The final race of GAS Calves Week 2016, the Fastnet Race, took place on Friday 5th August in sunshine and light westerly winds of 9-13 knots. The Principal Race Officer, Neil Prendiville, moved the race around the Rock from its usual Thursday slot to avoid sending the 73 crews entered in the Regatta through a heavy Atlantic swell pushed up by the gale that passed through earlier in the week.
The mild conditions allowed Neil to send the Class 0/1 fleet on a 25 mile long route to a windward mark by Long Island, and then east through the Gascanane Sound around Clear Island and on a windward leg up to the Rock. The lead boats finished in just under 4 hours to round off a successful week of sailing. The other fleets were sent on a more direct route, to the windward mark and out to the Rock, with the Class 2 and 3, and larger Whitesail boats, set an extra challenge to round Goat Island to the north east before heading back to the harbour.
In class 1 Paul O Higgins’ new flying machine ,the JPK 10.80 with Mark Mansfield on the helm, had done enough in the Tuesday and Thursday racing to hold off all challengers to win both Class 1 IRC and Echo overall, ahead of Royal Cork’s True Penance (Darrer/Garvey) in IRC and Chris Moore’s J109 Powder Monkey from the National Yacht Club.
In class 2 the Desmond/Ivers /Deasey, Bad Company secured a first place in the Fastnet Race to hold off the challenge in IRC of Ernie Dillon’s Rioja while in Echo Andrew Algeo from the home sailing club had done enough to win the class overall despite Corby 25 Smile, Rob Allen from Galway Bay securing a first in the Fastnet Race.
In class 3 IRC the J 24 YaGottaWanna’s second in the Fastnet Race was enough to secure an overall win of the series to stay marginally ahead of David Buckley’s Boojum from Tralee Sailing Club. Boojum was also unlucky to miss out on the ECHO win to local boat Quinsea sailed by brothers Barry and Denis Quinlan whose first place in the Fastnet Race was enough to secure the series win and the coveted Best Local Boat award.
In Class 4 the Kirby/Norris crewed Raffles edged out Kinsale’s Saoirse, helmed by Richard Hanley for the series in both IRC and Echo despite Saoirse’s win of the Fastnet Race in both classes.
In the white sail 1 IRC class Brian Heffernan’s Aisling won the class ahead of Act Two from the Royal Irish, and ahead of his relation Aidan Heffernan’s Indulgence in Echo.
In class 2 WS KYC member John O Regan in Main 4 managed to hold off the challenge by fellow club member Stephen Lysaght on Reavra for the series win.
