The National Yacht Club's David Gorman & Chris Doorly successfuly defended their Irish Flying Fifteen Title after three days of competition at Cushendall SC in County Antrim. Three race wins from six sailed gave the Dun Laoghaire pair a clear lead in a fleet of 21. Second were club mates Ian Mathews and Keith Poole with Strangford Lough's Hammy Baker and Charlie Horder third. Full results downloadable below.
It was a weekend full of drama and contrast, contrasting weather conditions, contrasting results and emotions for those involved at the Flying Fifteen Championships of Ireland hosted brilliantly by Cushendall Sailing & Boating Club. Going up on Friday we had no idea who was going to win, experienced sailors such as Sean Craig, Roy Darrer as well as Mathews, Gorman and McCleery were all looking to make their mark but it was David Gorman & Chris Doorly (NYC) who came out on top with what was in the end a convincing win by 12 points to retain the trophy they won last season. In the history of this championship this is the first time the holders have retained the trophy.
Considering it is the holiday season there was a good turnout of 21 boats who experienced a variety of conditions, some of which was real head wrecking stuff with shifty winds from the Glens of Antrim combined with raging tides. PRO Brian Mathews and his team did a fantastic job and the quality of courses was second to none.
No racing took place on Friday as we were becalmed for the afternoon, there was one start but it quickly turned into a fetch and the PRO correctly abandoned the race. What would saturday bring, the forecast for the weekend was for light winds and the AP went up on saturday morning. Eventually the fleet got out and we got four races in. During the racing the lead changed several times on the first beat but it was Gorman & Doorly who read the conditions best and recorded three impressive wins and a tenth to lead overnight. Craig won race 3 but was up and down in the other races. There were four boats tied in second place Mathews, Darrer, Willis and McCleery so Sunday was going to be interesting as there was no wind forecast.
Sunday we arrived at the club to a flat calm sea, rain and mist and of course the by now familiar AP. Most people had given up and were happy to go home, Gorman had a 9 point lead and would be happy not to sail. After an hour the breeze came in from the south east and out we went. In the first race the fleet split, half left and half right towards the south hills. This side paid big time, Hammy Baker & Charlie Hoarder (SLSC) led with Lee Statham (WHSC) and Tom Galvin (NYC). Gorman was out on the right also but most of the contenders were becalmed out on the left. Statham had a great win just pipping Baker and Galvin on a shortened course with Gorman snatching two places on the run to finish fourth which was enough to win the title. The PRO got one more race in, again it was correctly shortened at the second weather mark. Those on the left again really suffered, mainly because of a raging tide against them and the fleet were spread out. Mathews lead all the way round but as he approached the weather mark the tide got the better of him and Peter Lawson & Kieran Devlin (PSC) pipped him on the line with Gorman in third and Willis fourth. This was enough to give Mathews second overall, Hammy Baker was third overall. Alan Dooley & Joe Hickey (NYC) won the silver fleet and Niall & Nikki Meagher (NYC) the bronze.
Special thanks to all at the club, all the volenteers in the race office, catering and on the slip it was so appreciated. It must be one of the most hospitable clubs in the country and one of the best locations. As usual the visit to John Joe’s was also a highlight of the weekend. Congratulations to the winners and to all that made the effort to travel including a few new faces and a couple of boats from Lough Neagh.
