This weekend, the GP14 Leinster Championship fleet comes to Howth Yacht Club. This is the third event of the season and the first on the sea, with both the Munsters and the O'Tiarnaigh Challenge held on Lough Derg and Owel, respectively.
With the Worlds across the water in Pwhelli in August and 30 Irish boats amongst the 80+ entries, this is an important event for the Irish fleet in its build-up to Plas Heli.
Monkstown Bay Sailing Club's Chris Bateman and Adrian Lee are in Howth for the GP14 Leinster Championships
At this stage, it looks like we will have 34 boats come to the line on Saturday. Score Walls, the PRO, has said that conditions permitting, she will try to facilitate some gate starts, enabling some preparation for the Worlds.
Top GP14 Ireland pairing and current Leinster Champions Ger Owens and Mel Morris will not make the event. The pair took the title when held as part of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in 2023. While the pair will not defend their title, the fleet lacks some excellent crews. Ross Kearney & Daniel Nelson (Royal North of Ireland YC), Sean Craig & Stephen Boyle (R St George & Sutton) and Colman Grimes & Ross Gingles (Skerries), who all shone at various stages last season, will be joined by some new but no less experienced faces.
Ross Kearney (right) and Daniel Nelson (Royal North of Ireland YC) are the reigning GP14 Ulster Champions
Howth Yacht Club's Ewan McMahon jumps from his Olympics Laser to join his dad in their first GP14 event of the season. It is great to see Diane Kisaane and Graham Curran, also from Howth Yacht Club, back in the fleet, with former Junior Helmsman Champion Chris Bateman from Monkstown Bay and Royal Cork Yacht Club starting to become a regular.
David Evan and William Draper were the winners of the 2024 GP14 O'Tiarnaigh Challenge
The peninsula is well represented, with Alan Blay and Hugh McNally, Conor Twohig and Matthew Cotter, Katie Dwyer and Michelle Rowley, David Johnston and Oscar Langan, and Hugh Gill and Richard Street not having too far to travel! It was also great to see Ruan and Charlotte O'Tiarnaigh, runners-up in the Championship of Ireland last season, representing Sutton Dinghy Club this season.
Howth has also laid on facilities to welcome crews from as far as Sligo, Malahide, Cullaun, Skerries, Lough Erne, Rush, Lough Foyle, Moville, Donaghdee, Newtownards, Blessington, Mullingar, Greystones and East Antrim.
The GP14 Class continues to encourage and attract good young sailors. Its yearly coaching week in Plas Heli, under the watchful eye of Neil Marsden and Sam Watson, is certainly starting to reap its rewards, with young crews prominent at the top of big races in the last few seasons.
This season has been a whirlwind for young David Evans and William Draper from Sligo. Having just turned 17, David and William took second behind Ger and Mel at the Munsters in Killaloe in April and then took the top podium spot two weeks ago at the O’Tiarnaigh Challenge in Mullingar.
Sam Street and Josh Lloyd were first time race winners in the GP 14 fleet last season
Light weather events both, but the pair are ones to watch along with Sam Street & Josh Lloyd from Blessington, who sprang into life last season with multiple race wins.
It should make for a great few days with six races over the two days and the weather gods looking like they might play ball.
