#flyingfifteen – Racing got off to a great start today at the UKGLOBAL sponsored Flying Fifteen Nationals. Two races were held in sparkling conditions as Weymouth baked in 25 degree temperatures.

Both races were held within Portland Harbour, just beside hosts Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA). Breezes were light, with 6 knots on the first race, while the second started in 8 kts. Both races were held on windward leeward courses.

The 40 competing boats included visitors from France and Australia, and the Australian pair swiftly adapted to sailing in the UK, taking a bullet in the second race. In the first race there were many place changes at the front of the fleet, as first one then the other side of the beat was favoured. The lead was closely, and very audibly(!) contested all the way to the last turning mark leading to the short reach to the finish line. Charles Apthorp and Jonathan Clark took the win, with reigning National Champions Simon Kneller/ Dave Lucas in second, and Alan Bax/ James Grant third.

However in the second race, the ups and downs of the first race were not to be repeated. Instead the well travelled visitors Ashley Smith and Kym Thumpkin, from Sandgate SC near Melbourne, Australia, took a comfortable early lead, which they maintained to the finish. Their boat looked well powered up in the 6-8 kts breeze, with Kym alone of the crews able to fully hike upwind, helping create their lead. Second were Mike Hart/ Jeremy Davy, with current leaders of the UKGLOBAL World rankings, Richard Lovering/ Matt Alvarado taking third place.

After a very close day's racing, Mike Hart and Jeremy Davy lead overall. Three teams are just a single point behind in what promises to be a very closely contested Championship.

Results, Race 1
1. Charles Apthorp/ Jonathan Clark, Hayling Island
2. Simon Kneller/ Dave Lucas, Grafham Water
3. Alan Bax/ James Grant, Hayling Island

Race 2
1. Ashley Smith/ Kym Thumpkin, Sandgate SC, AUS
2. Mike Hart/ Jeremy Davy, Hayling Island
3. Richard Lovering/ Matt Alvaredo, Hayling Island

#FF – An initiative to introduce more sailors to one of Dublin Bay's most popular one design keelboats has been boosted with news of a fleet sponsor for the double-handed Flying fifteen (FF) class.

Kia Motors Ireland are on board with the Dublin fleet that is based almost exclusively at the National Yacht Club on Dun Laoghaire's East Pier.

The fleet currently has 20 plus boats for local DBSC racing with at least double that number for regional championships.  The class plans a number of local initiatives to encourage sailors from other classes to try out the FF during midweek racing.  Local sailing instructors are also being targeted as possible new recruits.

The class recently published its 2013 fixtures with two events in Northern Ireland –  another FF stronghold –  but the season finale is in Dun Laoghaire in the autumn and there are big plans to gather as many crews as possible for the October 5th event under the Kia motors banner.

#flyingfifteen – International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Umpire Gordon Davies will talk on the new 2013 racing rules, covering changes to mark rounding rules and starting, in advance of the Flying fifteen (FF) season in Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay, the biggest FF racing fleet in the country.

The sesssion on Tuesday 26th March will take the format of a Pub Quiz at 8pm in the National YC.

A voluntary collection will be held afterwards to raise finds for for the Irish Team Racing Association (ITRA) of which Davies is secretary.

Last year enough money was raised enough at the rules evening to send two trainee umpires on a course in the UK. They have both now qualified as umpires.

Davies, a recently appointed member of ISAF's 'rapid response' team racing call group, will follow up with to an on the water racing rules session in May for the FF fleet.

At its AGM FF fleet members voted to change the 720 penalty rule to a 360 rule and also introduce an arbitration procedure at the end of each race.

#flyingfifteen – The Irish Flying fifteen keelboat class has published its championship schedule for 2013 as follows. Two events will be held in Northern waters and two in the republic, one in Dun Laoghaire and the Irish championships in August at Dunmore East.

May 11-12 Northern Championship CAYC Whitehead

June 15-16 Southern Championship Killyleagh YC

Aug 30-1 Championship of Ireland WHSC Dunmore East

Oct 5-6 East Coast Championship NYC Dun Laoghaire

#flyingfifteen – Former Irish Flying Fifteen champion David Gorman sailing with David Cahill made a clean sweep of the National Yacht Club's frostbite series on Dublin Bay finishing the series last Sunday with a faultless 12 wins from 12 races, a full 21 nett points clear of the chasing fleet.

Gorman's National Club mates Michael McCambridge and Peter Murphy took second, a single point ahead of Charlie Boland and Andrew Paul, who had travelled from Waterford for each of the four days of the last series of 2012.

#flying fifteen – London helmsman Charles Apthorp crewed by Dublin Bay local Alan Green picked up the Flying Fifteen East coast championship at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire today. 

Second were Ben & Mary Jane Mulligan from the host club with Strangford Lough's Brian McKee & Steve Martin third.

The end of season event that so often succumbs to October gales was reduced again but this year due to lack of wind on Dublin Bay. London Olympic race officer Jack Roy and his team got three races in on Saturday but regretfully there was no racing today.

