#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.

#flyingfifteen – An emphatic win for Dun Laoghaire duo John Lavery and David O'Brien on Strangford Lough yesterday keeps the Irish Flying fifteen title at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire for another year. The pair took five straight wins in the 23–boat fleet keeping the local challenge from Brian McKee and Steve Martin firmly at bay.

Racing over six races in a variety of conditions from 5-15 knots from Strangford Lough Yacht Club (SLYC) McKee and Martin in turn had a comfortable lead over club mates Roger Chamberlain and Charlie Horder in third with fellow Strangford pairing Andy McCleery and Colin Dougan of Killyleagh YC fourth. 

SLYC's Aiistair and Mark Fletcher were winners of the silver fleet.

In 2011 the title was won by Dun Laoghaire's David Gorman and Chris Doorly who were not defending.

The three day event included a unique presentation of Strangford Lough archive yachting footage from the 1930s-70s. Footage included early cine reel of 12 metre and J class yacht racing from a private collection. There were rare glimpses too of early Flying fifteen keelboat competition and a talk by local sailor Peter Browne, who with brother Max, built the first Fifteen in Ireland in 1952. Early black and white images documented the boat under construction and photographs of the maiden sail on the Lough showing the boats wooden spars and cotton sails and a central winch for the jib, a chance for today's fleet to see how much the now fully carbon built Flying fifteens have changed over 60 years.

Next event for the Irish Flying fifteens is at Carrickfergus on Belfast lough on September 15th. The season ends with the East Coast Championships at the National Yacht Club on October 6th.

#flyingfifteen – Strangford lough pairing Roger Chamberlain and Hammy Baker took sailed to success with two wins today to take the Flying Fifteen Southern Championship on Carlingford Lough.

Overnight leader Andy McCleery and Colin Dougan ended the regatta 4th in the 12 boat fleet after counting a seventh and eighth.

Another Strangford pairing Gerry Reilly and Tony Quail were second overall and clubmates Brian McKee and Steven Martin were third.

Full results as a jpeg for download below.

#flyingfifteen – Four points separates the top four boats at the Flying Fifteen Southern Championship after day one  on Carlingford Lough yesterday.

Killyleagh's Andy McClery took two bullets to lead after three races in 14 knots. Race three saw Gerry Reilly take a tidal advantage on the right side of the Lough to take the winning gun.

The scoreboard sees Northern Ireland boats on top in the fifteen boat fleet - 1) McClery 2) Chamberlin 3) Reilly 4) McKee.

David Mulvin in sixth keeps the flag flying for the Dun Laoghaire fleet.

#flyingfifteen –The 21st July 2012 marked a milestone for the Flying Fifteen International class and its several thousand members around the world with the launch of the 4000th boat in Australia. At the same time in Scotland at the British National championships boats 4001 and 4002 were also going afloat. 4002 was launched and sailed by John Lavery and David O'Brien from the National Yacht Club and sailed to fourth overall at the Largs event.

Also in Dublin Bay, noted Dun Laoghaire helmsman Gerry Donleavy is expected to launch hull 4008 in time for the winter frostbites. The numbers represent the numbers of hulls constructed since the design came off the drawing board of legendary designer Uffa Fox in 1947.

"The coincidence of being able to allocate boat 4000 to Australia's most prolific flying fifteen builder, 83 year old Bill Shand for what may well be his own last fifteen, was a very fitting opportunity and terrific thing for the class to be able to do," said FFI Commodore Greg Wells.

One of the very latest Fifteens, s/no 4001, sailed by Euan Dunn/ David Redpath at Largs. Photo: Alan Henderson

"To have reached this milestone, and I think be the first of the ISAF recognised international keelboat classes to do so, is something the class is extraordinarily proud to have achieved. Today is a great day in our history," he added.

Bill Shand started building Flying Fifteens' in Gipplsand, in South-East Australia in 1961, and has produced in excess 250 boats from his moulds through until 2010, owning and racing 25 of them which, other than the first one, were all called "Relience".

He has been an active player in the development and refinement of the class, with many of his boats claiming international and national championships, and regional honours over that time.

His contribution to Flying Fifteen sailing in Australia and internationally have seen him awarded life membership of the FFI Australia, and the prestigious Uffa Fox Gold Medal from FFI.

Shand picks up the story, "I had a few bits and pieces lying around my workshop a year or two ago and thought I'd build a final boat for myself. Unfortunately falling through a boat hatch and breaking some ribs slowed that idea down. Late last year I learned there was a spare spot in one of the containers coming out from the UK for the Australian 50th Nationals in Perth earlier this year. I elected to get an Ovington hull from the UK manufacturer shipped out, and drive the 7000 km round trip across the Nullabor to collect it. So this boat already has a bit of history and to be allocated the 4000 number was both unexpected and a great honour from FFI."

