Ireland Stays in Contention at GP14 Worlds

30th March 2016

GP14s run downwind at the Barbados World Championships Credit: Courtesy of the GP14 Class

Ireland stays in contention at the GP14 worlds in Bardbados this week but the lack of official results from the Barbado Yacht Club is possibly best explained by today's layday after last night's Rum party. The overall position after race three is unlcear but Irish updates as follows:

Race 2

British Open Champion Shane McCarthy from Greystones Sailing Club has added a third to yesterday's third with Wicklow clubmate Norman Lee finishing sixth to add to his tenth on Monday. Current World Champion Ian Dobson won the morning race to add to his second in race one and topped the leaderboard. Following a 16th in Monday's first race, Sutton Dinghy Club's Alan Blay finished 28th in the first of yesterday's two races.

Race 3
Top Irish in race three was John & Donal McGuinness from Moville in County Donegal. Shane McCarthy finished ninth with Keith Louden in tenth. JP McCaldin was 15th and Alan Blay 19th with Norman Lee 30th. Ian Dobson finished sixth with the race won by Richard Instone, a former Irish and British Champion, ahead of former GP14 World Champion Neil Marsden with Nick Craig in third.

A short update from Laura McFarland (GP14Ireland Class Secretary) and crewing for Curly Morris.

Day 2 - Races 2 & 3
Very similar racing conditions - swelling sea, big gusts with oscillating winds. First gate start of race 2 had to be abandoned as the guard boat got 'stuck'. Pathfinder Norman Lee had to keep going through the fleet with no guard boat - he survived with no damage. Didn't take too long to get going again. Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe took their first race of the championship. Shane Mac Carthy & Andy Davies took another 3rd. Norman Lee & Kevin Martyn took an excellent 6th.
Race 3 was again a bouncing start with Barbadians Jason Tindale & Robert Povey as pathfinder. The gate was stopped at bang on 3 minutes and closed at 4 leaving a few put out of the race and having to sail home early. Richard Instone & Jim Toothill had a terrible start having to go behind boats to get a gap into the gate. It forced them away from the fleet but happily onto a very sweet lift that put them in first position into the windward mark which he held to the finish. John & Donal McGuiness took a 4th which they are over the moon about as Donal's back was full of pain killers the day before. Shane & Andy took a 9th position leaving them 4th overall.

UPDATE AFTER RACE THREE OVERALL

Published in GP14

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