The 2023 Irish GP14  season gets underway with its first of seven events in April when Blessington Sailing Club hosts the O'Tiarnaigh Challenge.

Coming off the back of an epic 2022 season, that saw 100 boats gather in Ireland for the Skerries hosted World Championships last August, the hope is the domestic fleet can continue with buoyant turnouts this season. 

The 30-boat fleet will visit Wicklow, three Dublin venues, Antrim and Kerry between April and October.

The GPs expect a grand welcome in April at the West Wicklow lake venue as GP14 sailor Richard Street is the Club Commodore for the coming season.

Following Blessington, the fleet head north to Larne and East Antrim Boat Club for the Ulster championships from May 20-21.

June's Munster Championships are at the other end of the country in County Kerry, where Tralee Bay Sailing Club hosts in Fenit Bay from Jun 17-18.

As solid Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta supporters, the GP14s sail their first of three Dublin events for Leinster Championship honours from July 7-9 on Dublin Bay.  

Then the fleet moves to North Dublin in August to Rush on Aug 19 before the National Championships is held a fortnight later at Sutton Dinghy Club on Dublin Bay from September 1-3. 

The GP14s round out 2023 with the annual Hot Toddy event that sails this year from Sept 30 to Oct 1 at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club. 

GP14 Ireland Event Dates 2023

• O'Tiarnaigh (Apr 22-23) Blessington Sailing Club
• Ulsters (May 20-21) East Antrim Boat Club
• Munsters (Jun 17-18) Tralee Bay Sailing Club
• Leinsters (Jul 7-9) Dun Laoghaire Regatta
• SOYC (Aug 19-20) Rush Sailing Club
• Nationals (Sep 1-3) Sutton Dinghy Club
• Hot Toddy (Sep 30-Oct 1) Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

With November just ended, today’s assessment at the beginning of December for the latest “Sailors of the Month” listings would normally include at least one of our young sailors who starred to such good effect in the European Sailing Championship in the south of France from 14th to 20th November, most notably Rocco Wright (16) of Howth who scored Gold – and with it the top U21 – in the ILCA6 Class.

But as it is, Rocco has already been up in lights with his Gold in the Youth Worlds in The Netherlands in July, scored in an extraordinary demonstration of improving performance with a cool mindset overcoming of any end-of-series nerves. Thus this further Gold - quarried from a demanding series on a Cote d’Azur which at times wasn’t at all Riviera-like – has only added to the lustre of his already-registered achievement.

Rocco Wright – November saw him adding extra lustre to his Gold of July

This may sound frustrating for the adjudicators, as sailing achievements in November can be rare enough. But in fact, the assessment team are delighted, as it leaves them with a clean slate to honour some specialist sailing people whose recognition might normally be crammed into late December’s final roundup.

CROWDED POST-PANDEMIC PROGRAMME

For in the very crowded catch-up post-pandemic season which was crammed almost entirely into June, July, August, and early September, somehow our race-administering brotherhood and sisterhood found enough volunteers from among their ranks to stage no less than four World Championships: the GP 14s at Skerries, the 505s with the Royal Cork YC at Crosshaven, the Fireballs on Lough Derg, and the SB20s at the Royal Irish YC in Dun Laoghaire.

LOSS OF JACK ROY

The demand which such high-profile “in the searchlight” events place on the relatively small group of appropriately-qualified individuals drawn from the within the Irish sailing community’s many volunteers for duty afloat and ashore was exacerbated by the untimely death of one of their key top-level race officers, Jack Roy of Dun Laoghaire, in December 2021.

With his supportive wife Rosemary, Jack provided the very experienced and competent core for race management teams to the highest event levels. His sad demise was not only a real loss in that he was a much-loved truly life-enhancing individual, but it was also a blow to the established Irish ability to comfortably cater for world class events. And it was also felt at every level of our sport, for Jack and Rosemary were the vey embodiment of the spirit of sailing in Ireland. 

Much missed. The late Jack Roy with his wife Rosemary in their Hallberg Rassy 48 Tangaroa at the Fastnet Rock. Rosemary has since taken on the voluntary task of Honorary Secretary to Dublin Bay Sailing Club

They had been anticipating gradual retirement from some of their multiple commitments in sailing in the near future, yet in the extra pressures of 2022, their reassuring background presences would have been a comfort for harassed Event Committee Chairmen. But in any case we can’t help but wonder just how smoothly their planned extraction from the top level of racing administration would really have been. For in July 2022. Rosemary took on the role of Honorary Secretary of Dublin Bay Sailing Club, one of the most demanding positions in our sport.

RISING LEVELS OF EXPECTATION

These days even the most modest club event needs its race teams, and the personnel and expertise demands rise as we move up the scale through regional, national and international championships. But then we move into an entirely different state of affairs when we take on the rarefied conditions which prevail in a recognised World Championship for a global-status class.

Howth Yacht Club’s senior Committee Boat Star Point is both a race organisation platform and a full backroom support office. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

Thus while we really would like to make “Sailors of the Month” our of every Race Officer who made major championships possible in 2022, we have to acknowledge that they’ll have been doing it among their own folk who may well be prepared to make allowances for the occasional error.

