#flyingfifteen – Sixteen Flying Fifteens came out for what turned out to be a dramatic and exhilarating mornings sailing as the frostbite series continued on Sunday in perfect sailing conditions, sunshine and 18-25 knots of breeze from the west. Dave Gorman sailing with Dave Cahill in this series leads the way after four races from Niall Coleman & Mick Quinn in second and Niall & Nicki Meagher in third.

Race 1 start was frantic but everyone got away at first time of asking, the fleet split going up the beat, Doorly/Green had a bad start and soon tacked away looking for clear air, they took advantage of some shifts to get to second at the weather mark. Left had paid as Sherry/Fenlon led at the weather mark comfortably.

Downwind the boats took off, Fifteens at their best, by the gate the gap had closed and by the next weather mark Doorly/Green were leading, a lead they held to the finish. Gorman, who also started poorly, had worked his way up the fleet and just managed to pip Sherry on the line to get second.

Race two got going shortly after, again left seemed to be favoured and Gorman led at the weather mark followed by Colman. Just before the mark Doorly/Green were hit by a port boat, after some running repairs they rejoined the race but were at the back, on the final run they were very wobbly, next thing they capsized to windward and the boat went right over turtle! It appears the side tank that was hit had water coming in and this affected the balance, on sorting themselves out it was into the bar but the series was now over for the holders. Meanwhile Gorman stayed ahead to take the gun from the Meagher's in second place, Colman/Quinn third and Sherry fourth.

There were other broaches in race two and with a third race on many had had enough and headed home leaving only 7 to start the last race. Gorman led all the way, guest helm Johnny O'Rourke sailing with Joe Hickey was second with the Meagher's third. The fleet were glad to head back to the club. The PRO Ian Mathews is back on track with his schedule of races and next Sunday the series continues with two races scheduled.

#loughderg – Lough Derg's annual Keelboat Freshwater Regatta in October is meant to round out the season with some gentle lake sailing for salty folk in big boats. But 2014's event last weekend was just too near a ferociously active bad weather system which had lows sometimes down to the 950s spinning around each other out in the Atlantic close to Ireland's West Coast. Thus although it was possible to get in the racing in the CH Marine Autumn Series down at Crosshaven, while the MSL Park Motors Autumn League at Howth concluded in balmy if breezy conditions across on the east coast, over to the west on Lough Derg they were lashed by the tails of two storms, and two classes failed to get any racing at all. But if you happened to be with the stately Dragons or the perky Squibs, then there was some great sport which has W M Nixon reflecting on the way our keelboat classes are developing.

Of all Ireland's lakes, it is Lough Derg which most truly merits the description of "Inland Sea'. Lough Neagh may have greater area, but in the final analysis it's only an oddly characterless shallow basin which happens to be filled with water. Lough Erne is marvellous, but too convoluted. Lough Ree has the area and the intricate coastline, but lacks the scenery. And while Lough Corrib is right up there in the beauty stakes, it's isolated from the rest of the world.

But Lough Derg – now there really is a proper inland sea. It has splendid scenery, and historic little ports with ancient quaysides all round its complex coastline, while beside them you'll find modern marinas which host an astonishing variety and number of boats, including some quite substantial sailing cruisers.

Not only is it a splendid place unto itself, but Lough Derg is part of the greater world. From it, you can undertake inland voyages to every part of Ireland, yet it takes only a day to access the sea and the oceans beyond. It's the sort of place where boating and sailing ambitions can seem endless, so it's not surprising that in recent years the Autumn keelboat regatta has become a trendy annual fixture.

Last weekend, sixty boats from four classes headed Dromineer way, to a hospitable bay and village where Lough Derg YC has been established since 1835. Keelboat racing is nothing new on Lough Derg, but boat numbers at this level is something new, and the logistics of getting the visitors launched, and organising racing on two courses when the weather was being massively unco-operative, caused something of an overload on the club system.

