Derek Bothwell, PRO, assisted by Ray McGibney of the host club at Foynes Yacht Club greeted the twenty boat J24 fleet on a beautiful sun filled morning with very little breeze. Being optimistic about a sea breeze filling in it was let known at the briefing that the fleet would be heading out to the start on time. Returning to the J24 fleet, International Judge Gordon Davies highlighted the importance of sailing being a self-policing sport and drew competitor’s attention to the new On the Water Judging System which would be enforced on the water today.

Brian McDowell, J24 President, who has been working closely with the Irish Cruiser Racing Association over the last number of months on the development of under 25 teams as a natural pathway from dinghies to cruisers, announced that ICRA was also supporting the u25 initiative by way of entry grants. These were warmly and enthusiastically received by all the sailors.

At an initially sunny but windless Friday the twenty-one boat fleet was treated to an ice cream on the water courtesy of the host club before the breeze was switched on for three frantic races.

Racing got underway in a light southwesterly wind. Finbarr Ryan’s Jelignite led the fleet to the windward mark, with the rest of the fleet hot on his heels and extended to the finish. Simon McGibney on Gala Racing finished in 2nd, with the RCYC Under 25 Team finished a very impressive 3rd on their very first outing, helmed by Tom McGrath.

Race two got underway in a freshening breeze, Stefan Hyde, Morris Johnson and Partners, led to the finish line, with the J24 legend Flor O’Driscoll, on Hard on Port in second and Jumpin Jive helmed by Mark Usher in 3rd.

Before the start of race 3, the wind shifted to a more northerly direction and moderated. Stefan Hyde took the honours again, with Sligo boat Crazy Horse, helmed by Tim Corcoran in 2nd, and local boat Darragh McCormack in 3rd.

Race results below

The future is looking very bright indeed for the J24 Association of Ireland with seven under twenty-five age group teams from around the country taking part at the J24 National Championships next week from at the 8th to the 10th June being hosted by Foynes Yacht Club on the Shannon Estuary. 

The J24 Class Association of Ireland has advocated on many an occasion that the J24 is the perfect transition from dinghies to keelboat racing. It is very evident that this route can be successful with seven teams confirming their entry in this year’s event.

With the very successful under twenty-five programme being run by Howth Yacht Club, various clubs around the country are starting to emulate that success.

The under twenty teams confirmed for this year’s National Championship are from Howth Yacht Club (three teams), Royal Cork Yacht Club (two teams), NUIG Galway and host club Foynes Yacht Club.

It is also worth noting that Sligo Yacht Club has purchased a J24 for club use and there is a J24 being sailed out of Mullaghmore Sailing Club with an under twenty-five team.

"Irish Sailing has given organisers the green light to create an under twenty-five National Title, the first of its kind for the J24s"

The J24 Class Association of Ireland and Harry Hermon CEO of Irish Sailing have given organisers the green light to create an under twenty-five National Title, the first of its kind for the J24s.

Another first for the J24 Nationals championships will be that there will be on the water Jury Boat, looking after fair sailing. This is been trialled at this year’s Nationals as a response from members to encourage more participation on a level playing field.

The National feet will be split into three fleets – Gold, Silver and Bronze. Bronze fleet is for the less experienced and the boats short of crew and is there not to make up the numbers, but there to learn and have the fun associated with the National event. Howth Yacht Club is sending in addition to their under twenty-five teams, a ‘Try Racing’ team from their Adult training programme, the Bronze fleet dovetails nicely into this programme.

“The J24 under twenty-five national title is an excellent initiative; this is a very attractive way to retain young people within our sport from the transition from dinghies to keelboat. I would like to endorse the event and wish the competitors, officials, organisers a very successful National Championships and best of luck to the new J24 Under Twenty Five National Champion, says Jack Roy, President Irish Sailing

“My mandate is about getting new people involved in the class with a particular focus on the under twenty-five’s. It is a great reflection on the class with the numbers at the J24 events and they are known to be fun and friendly. I must pay credit to the major effort from host club to make it happen” says Brian McDowell, President J24 Class Association of Ireland.