But with a Worlds, local friendships are irrelevant. An International Jury which occasionally will feel that it has to justify its existence with some conspicuously severe judgment on race management has to be taken into account. Increasingly, too, Race Umpires are making an input. And it’s all under a level of widespread yet intensely focused international media attention which you don’t get – however big the numbers taking part might be - with events which are further down the feeding chain.

RACE OFFICER TEAMS

In such exposed circumstances, the senior Race Officers need to be a bit like the owner-skippers of a substantial cruiser-racer, who will know that they have to build up a reliable and accessible crew panel which is roughly twice the number of people actually needed to race the boat on the day. And within that “crew panel”, he or she has to have a core of experts – an inner cabinet, if you like – of specialists who can be totally relied on to maintain and operate the necessary data and key support services.

A classic case in point is Peter Crowley of Cork, whose services to sailing over many years have included being President of the Irish Sailing Association and Admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, in addition to being a stalwart of the National 18 Class and the cruiser-racer scene.

Peter Crowley’s Beneteau Trawler Yacht Sparetime has served as Committee Boat at countless sailing events at all levels from club racing to World Championships. Photo: Robert Bateman 

For many years now his personal flagship has been the versatile Beneteau Trawler Yacht Sparetime, and in providing the full services for Race Management to World Level, such as August’s particularly demanding 505 Worlds off Cork Harbour from 3rd to 13th of August, he was able to draw on the support of his key team members like Siobhain Keane-Hopcraft, John Stallard and Joanne O’Brien in order to provide a sound foundation for the larger group – including those in support RIBS – which is necessary to create a fully-furnished worlds.

Sparetime in use as the Committee Boat at the 2022 505 Worlds – keep the message simple, keep it clear. Photo: Christophe Favreau

Royal Cork YC Admiral Kieran O’Connell with Jennifer Barry and Peter Crowley when the latter received a memento for his services as Race Officer at the 505 Worlds 2022 at Royal Cork YC

TWO SAILING MAJORS BACK-TO-BACK

The particular demands of the pressure-cooker 2022 season were also felt on the East Coast, where qualified personnel availability restrictions were such that Race Management veteran David Lovegrove of Howth found himself heading the race organisation for the very international J/24 Europeans at Howth from 30th August to 3rd September, and then doing the same for the SB20 Worlds at the Royal Irish YC in Dun Laoghaire from 4th to 9th September – in other words, two especially-demanding majors back-to-back.

Giving her the welly…..SB20 Worlds 2022 in Dublin Bay in September. Photo: Annraoi Blaney

While the SB20 Worlds found itself experiencing the first hints of strong Autumnal winds, the J/24 Europeans had a last blast of sunny onshore summer breezes from the northeast. But earlier in August at Skerries for the GP14 Worlds from the 14th to the 19th, Race Officer Bill O’Hara of Ballyholme found himself handling the needs of an international 104-strong fleet – the biggest turnout of any of Ireland’s 2022 Worlds – for Skerries Sailing Club.

RUGGED ONSHORE WINDS

Sailing in North Fingal may be expanding by leaps and bounds these days, but the 1934-established Skerries SC sometimes finds itself at the pin of its collar in catering for extra-large fleets in the inevitably-restricted spaces available within the confines of the Red Island Peninsula.

Spinnaker work with an onshore breeze in the GP14 Worlds 2022 at Skerries. Photo: GP14 Worlds

Yet despite a series of sometimes rugged onshore nor’easters making conditions almost coastal oceanic in the race area, particularly in wind-over-tide situations, the determination of the Organising Committee led by Colman Grimes and the huge experience and good humour of Bill O’Hara, saw this mega-event through to a successful conclusion.

MYSTERIOUS MAGIC OF LOUGH DERG

In looking back at the four Worlds staged in 2022, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the Fireball Worlds at Lough Derg from 21st to 26th August best expressed the spirit of sailing as it is experienced in our island nation. Admittedly a certain level of secrecy seems to come over events which are staged on our somehow well-hidden great lakes, but it is a fact that once people have started taking part in even a major sailing event on Lough Derg or Lough Ree, they seem to have entered a completely self-contained environment which feels no need to communicate with the outside world.

Away from it all yet right on the pace – Fireball Worlds 2022 on Lough Derg. Photo:LDYC

Thus when we talk of sailing as an ideal activity “to get away from it all”, we find this best-expressed among those who have disappeared off to sail on on the Shannon’s many waters. In due course we did get official information about what was clearly a hugely enjoyable and superbly scenic event for the fleet of 79 boats, but at first it was thanks to Race Officer Con Murphy being a dab hand in getting evocative photos - while at the same time running a great event – that we became aware there was some magic sailing going on at a deservedly popular Irish venue.

So when it comes down to it, our four Sailor of the Month for November are all retrospective awards for Services to Sailing, and as every one of them made a huge contribution, we simply list them in the chronological order of the events they organised.