As well, being slightly later in October than is usual, some key members of LDYC's small core of voluntary workers afloat and ashore were already out of the country on their usual mid-Autumn breaks. So although it would have been manageable if the weather had been clement, with the main part of the racing planned for mid-lake there simply weren't the service boats and personnel available to make a sudden shift of some of the racing to a second inshore course in Dromineer Bay.

Lough Derg isn't just a lake – it's a proper inland sea with connections to the wide world.

There's nothing new about keelboats on Lough Derg. This is the 7-ton cutter Tessa (Trahern Holmes, LDYC) on the lake in 1884......

....and this is the keelboat class at Dromineer in the late 1920s. The Bermuda rigged sail number L11 is a former Olympic 6 Metre from Finland

Happily for the Dragons racing in their well-established challenge for the Jack Craig Cup, the trophy which started the whole Dromineer Autumn Keelboat event, their racing was planned for three days. In the end, they only managed the required mid-lake racing on the Friday, but it gave great sport.

The Dragons start on the Friday. It was the introduction of the Jack Craig Cup for the International Dragons which inaugurated the Lough Derg Keelboat Regatta. The overall winner was to be Phantom (Neil Hegarty, RStGYC, no 176) Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Diva (Richard Goodbody) holds the lead downwind from Dublin Bay (Gary Treacy), Little Fella (Cameron Good) and Mar J (Adrian Bendon) Photo Gareth Craig/fotosail

When the going was good for the Dragons at Dromineer, it was very good. Gary Treacy's Dublin Bay from Dun Laoghaire and Adrian Bendon's Mar J from Kinsale neck and neck on the run, with Lough Derg YC's clubhouse and harbour on the shoreline beyond. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Gary Treacy's Dublin Bay settles into the groove upwind. Photo: Gareth Craig /fotosail

Richard Goodbody's Diva showing the form which won second overall. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Martin Byrne's Jaguar at the finish on starboard. A former Edinburgh Cup winner, Jaguar placed third on Lough Derg. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

The Lough Derg 2014 Dragon Champions – Neil Hegarty's Phantom (right) won from Richard Goodbody's Diva (left). Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Autumn sailing at its best – Adrian Bendon's Mar J from Kinsale closes in on the finish and tenth place overall at Dromineer. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

However, for the SB20s and the Flying Fifteens, trying to race the same waters on Saturday proved a non-event, and again on Sunday too. All of which made it even more galling that the Squibs, the biggest fleet of all, had requested their own simple windward-leeward course set further into Dromineer Bay on the Saturday. As long as the wind stayed in the south, the Squibs were able to race on into Saturday afternoon until, with a slight veering and further freshening of the already strong wind, all options were off.

Then on the Sunday with the wind firmly in the southwest and strong, only the Squibs had racing with one contest out on the lake, and another – with very short legs – in the inner bay. With hindsight, it seems reasonable to think that room might have been found in the bay for the two other classes of smaller boats, though admittedly the SB20s at full cry do need quite a bit of space. But that would have needed some very slick manoeuvres by more supporting RIBs, committee boats and personnel than were available.

Revelling in it. Veteran skipper Vincent Delany (who also races Water Wags and Shannon ODs) puts his vintage Squib Femme Fatale (no 24) through her paces on Lough Derg. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Come to think of it, the Dragons might also have been given racing on Saturday morning if they'd been prepared to set out early and get over to the shelter of the Garrykennedy shore. But in truth, after their super sailing during Friday, the night had passed in turbo-powered conviviality, and as the Dragon crews came very slowly to life on Saturday morning on various motor-cruisers and in other accommodation, they reckoned to let the approaching storm have its way, and made arrangements to watch the rugby in the Whiskey Still in Dromineer, while other more intrepid Dragoneers battled across the lake in their vast hired Shannon motor-cruiser for a slight change of scene to watch the match in Larkin's of Garrykennedy.