At the Flying fifteen East Coast championships today hosted by the National Yacht Club were (left to right) Peter Murphy Class Captain, Alan Green with East Coast trophy and visiting helm Charles Apthorp. Photo: Ronan Beirne

A 28 boat fleet sailed for prizes in Gold, Silver, (Niall Meagher & Nicki Matthews) bronze (Frazer Mitchell & Gabriel Grier) & classic fleets (Adrian Cooper & Joe Corrigan).

Full results are available to download below as a jpeg file.

#flyingfifteen – Although British boats made a clean sweep of the prizes at Italy's Lake Garda yesterday securing all but one of the top ten places, Ireland's John Lavery and David O'Brien of the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire took fifth overall. Full results from the 35-boat event are available to downloads as a jpeg file below.

After a nine race series Britain's Greg Wells and Richard Riggs of Hayling Island SC sailed a faultless series to win with no result outside the top five. Two former world champions were second nad third overall. Steve Goacher and Phil Evans of Windermere and Well's clubmate Charles Apthorp crewed by Dublin sailor Alan Green was third.

#British boats occupy the top three slots at the Flying Fifteen Europeans as racing was cut short yesterday due to lack of wind on Italy's Lake Garda. Dun Laoghaire pair John Lavery and David O'Brien are now fifth overall, finishing 17th in the single light to medium air race yesterday, the fourth day of the championship.

A consistent performance from Greg Wells and Richard Rigg of Hayling Island SC sees the pair lead into this morning's final day, with three races scheduled but a thunderstorm threatens to cut short the event.

Dubliner Alan Green, of the National YC, crewing with Britain's Charles Apthorp has moved into third overall. World Champions Steve Goacher and Phil Evans of Windemere are third.

Race four report from Flying fifteen Association

The day dawned with some high clouds and higher humidity. There was enough heat to kill the peler and generate the Ora but only about 10 knots at 1.30 when the postponed race was started.

Those that started near the pin end and tacked onto port benefitted from a 10 degree lift and it looked certain that a group of boats led by Charles Apthorp/Alan Green would lead at the windward mark. However, towards the top end of the course the wind veered and Greg Wells/Richard Rigg and David and Sally McKee came in from the middle right to round 1st and 3rd respectively with Apthorp sandwiched between.

Most boats did a gybe set onto the run but halfway down the wind shifted back to the south east and increased to 15 knots. Steve Goacher/Phil Evans and Anthony Osman/Andrew Murphy gained from this to move into 3rd and 4th behind Wells and Apthorp. The McKees were one of many boats to be caught out by this violent change.

Up the next beat the wind once again veered at the top of the cause which allowed Wells to extend and in a dying breeze crossed the downwind finish comfortably ahead. Apthorp was 2nd and Goacher 3rd. Shortly after the last boat finished the wind disappeared and despite an effort to start a 2nd race the race officer abandoned racing at 4.30.

Going into the final day Wells/Rigg hold a 7 point lead over Goacher/Evans. 3 races are scheduled with a 2nd discard kicking in after 9 races.

#flyingfifteen – A consistent performance by Britiain's Greg Wells and Richard Riggs has given the Hayling Island pair the overall lead in the Flying Fifteen Europeans after six races on Lake Garda, Italy with Ireland's only entry John Lavery and David O'Brien, the one time regatta leaders, now in third place overall in the 35-boat fleet. Second overall is reigning world champions Steve Goacher and Phil EVans of Windemere.

The competition continues until Fridasy but the threat of a storm may yet upsrt the schedule at Riva del Garda.

Full results after six races downloadable below.

#flyingfifteen – John Lavery and David O'Brien are off to a great start in the Flying Fifteen Europeans on Lake Garda, Italy topping the leaderboard after the first two days of racing with two wins and two second places at the big wind venue. (Full results available to download below).

35 boats are competing with entries from Spain, Belgium, France and Australia but the bulk of the fleet is British.

The sole Irish entry in the 40-boat fleet port tacked the fleet in the opening race to lead world champions Steve Goacher and Phil Evans over a windward leeward/triangular course at the Fraglia Vela Yacht Club in Riva del Garda. Goacher and Evans closed the gap on the final triangle but the Irish Champions defended to the finish.

The National Yacht Club pair produced a big lead in race three yesterday morning only to be overhauled by Greg Wellls and Richard Riggs when the Irish boat lost its outhaul on the penultimate leg. Lavery dropped back to fourth trying to fix it but had recovered to second by the finish line.

Race four started with an individual recall and a more puffy shifting breeze of about 12 knots. Wells and Rigg started in the middle of the line on starboard and tacked after about three minutes. From here they found a nice lane and led narrowly at the windward mark from Justin Waples and Iain Stowe. Once again Lavery and O'Brien had a good start and first beat to round third. As the race progressed the wind lightened and Wells and Rigg extended their lead while Lavery slipped past Waples. Half way down the final reach the wind started to shut off and the race officer quickly signalled a shorten course at the leeward mark. Wells and Rigg were becalmed about 10 boat lights from the finish line and were passed by Lavery and O'Brien about a boat length from the finish. Alan Bax and Simon Childs squeezed through to finish 3rd and Steve Goacher and Phil Evans made a good recovery to finish 4th.

Racing continues today with two mores races daily til Friday to complete the ten race (two discard) championship, the first time the Fifteen championships has been sailed in Italy.

More race details here on the British Flying Fifteen site and also on the Irish Flying Fifteen site.