The final two races of the 27th Calves Week in Schull were sailed in light, unpredictable winds writes Oonagh Buckley
Friday's traditional feeder race to Crookhaven, around the Fastnet Rock, is a highlight of the week, particularly for the crews of visiting boats. They can then say with honesty that they have been in a Fastnet Race and have the photographs to prove it. Over recent years, wind conditions have forced the fleet to be split, with only the larger boats rounding the Rock. This year however, race officer Neil Prendiville sent the full fleet of over 60 boats through the Calf Islands and around the iconic lighthouse. He reckoned however without the unpredictable winds which dropped as the boats passed the Bill of Cape Clear. Around a third of the boats retired and the course was shortened to finish at the Rock itself for Classes 3 and 4. Those that held on were rewarded with a 10 to 12 knot breeze in later afternoon for an evening finish in Crookhaven Harbour.
Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) in Class 3 was first to finish over the line, commensurate with his results all week. Kieran Twomey in Gloves Off was second and won Class 0/1 from ISOR (P. O'Donovan) and Coirín (F. Leyden). Growler (D. Dineen), one of the two of that name sailing in the fleet this year, won in Class 2, Tete a Tete (T&O Buckley) in Class 4, Fizz (C. Geoghegan) in Whitesail 1 and La Perle Noir (J&D Crowley) in Whitesail 2.
Saturday was a lay day for Calves Week, with some boats participating in Crookhaven Regatta.
Schull Regatta is the traditional Sunday finish to the week. Despite heavy winds and rain overnight, the race officer had to delay the start to the race by an hour, as the winds had dropped to one or two knots by midday. As the forecast was for the wind to pick up in mid afternoon, a short course around placed marks was set, with all classes rounding the course twice. The wind duly came up with a spinnaker finish in 10 to 12 knots over the line in Schull Harbour.
Aidan Heffernan on Indulgence took final honours in Class 0/1, ahead of Donal O'Leary on D-Tox and Brian Siggins on Arís Maria. Growler (D. Dineen) again took honours in Class 2, Outrigger (J. Nyhan) in Class 3, Chinook (A Bradley) in Class 4, Becca (D. Madden) in Whitesail 1, and Zeezwan (D. Buckley) in Whitesail 2.
A correction to the previous results is that Samba won in Whitesails 1 (including IRC) in Tuesday's Offshore Race.
The trophy for overall IRC Helmsman was Eamonn Rohan in Anchor Challenge. Overall Echo Helmsman was Diarmuid Dineen in Growler. The 'Best Local Boat' Trophy was won for the first time by Ted and Oonagh Buckley on Tête a Tête.
Results:
OverallClass 0/ Echo: D-Tox (D O'Leary)
Class 0/1 IRC: D-tox (D O'Leary)
Class 2 Echo: Growler (D Dineen)
Class 2 IRC: Allure (B Goggin)
Class 3 Echo: Chameleon (P O'Donovan)
Class 3 IRC: Anchor Challenge (E Rohan)
Class 4 Echo: Tête a Tête (T&O Buckley)
Class 4 IRC: Saoirse (R Hanley)
Whitesail 1 IRC: Samba (J Downing)
Whitesail 1: Samba (J Downing)
Whitesail 2: Wild Dreams (N Groom)
Saab Schull to Crookhaven
Class 0/1 IRC 1 Gloves Off (K. Twomey) 2. D-Tox (D. O'Leary) 3 ISOR (P. O'Donovan)
Class 0/1 Echo 1 Gloves Off (K. Twomey) 2 ISOR (P. O'Donovan)3 Coilín (F. Leyden)
Class 2 IRC 1 Sandrine (Conboy/Kelly) 2 Allure (B. Goggin) 3 Catalpa (D. Nash)
Class 2 Echo 1 Growler (D. Dineen) 2 Sandrine (Conboy/Kelly) 3. Polly (J. Pollard)
Class 3 IRC 1 Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) 2. Whyte Knight (F. Coughlan) 3 Outrigger (J. Nyhan)
Class 3 Echo 1 Anchor Challenge (E Rohan) 2 Whyte Knight (F. Coughlan) 3. Outrigger (J. Nyhan)
Class 4 Echo 1 Tete a Tete (T and O Buckley) 2. Barossa (E. Krugel)
Whitesail 1 IRC 1 Samba (J Downing) 2 VSOP (D. McCarthy) 3 Just Jasmin (P Smith)
Whitesail 1: Fizz (C Geoghegan) 2. Samba (J Downing) 3 VSOP (D McCarthy)
Whitesail 2: 1 La Perle Noire (J &D Crowley) 2 Brazen Huzie (T O'Dwyer) 3 Chinook (F O'Hara)
Schull Regatta
Class 0/1 IRC: 1 D-Tox (D O'Leary) 2 Black Velvet (L. Parnell) 3. Gloves Off (K Twomey)
Class 0/1 Echo: 1 Indulgence (A Heffernan) 2. D-Tox (D O'Leary) 3 Arís Maria (B Siggins)
Class 2 IRC: 1 Allure (B Goggin) 2 Cochise (B Appelbe) 3 Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey)
Class 2 Echo: 1 Growler (D Dineen) 2 Val Kriss (Dann/Murphy/Hennessey) 3 Allure (B Goggin)
Class 3 IRC: 1 Seconds Count (D O'Donovan) 2 Outrigger (J Nyhan) 3 Full Pelt (P Murray)
Class 3 Echo 1 Outrigger (J Nyhan) 2 Chameleon (P O'Donovan) 3 Fult Pelt (P Murray)
Class 4 IRC 1 Saoirse (R Hanley) 2 Shelly D (M Murphy)
Class 4 Echo 1 Chinook (A Bradley) 2 Barossa (E Krugel) 3 Witchcraft (S Nelson)
Whitesail 1 IRC 1 VSOP (D McCarthy) 2 Just Jasmine (P Smith) 3 Aisling (B Heffernan)
Whitesail 1 Becca (D Madden) 2 Just Jasmine (P Smith) 3 Windborne (N Palmer-Sheehan)
Whitesail 2 1 Zeezwan (D Buckley) 2 Kileena (J Molloy) 3 La Perle Noir (D & J Crowley)