But meanwhile the little Squibs were having themselves a fine old time. It was of extra interest in Dromineer, as that great stalwart of Shannon sailing Reggie Goodbody, supported by David Meredith and others, has been quietly beavering away during the past couple of years to get the Squibs going as a local class at Lough Derg Yacht Club.

As of Thursday of this week, they'd got numbers up to nine boats with others interested, which is good going from a standing start late in the summer of 2012. And though they knew that Squibs from the more experienced classes from all round Ireland would be giving them a hard time on the water, they were there ready and willing to welcome them as they drove into Dromineer on the Friday night last weekend, with twenty visiting Squibs being rigged and launched in one-and-a-half hours.

The Lough Derg people are keen to keep their new class in manageable parameters, so they've set a purchase price limit of €4,500 on people buying Squibs new to the area, which still allows for shrewd purchases in sailing centres in Great Britain, where at this time of the year it's a happy hunting ground for Squib seekers.

The breeze is building. One of the newest Squibs racing was Tonia McAllister's Pintail from the National YC, which finished 7th. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Storm? What storm? Despite dire weather predictions, at first on the Saturday morning the Squibs had perfect sailing conditions. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Sailing as it should be. In foreground is Rupert Bowen's Sidewinder (138, RStGYC) and beyond is clubmate Gerry O'Connor's Buzzlite (125). Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

The attraction of the Squib for Dromineer is that it is so easily managed and maintained, a real bonus for people who may find they no longer have the energy and enthusiasm to maintain and tune a Shannon One Design, let alone the athletic ability to race one flat out. As I well recall from my own happy year of owning a Squib, they really are proper little sit-in keelboats despite being only 19ft LOA, and with our family including three small boys, a Squib proved ideal for mini-cruises along the Fingal coast and out to the islands of Ireland's Eye and Lambay, while the rapid development of the class at Howth meant we were getting good racing by the early summer of 1979.

One of the attractions of the Squib is that though she is only 19ft long, there's a proper sit-in cockpit. These are some very junior Nixons sailing on the family Squib Huppatee while returning to Howth from Ireland's Eye (hence the dinghy towing astern) in 1979. The only drawback of the Squib was she had only one tiller, so not all could steer, thus the most junior crewmember needed special consolation from his Mum.

These days the Squibs in Howth are in something of a fallow period, as many of the people who would have raced the boat in times past have moved on and up to the Puppeteer 22 which, with its little cabin and easily handled fractional rig, ticks very many boxes. However, the British & Irish Squib Championship 2015 is scheduled for Howth next June 26th- July 3rd, so doubtless that will lead to a local revival, though whether the magic number of a hundred boat racing in the same championship at the Howth venue in 1996 will be reached again is a moot point.

Off Dromineer, there's starting to be a real bite to the breeze as Pintail chases Femme Fatale (right) and Lola..........Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

....while keeping an eye on Sidewinder off the starboard quarter. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

But you never know. New boats are being built, so the class's enduring attraction is still proven, and certainly the way they got themselves back into some very confined berths at Dromineer on Saturday afternoon as further racing was being blown out was testament to their quality design and very positive handling qualities. Admittedly they may seem almost too smoothly-handling for sailing's thrill seekers, but growing classes in Dun Laoghaire and Kinsale, and the continuing health of the Squib fleets in Northern Ireland, means that the new Squib fleet at Lough Derg need never feel lonely.

That said, because the Squib has a countrywide spread, trying to keep it first and foremost a local class - as they hope to do at Dromineer - is quite a challenge. Many inshore keelboat classes today find they are becoming event boats, with crew concentrating on big happenings to which they travel perhaps every other weekend, or every three weeks or so, and they simply don't bother trying to keep up the twice-weekly commitment of club racing.