Event organisers have set an ambitious target of thirty entries with twenty-three entries confirmed to date. They would like to call on any other J24 owners out there to get in touch if there is anything they can help with to encourage them to enter.

The J24 Association has been growing its fleet steadily over the past few years and last year had an impressive 26 boats at the National Championships in Sligo. This year the J24 Association are keen to improve on that number at their National Championships in Foynes in Limerick on the 8th to 10th June. While the target is always 30 boats this would be an exceptional achievement given just two years ago the Irish Nationals had 14 boats taking part.

The association have been targeting a number of areas to help in this development. One of these areas is the Under 25 teams. This follows the success of the K25 teams in Howth Yacht Club and this year an additional two u25 teams have sprung up on the west coast; one from Foynes and one from NUIG Galway with the potential of one or two others from either the south or Northwest regions. Five u25 teams have already entered in the Nationals the J24 Assoc. have agreed there will be an u25 National Champion if there are six teams.

Race Judge Gordon Davies will be in attendance in Foynes. Photo: Afloat.ie

Another area targeted to bring J24 boats back into one design racing is the introduction of a Bronze Fleet at the Nationals. Again, six boats permitting. To facilitate safer sailing and any potential ‘differences of opinion’ with regard to the Rules of Racing, at this year’s Nationals there will be longer start lines and umpires on the water, led by International ISAF Judge, Gordon Davies.

"With less than five weeks to go the entry list is already at 20 boats"

The association have also been actively contacting J24 owners to aid them in getting boats back in the water, linking potential sellers up with new buyers and lending out road trailers to move boats from event to event.

With less than five weeks to go the entry list is already at 20 boats. The J24 Association and Foynes Yacht Club are encouraging J24 owners to get their entries in as soon as possible. The message is don’t be stuck getting there. Contact either the J24 association or FYC and they will help you out.

As Afloat.ie previewed here, the first event of the 2018 J24 season took place this weekend with the J24 Eastern Championships at Howth Yacht Club.

Pre–weekend forecasts looked ominous for any racing at all with less than 5kts forecast all week long so competitors could only be pleased when winds picked up to a sailable 6-8kts southerly on Saturday morning.

Racing took place just north of Ireland's Eye. Conditions while sailable were very challenging as winds were very light and very shifty. Racing throughout the weekend would find the fleets continuously splitting between the right & left sides of the course in attempts to judge pressure versus tide.

In race one, in the Gold Fleet, 2017 National Champion, JP McCaldin from LEYC got a good start and headed out to sea to get the wind, while most of the rest of the fleet went right, and had pulled out enough of a lead by the first windward mark to take the first race of the year. Dave Lane & Sinéad Enright from RCYC on YaGottaWanna also went left and a fifth saw them lead the Silver Fleet. In race two, in Gold, Darragh McCormack on Stouche from Foynes favouring the right side of the course towards Howth this time led from the first beat only to be pipped on the final tack with a wind shift and Flor O’Driscoll from Bray Sailing Club on Hard on Port capitalised to take first. Howth K25 Team, Kilcullen also choosing the favoured side in sixth place were the lead boat in the Silver Fleet.

A thick fog descended over Ireland's Eye resulting in a delay in racing with the OOD Derek Bothwell continuously reminding competitors to stay nearby and within visibility. With no sign of fog lifting scouts were sent inshore to find visibility much better and the fleet moved closer to Howth. In race three the fleet again split left and right and with less tide inshore Steve Atkinson on Bád from Carrickfergus Sailing Club lead on the first beat but again Hard on Port hot on their heels overtook Bád on the first downwind and lead to the finish. In Silver, Gerard Gilligan’s Jana from Sligo Yacht Club with consistently improving place finishes took fifth to lead the fleet.

The OOD judged enough was enough by that stage and the fleet were sent ashore to a championship dinner laid on by Howth Yacht Club.

