Anyone who would hope to set up a successful class of boats in Ireland should make a study of how GP14 Ireland functions. The Association has depth as well as breadth, and they look out for each other too. All the usual talk of camaraderie in other classes becomes reality with the Geeps, as they care about their members at every level of performance.

This has become reality for the Bronze Fleet for several years now, with an informal weekend devoted to their racing – and its up-grading – on the charming lake at Cullaun in East Clare, where Cullaun SC has its friendly base. We may think of western sailing as being Atlantic seaboard or enormous inland-sea-like lakes, but Cullaun is something else, a lake of manageable size that is big enough for championships, yet safe for relative beginners.

REGATTA AND TRAINING

This past weekend (June 27th & 28th) saw the GP14 Ireland Class host a Bronze Fleet Regatta & Training event with Cullaun Sailing Club in Co. Clare. The genesis of the fixture was intriguing. With the GP 14 Worlds being held in Wales at Pwllheli in mid-August, some challenges were added to arranging the 2024 GP 14 Ireland event calendar. Yet somehow with the traditional spread of events between the north and south, keeping the way completely clear for the Pwllheli countdown, resulted in the Class finding it had no major event in July. But in its informal way, the Bronze Bash 2024 was looking for a home

They may claim it to be a semi-spontaneous self-generating event, but these days when it has its own T-shirt it's official

BRAINCHILD OF THREE CENTRES

The brainchild of sailors from three GP14 nationwide strongholds – Newtownards SC's Jennifer Bryce, Cullaun SC's Des McMahon, and Blessington Lake SC's Richard Street - the Bronze Fleet Bash was proposed for that useful July gap to help develop and support within the fleet the growing number of Youth and indeed adults coming to competitive sailing for the first time.

For 2024, it wasn't rocket science to snap up that "extra" weekend for the Bronze Bash. The informal event has had superb numbers for the last few years with, 25+ Bronze Fleet crews regularly attending even when the date has sometimes been a last-minute affair. The "organisers" felt this gap in July was an excellent opportunity to give the Bronze fleet their own opportunity to shine unhindered by rock stars, and experience the thrill of leading a fleet on the water to take the gun and win a race.

SUPERB HOSTING BY CULLAUN

The weekend attracted 18 crews from nine Clubs as far apart as East Antrim Boat Club to the northeast, and Tralee Bay Sailing Club to the southwest. The event was superbly hosted by Cullaun Sailing Club, which has become a favorite haunt of the GP14 Ireland fleet since the introduction of the Munster Championship there five years ago.

Even the simple slipway at Cullaun has its own special magic

The quality of the event was further improved by securing the services of a number of Gold Fleet sailors including Youths who have benefitted from the Association's recent Youth Coaching Programmes. They provided on-water coaching as circumstances permitted, and post-race briefing sessions, while also covering rigging and tuning, positioning and starts and tactics.

SIX RACES ON SATURDAY

With six races on Saturday, the aims of the weekend were truly realized, with the crews experiencing a different aspect to their racing while gaining confidence and a whole lot of new skills. Although supposedly informal, the word regatta was increasingly used. One experienced supporting sailor - no stranger to the top prizes himself - grandly caught the spirit of the event by saying that: "It is an opportunity for new faces to step forward out of the shadow of the elites that normally prowl the podium."

As though to emphasise the basic informality of a purposeful event, local Wayfarers were allowed to take part unofficially

Coaching was provided to ease the frustrations and answer the questions of that part of the fleet that sometimes struggles out on the water. Those coaches did a superb job. The idea was that the youth that have gained so much through the training afforded to them over the last couple of years - progressing successfully to Gold - would take the opportunity pay some of that back by helping the silver foxes, who may have missed those opportunities but were now supported.

SLIGO LEADS FROM RUSH AND TRALEE

By close on Saturday, it was Mark & Jessica from Sligo in Ghost Light who showed themselves as certainly ones to watch going forward. The Rush crew of Daniel & Aisling, the proud owners of Colman Grimes' old boat, won't be Bronze for long in second with Tralees Daithi & Arann Murphy (fresh from a great week's sailing of their Soling at Cork Week) in third.

STUNNING CONDITIONS

The Sunday was magic sailing conditions, going from zephyrs at 10.30am, when some of fleet were nursing "McArthur heads" after an entertaining night in Flan McArthur's famous folk bar in Tulla whhc doesn't open until, nightfall, to a solid 10kts in glorious sunshine from midday for the duration of another six races of champagne sailing.

BUSY, SHORT AND HIGHLY ENTERTAINING RACES

And six, busy, short, intense, highly entertaining and excellent learning races they were too. Some wins for Des & Pat from the host club Cullaun ensuring the old foxes eventually got the better of those pesky Youths, with Sundays results placing Cullaun's Des McMahon & Pat Biesty ahead of Tralee's Daithi Murphy & Max Cully, with Blessington's Denis Cully and Ollie Lloyd in 3rd.

SWANS AND DRAGONFLIES

The sense of being "away from it all" was distinctive. There were swans and an amazing amount of dragonfly - and as anyone who has visited Cullaun will be aware, the reed bed claimed its usual quota of victims while launching on Sunday.

The effortless creation of new friends featured, as is usual with any visit to Cullaun, with top-notch hospitality and the weather playing ball, going on to great night-time entertainment just up the road at McArthurs.

GP 14 Ireland's Night-time HQ West – McArthur's Bar in Tulla

A special big thank you to Jennifer of Newtownards who drove this event forward with her bubbling enthusiasm, supported by Des and Richard, and to the members of Cullaun for making the event happen. The generosity of the coaches, Adrian Lee, Sam Street, Max Cully, Josh Lloyd, their time, experience and good nature was hugely appreciated by all involved.

And of course the crews from the following clubs who made it such a success - Cullaun, Greystones, Mullingar, Tralee, Blessington, East Antrim, Newtownards, Rush and Sligo. Yet, although it was unofficially designated a Regatta even as it took place, theoretically, it was a self-generating event that just happened.

Will we do it again? If it happens, it happens. But formalising it might just take the fun out of it.

Text: Andy Johnston Photos: Cormac Murphy