PETER CROWLEY OF ROYAL CORK IS NOVEMBER “SAILOR OF THE MONTH (SERVICES TO SAILING)

The affable Peter Crowley brings comprehensive experience of participation and organisation to any major championship with which he becomes involved

The 505 Worlds 2022 from 3rd to 13th August at the Royal Cork YC came laden with historic associations. For though this attractive class may still look as modern as tomorrow, it goes way back, and around 70 years ago Cork Harbour was the hotbed of a busy fleet which was part of a worldwide movement. But now – like former Olympic classes such as the Finn, the Star and the Dragon – the 505 class is an elite international travelling circus, making the highest demands on any venue that it selects for its words.

Unfortunately for Cork in the first part of the 2022 Worlds, the event was frustrated by calms. But even here, the fact of having Peter Crowley as Race Officer was all to the good, for on the Lay Day he gave everyone a convivial harbour tour on his Beneteau Trawler Yacht Spare Times which much improved the mood, and then when the breezes came good towards the end of the week, he clicked through enough races in champagne sailing to get a real result, with the USA’s Stuart McNay & Caleb Paine winning from GBR’s Nathan Batchelor & Seam Pascoe, while best of the Irish in a 78-strong and totally international fleet were Ewan Barry & Charles Dwyer at 12th.

BILL O’HARA OF BALLYHOLME IS NOVEMBER “SAILOR OF THE MONTH (SERVICES TO SAILING)

Bill O’Hara when he was Race Officer for the Ocean Race

Bill O’Hara first leapt to national fame when he skippered the Bangor Grammar School team to overall victory in the annual Britain & Ireland Schools Championship in Scotland in the days when it was an event of prime importance, which is now a very long time ago. Since then, he has starred in Olympic Finns and Lasers to the highest international levels, while his unrivalled race management expertise been enacted with many high-profile events, including the multi-stage round-the-world Ocean Race.

This in getting him to oversee their 2022 Worlds from 14th to 19th August at Skerries with a fleet of 104 boats, the GP 14 Asociation and Skerries SC really were getting one of the Main Men to see them through a challenging week, from which Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliff (GBR) emerged as the Champoons, while the top Irish were the host club’s Colman Grimes crewed by Rob Gingles at fifth, and the top female helm was Jane Kearney of Royal North of Ireland YC in 14th, crewed by Oliver Goodhead.

CON MURPHY OF DUN LAOGHAIRE IS NOVEMBER “SAILOR OF THE MONTH (SERVICES TO SAILING)

A round Ireland sailing record holder for 19 continuous years, Con Murphy is noted for many other sailing achievements 

There are few sailors in Ireland with more eclectic interests afloat than Con Murphy, as he is the husband and father of Olympic sailors, his wife Cathy having raced the 470 in the 1988 Olympics, while his daughter Annalise won the Silver Medal in the Lasers in 2016 in Rio.

But with interests extending in many directions, he has long been a multi-hull enthusiast, and in September 1993 he persuaded the late Steve Fossett to bring his superb 60ft trimaran Lakota to Ireland for a joint tilt at the Round Ireland Record, which had stood since November 1986. They did it with such style that their new time stood until June 2016, when the three larger MOD 70 trimarans finally sliced a little more off it during that year’s multiple record-breaking Round Ireland race from Wicklow.

An eye for the beauty of sail – one of Con Murphy’s “snatched” images while organising the Fireballs on Lough Derg. Photo: Con Murphy

Such breadth of experience brings its own deep sense of reassuring calm at challenging moments during World Championships, and on Lough Derg in late August Con Murphy oversaw an enjoyment-plus Fireball Worlds which saw Tom Gillard (GBR) and Andy Thompson (East Antrim Boat Club) take the title, while the best all-Irish team of Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsaella (Royal St George YC) just missed the podium with a very commendable fourth overall in a notably strong fleet.

DAVID LOVEGROVE OF HOWTH IS NOVEMBER “SAILOR OF THE MONTH (SERVICES TO SAILING)

In his element – David Lovegrove assessing the readings while setting a course. Photo: Judith Malcolm

September is always a bit of a gamble as the time for staging a major sailing championship, for although the sea temperature may be at its warmest, the closing in of the evenings and a sometimes unexpected nip in the air can combine with big winds – usually from the west – to tell us that our predecessors in sailing may have been wise in drawing most sport afloat towards a close by the end of August.

Yet, with modern boats and the growing precision of weather forecast, early September can be a real Godsend in completing the season’s main national and international events. But when David Lovegrove arrived at the beginning of September to oversee the Royal Irish YC’ staging of the SB20 Worlds 2022, he may have seen it as just another day’s voluntary work at the top level of the sport, as he had already master-minded the Wave Regatta at Howth in early June, and he’d overseen a host of other lesser events throughout the summer before taking on the J/24 Euros at his home port in the week before the SB20 Worlds began across the bay.

It was a tough one. If September was coming in as a month of gentle mists and mellow fruitfulness, it was doing so somewhere other than Dublin Bay. This was the Big Boys’ Game, and no mistake. But they battered their way through, and by the end Jose Paulo Ramada of Portugal was the winner out of a 56-strong fleet, while best of the Irish were Royal St George’s Michael O’Connor, Davy Taylor and Edward Cook in fourth.

