#NMCI – On the 14th April, a team from the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) from Cork Harbour travelled to Le Havre in France to compete in the 'Hydro's Cup'. Invites are exclusively sent out to sea-farers or cadets training in the European maritime sector. This was the first time an Irish team has ever competed in the Hydro's Cup, and the Irish contingent were joined at the event by two UK teams and primarily French teams.
The first day in Le Havre began with training on the J80s which were supplied by the Société des Régates du Havre; the club had a sublime setup and all 15 J80s were in fantastic condition. The Irish team of five - Conor Haughton, Andy Verso, Rob Scandrett, Aaron Little and Audrius Kaminskas - had trained year round in 1720s based out of Harbowline, Co. Cork.
The NMCI's sailing club had been pushing hard to get a team to France for some time, and this year they managed to do so by overcoming some major hurdles. The driving forces behind the club this year were team members Verso and Haughton, who were extremely motivated to develop the club.
Initially conditions varied: sunny spells, no wind and the distinct smell of sun cream in the air triggered agitation amongst the group. Travelling all this way for no wind? Surely not. Thankfully, the forecast had in fact predicted plenty of wind and it certainly lived up to its billing!
Day 1: 20 – 25 knots from the north brought a big swell and some testing conditions, particularly on the kite hoists/drops. The NMCI boys started as they meant to go on by bringing in a 2nd place finish in Race 1. The leeward mark was the place to be with all 15 boats rounding within seconds of each other. Kaminskas and Little performed some legendary stuff on the bow, putting their bodies literally on the line (or water!). The next set of results followed the initial successful pattern with two 3rd place finishes and a 6th. Following the final race it became apparent why the team were sluggish; the upper rudder bracket had sheared on one side from the loads of the day's weather! Luckily the team didn't lose the rudder and it was fixed for the following days racing. Haughton drove the team very consistently and by the end of a thrilling day 1, NMCI SC were left sitting in 3rd place overall.
Day 2: It was touch and go in the morning as to whether racing would take place at all. 30+ knots from the same direction kicked up a real stink outside the safety of the harbour walls. Nonetheless, the fantastic Race Committee decided to head out and give it a go. The 'O' flag was flown from the committee boat disabling the fleet from using their kites down wind.
The team kept their consistency and performed well in the breezy conditions. Scandrett, Verso and Haughton proved to work well together at the back of the boat with some excellent team work and tactical decisions. Upwind, the two local French teams' boat speed just could not be matched but downwind their defending tactics were pushed hard! Happily the NMCI crew maintained their overall third position and a great night at the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime gala followed afterwards.