"By race five it was still anyone’s championship in both Gold and Silver"

On day two sunshine and a consistent breeze meant racing got off to a great start with smiles all round and sunblock even applied. In race four there was consistency across the course with slack tides and the fleet again split left and right but merged in unison at the windward mark. Overnight leaders in the Gold Fleet, Stouche, kept their championships hopes well and truly alive with an excellent win being matched tack for tack by Jamais Encore and YaGottaWanna who lead the Silver Fleet.

By race five it was still anyone’s championship in both Gold and Silver. Hard on Port, so hard to beat, took the win ahead of Jamais Encore to take the lead in Gold and Jana pipped YaGottaWana for third to jump ahead in the overalls by half a point. And that was the end of the lovely conditions, race six started but was abandoned mid race as another thick fog appeared and the race marks disappeared from sight!

The next event is the J24 National Championships in Foynes Yacht Club on the 8th to 10th June.

Gold Fleet: 1st Hard on Port, 2nd Stouche, 3rd Jamais Encore

Silver Fleet: 1st Jana, 2nd YaGottaWanna, 3rd Kilcullen

Full results available on the J24 website here

This week and for the second time, HYC's Autumn League race management teams were presented with and efficiently managed the considerable challenge of running two races for the inshore and offshore fleets. Aided by some slight alterations to the sailing instructions, Howth’s rich cohort of race officials set out windward-leeward courses for the first race and into a north-westerly 18-20 knot wind that accommodatingly behaved in terms of direction and strength for the whole afternoon.

The teams on the race committee vessels (Sea Wych, Star Point and six accompanying RIBs) finished the nine racing classes, then laid a ‘Round the Cans’ course and got all 100 boats cleanly away for the second race by 4pm. The decision to move to a ‘Round the cans’ course for the second race meant that both fleets finished in Howth Sound and in plenty of time to enjoy the revelry ashore.

With more than four races now completed, boats now discard their worst score and many of the leaderboards tighten as a result. The notoriously cluttered sailing calendar conspired against Class 1 this weekend, with the J109 National Championships clashing with the Autumn League, but culminating in sweet success for Pat Kelly’s ‘Storm’ (See here). But the Breen/ Hogg/ Gregory partnership on their First 34.7 ‘Flashback’ were quick to take advantage of the absence of the J109s, winning both IRC races and really stirring it up at the top of the Class 1 leaderboard. Stephen O’Flaherty‘s Spirit 54 ‘Soufriere’ now commands a formidable lead at the top of the ECHO division, following two wins. The standard of racing and level of competition continues at breathtaking pace in Class 2. The X-Boats, Half-Tonners and Corbys continue to jostle for dominance of this class and while Dave Cullen's ‘Checkmate XV’ earned the right to top this division after winning the second race on Saturday, the Half-Tonner was beaten in the first race by the Wright/ DeNeve/ Cronnelly team on their Corby designed ‘Kodachi’. Jonny Swan’s Half-Tonner ‘Harmony’ leads the ECHO division.

Having missed the first race because they were competing in the J24 World Championships in Canada, the Howth K25 team on ‘Scandal’ capitalised on their discard this week and won both races, leapfrogging their way to the top of the leaderboard in Class 3 IRC. However they will have to stay on top form to fend off the challenge from Gerry O’Sullivan’s Formula 28 ‘Animal’ and Autumn League veteran Vince Gaffney and his team on ‘Alliance Eleven’. The same three boats dominated the ECHO division for the first race, but the resulting adjustment of ratings presented an opportunity to Lionel McMurtry and his team on ‘Hellyhunter’, who won the second race by a minute on corrected time.

