This year’s Narrows Series held jointly last week by Strangford Sailing Club, Portaferry Town and Portaferry Sailing Club turned out to be a truly memorable event, blessed with sunshine and a good breeze.
The three Regatta Series is traditionally sailed in the narrow neck of water (hence the name) between the towns of Strangford and Portaferry at the mouth of Strangford Lough in Co. Down.
Around 80 boats took part in ten classes ranging from Flying Fifteens through cruiser/racers in IRC; the stalwarts of the Lough, the Glens and Rivers, to the smaller Squibs.
There were some dicey moments. The end of the Flying Fifteen races on Wednesday and Thursday were nearly photo finishes with only inches between first and second.
Stephen Lynn's Mipaal of Portaferry SC Regatta Narrows Series Photo Andrew Steenson
On Wednesday the tussle was between the appropriately named Final Fling (Shane McCarthy and Jeremy Rodgers) and Peter Kennedy’s Team Ridgway with McCarthy winning, and on Thursday between Kennedy and Ffast antic sailed by Andrew McCleary and Colin Dougan, the latter coming first.
On Thursday in IRC, the well-matched Going to Red, Peter Holden’s J109 from Strangford Lough YC and Phil Quinn’s Projection 35 Fat Tony were neck and neck from the final mark to the finish, changing places every five minutes. A second bullet for GTR clinched the win for Holden and Fat Tony had to be content with third, with Mike Spence’s A 35 Le Bascular coming between.
In the Rivers, a retiral in Race 2 on Wednesday for Kenny and Sonia Smyth meant runner up slot to first placed Peter Burrows’ Uladh and in the Glen class Phil and Jenny Martin were winners in Glen Orchy.
Among this diverse and varied fleet was the 50-year-old 30-foot Half Tonner Rock ‘n Goose built by the late Dickie Brown and racing at Portaferry, home waters for that fondly remembered yachtsman and builder of the Ruffian range of yachts.
J/109 Jemmie Dodger racing on Strangford Lough
And racing too was a refurbished J109 with the new name Jemmie Dodger, ex the unfortunate Jelly Baby which came to grief on Weavers’ Point in Cork Harbour last year – is now back on the water owned by the O’Neill family.