Experiment under way. Jill Fleming of Dun Laoghaire was testing a new variant on Squib sails, but although her rig looked very potent, she was back in 8th place overall with seven suits of standard tan sails ahead of her. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

Certainly that's often the case with the Dragons, but then the Dragon class in Ireland offers its members a very attractive package of events all round the country at the most pleasant and glamorous sailing centres. Thus Dragon racing today in Ireland is a high-powered and potentially very expensive way of sailing, and just about as far removed as possible from Reggie Goodbody's ambitions for inexpensive Squibs at Dromineer.

He hopes to see the them develop as a good-value local class which will bring life back to Lough Derg Yacht Club during the more everyday times, when there isn't a championship going on, or it isn't the annual Lough Derg Week in August. This isn't at all the style of the Dragons' jet-setters – they're big-event performers.

Cool sailing. One of the reasons the Squib appeals to former Shannon One Design sailors in Dromineer is that even on a busy run, you can still be relaxed and comfortable (very comfortable for the helmsman), whereas a SOD would be providing a hairy ride. Photo: Gareth Craig/fotosail

So it was fascinating to see the two very different classes sharing the lake and harbour space at Dromineer, though it was clear that if you wished to take the cheque book sailing route, the Squibs offer that as well, so Reggie and his team will have to keep the expenditure lid very firmly clamped in place.

The racing results well reflected the nationwide appeal of this event, for though the Dragons may seem to have emerged with a Dun Laoghaire dominance, winner Neil Hegarty of Royal St George YC originally hailed from Cork, and Cameron Good of Kinsale was consistent with a 6th and 3rd to take fourth behind two Dublin Bay boats.

In the Squibs, James Matthews and Rob Jacob of Kinsale racing the vintage Mucky Duck were notably consistent with a final scoreline of two firsts, a second and a third, but almost equally good were Gordon Paterson and Ross Nolan of Royal North of Ireland YC with two firsts, a second and a fifth. Another RNIYC boat from Cultra, Des and Chris Clayton's Inismara, got into the frame with the win in the final race, and the complete Squib scoreline shows the longterm health of the class, as the top six boats range in sail numbers from 24 to 820.

The Squibs might have been invented with Lough Derg YC's facilities in mind, as they are easy to berth on the outer harbour....Photo: W M Nixon

...yet even in an awkward breeze, they can head confidently for the narrow little East Dock.......Photo: W M Nixon

....and stay nicely under control while assessing the situation. This is Peter Kennedy's Whipper Snapper, which was top of the local boats at 11th overall in the Dromineer regatta. Photo: W M Nixon

The Squib is so well mannered she'll wriggle up the most unlikely channel whatever the wind.........Photo: W M Nixon

....and so Whipper Snapper reaches her berth right at the top of the dock with no bother at all. Photo: W M Nixon

As to the longterm health of the event, despite this year's problems for which we have to make some allowance for the extreme weather, there's no doubt everyone very much wants Dromineer to succeed as the venue for what has the potential to be a major and rather special keelboat regatta.

But as an outside observer who has been notably unsuccessful in running races himself, it seemed to me that when number start pushing towards the sixty mark and four classes are involved, then the visiting classes will have to expect to be bringing back-up support boats and some race officials with them. And that in turn will require a certain amount of diplomacy between the visitors and the established race administration at the hosting club. Yet that would be well worth the effort. For when the going was good at Dromineer, it was very good indeed.

LOUGH DERG YACHT CLUB KEELBOAT REGATTA 2014

International Dragon Class: 1st Phantom (Neil Hegarty, RStGYC) 3pts; 2nd Diva (Richard Goodbody, RIYC) 4pt; 3rd Jaguar (Martin Byrne, RStGYC) 7 pts; 4th Little Fella (Cameron Good, KYC) 9 pts; 5th Sir Ossis (Denis Bergin, RIYC) 13pts; 6th Cloud (Claire Hogan, RStGYC) 14pts. (15 raced).

