#mirror – Overall honours at the Mirror dinghy national championships in Sligo went to local sailors Jack Maye and Sarah White at the weekend.
After two days of training kindy provided by Sligo Yacht Club the Mirror fleet, from Bronze to Gold, were well prepared for 4 days of extremely variable conditions and tight racing results. Thursday saw light winds which gave the lighter helm and crew a chance to perform well. Friday was a day of doldrums and scorching sunshine which led to a day of patient floating about and ended up with some essential swimming and diving to cool off. Despite the best efforts of vetran Race Officer Gus Henry however, no race could be started. On Saturday the winds picked up with force 7 gusts and numerous capsizing of all ages and skills levels came to the fore, so the OD announced that all Bronze fleet must go in after the first race. The course was then moved inshore where there was some shelter and the gold and silver fleets had two very exciting races. The overnight leaders were Harry & Fergus Collins of Sligo, a considerable achievment for them as they were Silver Fleet sailors.
It was all down to the Sunday, the last day. By then gold and Silver had finished five races but the Bronze fleet had only three.
The Race Officer decided to have three races, which had the effect, if all were finished, that the second discard would kick in. Depending on the various permutations and combinations, it was still anyones regatta with six or even more possible winners.
A good force 3 South Easterly occationally gusting force 5 for perfect sailing conditions. The 3 races were completed and results were close. The final places were not decided until the last race, which developed into a ding dong battle between Kerry-Ann Boylan of Skerries, Beth Armstrong of Sligo, Peter Regan of Lough Ree and Jack Maye of Sligo which finished in that order. Noone had any idea who was the overall winner until the computer did its work and a final protest was decided, but Jack and Sarah had done just enough to take the Championships by a point from the Collins brothers.
A number of the Gold fleet sailors are now preparing for a trip to the Mirror Europeans in Poole in 2 weeks time, while the Bronze fleet sailors prepare for the Mullingar Bronze fleet event later this month while the highlight for the class is the staging of the Mirror Worlds in Lough Derg 27 July to 2 August 2013.
