While some celebrated the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, others were racing in the Royal Ulster Yacht Club’s Ailsa Craig Race and viewed the sunrise on 21st June afloat. Apparently, there was only about an hour of darkness for the fleet overnight.
Thirteen years after the 50th Anniversary of Royal Uster Yacht Club's classic Ailsa Craig race in 2012, it remains a firm fixture in the Club’s racing calendar. This year, it marks the second race in the Northern Ireland Offshore Points Series (NIOPS).
Ailsa Craig is an uninhabited island of 240 acres in the outer Firth of Clyde, about 40 miles from Bangor, and is colloquially known as Paddy’s Milestone because it is halfway between Belfast and Glasgow.
This year, ten started with results in IRC1, IRC2, YTC1, YTC2 and Whitesail divisions. The breeze at the start from the club battery on Seacliff Road was light but steady from the West.
The Royal Ulster Yacht Club’s Ailsa Craig Race start from the Club line Photo: Nigel Hamilton
The course was from the Club start line round a buoy just off Bangor Harbour, to the Craig and back and after about 12 hours of racing, only about 5 mins 30 secs separated the first three boats home. Sigmantra reported that “it only got dark as we rounded the Craig, and the darkness lasted less than an hour. An amazing very warm night. Perfect conditions. The heat off the North side of the Craig was tropical, and there were sudden, heavy broaching gusts off the cliffs, then, in the next second, no wind.
First to the rock was Michael Eames’ Blacksmith, followed by Elixir (Ryan Wilson), then eXcession and Sigmantra. The latter chose to forgo the spinnaker on the short first leg and headed east under main and genoa to make use of stronger winds beyond the Copeland Islands, which paid off while others flew code zero and asymmetric kites.
Approaching the Craig. The light is the Masthead light of eXcession Photo: Lee Johnston
Winds varied on the long leg to the Craig with some recording 8 knots and others 25. There were also big holes in the breeze, which halted some.
Blacksmith, Sigmantra and eXcession finishing the RUYC Ailsa Craig Race Photo: Wesley Crawford
First over the finishing line was Michael Eames’ Sunfast 3600 Blacksmith from the home club and Strangford Lough YC, followed by Johnny Ritchie’s Sigma 400 Sigmantra (RUYC) and then the Mulholland, O’Tiarnaigh and Harrington’s IMX 38 eXcession. The winner on handicap was eXcession. Ritchie was delighted that “This was the fastest Ailsa Craig race that I’ve done in 37 years of races completed.”
Aidan Pounder's Caesium from Royal Ulster and Ballyholme YC
First home in IRC 2 was Aidan Pounder’s Beneteau First 31.7 Caesium but the Sigma 33 Elandra (Martin and Victoria Dews) was top on handicap.
The Ailsa Craig Race is one of three in the NIOPS, in which to date, Sigmantra and Blacksmith lead on equal points in IRC 1. Leading in IRC 2 is Elandra.
The Ailsa Craig results are in the following results set below: -