National Squib Class: 1st Mucky Duck (James Matthews, KYC) 7pts; 2nd Quickstep (Gordon Paterson, RNIYC) 9pts; 3rd Inismara (Des Clayton, RNIYC) 15pts; 4th Fagan (Cian O'Regan, KYC) 15pts; 5th Femme Fatale (Vincent Delany, RStGYC) 15 pts; 6th Perfection (Jill Fleming, RStGYC) 17pts; 7th Pintail (Tonia McAllister, NYC) 37pts; 8th Sidewinder (Rupert Bowen, RStGYC) 40 pts (23 raced).

When the going gets too rough on Lough Derg, the prudent Dromineer mariner will seek a secure berth in the Whiskey Still to watch the rugby. Photo: W M Nixon

#flyingfifteens – Ireland's Flying Fifteen man in Waterford, Charlie Boland, has organised an information session on Tuesday next week for those interested in taking up sailing or switching into the 20–foot keelboat class.

Boland, of Waterford Harbour Sailing Club in Dunmore East says: "Sailing a Flying Fifteen is an affordable way to learn the ropes and have great fun on the water. Next season will see several new boats arrive at the club."

He adds that he is actively on the lookout for entry-level boats for the club's new Fifteeners to purchase.

The information meeting takes place on Tuesday at 19:30 the Haven Hotel, Dunmore East. Contact Charlie at 087 2224475 for more details.

#flyingfifteen – Irish Flying fifteen vice–president Alan Green has led tributes from Ireland to Flying Fifteen doyen Roy Windebank of Hayling Island in Hampshire who died last month aged 81.

The British master builder who had been involved as both a builder and developer of the class for over forty years is credited with the international success of the 'original sportsboat'  due to ground breaking hull development work in the 1980s.

The register shows that Windebank personally built 252 flying fifteens up to his retirement in 1997 (all of which were constructed using polyester resins). Flying Fifteens recently broke the 4000 mark with sail numbers as high as 4025 at the recent European FF Championships in Mallorca.

A full obituary and funeral details have been posted on the International FF class website here.

Roy Windebank (March 26th, 1933 - September 26th, 2014)

#flyingfifteen – UK visitor Charles Apthorp paired with the National Yacht Club's Alan Green took four wins from five races to be the clear overall winners of the Flying Fifteen East Coast Championships at Dun Laoghaire yesterday. Hayling Island's Apthorp, the 2001 world champion, slipped from the perfect scoreline in race four yesterday afternoon to allow past Irish champions David Gorman and Chris Doorly of the host club take a penultimate race win to be a comfortable second overall on eight nett points from current national champions Andrew McCreery and Colin Dougan of Strangford Lough who finished on 15.

24 boats competed in the end of season event for the keelboat class. Results sheet downloadable below as a jpeg file.

#flyingfifteen – Flying Fifteen National Champions Andy McCleery and Colin Dougan from Killyleagh Yacht Club on Strangford Lough will have to contend with UK visitor Charles Apthorp, a former world champion, in a fleet of up to 30 boats expected at this weekend's East Coast Championships at the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire. After a light wind end to the summer, rain and wind are expected for the two day Dublin Bay competition. Local prospects in the fleet include Dave Gorman & Chris Doorly and Ian Mathews & Keith Poole. 

#flyingfifteen – Hayling Island Sailing Club's Greg Wells and Richard Riggs, from the UK, successfully defended their Flying Fifteen European keelboat title in a cliffhanger finish at Port de Pollenca in Northern, Mallorca last Friday. In a dominant display, British boats took the top six places overall. A seven boat Irish team from Dublin Bay made the trip to the Balearic venue. The top Irish result came from John Lavery and David O'Brien of the National Yacht Club in seventh. Full results below.

Wells described the closing moments as 'a miracle run & beat' to recover from tenth at the first mark of the last race of the light air nine race series to cross the line in third. It was just enough on tie break to put  former world champions Steve Goacher and Phil Evans, who led throughout the final race, into second overall.