It seems like business-as-usual at the front end of Class 4, where Colin Bermingham’s ‘Bite-the-Bullet’ is a familiar sight at the top of the IRC division. But he’s not having it all his own way this time, with the Harris/ Hughes First 40.7 ‘Tiger’ snapping at his heels with only seconds separating them in some of the races and only one point between them in the overall stakes. The ECHO division in Class 4 would be a bookmaker’s challenge but the Burrows/ Skeffington partnership on their Sigma 38 ‘Spellbound’ seem to have found the secret, topping the ECHO leaderboard - by consistently scoring in third and fourth place, their rating changes very little after each race in comparison to the rest of the fleet and any continued gradual improvement should see them as favourites for the ECHO title. The Class 5 boats ‘centre of interest’ is in the ECHO division, where 12 boats are battling every week and where the additional rating points added to Terry McCoy’s ‘Out & About’ after winning the first race, didn’t stop their relative performance and they managed to beat ‘Baily II’ by 13 seconds in the last race. Only 5 boats compete in Class 5 IRC and Windsor Lauden and Steffi Ennis’s Club Shamrock ‘Demelza’ continues to dominate, although this time the 13-second gap in the last race went against the team on ‘Out & About’, finishing second and lying second overall in that division.

The ‘Taste of Racing’ teams on the club’s J80s continue to enjoy thrilling racing as they hone their skills in the club’s assymetric-rigged keelboats. Three boats took part this week, including teams from Intel (skippered and mentored by Fergus O’Kelly) and Accenture as well as a training squad mentored by Noel Davidson. The ‘Taste of Racing’ programme is designed to introduce new sailors to the sport and offers them all a chance to try all positions on the boat during a race. This gives them valuable experience, provides a transition from basic sailing skills through to competent racing experience and as a result, last year’s participants are now all racing on members boats.

Neil Murphy’s ‘Yellow Peril’ is demonstrating consistent results in the large Puppeteer class, but dealing with some tough competition from experienced teams on Dave Clark and Liam Egan’s ‘Harlequin’, Alan Pearson and Alan Blay’s ‘Trick or Treat’ and also from Scorie Walls and Declan Browne’s ‘Gold Dust’, which suffered a main halyard failure on the way to the start line, but managed to recover to consolidate 3rd place overall. There was less luck for ‘Trick or Treat’ and their team who retired after finishing and will be looking for two strong results to challenge ‘Yellow Peril’ before the approach of Halloween and finish of the series! Only half a point separates the top three in the Puppeteer handicap division, to the benefit of Frank Dillon and his team on ‘Flycatcher’, so they will need to be on top of their game to stay in front with two races to go.

The strong winds and forecasted gusts convinced all but two of the Squib class not to race this week and Serena Blacoe’s ‘Seabiscuit’ and Ronan MacDonell’s ‘Fantome’ did the honourable thing by sharing the spoils, winning a race each. ‘Seabiscuit’ has the honour of being the first probable Autumn League winner after only five races, but will no doubt be battling on to contend for the overall event prize.

Not one of the 16-strong Howth Seventeen class took the risk to hoist their topsail in the fresh conditions as they rigged up in the harbour on Saturday afternoon. Probably a wise move because it was a day for maximum ‘weight on the rail’ for every competing class. Mike Toomey and his team on their Howth Seventeen ‘Deilginis’ took full advantage of their season-long form and won both races, moving to the top of the leaderboard ahead of Brian and Conor Turvey’s ‘Isobel’, now separated by four points. Some consistent racing by the Doyle, Walsh, Finnegan trio in ‘Bobolink’ affords them a slim lead at the top of the handicap division from Harriette and Bryan Lynch’s ‘Echo’ and the jointly chartered ‘Erica’ (Hansen/ O’Meara/ Gilna). 

As a consequence of the close quarter action on the busy racecourses, the protest room was in full use on Saturday until almost 9pm, and the hearings were generously overseen and managed by chairman Ed Alcock and supported by Kieran Barker and Rima Macken.

As the leaders emerge in each class and following the busy evening ashore after racing last Saturday, it’s certain that the final two days will be lively affairs.

Howth Yacht Club's J24 under–25 team are in the top third of the 63–boats J24 World Championships in Ontario, Canada.

Sailing the HYC J–boat Scandal, the only Irish sailing in the event are skippered by Lizzy McDowell with Ciaran White, Darragh White, Harry Conin and Graham Blay onboard. 

While major storms continue to batter coastal regions of North America, fickle breeze was the theme of the opening day at the Championship in Mississauga.