Over the past few months Bill has fitted a Shand keel and rudder, a Selden rig, Pinnell and Bax sails, and his usual range of fittings, systems and innovations to the boat.

On a cool winter afternoon on the 21st July 2012 on the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria, with not much breeze, long time friend and crew David Parish was on hand to help splash the ceremonial champagne, and for the launch and maiden voyage of Flying Fifteen 4000, appropriately named Relience 4K. A large group of well wishers and fellow "fifteeners" were on hand to witness the launch and celebrate the occasion with Bill.

"My 50 year journey in the Flying Fifteen Class has enabled me to meet and race against many wonderful people around the world, in a beautiful 2 man keelboat that is a delight to sail, and to have a lot of fun and enjoyment along the way" said Shand.

"Flying Fifteens are sailed on all 5 continents, in 15 countries, and over 65 years the class has formed a strong international network of country and regional associations and its world governing body, FFI. ," said Commodore Wells "The class had 110 boats at the 2011 Worlds in the UK and continues to grow at the rate of 30 to 40 new boats each year. With next year's World Championship in Hong Kong, we are keen to significantly increase our presence in South East Asia. Hopefully boat 5000 might be around for the 75th Anniversary of the class in a decade from now."

#flyingfifteen –  After a day of big winds yesterday, winds peaked briefly at six knots then disappeared, so no racing was possible today, Monday 23rd, on the final day of the Allen Flying Fifteen Nationals at Largs.

The Championship rested on the first two days of racing, in particular on the two races on Day 2, when Simon Kneller and Dave Lucas from Grafham Water SC took a win and a third place in two tricky light weather races. Very few competitors managed two good results on a difficult day.

Kneller and Lucas, improving with every race at this event, thus rose to the top of the leaderboard, to take the Allen Flying Fifteen National Championships. Kneller and Lucas were sailing in their tenth successive National Championship, and it was tenth time lucky as they landed the title for the first time.

Just two points behind, three teams were tied on six points, but the tiebreak gave Steve Goacher and Phil Evans second place, with husband and wife pairing David and Sally McKee third. Fourth in a brand new boat, launched on the first day of the Championship, were Irish visitors John Lavery and David O'Brien.

They were one of three Irish visiting boats from Dun Laoghaire, who joined Scottish, English and Welsh boats at this Championship at Largs.

Fifth were Charles Apthorp and Jonathan Clark, from Hayling Island. All five leading teams have years of experience in the class, and collectively boast many Championship titles. Racing was thus very competitive in this quality of fleet.

However those with a more relaxed attitude were also catered for, with several Silver fleet (older boats) and Classics (vintage) boats enjoying the Championship. Alex Tatlow, who sailed in the Silver fleet said, "A Silver FF is the most economic way to have a competitive boat. Silvers give excellent value for money, and need much less maintenance than many other boats. My brother and I really enjoy sailing our Fifteen at events like Cowes Week, and at Championships like this."

The Championship was well supported by sponsors, with title sponsor Allen supplying a generous range of prizes, while day sponsors Ovington, Goacher Sails, P & B and www.fotoboat.com added to the prizes. Loch Fyne supported a seafood reception and contributed prizes, while Loch Lomond Distillery provided very welcome liquid Scottish products.

This Nationals was a Qualifier event for the 2013 World Championships, and the final Worlds Qualifier event in the class will be the Scottish Championship at Loch Lomond on October 6/7, where a strong entry of over 30 boats is expected.

Results overall, Allen Flying Fifteen Nationals

Simon Kneller/ Dave Lucas, Grafham Water SC, 4pts

Steve Goacher/ Phil Evans, Royal Windermere YC, 6pts

David and Sally McKee, Dovestone SC, 6pts

John Lavery/ David O'Brien, National YC, IRL, 6pts

Charles Apthorp/ Jonathan Clark, Hayling Island SC, 8pts.

Top Scots: Hamish Mackay and Andy Lawson, Royal Highland YC in 15th overall.

Top Classic overall; Bobby Salmond/ Ingrid Magnus, Holy Loch SC in 19th overall.

Top Silver overall; Chris and Marion Bowen, Northampton SC in 24th overall.

Best boat over 7 years old; Peter and Sue Bannister, Hayling Island SC in 10th overall.

Full results on www.scottishsailinginstitute.com