Afterwards, David Lovegrove supposedly retired home to rest for a while at his house on the Hill of Howth. But rumours abound about him being spotted in the main role aboard the Committee Boat at various events since the SB 20s were blasting so spectacularly around Dublin Bay. Either way, he certainly deserves praise for his extensive work on behalf of sailing.

19 GP14 from all over Ireland gathered at Cullaun Co. Clare over the weekend of 5-6th November for the last busy year event of 2022 with the Munster Championship at stake.

There was a super turnout of crews from all generations and family combinations from Cullaun, Skerries, Sutton, Tralee, Newtownards, Sligo, Greystones, and Blessington. 

The first race start involved a general recall which put manners on everyone and was won by Skerries Coleman Grimes/John Chambers (back to GP14 sailing after a long sabbatical), closely followed by Greystones Norman Lee and Alan Leddy with Steven and Daniel Nelson from Newtownards grabbing third.

While line honours went to Grimes and Chambers for the second race, there was a reported OCS, the second race went to the Lee-Alan pairing with Conor Galligan (new to GP14 fleet) and Adam Leddy youths snatching 2nd from Rob Lee and Steven Lynch in their new boats.

In very shifty conditions, by sometimes over 40 degrees in gusts, and with an infinite number of tacks needed per windward leg, the third race went to the Grimes and Chambers team by a country mile, with second place going to a resurgent Rob Lee and Steven Lynch followed by Steven and Daniel Nelson just pipping the Galligan and Leddy youth boat.

In mild conditions on Saturday before a forecasted blowout for Sunday, the race officers ran an extra 4th race which again went to the Colman and John team with the second bell going to Steven and Daniel Nelson beating Rob Lee/Steven Lynch into third.

Overnight the Grimes/Chambers boat was ahead of Norman Lee/Alan Leddy on joint 2nd with the Nelson father & son pairing and Rob Lee/Steven Lynch squads. 

Fortunately, the impending bad weather held off just long enough for the race officer to run two snappy races on Sunday morning with a nice long square line.

There was some carnage at the first windward mark, with port tacking approaches by the Grimes/Chambers and Norman Lee/Alan Leddy boats being shut out by the long line of conservative starboard tackers. After a quiet first day, Katie Dwyer/Laura Fitzpatrick then led for the first time before a rounding incident meant turns and the pair dropping back out of contention.

This allowed the Rob Lee/Steven Lynch crew to take the first race by a massive lead ahead of Grimes/Chambers in 2nd, with Steven and Daniel Nelson grabbing 3rd just ahead of the emerging talents of the Sam Street and Josh Lloyd youth combination from Blessington

GP14 Munster Silver Fleet & Youth Winners Conor Galligan & Adam Leddy at Cullaun Sailing Club

The last race of the event in light conditions before a downpour was a tight shoot-out between the Grimes/Chambers boat versus the Norman Lee/Alan Leddy combination all the way to the finish line with the Greystones seniors just holdoff to snatch the win. A very strong 3rd place was snatched by the leading female boat of Katie Dwyer/Laura Fitzpatrick from Sutton.

All Female crew Katie Dwyer & Laura Fitzpatrick at the GP14 Munster Championships at Cullaun Sailing Club

There were some great family rivalries throughout the event, with family members competing across all fleets. Rob Lee showed his old man how to do it in the gold fleet with Sam Street in the silver and Denis Cully and Daithi and Aaron Murphy in the bronze, doing the same.

GP14 Munster Championships Bronze Fleet winners Denis Cully and Ossian Geraghty at Cullaun Sailing Club

Denis Cully set the Bronze fleet pace with Ossian Geraghty crewing for him by running away with the first place. Max Cully/Tadgh Wardell started the event tied with Des and Pat (Cullaun) and Jennifer and Lara (Newtownards) for second overall for the season Bronze League but there was no stopping them and they held on to second in the bronze fleet with relative ease and much singing (although their rendition of never going to give you up may have been a tactical manoeuvre to scare others away from them). This secured them a second place for the season also.

GP14 Munsters Championships at Cullaun Sailing Club

Gold
1. Colman Grimes & John Chambers (Skerries)
2. Robert Lee & Stephen Lynch (Greystones)
3. Norman Lee & Alan Leddy (Greystones)
Silver
1. Conor Galligan & Adam Leddy (Greystones)
2. Sam Street & Josh Lloyd (Blessington)
3. Simon Cully & Libby Tierney (Blessington)
Bronze
1. Denis Cully & Oisin Geraghty (Blessington)
2. Max Cully & Tadgh Wardell (Blessington)
3. Des McMahon & Pat Biesty (Cullaun)
Leading Youth
1. Conor Galligan & Adam Leddy (Greystones)

So many factors came into play for the 75th Anniversary of the Champions’ Cup (aka the Helmsman’s Championship or the All-Ireland) in GP 14s at Sutton Dinghy Club on October 8th/9th that its weather-imposed compression into a one-day series made for a very intense mix. It went right to the wire, but defending champion Ger Owens of the Royal St. George Yacht Club (who won in National 18s in Crosshaven in 2021).

