Royal St. George's Charlie Cullen Defends Irish Waszp Dinghy Title with Four Straight Wins on Dublin Bay

20th August 2023

Charlie Cullen of the Royal St. George Yacht Club successfully defended his Irish Waszp dinghy title on Dublin Bay Credit: Afloat

With four straight wins on Sunday, foiling sailor Charlie Cullen successfully defended his Irish Waszp dinghy title on Dublin Bay.

After a cut-short programme on Saturday of two races due to strong winds, it was Royal Irish rival Max Goodbody who held the overnight lead in the 15-boat fleet with two wins, but the champion showed the depth of his talents in gusty southwesterly winds off Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Sunday morning.

Racing began in the middle of the bay in shifty and patchy breeze with foiling only some of the time, and the race was shortened to one round. Royal St. George Race Officer Barry O'Neill then moved to the Salthill area with more breeze up to 20 knots.

The course was approximately 1,300 m long legs where windward legs took around five minutes and downhills three meaning a two-round race gave leaders a 16/17-minute race.

Sunday's racing was in contrast to Saturday's 20-knot affair with Waszp sailors having to deal with non-foiling calm patches like the above at the start of race three Photo: Afloat Sunday's first race was in contrast to Saturday's 20-knot affair with Waszp sailors having to deal with non-foiling calm patches like the above Photo: Afloat

Goodbody discarded a seventh in the first race on Sunday to finish second overall on eight points, two points behind Cullen.

Royal Irish's Max Goodbody took two wins on Saturday to be the overnight leader of the Irish 2023 Moth Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

In a strong showing for Dublin Bay foiling interests, Cullen's clubmate Henry Start took third place on 17.

Royal St George's Henry Start finished thrid overall in the 2023 Irish Moth Championships at the Royal St. George Yacht Club Photo: Afloat

This year the fleet at the Royal St George Yacht Club event attracted a number of Northern Ireland sailors to the Bay, and Ballyholme Yacht Club's Robert Espey from Belfast Lough finished fourth on 20 points.

Although numbers were down on last year's 18 boats, the fleet continues to attract diverse age and weight groups, with sailors from 16 to 60 years old sailing with competitors ranging from 50 kg to 90 kg.

Royal St. George race officer Barry O'Neill ran a six-race Irish Moth Championships from his Rhea 850 Brouette Committee Boat on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

Meanwhile, a three-boat Moth championship was won by Ronan Wallace's Claoimh Solais from Wexford Harbour.

Ballyholme Yacht Club's Robert Espey from Belfast Lough finished fourth at the Irish Moth Championships on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

In seventh overall, RStGYC's Elysia O'Leary was top female at the Irish Moth Championships off Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Afloat

Race Results

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Published in Waszp, RStGYC

Published in Waszp

Tagged under

Waszp

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