Shane McCarthy of Greystones is the Afloat.ie Sailor of the Month (non-Olympic) for April following his stunning overall win in the GP 14 Worlds in Barbados. McCarthy was already on a roll after winning the British Opens in August last year at Brixham in Devon, a victory which in turn followed on a previous success in winning the Irish title. But his success in early April in the Worlds in Barbados – a win in which he was crewed by England’s Andy “Taxi” Davies – takes the Greystones sailor onto a new level of performance.

And it is in turn yet another feather in the cap of Greytones Sailing Club, which is rapidly moving up the index of top dinghy sailing clubs in Ireland. For McCarthy, the logistical challenge of getting a worthwhile campaign to the Caribbean was something which would have discouraged many club sailors. But thanks to the strong International GP14 Class organisation with a contingent of 22 boats and its spirit of mutual help and support, the Greystones skipper emerged in Barbados in exactly the right frame of mind and physical fitness to put in a textbook campaign for Gold to make him a very worthy Afloat.ie Sailor of the Month for April 2016.

Ireland's GP14 World Champion helmsman Shane MacCarthy, who now holds a unique triple crown of Irish, UK and World titles was welcomed home this afternoon by Irish class president Stephen Boyle.

The full story of the Greystones Sailing Club sailors magnificent win in the West Indies is here and in the Irish Times here

Greystones Sailing Club is saluting its first ever world champions tonight as Shane MacCarthy and Andy Davis lift the GP14 Worlds Trophy on the far side of the Atlantic Ocean at the conclusion of the Barbados hosted week long dinghy championships.

With two races left to sail today any one of three crews could have won the world title but provisional results hand it to the Irish duo.  A 22-boat Irish contingent were celebrating the historic win at Barbados Yacht Club, the biggest event the West Indies club has ever held.

Official results were still awaited from organisers but Irish GP14 President Stehpen Boyle has been able to confirm the result for Afloat.ie. 

The 105–boat fleet was barely back on the beach in Barbados when the news broke in Wicklow that MacCarthy and sailmaker Davis had done enough for one of the most coveted UK and World dinghy titles. The Wicklow crew outwitted a number of multi–world champions to seize the trophy, Ireland's first GP14 World Title win since 1991.

Boyle told Afloat.ie: ‘This is a fantastic result for Irish dinghy sailing and the GP14 Class in particular. The GP14 World Championship epitomises what small boat racing is about; large scale participation, racing for all ages and levels, and razor sharp competition at the top end. We are absolutely delighted that Shane and Andy have brought the world title back to Ireland’.

While the other contenders for the title won individual races MacCarthy, the current UK and Irish Champion, sailed a very consistent series and was never outside the top three for the duration of the event. Moving into the latter part of championship with four races to go over Sunday & Monday, MacCarthy & Davis were tied in second place with British pair Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe on 15 points, both two points adrift of the leaders Craig and Lewis of Great Britain on 13 points.

MacCarthy and Davis are the third Irish name on to the Worlds trophy and the first from the Republic. The Fekkes Brothers from Larne in County Antrim last won it in 1991 and Bill Whisker and Jimmy McKee from Ballyholme in County Down were winners in 1975.

The massive championship was hotly contested with the Irish pair prevailing over a star studded field which included reigning five time GP14 World Champions Dobson & Tunnicliffe, former World Champion Neil Marsden, former UK National Champion Mike Senior and multi class World and European Champion Nick Craig sailing with Toby Lewis and widely recognised as Britain’s most successful amateur sailor.

Shane and Andy, the new GP14 World Champions from County Wicklow –– Photo: GP14 class

Shane lifts the world championship trophy, the first Irish winners in a quarter of a century – Photo: Laura McFarland

Never tasted so good – well earned beers in Barbados – Photo: Laura McFarland

22 crews from Ireland travelled to compete in the event which attracted competitors from Sri Lanka, North America, Australia, Barbados and United Kingdom.

Sunday proved decisive with MacCarthy & Davis making their bid for the title scoring a 1st and 2nd for the day to catapult them into the lead four points ahead of Dobson & Tunnicliffe with Craig & Lewis slipping back to third. It was still all to play for heading into Monday with two races to sail and 4 points separating the three crews who could win the prestigious world title but MacCarthy & Davis wrapped it up in Race 9 finishing second to Craig & Lewis with Dobson & Tunnicliffe forced back into 3rd. This is a first Irish win in this prestigious event since the Fekkes brothers in 1991.

