Annalise Murphy Joins Water Wags To Get 130th Season Underway in Dun Laoghaire

27th April 2017

There were 18 Water Wags competing in the first race for The Newsom Memorial Cup in Dun Laoghaire Harbour last night

Dun Laoghaire endured strong northerly winds for several days over the past week, so, there was a fear that many Water Wag owners would give the first race a miss. However, on 26th April, eighteen Water Wags competed in the first race for The Newsom Memorial Cup including Rio Olympic Silver medalist Annalise Murphy.

The wind was still coming from the north, blowing at about 7 knots, so, the race committee under Tom Hudson, laid a windward-leeward course with the windward mark located in the harbour mouth. At the start, only the Water Wags in the front line had enough wind to power away. As the fleet split with most boats heading towards the west, Cathy MacAleavey’s Mariposa new Water Wag, only launched last week led the fleet. At the windward mark the order was Mariposa, Moosmie and Pansy which had taken the eastern side of the course. On the offwind leg, there was much blanketing from the fleet behind, and there was an even split between boats taking each of the leeward gate marks.

By the second windward mark David MacFarlane’s Moosmie was in the lead, with the Kilroys in Swift in second and Mariposa in third place. This order remained until the end of the third beat, at which time the wind had dropped to 4 knots, and the race committee decided to shorted the race. David and Patricia Corcoran in Peggy in 7th place were top competitors racing for The Hilpotsteiner Tankard in Division IB, with Fergus Cullen and Alice Walshe in Penelope one place behind.

Leading boat of Division 2 racing for the Phyllis Cup was Freddie sailed by Bairbre Stewart with new crew, Benno MacCormack who helped her to finish high up the fleet. Second in Division 2 was mother and daughter team of Kate and Amy O’Leary in Chloe. Next Wednesday the Water Wags will compete in the second leg of a series of three matches.

1st – 15, Moosmie, David MacFarland.
2nd - 38, Swift, Guy and Jackie Kilroy.
3rd. - 45, Mariposa, Cathy MacAleavey and Con Murphy
4th. - 41, Mollie, Annalise Murphy.
5th 42, Tortoise, William Prentice.
6th. 3, Pansy, Vincent Delany and Niamh Hooper.
7th. 47, Peggy, David and Patricia Corcoran.
8th. 16, Penelope,
9th. 43, Freddie
10th. 8, Barbara
11th. 34, Chloe
12th. 30, Sara
13th. 46, Mademoiselle
14th. 33, Eva
15th. 40, Swallow
16th, 44, Scallywag
17th. 10, Sprite
18th 31. Polly.

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About The Author

Vincent Delany

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Sailing historian Vincent Delany is a member of the Association of Yachting Historians, and an active sailor in Water Wag, SOD and Squib classes. He has written a thesis on 'Yachting and yachtsmen on the River Shannon 1830-1930.' He has lectured on the history of The Water Wag Club, Royal St.George Yacht Club, and the Killinure Yacht Club, He has written two sailing books 'The Water Wags 1887-2012' and 'The International 12 foot class in Ireland' both of which are available from blurb.com

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