Flying 15 - 2014 European Championship, Final positions

1 GBR 4030 Greg Wells, Richard Rigg 6 1 2 3 1 1 2 1 3 20 14 pts
2 GBR 4021 Steve Goacher, Phil Evans 1 2 1 2 2 2 3 8 1 22 14 pts
3 GBR 4005 David McKee, Andy Weatherspoon 3 3 3 1 13 10 4 2 10 49 36 pts
4 GBR 3998 Alan Bax, Mark Darling 2 6 8 4 8 RAF 1 6 2 69 37 pts
5 GBR 4019 David Tabb, Chewey Sherrell 4 4 7 9 4 4 6 7 5 50 41 pts
6 GBR 3957 Charles Apthorp, Gavin Tappenaen 7 8 4 5 5 8 9 3 4 53 44 pts
7 IRL 4002 John Lavery, David o brien 16 5 5 13 3 7 8 5 8 70 54 pts
8 GBR 4016 Hamish Mackay Andrew, Lawson 12 15 11 7 7 14 7 9 7 89 74 pts
9 IRL 3864 Ian Mathews, Keith Poole 10 13 6 8 6 6 21 18 11 99 78 pts
10 GBR 4025 Chris Gorringe, Nadia Hosie 5 7 9 15 15 17 10 4 21 103 82 pts
11 GBR 4020 Graham Scroggie, Ben Scroggie 9 18 10 12 9 11 5 26 14 114 88 pts
12 ESP 3279 Juan G. Manresa, Luis Valentin Fernández 13 12 18 25 14 3 13 15 9 122 97 pts
13 GBR 3914 Adrian Tattersall, Tim Smart 8 11 OCS 11 17 15 14 12 17 137 105 pts
14 GBR 4029 Stephen Hopson, Nigel King 15 9 13 18 16 9 16 10 18 124 106 pts
15 ESP 3804 David Michael, Clough Alan Green 17 19 14 6 12 13 17 17 12 127 108 pts
16 ESP 3592 Vicent Harris, Patrick Harris 18 16 12 20 20 21 12 11 6 136 115 pts
17 ESP 3728 David James Barber, Hannah Elizabeth Barber 14 17 19 22 10 20 11 16 29 158 129 pts
18 ESP 3577 John Lawrence Walker, Stephen Babbage 22 14 20 17 24 12 22 14 19 164 140 pts
19 IRL 3938 Niall Meagher, Nicki Matthews 11 21 17 21 28 23 15 20 13 169 141 pts
20 IRL 3757 Tom Galvin, Ben Mulligan 20 10 OCS 14 11 24 23 21 28 183 151 pts
21 ESP 3724 Staphen John Hart, Steven Phillips 27 20 22 16 18 18 30 23 16 190 160 pts
22 IRL 4028 Dave Mulvin, Valerie Mulvin 28 30 27 26 26 5 28 13 15 198 168 pts
23 IRL 3897 Ken Dumpleton, John Mcneilly 21 23 16 23 19 22 24 DNF 25 205 173 pts
24 GBR 3610 David Miles, Philip Marcus Parry 30 26 25 10 25 16 26 22 24 204 174 pts
25 IRL 3893 Peter Lawson, Jo 19 22 15 27 22 DNF 18 DNF 23 210 178 pts
26 IRL 3774 Tom Murphy, Hugh Cahill 23 28 21 30 21 28 19 24 26 220 190 pts
27 ESP 3763 Scott Walker, Andrew Harvey 26 25 24 24 27 25 20 27 20 218 191 pts
28 ESP 3589 Emiliano Llinás, Rafael Jaime Matas 25 27 28 28 30 27 27 19 22 233 203 pts
29 ESP 3600 Michael Beecken, Stephen Parry 24 31 26 29 23 19 29 28 30 239 208 pts
30 IRL 3665 Ryan Ryan, John Macaree DNC 24 29 DNF 29 26 25 25 27 249 217 pts
31 ESP 3388 Francisco Palmer, Jaume Pujadas 29 29 23 19 DNF DNC DNC DNC DNC 260 228 pts

#flyingfifteen – A fleet of seven Dublin Bay Flying Fifteen keelboats on a load measuring over 50–foot long and 12–foot high are on their way to the European Championships in Mallorca, Spain. The extra long load is the result of an innovative class plan to cut travel costs on the 2300–km journey by shipping the entire fleet by car transporter. The road trip is expected to take 30–hours or more.