John & Donal McGuinness (Moville SC) in 12th were next best Irish, followed by Lough Erne's JP & Carolyn McCaldin in 14th with Sligo YC Keith Louden & Alan Thompson in 20th.

The GP14 is one of Ireland's most popular two person racing dinghy classes and regularly attracts fleets of 40-50+ boats. 

Top 10
1st Shane McCarthy Andy Davies
2nd Ian Dobson Andy Tunnicliffe
3rd Nick Craig Tobytastic Lewis
4th Matt Burge Paul Childs
5th Mike Senior Chris White
6th Sam Watson Andy Thompson
7th Graham Flynn Adam Froggatt
8th Neil Marsden Derek Hill
9th Richard Instone Jim Toothill
10th Dave Young Nicola Booth

Team Ireland also took home two other special trophies. Brenda Niblock took the ladies helm prize. John & Donal McGuinness took the family prize.

Full results are here

Wicklow sailors Shane McCarthy and Andrew Davis lead the GP14 Worlds in Barbados with two races to go but still any one of three can win the world title later today.

Lighter winds prevailed for Race seven and eight but unfortunately that meant a lot more holes and huge shifts in the air.

Race 7 got under way on time but big shifts caused a bad bend and the gate was restarted. All clean away with Shane & Taxi battling for the lead which they eventually took giving us another new race winner!

Second place was Graham Flynn & Adam Froggatt of Chase with a superb 3rd thrown in by Andrew Clewer & Mark Taylor of Poole YC. Dobson took 9th with Nick Craig seeing his not so best result of 11th.

Race 8 was started under very shifty conditions. So much so that the pathfinder Paul Owen & Sam Pickering of South Staffs were sent on the most massive header that the lined up fleet had to all go in reverse dramatically downwind to try to get behind the guard boat. Loads of boats were left floundering above the gate which then caused serious problems for those who had just about made it. The later gate starters (2mins+ gate left open for 3mins 30secs) were sunk. All sailed on up to the windward mark with many sailors flying red protest flags to protest the committee. A few rounded the windward mark and popped up their spinnakers when eventually (20mins later) the committee boat came up through the fleet and signalled for a restart!! Bit late considering the fleet had sailed the first full beat!

All took a bit of a while to get reassembled back down to the start line and we eventually got going again. Matt Burges & Paul Childs took the second win of the event followed by Shane & Andy, with Iain Dobson and Andy Tunicliffe in 3rd.

Top Ten after 7 races

1st Shane McCarthy Andy Davies 3 3 (9) 3 2 4 1 (25) 16
2nd Nick Craig Tobytastic Lewis5 2 3 2 6 1 (11) (30) 19
3rd Ian Dobson Andy Tunnicliffe2 1 6 (106 DNF) 1 5 9 (130) 24
4th Mike Senior Chris White 7 4 5 1 4 3 (12) (36) 24
5th Matt Burge Paul Childs 1 5 8 11 7 2 (29) (63) 34
6th Sam Watson Andy Thompson 4 15 (25) 4 3 15 4 (70) 45
7th Richard Instone Jim Toothill 12 18 1 (42) 8 7 5 (93) 51
8th Graham Flynn Adam Froggatt 13 (30) 14 20 9 6 2 (94) 64
9th Neil Marsden Derek Hill 17 13 2 (33) 5 10 23 (103) 70
10th Gary Deighan Dale Knowles (28) 12 7 9 16 18 8 (98) 70

After 8 races, results are here

Ireland's Shane McCarthy and Andy Davis are placed third two points adrift of leaders Nick Craig and Toby Lewis of Great Britain after six races of a scheduled eleven in the 105 boat GP14 World Championships in Barbados.

In a hotly contested championship McCarthy, the reigning UK and Irish Champion, has sailed a very consistent series scoring 3,3,(9),3,2,4 to tie on 15 points with second placed and current World Champions Iain Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe of Burwain Sailing Club.

30–knot winds with big swells Thursday saw some casualties amongst the leaders with Dobson and Tunnicliffe forced to retire with a broken rudder and former Fireball World Champion Matt Burge dropping from 1st to 11th in Race 4 after his rudder parted company from the boat. Race 5 was abandoned as conditions worsened.

Friday’s two races saw McCarthy & Davis scoring a solid six for the day matching Dobson & Tunniclffe as best performers on the water and leaving them within striking distance of Craig & Lewis as the championship moves into its final two days of racing on Sunday after todays scheduled lay day.