Sixty-three teams from Argentina, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Peru and the USA endured winds around 6 knots to complete two races.

Tony Parker's Bangor Packet and James Freedman's Miss Conduct are tied on points at 9, with Parker holding that tie-breaker by way of a 7,2 on Tuesday (Freedman earned a 4,5) for the early advantage. David Klatt's Jaded and Mark Laura's Baba Louie sit tied at 21 for third and fourth place, respectively.

Racing continues til Saturday from Port Credit Yacht Club. Results here

There were weekend tributes to J24 Class supremo Flor O'Driscoll who stood down as Class President to great acclaim and a standing ovation at Saturday evening's dinner not only for his service to the fleet but also his continuing success afloat, that has included national titles as well as Dun Laoghaire Regatta Boat of the Week in 2007. As an appropriate send–off, the weekend National Championship at Sligo Yacht Club fielded one of the big Irish fleets for some time.

Lough Erne Yacht Club's JP McCaldin emerged overall winner after a blustery three-day regatta.

The Northern Ireland victory follows a similar outcome at the J24 Western Championships in May on the Shannon Estuary at Foynes Yacht Club.

Sailing against a 26–strong fleet - a record turnout for recent times - plus a match-race challenge from runner-up Stefan Hyde, McCaldin scored all first and second places for the eight race series.

His principal challenger was almost as consistent with four wins as well but the Royal Cork skipper also had to count a fourth and a third to admit defeat by just three points.

The duelling leaders were followed by a closely bunched pack led by Sligo yachtsman Martin Reilly on Crazy Horse who comfortably secured third place going into the final thanks to a consistent run ofmostly top five results.

Howth Yacht Club Race Officer Derek Bothwell returned to Sligo with the J24's once more and delivered the series in challenging weather, particularly for the first two days that saw strong winds whip big seas that provided thrilling surfing conditions for the fleet.

The J24 Western Championship weekend was characterised by great racing, sailing conditions and fantastic hospitality in Foynes Yacht Club.
The Championship - which saw boats from all around the island of Ireland take part - culminated in a great two final races in southerly breeze of 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots.
Principal Race Officer Raymond McGibney chose Race Area Two and set a course east of Foynes Island.

The penultimate race got underway on schedule with JP McCaldin on Jamais Encore from Lough Erne / Sligo YC and Flor O’Driscoll, Hard on Port, from Royal Saint George Yacht Club duelling for the championship title. After a difficult first beat, only about 25% of the fleet flew spinnakers on the first downwind leg resulting in a big change in the leaders on that leg. In the testing conditions, Hard on Port fell outside the top three giving the title to the Lough Erne boat with one race to spare.

The last race of the day got underway with a clear start with the boats taking the right hand side of the course gaining at the top. Three rounds of the course were completed with the HYC K25 Team leading from the start to the finish followed in second place by Flor O’Driscoll, and Finbarr Ryan on Jelignite in third. Battles continued throughout the rest of the fleet with Jumpin Jive from Greystones YC representing the east coast on the podium in third place. After finishing the fleet sailed to the safe haven of FYC where all were quickly lifted from the water by BCS Crane Hire LTD.

First place for the Jamais Encore crew from Lough Erne Yacht Club

J/24 Class Association of Ireland President, Flor O’Driscoll, commented with delight about the rejuvenation in the J/24 fleet. This event had two newcomers to their regional events, the new HYC K25 Team on Scandal sailing a superb event and finishing first in the Silver Fleet, three points ahead of another newcomer Fergus Kelliher on Jibe from Tralee Bay Sailing Club. Third place went to Dave Lane & Sinéad Enright on YaGottaWanna from the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The local contingent was led by Gala Racing from Foynes YC, coming in fifth in Gold & seventh place overall.

The prizegiving took place in the club with all competitors in attendance. Sponsors Yachtsman Euromarine, UK McWilliam Sailmakers, North Sails, Quantum Sails, BCS Crane Hire LTD and Cliffords Cash and Carry were thanked. A special thanks went to the members of FYC for all their help over the weekend.

