The GP14 O’Tiarnaigh Challenge held at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club in Cultra on the 25th and 26th April provided an excellent opportunity for the class to get used to the waters in which the World Championship will be held this coming August. A fleet of 26 boats completed in a no discard qualifier series on Saturday, which determined placement in Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets for Sunday’s final series.
Heavy-duty guard and gate launches were employed to good effect to discourage the line pushers; there are no soft landing spots here. Principal race officer Ruan O’Tiarnaigh briefed the fleet on Saturday morning on the format of the day: one round, windward-leeward course, 3-minute gate, downwind finish, and as many races as possible were the order of the day.
Lough Lift: GP14 crews power across Belfast Lough in bright Cultra conditions
A one-hour delay to proceedings allowed the local sea breeze to establish and build, the cold waters of Belfast Lough primed the pump and as the land heated, a north easterly airflow established, building steadily from 6 kts to 16, touching 17 by mid-afternoon in brilliant sunshine.
Racing was super tight on the short course with the top 6 or 7 seven boats frequently converging on the windward mark almost bow to stern, there being little discernible difference in boat speed, and with all sides of the course paying, left and middle with tide and 10-degree shifts and hard right with a shore effect and stronger breeze.
Downwind a few good surfs or delaying the gybe for the perfect angle, a tactical approach to the finish on starboard, or a quick shot across the bows of an over-eager luffer (yes, that’s you McGuinni) could prove to be the differentiator in a tightly packed fleet with photo finishes abundant.
Sam Street and Josh Lloyd from Blessington mastered Saturday's conditions, best scoring 3 firsts, closely followed by Keith and Matteo Louden with two firsts and Ger Owens and Mel Morris showing good consistency to complete the top 3. But really, Saturday was all about deciding the fleet placement for the finals on Sunday. Colman Grimes and Ross Gingles opted for the silver fleet with an experimental floating mast foot arrangement, proving once and for all that the GP does not go well with a mast in the fully forward position, it’s not a Merlin rocket, lads. Connor and Mattie were lucky to escape unscathed after deciding to test the mettle of the gate boat. Yes indeed, it is hard!
Wave Chase: Curly Morris and Meg Tyrrell race Ole Man Trouble in fresh Belfast Lough breeze
The fleet retired ashore to enjoy sunshine and hospitality on the lawn of RNIYC after seven excellent races. The burger and salad for £10 was excellent value and eagerly consumed by the hungry sailors. After some considerable review of the innovative video results recording system, introduced for the first time at this event (I think the spinnakers used to have numbers on, but that was a long time ago), fleets were duly sorted by PRO Ruan.
Sunday morning dawned slightly cloudy; any concern that the sea breeze would fail to materialise was quickly dispelled as the sun broke through. Some adjustments to the course were announced: an upwind fetch to the finish line and rolling gate starts. Bronze fleet followed by Silver and then Gold, with a one-minute gate and the pathfinder determined by finishing position in previous days' racing. By now, the race management team, under the auspices of Captain Frank Haslett, ably aided by Mike Wright on guard duty, was a well-oiled machine, and they set out to prove it. 21 gate starts later, cumulating in 30 gate starts over the weekend (surely a record), the case was well and truly closed.
On the racetrack, with fleets now evenly matched, things were tighter than ever. By now, the consensus was to favour the right-hand side of the course, leading to a preference for later starts, with some boats pushing the one-minute gate and beyond. In scenes reminiscent of the 2012 Olympic Star final, it was common for fleets to arrive together at the weather mark, fan out for the run and converge on the leeward turning mark, sailing bow to stern on the fetch to the finish. Boat-handling skills, quick thinking, and decisive action were rewarded. Small margins made a big difference, and being the pathfinder was now an eagerly anticipated bonus.
In the bronze fleet, Jennifer Bryce and Will Primrose showed amazing consistency across the seven-race series, scoring 3 race wins and all top 3 results to win by a margin from Kevin and Padi Donnelly, who enjoyed a closely fought battle with Neil and Paul Soffe. Colman Grimes and Ross Gingles won the silver fleet, having resolved the mast debate, but they didn’t have all their own way, with Chris Clayton and Rory Higgins scoring two firsts. Visitors Edward Grey and Brendan Sweeney from the Royal Windemere YC were third in their newly acquired GP, taking the opportunity to scout out the venue and opposition on their delivery trip.
In the Gold Fleet, local boys Ross Kearney and Daniel Nelson of RNIYC proved that consistency counts above all, finishing overall winners of the 2026 O’Tiarnaigh Challenge on 22 points with Sam Street and Josh Lloyd of Blessington in second place on 28 points, closely followed by Peter and Stephen Boyle from Sutton Dinghy Club, third overall on 29 points.
Gate Great: Ross Kearney and Daniel Nelson make a clean gate start under Ruan O’Tiarnaigh’s watch
Commodore Lindsey Nolan, wife of Ross and mother of Ellie, presided over the prize giving in the sunshine on the lawn. In conclusion, everyone enjoyed a fantastic weekend of sport. A huge thanks to the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club, race management, members, and the organising committee.
PRO Ruan O’Tiarnaigh back at the helm of his dad’s event infused an element of dynamism and innovation that makes this event so special. Truly, the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club has it all: friendly locals, fair winds and a fantastic location on the sunny south shore of Belfast Lough. Roll on the World Championships.