His regular GP14 partner Mel Morris of East Antrim Boat Club (her father Curly Morris of East Antrim BC won in 1967) moved smoothly into their dynamic duo routine.

As the sun set on a deceptively gentle evening which was the calm before the storm, the salver that now thinks it’s a cup was theirs for the taking.

The GP14 youth championships looked set to be a great event, running alongside the Hot Toddy, which still attracted an excellent turnout for the time of year writes Ross Kearney

The weather forecast potentially put a few off, with Saturday looking like a blowout. 16 youths turned up to challenge for the title of Youth champion; great to see many new faces trying out the GP for the first time. Unfortunately, the weather experts were right, and PRO Sam Lyness made the decision to cancel the Saturday racing for the youth sailors, a sensible decision as the wind got up to 30 kts at the end of the 2nd race and 35kts when coming ashore.

Sunday morning dawned, 10kts and a flat sea was a very welcome sight for all of the sailors. The Youths Championships, now reduced to a two-race event set off in lovely conditions. First out of the blocks were GP14 youth stalwarts Peter Boyle sailing with dad Stephen. Mark Greer & Adrian Lee, Jessica Greer & John Greer, and David (U16) & Jon Evans all hot on their heels around the windward mark. At the first gybe mark, the top boats were all bunched together, leaving a gap for the chasing pack to sneak into.

Big breeze for the GP14 youth championships and Hot toddy event in Newtownards

Bobby Driscoll & Ross Kearney managed to get inside and sail into 2nd place after chasing down Mark & Adrian. After plenty of place changing and many close battles throughout, Mark& Adrian took the win followed by Bobby & Ross, Sam Street & Josh Lloyd recovering well for 3rd, Peter& Stephen 4th and Jessica & John in 5th.

Race 2 got away shortly after, the wind starting to drop to 6-7kts. The fleet was battling for every inch, with excellent boat handling on show. Bobby & Ross led the fleet, followed closely by Sam & Josh. Following very tight cover tacks, and a nail-biting finish, Bobby & Ross managed to just pip the ever-impressive Sam & Josh to the Dobson, despite Ross deciding to roll backwards following a final roll tack for the finish line. (Those helms really do need to practise the art of crewing). In 3rd place was Ollie Lloyd sailing with Dan Gill, with the Boyles in 4th and Jessica and John Greer in 5th.

This gave the Youth title to a very impressive Bobby Driscoll from RNIYC, a runner-up at the recent Topper worlds in Garda. Bobby not only won the overall trophy but did so at 16 years of age. Sam Street and Josh Lloyd were a close second, followed by Peter Boyle in 3rd.

Second in the U19 was Jessica Greer, with David Evans the U16 runner-up, who, by the way, also helmed the four Hot Toddy races and won the Bronze fleet. With the switch over to the seniors for the final Hot Toddy races, it was great to see so many of the youths taking a turn at the back of the boat to gain excellent experience for future years sailing in the larger fleet.

Download results below

GP14 champion Ger Owens reports on October's Hot Toddy event at Newtownards Sailing Club

Newtownards was the venue for the GP14 annual Hot Toddy event. Last year's event at East Antrim was barely sailable yet despite the weekend's forecast, 32 boats arrived at Newtownards for the Hot Toddy for what was going to be a hotly contested event. With the Worlds earlier in the year, our event calendar had seen some alterations with our traditional end-of-year event, the Hot Toddy now coupled with the Youth Championship, so everyone was in good spirits. The format would be two Hot Toddy races followed by two Youth races on Saturday with the order switched on Sunday.

When we arrived to rig we were greeted with calmer conditions than the forecast but the apprehension on shore was palpable. I was approached to provide my opinion in relation to the weather and our prospects for getting racing, I gladly said we shouldn’t race. Sam Lyness our race officer listened intently and decided a prompt start was in order, we launched and very quickly it was apparent the wind was building.

Race 1 saw Shane McCarthy motor away, relishing the conditions closely contested by Ross. I struggle to recall the exact placings as I mixed up the starting flags and was late for the start by approx 1 minute if my timing was correct, I watched from a distance and admired Paddy O'Connor taking third, beaming from ear to ear only to be out grinned by Simon Cully & Richard Street in fourth. Back in the chasing pack, we had a great ding-dong with Hugh Gill, who gave no quarter. We were very happy to have climbed back up to 7th. Race 2 was quickly underway, but we were wise to this wily race officer's tricks and stayed close to the committee to get the gun.

It made little to no difference, we had decided the annual ferocious blow that is the Hot Toddy was getting too much for us, the gun went, and we headed for home. Ironically the race was shortened, and the leaders were almost home before us, not before Shane and Josh had won their second race and our sparring partner from race 1, Hugh and Dan in second. By this time, the PRO had already decided that there would be no Youth racing that afternoon. With the wind now gusting to 30kts, the dwindling fleet was struggling to make it around even the shortest of race courses, but those that managed to were rewarded with a hot toddy once back on shore. There was a team of volunteers catching boats and helping us land safely, which was no mean feet with the heavy winds and big waves. A big shout out to those Youth who had also raced in the senior Hot Toddy races. For many, it was conditions they certainly hadn't encountered, and most wore grins from ear to ear.

