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#waterwags – The annual North Shannon Yacht Club Regatta at Annagh on Lough Boderg took place on the weekend of 11th and 12th. October with twelve Water Wags competing.
They were:
2, Tomboy, Michael and Joan Geoghegan. Congratulations after almost five years!
3, Pansy, Vincent Delany and Rupert Westrup.
8, Barbara, Ian and Judith Malcolm.
10, Sprite, Adrian Masterson and Portugese.
15, Moosmie, with Hanna Kilroy or Gail Varian and David MacFarlane.
16, Penelope, Fergus Cullen and Alice.
23, Maureen, Killian Skay and Harry Croxon.
33, Eva, Orla Fitzgerald and Dermot O'Flynn.
38, Swift, Guy or Hanna Kilroy and Conor.
41, Mollie, Cathy MacAleavey and Con Murphy.
42, Tortoise, William Prentice and Michael Donohoe.
44, Scallywag, David Williams or Dan O'Connor with Sue Westrup..
Saturday was a slow day, with dense fog and no wind. All competitors therefore sat down to a hearty Roscommon breakfast. Two hours later, the fog had still not cleared, so all went for a four km. walk through the countryside to the village of Kilmore, where we were photographed at the Entrée to the church. By the time we returned to Annagh the fog was clearing, and some sunshine was breaking through. The boats were launched and OOD John Ross Murphy set a windward leeward course for the first match of one lap in the 2 knot breeze. It was not easy to build up any momentum. Eva got the best of the start, but Swift and Maureen had the technique in maintaining speed under such conditions. At the windward mark it was Swift and Maureen who rounded together and Pansy followed behind. On the run Pansy, Eva, Mollie and Scallywag gybed onto port hand while Swift, Maureen, and Moosmie took a more northerly course on starboard gybe. Tortoise sailed down the middle on Starboard gybe. As they all approached the line it was very difficult to call who would cut the line. It was Swift, Tortoise, Maureen and Pansy as the finish order. However the drama was not over yet. Scallywag, Barbara and Moosmie crossed the line overlapped, with Scallywag closest to the committee boat which was heavily laden with support crew. Scallywag's boom took a swipe at the committee boat mast and knocked it down. Apologies were offered and accepted and Dan honourably agreed to retire from the race. None of the crew of the committee boat were injured.
Race two was held in similar conditions flat water and one knot of wind. All were taken by surprise when a single gust of wind crossed the course at about two and a half minutes before the start gun. Starting strategies were quickly modified. However the gust disappeared as quick as it arrived. Penelope at the leeward end and Eva at the middle of the line got the best starts. Half way up the beat Barbara and Pansy took a tack towards the south to meet the next gust (2-3knots) as it came through. At the windward mark the order was Maureen, Mollie, Barbara, Tortoise and Pansy. Unfortunately since the windward mark was to be left to starboard, it was difficult to approach the mark on the port layline. Tortoise fouled Barbara and Pansy and was required to take a penalty turn. On the offwind leg Pansy and Tortoise tried to fly spinnaker but the course to the Carnadoe cut would not allow it. At the cut the order was Maureen, Molly and Barbara ahead of the second group of Pansy, Swift and Moosmie. Each boat in turn sailed into the cut and stopped just a few inches forward of the boat that had been ahead of them. There was no wind and a small amount of contra-flow in the river. Somehow, Eva found enough breeze to carry her through. As the fleet escaped, it was Barbara which held her nerve and escaped without tacking. Pansy tacked across the channel and was second boat out, followed by Moosmie steered by Gail, and Penelope. It was a run back to the finish line in one to two knots of wind. Initially Moosmie and Pansy hogged the edge of the reeds on the east side of Annagh Lough. Then Pansy felt the need to defend herself from the following fleet, particularly Eva and Penelope. At the finish Barbara took the gun from Moosmie and Mollie who had sneeked along the reeds to take third place from Penelope and Pansy.
The racing was followed by a supper for the thirty three competitors and helpers.
On Sunday morning there was no breeze at all and the fog was as dense as it had been the previous day. No racing was possible. However, the opportunity to scull or row was not missed by the Wags who brought the boats back to the slipway for recovery.
Thanks go to Guy and Jackie for organising such an enjoyable North Shannon Yacht Club Regatta.