun was out and a relatively flat sea meant for stunning conditions with the mountains and Samphire Rock making for gorgeous backdrops.
Results of Race 3: 1st place went to 177 This Is It from Skerries Sailing Club helmed by Mark Boylan, with crew Aileen Boylan and Niall Collins. 2nd place went to 188 Innocence from Foynes Yacht Club helmed by Darragh McCormack and crewed by brothers Mark and Noel and 3rd place went to 119 Three Chevrons from Foynes Yacht Club helmed by Vincent McCormack and crewed by Roisin McCormack and Michael Lynch.
Afterwards, competitors exchanged many stories of blocks, cleats, uphauls, downhauls etc. breaking off and lots of improvising going on!
Final results following 5 races can be viewed here
Mixed forecasts again for tomorrow and given how far off today’s was everyone is just waiting to see what the new day will bring...