With four races left to sail and a second discard to be applied McCarthy and Davis will need to maintain their consistency and most probably post a race win if they are going to close the gap on Craig & Lewis. Dobson & Tunnicliffe, the only crew to win two races, are still very much in contention but the DNF in Race 4 leaves little margin of error for the current champions. It looks like this one may go down to wire on Monday but today will tell a tale with the top four crews in the frame at this point.

Leaders after six races:
1. Nick Craig & Toby Lewis (GBR) 13 pts
2. Iain Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe (GBR) 15 pts
3. Shane McCarty & Andy Daviss (IRL) 15 pts
4. Mike Senior & Chris White (GBR) 17 pts
13. Keith Louden & Alan Thomson (Sligo Yacht Club)
15. John & Donal McGuiness (Moville Boat Club)

Race 1 – 6 Results here.

Bloomin' windy in the West Indies – gusting up to 30–knots during the race writes Irish crew Laura McFarland about race four of the GP14 World Championships in Barbados yesterday. 

Only one race was sailed due to the very strong winds and the fleet battered its way up the first beat then the choice was on for mad enough to fly a kite or not. Mad enough was Paddy O'Connor & Brendan Brogan who moved from 30th to 5th after the 2 reaches. Only to regret it on the way down the run when they just flew too close to the wind and had their kite burnt with a gust that put them in the drink.

Other technical failures unfortunately were with Dobson & Tunicliffe. A busted rudder early in the first race meant they had to abandon their race, dash to shore, get a replacement rudder and get out for the second race which did not happen.

Leading Irish hope for the world title, Shane McCarthy and Andy Davis on the other hand had a grand old day with another third. Sam Watson & Andy Thompson bunged in a happy 4th - get it folks??!! JP & Carolyn McCaldin worked their butts off and got a 5th - Carolyn has the bruises to prove it! Keith Louden & Alan Thompson as pathfinder held their way and finished a great 6th.

1 GBR 14187 MIKE SENIOR CHRIS WHITE
2 GBR 14023 NICK CRAIG TOBY TASTIC LEWIS
3 1RL 14158 SHANE McCARTHY ANDY DAVIS
4 GBR 14194 SAM WATSON ANDY THOMPSON
5 IRL 14047 JP McCALDIN CAROLYN McCALDIN
6 IRL 14055 KEITH LOUDEN ALAN THOMPSON
7 GBR 14182 STEVE BENNETT JACK BENNET
8 GBR 14181 ANDY HATELEY BEN PICKERING
9 GBR 14091 GARY DEIGHAN DALE KNOWLES
10 GBR 14090 NEAL GIBSON GEOFF PHILLIPS

No overall results so far

Ireland stays in contention at the GP14 worlds in Bardbados this week but the lack of official results from the Barbado Yacht Club is possibly best explained by today's layday after last night's Rum party. The overall position after race three is unlcear but Irish updates as follows:

Race 2 

British Open Champion Shane McCarthy from Greystones Sailing Club has added a third to yesterday's third with Wicklow clubmate Norman Lee finishing sixth to add to his tenth on Monday. Current World Champion Ian Dobson won the morning race to add to his second in race one and topped the leaderboard. Following a 16th in Monday's first race, Sutton Dinghy Club's Alan Blay finished 28th in the first of yesterday's two races. 

Race 3
Top Irish in race three was John & Donal McGuinness from Moville in County Donegal. Shane McCarthy finished ninth with Keith Louden in tenth. JP McCaldin was 15th and Alan Blay 19th with Norman Lee 30th. Ian Dobson finished sixth with the race won by Richard Instone, a former Irish and British Champion, ahead of former GP14 World Champion Neil Marsden with Nick Craig in third.

A short update from Laura McFarland (GP14Ireland Class Secretary) and crewing for Curly Morris.

Day 2 - Races 2 & 3
Very similar racing conditions - swelling sea, big gusts with oscillating winds. First gate start of race 2 had to be abandoned as the guard boat got 'stuck'. Pathfinder Norman Lee had to keep going through the fleet with no guard boat - he survived with no damage. Didn't take too long to get going again. Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe took their first race of the championship. Shane Mac Carthy & Andy Davies took another 3rd. Norman Lee & Kevin Martyn took an excellent 6th.
Race 3 was again a bouncing start with Barbadians Jason Tindale & Robert Povey as pathfinder. The gate was stopped at bang on 3 minutes and closed at 4 leaving a few put out of the race and having to sail home early. Richard Instone & Jim Toothill had a terrible start having to go behind boats to get a gap into the gate. It forced them away from the fleet but happily onto a very sweet lift that put them in first position into the windward mark which he held to the finish. John & Donal McGuiness took a 4th which they are over the moon about as Donal's back was full of pain killers the day before. Shane & Andy took a 9th position leaving them 4th overall.