Dinner was at the Club that evening and with a better weather forecast for the following day, the days racing didn't seem so tough, especially with a glass of the Hot Toddy.

Sunday morning dawned and we were to head to Newtownards right after Eva’s (Mels 5yr old daughter) 50th park run. Once in Newtownards, we stayed on shore chatting amongst ourselves. Slowly we made our way out for the start of race 3 not before seeing Bobby Driscoll and Sam Street in a tacking duel up the last beat of the youths. A big cheer went up before the finish line when expert crew Ross Kearney took a tumble out of the boat in a particularly aggressive roll tack. Bobby recovered and managed to clinch the victory.

Basking in the fact that several of the fleet had sailed 2 races while I slept gave me a warm feeling for the days racing. The full tank and the lighter conditions was a tremendous relief and we managed to get near the front; Shane had to do a spin at the weather mark, which would have slowed anyone else. Peter and Stephen we holding on to a tight lead with ourselves and Ross in hot pursuit!!! (Hot Toddy!!!). Peter stretched his lead and his leverage on the fleet which opened a very small window for yours truly to close the gap, Peter managed for a long while two close boats and the rest of the fleet around what was to be a large racecourse. Peter found himself isolated on the right of the racecourse which gave 2 and 3 the opportunity to slip through. A brilliant tight race that saw Shane climb back to fifth.

Winners Shane McCarthy (right) and Josh Porter with GP14 Hot Toddy event organiser Lara Sunday

Ross and Shane were neck and neck with 7 points each heading into the final race. Boats that could extricate themselves successfully from the strong pin-end bias found themselves, front runners, at the weather mark. Keith was the standout performance and was revelling in the dying breeze. Shane secured the title of Hot Toddy champion with a second place. Newtownards were amazing hosts putting on an amazing spread and a fantastic team of wonderful volunteers. Event organiser Lara Sunday kept the energy up throughout the week in the lead-up to the event and over the weekend.

Download results below

The 2022 "Champion's Cup" took place at Sutton Dinghy Club over the weekend, marking the 75th anniversary of the event.

Much has been written and spoken of what was formerly the Helmsman's Championship in the last few weeks, but for the GP14 Class in Ireland, it was an honour to be asked to run the event in conjunction with Sutton Dinghy Club.

The Club itself has a strong connection to the event, and with a strong GP14 fleet, the pressure was on to ensure a great weekend.

The GP14 representative was National Champion Shane MacCarthy, with Ger Owens also selected as the holder of the event. Jane Kearney received a Female wildcard entry with a superb season of top finishes in both the GP14 Worlds and the GP14 National Championship.

Former Class President Stephen Boyle organised a very strong fleet of 10 borrowed GP14s, and with the help and support of Andy Davis in HD Sails, the fleet was all dressed in brand-new Genoas for the event. With 16 helms selected, two flights of 8 were prepared with two spare boats available in the event of gear failure of damage. The boats were gathered in Sutton the week prior to the event and duly rigged, checked and fitted out with new sails ready for practice on Friday. However, the wind gods looked to intervene, and the practice was cancelled, with winds gusting up to 27kts all day. The broader forecast also started to cast doubt on the ability to run the event over the two scheduled days. While Saturday was set fair for a south southwest 12 to 15 kts, Sunday looked decidedly dodgy, with all the forecasts showing 20kts gusting up to 30kts right through to the early afternoon.

A strong fleet of 10 borrowed GP14s were used at the Champions' Cup at Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

With the tide a key consideration in Sutton, the PRO for the event Michael Conway and his team of Jim Lambkin, Stephen Boyle and Emmet Dalton gathered on Friday afternoon with a view to figuring out how to ensure an event could be garnered from possibly a single days racing. By early Friday evening and after liaising with Met Eireann, the call was made to focus on completing the event on Saturday.

Despite ditching the repechage element, the race management team still set themselves the goal of completing up to 10 races. This would include slick launch and recovery as well as quick turnaround of races and boat exchanges between flights. No easy feat considering the tidal window. But with support from Jim Lambkin, Scorie Walls, and Gordon Davies, Michael was confident of getting the event concluded.

Former All Ireland Champion Michael O'Connor representing the SB20 class sailing with Michelle Rowley at Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

Saturday dawned, and following an early registration and briefing, the boat draw for Flight 1 & Flight 2 was made. Flight 1 included former GP14 World Champion Shane MacCarthy, Barry McCartin (Fireballs), former Champion Michael O’Connor (SB20), Darragh Sheridan (RS Aero), former Champion and Olympian Peter Kennedy (Flying Fifteen), Olympic campaigner Aoife Hopkins (ILCA 6), Jocelyn Hill (RS200) and Rob Espey (RS400).

Tokyo 2020 Radial Trialists in the Laser Radial, Aisling Keller (left) and Aoife Hopkins competing in the Champions Cup off Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

Flight 2 comprised of holder and three-time Olympic Campaigner Ger Owens, Cameron Good (Dragons), Jane Kearney (GP14), David Dickson (Shannon One Design), John O’Driscoll (Water Wag), Ian Travers (Squibs), Tadgh O’Loinsigh (J24) and Niamh Henry (Team Racing).

