Swords Sailing and Boating Club (SSBC) hosted the Irish Multihull Association (IMA) Eastern Championships 2024 last weekend (21st and 22nd September)
With wind forecasted at 12 knots, gusting up to 18 ENE each day, it promised to be an exciting showdown between class 1 and class 2 boats on the Broadmeadows Estuary. Boats travelled from Galway (GBSC) and Ballyholme (BYC) to compete with the SSBC fleet.
Saturday started with slightly more wind than forecast and with briefing over the committee and support headed onto the water led by Niall Gallagher as RO from MYC and ARO Siobhan Broaders SSBC. So, with all 15 boats on the water, the course was set, and the sequence commenced for the first race, with 7 races planned over the two days of the event.
In Race 1, SSBC Boat IRL1193 Stephen Broaders/Stephen Campion on F18 took the lead from the start and held that position to win the first race.
In Race 2, Broaders/Campion took the lead again, but when heading for the windward mark on lap 2, mast failure ended their campaign to win the title and forced IRL1193 to head for shore. The battle continued between Biddulph/Sweeney on F18, Trojanowski/Dorenbosch on F18, and Simon/Anne Ogorman on Hurricane 5.9 SX in Race 2, with Trojanowski/Dorenbosch from SSBC taking the win.
Race 3 / Race 4: The wind comes up. The gusts catch out a few boats, causing capsizes both up and downwind, and Biddulph/Sweeney is forced to retire in R3 after gear failure. The Spitfire from Galway, 167 S Lemonier/L Mathier, revelling in the conditions, though, raced to take a first in races 3 and 4, as was Flanagan/Plaass on their Dart, also from Galway, taking 2nd in races 3 and 4 on SCHRS.
So, with day 1 over, and into the club for race analyses, well-earned food and refreshments, and an early night. The competition for the title of IMA Eastern Champion 2024 was extremely tight, with very little separating the lead boats.
Day 2 and onto the water on time again to commence racing in less gusty conditions.
Race 5 started, and the battle recommenced, with Biddulph/Sweeney hoping to do enough to get back into contention for a podium position after gear failure on day 1.
Biddulph/Sweeney won in the 5th, with Trojanowski/Dorenbosch winning in races 6 and 7. We had our Champions.
Sean Lemonier and Laurikk Mathieu from GBSC on Spitfire 167, taking a well-deserved 2nd place at the Swords Sailing and Boating Club (SSBC) hosted Irish Multihull Association (IMA) Eastern Championships 2024
Simon and Anne Ogorman on Hurricane 5.9 SX 343 taking 3rd and the Donny McKay H5.9 Trophy at the at the Swords Sailing and Boating Club (SSBC) hosted Irish Multihull Association (IMA) Eastern Championships 2024
Andy Flanagan and Astrid Plaass on Dart 2919 took the Class 2 Trophy as the first dart and finished 5th overall