UPDATE AFTER RACE THREE OVERALL

:

Greystones Sailing Club's Shane MaCarthy and Andy Davis took a well earned third in the opening race of the GP14 World Championships in Barbados yesterday. Full (provisional) results for race one are downloadable below. The Wicklow sailor stays very much in contention for Ireland's first World Championship win since 1991 but ominously multi–world title holders Matt Burge and Paul Childs and Ian Dobson Any Tunniclifffe, both of Great Britain were first and second respectively. 

Next best of the 23–boat Irish contingent was Norman Lee and Kevin Martyn in tenth place. Alan Blay of Sutton Dinghy Club are next Irish from a fleet of 103 in 16th place.

Two further races are scheduled today with a lay day on Wednesday.

23 Irish GP14s have made the journey to Barbados Yacht Club and the fleet stands at 104 boats from Ireland, UK, Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka and Barbados for the first race on Monday. Greystones'Sailing Club's Shane McCarthy is in the running but five times champion Ian Dobson and former World Champion Neil Marsden are also racing. Irish GP!4 President Stephen Boyle updates on the Irish camp.

Barbados Yacht Club, Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown will host the largest sailing championship held on the Caribbean Island to date when racing in the GP14 World Championship commences on Monday 28th March. 104 boats from around the world with entries from Barbados, Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Sri Lanka and Australia will compete over an eleven race series for the coveted title in this popular 14 foot international one design class.
President of the Barbados Sailing Association and event organizer, Gus Reader said:
“The fact that 104 of them will be taking part in the 2016 World Champion-ships speaks volumes about the enduring quality of this one-design class. With 104 entries, the GP14 World Championships is the largest sailing event we have held in Barbados, and this means 208 competitors, 186 support personnel and officials, which brings it to a total of over 400 visitors to Barbados for this event.”
The 23 crews who travelled from Ireland can expect superb sailing conditions with winds of 25 to 30 Kph and temperatures in the high 20’s forecast for the duration of the Championship.
The event has proved popular with the Irish fleet and with strong entries from the northern clubs including Donaghdee, Newtonards, Lough Foyle and East Antrim and Lough Erne Yacht Club.
Competition is expected to be as hot as the weather, as five times and reigning World Champions Iain Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe look to add a sixth title their record. The strong field also includes former World Champion Neil Marsden (2003) sailing with long time crew Derek Hill, Fireball World Champion and Endeavour Trophy (2014) winner Matt Budge and Graham Flynn and Adam Frogatt runners up in the 2015 UK Nationals.
Greystones sailor Shane McCarthy who holds the current UK and Irish Championship titles is expected to lead the charge of the Irish entries which includes John and Donal McGuiness of Moville Boat Club, Keith Louden and Alan Thompson, Curly Morris and Laura McFarland of Newtonards and Sutton Dinghy Clubs Alan Blay.

Shane MacCarthy leads Irish hopes

Larne native and Laura’s brother Andy Thompson, former World (2000) and reigning UK National crew and paired with Sam Watson second placed helm in the 2014 Worlds will also be expect to be in the mix come Monday 4th April.
Conditions are expected to suit Greystones Shane McCarthy who is on form having lifted both the UK Championship and Irish titles in 2015 – it was more than 50 years since the British title has been held by an Irish sailor. The next 10 days will determine if he can bring the World title back to Ireland for the first time since Mark and Paul Fekkes of Larne won in 1991. The task is not beyond him.

Best wishes to the entire Irish contingent - enjoy the sailing and the weather!

Stephen Boyle,
President, GP14 Association of Ireland.

22 Irish GP14s took the first step on the journey to the Caribbean when they arrived on a drizzly wet Saturday morning at SureFreight's Yard off the Crumlin Road, Belfast. Barbados Yacht Club welcomes the international fleet of 72 GP14s for racing next month with high hopes for Greystones Sailing Club's Shane MacCarthy who won the British title last year, earning him a sailor of the month award in the process.

The full entry list for the worlds (updated to Feb 4) is downloadable below.