Yachtsman Euromarine J24 Western Championships Overall -

Gold Fleet
1st IRL5278 Jamais Encore JP. McCaldin Lough Erne / Sligo Yacht Club
2nd IRL4794 Hard on Port F. O'Driscoll Royal St. George Yacht Club
3rd IRL3060 Jumpin Jive M. Usher Greystones Sailing Club

Sliver Fleet
1st IRL4212 Scandal HYC K25 Team Howth Yacht Club
2nd IRL4252 Jibe F. Kelliher Tralee Bay Sailing Club
3rd IRL5098 Ya Gotta Wanna D. Lane / S. Enright Royal Cork Yacht Club

Day one of the Yachtsman Euromarine J24 West Coast Championships at Foynes Yacht Club dawned to overcast skies with a westerly force 8-10 knots of breeze writes Elaine O'Mahoney. Last minute tweaking on the pontoon was followed by a procession of J/24’s out of the main channel. Race area one, west of the club house was chosen, which paid dividend for anyone travelling the coast road during the races as they were sailing close to the shore at Mount Trenchard which made for a spectacular sight between Foynes and Glin.

“The first Championships of the 2017 for the Irish J/24 fleet showed a high level of skill from the teams, matched by a very competitive spirit. The racing was physical but fun with new J/24 crew (press ganged at the last minute) getting a baptism of fire. The close racing, typical of the class, gave the newcomers an experience they will remember for some time. The fourteen year old on our boat didn’t know racing could be so scary and fun at the same time. I think we have a new convert! The future of the J/24 is looking good!”

Finbarr Ryan of LRYC/HYC
“Race one, after battling with the pin end, the fleet headed left up the beat, hugging the shore, which led to several port-starboard incidents across the fleet. Both windward marks were incident-rich, with many suffering from tide and port raiders.
Race two Hard on Port nailed the pin end, hugged the shore, and led from start to finish, oblivious to the battles going on astern. A similar format at the front followed for race three.
In race four, with an ebbing tide, eager beavers led to a general recall. Hard on Port was taken out at the start, leaving Jelignite, Scandal and Jamais Encore in a battle up the first beat. With the breeze shifting right and the tide having turned, the right side of the course was favoured, catching much of the fleet off guard after the swelling flood tide. More pressure and an early gybe allowed Jamais to move from third to first & dominated the rest of the race to take the bullet.
All the fleet were met with a pontoon beer reception which was a perfect finish to a great day’s sailing.” 

Jeff Harrison of LEYC
The night finished off with over one hundred sailors sitting down for the championship dinner followed by a live band.
The day’s racing concluded with Jamais Encore, JP McCaldin from LEYC leading from Hard on Port, Flor O’Driscoll RStGYC in the Gold Fleet and in third place Mark Usher on Jumpin Jive from Greystones Sailing Club.
The Silver Fleet is all tied with HYC U25 Keelboat Team joint first with Fergus Kelliher on Jibe from Tralee Bay Sailing Club, with YaGottaWanna, Sinéad Enright and Dave Lane from RCYC in third.
Full racing results here

Eighty five sailors from around Ireland have gathered in Limerick with all province’s being represented at the two day Yachtsman Euromarine J/24 Western Championships. Looking east from the Foynes Yacht Club clubhouse the sixteen J/24’s gently move tied to the club’s new pontoon.

Crews were welcomed by their host with a complimentary bottle of beer/soft drink supplied by Gala Supermarkets. BCS Crane Hire LTD. made short work of lifting the boats in. The breakdown of the Gold and Silver Fleets has been made and can be found here.

“After the three hour drive - the smooth operation of the crane and the welcoming committee were second to none & rumour has it the Guinness is good in the clubhouse. Looking forward to the racing”, commented Harry Cronin of the K25 Team from Howth Yacht Club.

Proceedings get underway with a briefing at 0930hrs followed by First Gun at 1130 with four races scheduled on day one.

A report of day one’s racing & results will follow