The National YC sailors fly out this weekend for the regatta that starts next Monday at Reial Club Nautic de Pollensa in the north of the Balearic island. An international fleet of 40 is expected to contest the biennial event.

#flyingfifteen – Strangford locals Andy McCleery and Colin Dougan won the 2014 Flying Fifteen Irish title at Portaferry Sailing club today by a single point but it was not until the final race of the six race series did the Killyleagh duo clinch the keelboat cup. Overall results are downloadable below as a jpeg file.

Dublin Bay's David Gorman and Chris Doorly made the best of Strangford's fickle north–westerlies on Saturday with some consistent sailing to be overnight leaders after four races.

Local skippers Peter Lawson and Brian McKee also proved consistent in races that featured forty degree windshifts or more and were in Sunday's shake–up for the top spot in one of Ireland's leading one design classes.

As it turned out, McCleery and Dougan took two final race wins on Sunday, enough it turned out to take the title North from Dun Laoghaire holders Ian Mathews and Keith Poole who finished 19th.

Going into Race 6, it was to be winner takes all between Dun Laoghaire pairing Dave Gorman & Chris Doorly (NYC) and local Killyleagh boys Andrew McCleery & Colin Dougan (KYC). After a long weekend of sailing in a variety of conditions tensions were high in the prestart, after a bit of cat and mouse the gun went with both boats close to the pin end but McCleery was to weather- general recal! All to do again now with a black flag up. The wind had shifted slightly to the right and Gorman had a good start at the committee boat end, this also gave him the option of taking off in the shifts, McCleery was down the line below him. McCleery came across to the right and did a few tacks up the middle but was covered by Gorman. Other boats went out to the left and to the right but it was the middle that actually paid with local Portaferry man Seamus Byers leading at the weather mark with Gorman second, Logan third and McCleery fourth. Gorman got held up at the gybe mark and eventually got over Byers to move into the lead as McCleery moved into second place on the reach, it was now the top two fighting it out at the front!

On the next beat both went to the right out of the strong tide, tack for tack Gorman covered and stayed ahead going down the run. Into the last beat, still the cover was on but it was close as Gorman was only a few boat lengths to weather but it was enough for now. Within 100 meters of the weather mark both tacked out to the apparently stronger wind, the wind pressure was very up and down on this beat, there were local gusts and patchy light areas. Suddenly there was a big knock and McCleery tacked to be above Gorman, opportunity taken! Rounding the weather mark it was McCleerys red and white spinnaker first with Gorman just a boat length behind, around the gybe mark Gorman was to weather, there was still a chance if he could get inside at the leeward mark but alas it wasn't to be, McCleery crossed the line to take the gun and the trophy in dramatic circumstances. It was their first time winning this trophy after many years getting very close and they were deserving winners. Previous winners Gorman & Doorly live to fight another day.

Further back the Lawsons were having a similar dual with McKee and it was the Lawsons who came third in race 6 and third in the regatta. David Mulvin & Ronan Beirne (NYC) also had a great event and won the Silver fleet.

Race 1 was sailed on Friday with 29 boats at the start line, a windward leeward course was a strange affair, with the winds from the NW, the tide was going in and out at the same time depending where you were! Shortly after the start the winds died, those on the right with the tide with them seemed to be cleaning up, what to do? Some cut their loses and tried to get over but to no avail and were spat out the back door, others on the left just stayed and hoped something would come. To make matters worse it was very difficult to actually see the weather mark. The breeze came along the shore after a long wait, Gorman was in a good position with the Meagher but local boys Logan and Lawson got closest to the shore and got the wind and to the weather mark first. It stayed Logan first, Lawson second, Gorman third, McCleery fourth and the Meaghers fifth.

