'Moosmie' Leads Water Wag Series (Start Video Here!)

6th May 2017

The Starboard end of the line paid dividends for the Water Wags this week. Scroll down for the start line video Credit: Jennifer Hudson

For the second week in a row, the wind in Dun Laoghaire blew from the north. This time the wind of 12 -15 knots kicked up quite a chop within the harbour, which some competitors found challenging. In the130th season for the class, twenty-three Water Wags turned up for the second of three matches for The Newsom Memorial Cup (div. 1A), Hilpotsteiner Tankard (div 1B), and Phyllis Cup (div. 2).

At the start, many Wags found themselves behind the committee boat at the starboard end of the start line. No so, Barbara, Pansy, Moosmie and Mary Kate who hit the line perfectly. It turned out that tide would not be a significant factor in the race, but due to a small bias in the start line, it did pay to start at the starboard end of the line. Start video courtesy of Jenifer Hudson below:

Due to the size of the waves coming through the harbour mouth, crews had to work had to keep momentum in their Water Wags, and to minimise heeling. At the second windward mark, close to the harbour mouth the order was Moosmie, Barbara, Swift, and Tortoise. However, when Tortoise gybed soon afterwards, the helmsman slipped, and the inevitable result was water pouring over the leeward gunwale. Once spinnakers were hoisted and set they provided additional stability to the Wags, and the ability to surf the waves. On the following round the order had changed to Moosmie, Swift, and Barbara. Competitors were getting more used to the conditions after that with fewer place changes.

Water wag Moosmie David MacFarlane in Moosmie, is the winner of both races of the series

At the finish the order was:

1st – 15, Moosmie, David MacFarlane.
2nd - 38, Swift, Guy & Jackie Kilroy.
3rd. - 41, Mollie, Annalise Murphy.
4th. -33, Eva, Dermot O’Flynn
5th - 8, Barbara, Ian and Judith Malcolm
6th. - 3, Pansy, Vincent Delany & Charles Pearson.
7th. – 6, Mary Kate, Ian & Jenny Magowan. (Winner div 2).
8th. – 4, Vela, Philip & Katie Mayne.
9th. - 40, Swallow, David & Anne Clarke. (Winner div 1B).
10th. - 46, Mademoiselle.
11th. – 18, Good Hope.
12th. - 47, Peggy.
13th. - 34, Chloe.
14th. – 32, Skee.
15th. - 10, Sprite.
16th. - 31, Polly.
17th. – 26, Nandor.
18th. - 44, Scallywag.
19th. -16, Penelope.
20th. - 43, Freddie.
21st. - 45, Mariposa.
RET. – 36, Little Tern.
RET. – 42, Tortoise.

Overall Moosmie is in first place with Swift in second place with only one more race in the series. Link to the overall results here

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About The Author

Vincent Delany

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Sailing historian Vincent Delany is a member of the Association of Yachting Historians, and an active sailor in Water Wag, SOD and Squib classes. He has written a thesis on 'Yachting and yachtsmen on the River Shannon 1830-1930.' He has lectured on the history of The Water Wag Club, Royal St.George Yacht Club, and the Killinure Yacht Club, He has written two sailing books 'The Water Wags 1887-2012' and 'The International 12 foot class in Ireland' both of which are available from blurb.com

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