Having spent the weekend racing in the Irish RS Elite Championships at Royal Ulster on Belfast Lough, most of the 14-strong fleet are making their way the 18 miles to the UK Nationals hosted by Strangford Lough Yacht Club at Whiterock on the west shore of the Lough, which starts on Wednesday 28th June.
The five-race Irish event was won by Tom Hewitson in his new and aptly named Soak Therapy, one of five crews from Hayling Island on the south coast of England who took part. His crew was Colin Smith and Pippa Judd. With three firsts, a second, and a discarded sixth, Hewitson won by five points from Jane Buchanan’s The Love Bug (Royal North), helmed by Michael Browne and crewed by Russell McGovern and Conor Simms. In third overall was Gavin Vaughan’s Toucan, also from Royal North, helmed by Warren Polly with Andrew Vaughan – both ended up on 11 points with the tie broken in favour of The Love Bug.
Polly family battle Storm (37) Stephen Polly and son Warren in Toucan at the Irish RS Elite Championships at Royal Ulster on Belfast Lough Photo: Aquaventus
Race Officer was Con Murphy from National YC in Dun Laoghaire, who had just returned from officiating at Kiel Week Regatta. Saturday’s conditions were kind, with a force four southerly, but closer to the shore, the breezes were fluky. After three races, Michael Browne and The Love Bug were on 5 points, leading overnight, and Soak Therapy on nine, including a sixth, which turned out to be their discard. The Polly family – Warren sailing Gavin Vaughan’s Toucan and Stephen sailing the jointly owned (Polly, Gunning and Kelso) Storm from Royal Ulster, were close behind on ten and 12, but the Sunday proved a very different matter with light to non-existent winds from the northwest forcing an abandoned start. But the two races were sailed although shortened.
The Love Bug Michael Browne with winner Soak Therapy behind and the Bulk Carrier Jonas Oldendorf on Belfast Lough Photo: Aquaventus
Mid-fleet racing was close between Hayling Island boats Eclipse (Ellito Caldwell) and Cygnet (Paul Lewis) and Strangford’s Tuppence (Brian Corry) with just 4 points between them.
The threatening downpours eventually arrived, but minus the wind
Stephen Polly was enthusiastic about the event, complimenting the organisation and the Club hospitality and looks forward to racing at Whiterock with an even larger fleet in the UK National Championships.
RS Elite Irish Championship prizewinners at Royal Ulster Yacht Club Photo Fiona Hicks