Flight 1 certainly looked tough draw considering the presence of former Champions, Olympians and World Championship podium placers.

RS Aero Champion's Cup representatives Daragh Sheridan and lead a bunch of boats into a leeward mark at Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

The 3 races were completed in Flight 1 with very close and tight racing with no obvious boat bias. With an average race time of 30min, the PRO team were confident of getting through the schedule, which would hopefully see four races in the final. An OCS was not the start that Shane MacCarthy was looking for in Race 1 but he recovered with a 1st and 2nd to give himself a chance to make the final. With no discard, his progression would be down to results throughout the Flight. With Dan Gill crewing, Darragh Sheridan posted three consistent results to lead the flight after three races. However, a couple of on-the-water penalties applied incidents saw Barry McCartin and Rob Espey seal the top 3 spots, with Shane MacCarthy taking fourth, just squeezing out Peter Kennedy.

Flight 2 again saw tight starts and close and even racing through the fleet. The wind had started to drop a little, and Ger Owens began to show his boat handling and experience and took three bullets to take him easily through to the final. Behind him, the battle for the final three final slots was fierce with Niamh Henry using her boat handling and team racing skills to work her way into 2nd. A battling 2nd place in the final race was enough to ensure Jane Kearney made it to the final, with John O’Driscoll completing the finalists.

Robert Espey and Richard McCullough representing the RS400s at the Champion's Cup at Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

With on the water boat allocation and switching complete, the PRO attempted to get the final underway. However, some adjustments on a couple of rigs saw a short delay, with the first of 4 races finally getting underway shortly before 3 pm.

And what a final we were treated to. 4 clean and tight starts saw most of the finalists in the top 3 at some stage over the first 2 legs of each race with rarely more than a couple of boat lengths between 1st and 8th. Shane MacCarthy took the first 2 races legs after close battles with Ger Owens but thereafter the face of the final started to change. While Shane MacCarthy, Barry McCartin and Ger Owens had all shown incredible speed upwind, both Jane Kearney and Rob Espey started to finds the gears downwind and exert an influence on where thew title would go. In Race 3 Ger and Shane battled it out up front till the last downwind leg where both Jane Kearney and Barry McCartin managed to squeeze between Ger and Shane, leaving a one point difference between the pair.

GP14 National Champion Shane McCarthy and Josh Porter round a leeward mark at the Champions' Cup at Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

The 4th race saw another close and tight start with Barry McCartin and Shane MacCarthy looking good up the first beat. On the downwind, Rob Espey first picked up the stronger breeze and worked his way into the lead. With Jane Kearney and Barry McCartin now also finding great speed and looking to try and secure a podium, Shane looked to be covering Ger when a port starboard incident resulted in penalty turns.

Fireball sailors Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella competing at the Champion's Cup in Sutton Photo: Afloat

This now left Ger in the driving seat and he successfully secured the title with a 4th place finish. Up ahead Rob Espey continued to lead the race with Jane Kearney battling Barry McCartin for the result they both felt would get them on the podium. Jane Kearney managed to squeeze past Barry McCartin around the last leeward mark and clock up a second 2nd place finish. However, 2nd place overall was still not decided. The incident pushed Shane MacCarthy to the back of the fleet and his chance of the title had disappeared. However he was not finished and quickly recovered a spot. If he could recover one more spot, he would still have a chance to take 2nd overall. Despite a late surge, he could not get past Darragh Sheridan, which meant Jane Jearney had taken 2nd overall by a point from Shane MacCarthy in 3rd. Barry McCartin, after a superb event, was a further point back in 4th.

2022 "Champion's Cup" results

With the time now almost 5 pm and tide well out now, walking and pulling the GP14s up the Creek and across the sand bar was the order of the day.  A great day's sailing had ended late, but the PRO team had managed to complete the full schedule. The tired fleet retired to Sutton Dinghy Club for a quick change and more photographs before dinner and prize-giving in the Marine Hotel.

Sutton Dinghy Club on the north shore of Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

Marking the occasion of the 75th anniversary, stories were recounted about the beginnings of this iconic event as told by Afloat's WM Nixon here and welcomed a number of past Champions, including David Gay (1975), Robert Dix (1970), Chris Arrowsmith (1979), Anthony O’Leary ( 2014 & 2015), Gerry Sargent (1962), Tom Fitzpatrick (1994, 1997, 1998 & 2004), Alex Barry (2016), Laura Dillon (1996) and Mark Mansfield (1990 & 1999).

Commodore Ciara O’Tiarnaigh also welcomed the past Champions and thanked all the Club volunteers who helped make the event such a huge success.

Ger and Mel with GP14 Ireland President, Andy Johnston (centre) Photo: Sutton DC

Ger Owens with Mel Morris accepted the silver salvers. Despite having won the event a number of times, it was clear this was a special occasion for Ger. Winning the event with Mel, his regular crew for over 20 years, in a GP14 and on the 75th anniversary. It couldn't get any better, could it? He vowed to be back to defend his title and attempt to go for three in a row, which Nin O’Leary had previously only accomplished. Another victory would also see him join Tom Fitzpatrick as only the second sailor to win it four times. 

