Friday’s post-sailing festivities at the Ruffian 23 Golden Jubilee on Strangford Lough kicked off with an evening with the Brown family, Michael Cutliffe, and Weatherly Yachts craftsmen.
Michael Cutliffe gave a short presentation on the history of the Ruffian 23s and some recollections of cruising adventures aboard Ruffians over the years.
Heather and William Brown recalled childhood memories of their father Billy and Uncle Dickie when they were designing, building and sailing the Ruffian 23, which was exported to such diverse locations as Iceland, Uruguay, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and Hong Kong. Robert Beckett, who worked at Weatherly Yachts alongside the Brown brothers, recounted his days in the ‘piggery’ and the factory assembling the Ruffians using what was innovative technology at the time.
At Saturday’s 09.15 briefing, race officer John McAlea advised the fleet of a postponement until 11.00 in anticipation of the wind filling in by then. He got the race away at 11.30, starting from a transit on the shore in a light Southerly breeze with a very strong flood tide.
The tide was so strong that the race officer advised those who had been taken the wrong side of the outer distance mark by the tide that they could use their engines to get to the pre-course side of the line.
Spinnakers were hoisted and dropped, places changed, and after many gybes and multiple involuntary pirouettes, the fleet neared mark N where the course was shortened at committee boat Fantan, a large Ruffian 33.
Druid (CSC) got the gun, hotly perused by Loco (NYC). Paper Tiger (PSC) was next to approach the line but was unfortunate to be taken to the wrong side of the committee boat by the tide, while next in line, Hot Orange (CSC) suffered the same fate at the pin end of the line. Ruffles (DMYC) led the next group to take third place.
Spinnakers were hoisted and dropped in light winds on Strangford Lough for the Ruffian 23 class 50th anniversary
The race officer announced a postponement until the tide changed, and he subsequently got the fleet away, setting a course to windward mark K, then leeward mark N before a long upwind leg down the Lough to the finish at Portaferry marina. Ruffles took the lead from Loco on the last leg and benefitted from taking the Strangford side of the Lough to win by a comfortable margin. Ripples also followed a similar route and finished second, followed by a bunch of three, with Paper Tiger, Bloodhound and Loco closely finishing in that order. A number of boats got swept past the line, the wrong side of the outer buoy, and despite all their efforts, there was no way back against the strong ebb.
The prize-giving took place at Portaferry Sailing Club and was attended by the local district Mayor. Race officer John McAlea thanked all the competitors who travelled to Portaferry for the weekend and gave special thanks to Brendan Duffy (Carmen, DMYC) for proposing the anniversary regatta approximately a year ago.
Heather Kennedy, Billy Brown’s daughter, presented Michael Cutliffe, Ruffles, with a lovely 3-dimensional model of a Ruffian 23 for winning the event. Second was Loco, NYC, and third was Bloodhound (CSC).
Dun Laoghaire's Ruffles (above), sailed by Ian (left, below) and Michael Cutliffe of Dun Laoghaire's DMYC, were the winners of the Ruffian 23 Golden Jubilee regatta on Strangford Lough Photos: Ann Kirwan
The competitors rounded off the event with a dinner at Portaferry Sailing Club, with many enjoying the celebrations into the early hours.
The Brown family, including Robert and Karen Beckett, (above), waved off the Carrickfergus Ruffians from Billy Brown’s garden at Portaferry. Robert Beckett worked at Weatherly Yachts and also sailed with Billy and Dickie Brown
The Dublin Bay Ruffians set off at 06.45 on Sunday morning, while the Carrickfergus boats cast off at 12.30 and were waved away by the Brown family from Billy Brown’s garden on the shore of the Lough.
A huge thanks are due to the organisers of the event, in particular Heather Kennedy, John McAlea and Moira Ritchie from Portaferry as well as Feena Lynch (Irish Ruffian Association Class Captain, NYC), Brendan Duffy (DMYC), and Wendy Grant (CSC), who had many Zoom calls with the organisers in advance of the event.
Ruffian 23 Golden Jubilee on Strangford Lough
