This year’s Irish Championships attracted a fleet of 30 boats to Dublin Bay, including two very welcome guests travelling from England. Malcolm and I had high hopes for the event as it was being sailed in our optimum conditions – light and flukey! In a very open championship there were five different winners from five races, with the Strangford Lough boats taking turns to win each race.
Race 1 – Darren Martin and Simon Murray, SLYC
Race 2 – Andrew McCleary and Colin Dougan, KYC
Race 3 – Gerry Reilly and Shane McCarthy, SSC/PSC
Race 4 – Malcolm Crichton and Orla Lawson, SSC
Race 5 – Brian McKee and Stevie Martin, SLYC

The second day of racing got off to a late start following an indefinite postponement. With time on their hands for most of the morning many so-called ‘experts’ turned their hands to tuning a certain SSC boat. Marcus Crichton is currently considering a name change from ‘Don’t Look Back’ to ‘Don’t Look Up’!

On a more serious note it is worth bringing the fleet’s attention to the discovery of a couple of peeping toms. Jo and Barry Bridges report waking up to two slightly inebriated sailors standing at the bottom of their bed. (It would be wise not to make your hotel key cards accessible to any Flying Fifteen sailors with mischief on their minds.)

On Sunday we woke to slightly more breeze and after a short postponement on the water, Jack and his team swiftly got the fourth race of the event under way. It proved an exciting race with an unexpected win for us after a tight battle with Charles and Alan. After getting over the shock of our win and a kiss from Malcolm, we started the last race in high spirits. We rounded the last windward mark in second place behind Brian McKee and realised that an overall win was in our grasp if we could finish two places in front of Charles and Alan. Unfortunately for us, they were able to pass us on the final downwind leg and cross the finish line in second place thus winning the championships overall. We extend our congratulations to them for a well earned victory.

Overall results:
1st – Charles Apthorp and Alan Green, HISC/NYC
2nd – Malcolm Crichton and Orla Lawson, SSC
3rd – Brian McKee and Stevie Martin, SLYC

Silver fleet: Alan Dooley and Joe Hickey, NYC
Bronze fleet: Ciaran Crummy and Frank Burgess, NYC

On behalf of the fleet I would like to thank the National Yacht Club for their usual warm welcome and for hosting a very successful event. Congratulations to the Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen fleet for reaching their 40th anniversary and may we enjoy continued racing in the fleet for years to come.

Overall results

Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
Race 4
Race 5

 Final results are listed below

(scroll down for individual race results)