GP14 calendar

The GP14 Ireland fleet moves to Newtownards Sailing Club next week for the Hot Toddy & Youth Championship. The word is that Ger, Shane and Jane will all be present. We expect a good fleet in this penultimate event of what has been a tremendous season for the GP14 fleet in Ireland.

The final event sees us move to Cullaun in November in what is fast becoming one of the stand-out favourites of the fleet.

Ireland's top GP14 dinghy sailors ruled the waves at the annual Helmsmans' Championships, rebranded as the Champions' Cup for this year's 75th edition, at Sutton Dinghy Club on Saturday.

The defending title holder Ger Owens of the Royal St George Yacht Club, won the one-day series – being sailed in GP14s – in which 16 of Ireland’s best sailors competed for the silver salver trophy.

Owens, a three-time Olympian in the 470 dinghy, was defending the title he won last year when the event was sailed in the three-man National 18 dinghy at Royal Cork. This year, he won the event with Melanie Morris, his long-standing crew of 23 years.

16 invited helmsmen competed in the 2022 Champions' Cup at Sutton Dinghy Club. Above, Flying Fifteen pairing Peter and Juliette Kennedy (13977) take the pin end of a start in the qualifying rounds Photo: Afloat

A two-day competition format was squeezed into Saturday, due to the adverse weather conditions forecast for Sunday.

Conditions were ideal for the racing, with westerly winds up to ten knots in the north of Dublin Bay.

Two qualifying fleets raced from mid-morning to decide the eight finalists, which then sailed a four-race finals series.

GP14 sailors were well represented in the competition that controversially did not include invitations to other classes such as the ICRA and 1720 sportsboat fleets.

Current GP14 national champion Shane MacCarthy, a former world champion, appeared unstoppable by winning the first two races, while Owens was second in both.

Current GP14 national champion Shane MacCarthy sailing with Josh Porter in the 2022 Champion's Cup at Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

Then Dun Laoghaire sailor Owens (Royal St George YC) won the next race, and the stage was set for a final race showdown.

This saw Owens duelling MacCarthy (Greystones SC), who was slightly ahead, and a match race was in prospect until the Wicklow sailor was penalised for not giving way to another boat.

The supplied GP14 dinghies approach a start at the 2022 Champions's Cup at Sutton Dinghy Club Photo: Afloat

Owens slipped ahead into fourth place, enough to secure the championship, while MacCarthy dropped back to seventh place in the race and third overall.

Champions' Cup winners Ger Owens and Mel Morris pictured here competing in a GP14 class event Photo: Afloat

Jane Kearney, with her husband Ross Kearney of Royal North of Ireland YC, took second overall in the GP14 domination of the event.

2022 Champions's Cup overall results

There is no shortage of GP14 expertise in Sutton on Dublin Bay this weekend when the Helmsmans Championships, formerly the 'Champion of Champions' and 'All Ireland' Sailing Championships now to be known as the 'Champions' Cup' gets underway in the two-man dinghy. 

The event sees sixteen competitors from different classes compete to find sailing’s “champion of champions”. Despite coming from a wide range of one design classes, the competitors race against each other in a selected boat type that will see the GP14 in action this year. 

GP14 ace Ger Owens will look to retain his title, won at Crosshaven last year. He will be joined by Shane MacCarthy, the current GP14 National Champion and Jane Kearney, GP14 leading Female Helm in 2022.

The GP14 interest doesn't end there, with Michelle Rowley crewing for SB20 representative Michael O'Connor and Dan Gill crewing for Darragh Sheridan representing the RS Aero Class. 

Each of the 16 competitors (below) has been nominated as a result of their achievements and rankings for the year.

Racing will consist of two “flights” or heats. The top three from each flight go straight into the final. The remaining competitors who placed 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th compete in a 2-race qualifier or “repêchage”, and the top two also enter the Final. The final race on Sunday, therefore, has eight teams competing.

The full list of competitors are: 

2022 Champions’ Cup invitees at Sutton Dinghy Club

The 75th Champions’ Cup will be hosted by Sutton Dinghy Club this weekend, October 8th & 9th, but doubts are already expressed over Sunday's schedule due to weather. 

There can have been few things more dispiriting in recent years than being in the key role in organising a major international sporting event in Ireland as it hung in the balance in the face of changing pandemic restrictions. Yet Colman Grimes, the central figure in staging the GP14 Worlds in Skerries, kept everyone’s sprits up despite uncertainties and changes of date from pre-2020 onwards. And when the dates were finally set for the latter half of the 2022 season, he was first to step up to the plate, putting in his own boat in as Entry #1.

It’s not unknown for an organiser to take part in the racing, but it’s very rare with a fleet of 106 boats putting pressure on venue and organisers alike. Yet he had great support in his crew Ross Gingles, and this big event not only dealt successfully with some difficult racing days, but the Grimes-Gingle combo worked so well afloat that they came in fifth overall, first of all the Irish boats and ahead of other impressive opposition up to Olympic standard. It was a remarkable performance afloat and ashore.