Seventeen boats contested the Flying Fifteen Westerns in Connemara this past weekend with visitors from Strangford Lough (1), Dunmore East (2) and Dublin Bay (6).
Early arrivals on Friday were treated to an evening’s sail on a Galway Hooker and photographs of the occasion show that they appeared to enjoy a sunny evening on the water. Indeed, sunshine seems to have been the order of the day for the entire weekend.
On Saturday evening, there was a tie on points between Ian Mathews & Keith Poole (NYC/4093) and Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (DMYC/4028), with the former scoring 4, 2 and the latter 2 x 3rd. The locals, Niall & Ronan O’ Briain (FFC/4092) took the last spot on the podium counting a 6, 1. Visitors occupied the next three spots with Charlie Boland & Rob O’Connell (WHSC/3883) on 9pts (1,8), Andrew Baker & Peter Chamberlain (SLYC/3756) also on 9pts (2,7) and Lee Statham & Andy Paul (WHSC/4070) on 13pts, (9,4). Stalwarts of the class and one with a World Championship regatta already sailed in 2023, Chris Doorly and Alan Green were in the unaccustomed location of 8th overall counting 8,6. That left them astern of another local boat, Dermot Flatherty & Joe McDonagh (FFC/3704).
A further three races were sailed on the Sunday that gave the northerners, Baker & Chamberlain the Western title as they scored a 1,4,3 with a two point margin, after discard, on Niall & Ronan O’Briain (4,7,1) who had a single point advantage over Green & Doorly (3,2,2).
Ben Mulligan Memorial Trophy Photo by Chris Doorly
Flying Fifteen Chonnemara, the host club, commissioned a special trophy, made on the Arran Islands, in memory of Ben Mulligan and the first recipients, a youth crew from the home club, were Cian Mac Donnacha & Siofra Mac Donnacha.