Race 2 on Saturday also had winds from the NW. Gorman got a good start and tacked out to the strong tide, taking some good shifts he built up a good lead from McCleery and Lawson. This is how it stayed till the last beat, dark menacing clouds were looming and the sea was getting rough. Most boats were out on the right but McKee and Lavery went left towards the Killyleagh shore. Gorman arrived at the weather mark after increasing his lead over McCleery, to strong winds and heavy rain. On the reach the visibility was poor and the mark couldn't be seen, the spinnaker was up and it was a full plane down, finding the gybe mark it was a reach to the finish to take the gun. McKee was second with Lavery third and McCleery fourth. It was a long way back to the others as the localised stormed had passed through and they drifted slowly to the finish line.

Race 3 was close, Gorman and McCleery were at the weather mark but McCleery jybed just before the wing mark to get inside and lead, there was no hurry for Gorman as there were still two laps to go. At the leeward mark the winds were light and to the surprise of all the course was shortened so it finished with McCleery first, Gorman a close second, the Meaghers a fantastic third and brother and sister act Peter and Jo Lawson fourth.

Race 4 the winds had settled or so we thought. After a great start Shane McCarthy got his nose in front and stayed there, up the first beat McCleery was second but Gorman had gone left and suffered coming into the weather mark in about tenth position. Down the run not a lot change but on the next beat many boats went left, strange as it didn't pay on the first beat. Shane covered them all but Lawson and Gorman went right and after a while the wind shifted to lift them up to the mark ahead of all those on the left! Shane won, followed by McKee. Lawson, Gorman and the Meaghers.
So overnight it was Gorman leading from McCleery and Lawson on equal points with the Meaghers and McKee tied in fourth place. A great meal was put on by the club that night and tales of an interesting day on the Lough were exchanged into the early hours.

What would Sunday bring, nothing in Strangford Lough is straight forward and anything could happen. The forecast was for little or no wind and that was the case for the morning but it was to fill in from the SE later. After arriving at the race area assisted only by the tide the wind did come in and the PRO soon got Race 5 going with a windward/ leeward course. McCleery hit the left side and got into a quick lead followed by Shane McCarthy and then Gorman. The wind was steady but there were small shifts, on lap two Gorman went out left and into the tide, quickly they went back but McKee and Willis had slipped through. This was how it stayed. McCleery and Gorman were both on 10 points going into the last race.

There is always a great welcome at Portaferry Sailing Club, many thanks to the members and volenteers for making a success of the event. Also thanks to the PRO and his team on managing the event in difficult conditions and getting a full programme of races in. Congratulation to Andrew and Colin on winning.

#flyingfifteen – The Flying Fifteen Championships of Ireland take place in Portaferry Sailing Club on Strangford Lough tomorrow. Up to 30 boats are expected with boats travelling from four sailing centres across Ireland; Antrim, Carlingford, Dun Laoghaire and Dunmore East.

Reigning National champions Ian Mathews & Keith Poole of Dun Laoghaire will be one of the favourites. Local knowledge is expected to play a deciding role. Class President Roger Chamberlain from the lough is in great form and won the recent Northern Championships. Brian McKee and the David McClery and Colin Dougan combination are as consistent as ever as are Peter Lawson and Shane Carty from the local Portaferry Sailing Club.

Also from Dun Laoghaire previous winners David Gorman and Chris Doorly, National YC (NYC) and John Lavery and David O'Brien (NYC) will also be competing. 

The Northern Ireland venue featured last week in WM Nixon's Sailing blog: Strangford Lough Sailing Secrets Revealed.