The Irish Dinghy Racing Association (IDRA) 14s celebrated their 78th season with their National Championship, taking them to Lough Erne Yacht Club just north of Enniskillen in Fermanagh to compete in the 2024 edition of the IDRA 14 National Championships from Thursday, 15th August through Saturday 17th.
While the class's own Race Officer Ian Sargent was in charge afloat of a six-race programme over three days with additional practice and crews races facilitated, the IDRA 14 Class – led by Commodore Donal Heney – give their warmest thanks to Warren Cooper, Raymond Morrison and all the volunteers at Lough Erne Yacht Club for making them so welcome, and doing everything they could to make the IDRA 14s' stay so enjoyable.
The hospitable Lough Erne Yacht Club dates from 1818
HISTORIC LOUGH ERNE YC's EXCELLENT FACILITIES
Founded in 1818, LEYC is situated in the beautiful setting of the lower lough, which widens out north of the club to be something of an inland sea. The clubhouse complex accommodates members' sailing boats, power boats and caravans, and hosts both the members' fleet and visiting sailing events throughout the year. LEYC has good facilities which include a clubroom, changing rooms, bar, galley and social activities area plus extensive dinghy park and boatshed, and the IDRA 14 Class would recommend a visit to this lovely sailing club.
Lorcan O'Sullivan and Remy Long (DMYC) with Sapphire
WEATHER CLEARS AND BRIGHTENS
Day 1: Thursday started as forecast, wet and overcast, but cleared and brightened around 1pm just in time for First Gun at 2.00pm. Westerly winds were blowing 15kn, but gusting 30kn to have the choppy waters of the lake streaked with the white foam of strong wind.
Race 1: triangular Course. Dubious (Simon Revill & Callum Maher, Howth YC) were first to the windward mark, followed by Starfish (Alan Carr & Orlaith Connolly, Sutton DC. No spinnakers were flown in what was a white knuckle ride for most boats, and there were two capsizes, with Smurfette retiring.
SHELTER OF ISLAND
Race 2: windward/leeward course. RO Ian Sargent decided to move the race area to leeward of some of the many islands. The decision paid off and made a second race possible. Four boats did not start for various reasons, with the torn mainsail on Shadowfax (Ronan O'Brien & Adam Boland, Clontarf Y&BC) being obvious. However, there was more cheerful news with Swift, 114, a youth-group boat from CY&BC sailed by Joey McGauran and Tom Farrelly, impressing with a fourth place finish to improve on their sixth in race 1.
When sunshine came it helped to highlight the speciao shapes of fresh water waves. Photo: IDRA 14 Class
Day 2: started with overcast skies but thankfully no rain and early light winds. However, by FG of 11.55 the wind had increased to 12kn gusting 24kn southwesterly. The RO returned to site of Race 2, which meant a shorter journey for competitors and more favourable conditions for racing.
FRIDAY'S RACING
Race 3: windward/leeward course. With two DNS's only nine boats took to the water for Race 3, though Shadowfax was back on the water with a borrowed main from Smurfette. Father-and-son team Pierre and Paul Long with Dart of Dun Laoghaire MYC, had an early lead, but were eventually reined in by Simon Revill with Dubious, while the junior crew in Swift managed to finish in eighth place despite capsizing..
Race 4: Windward/leeward course. After a minor delay for course adjustment, Race 4 got underway in the ongoing fresh conditions. Again, Dart took an early lead off the line and rounded the windward mark in first place. This situation continued on the spinnaker run and second beat to the windward mark, by which time the trio of Dart, Starfish and Dubious were neck and neck. The final leg of the race saw Dubious pulling ahead to win, with Dart in second, and Starfish third.
"A Clutch of Commodores" - IDRA 14 Commodore Donal Heney and CY&BC Commodore Claire Many racing the newest boat in the class, club-built No 166 Wicked Sadie. Photo: IDRA 14 Class
TOUGH GOING
The prospect of lighter conditions on the final day of the event, led the RO to defer the scheduled Crew's race. A good day's racing had been enjoyed, but it had been tough going, and so the RO deferred the scheduled Crew's Race to Saturyday with its anticipated lighter winds.
LESS WIND, MORE SUN
Day 3: Saturday opened somewhat brighter, with light wind. The revelry of the previous three nights - including a boatshed rave – may explain some competitors' slower start to this final day's racing. Nevertheless racing commenced as scheduled in the welcome lihhter conditions.
Race 5: Windward/ leeward course. The fleet bunched up in the lighter, more competitive conditions. Notable was 140 Dunmoanin (Frank Hamilton & Jennifer Byrne, DMYC), who took the right hand side of the course to reach the windward mark with a good lead. But ultimately the leader board remained the same with Dubious getting their fifth first place, followed by Dart and Starfish.
Joey McGauran and Tom Farrelly (CY&BC) were top juniors with Swift. Photo: IDRA 14 Class
Race 6: Windward/ leeward course. Somewhat a replay of the previous race with 36 applying the tactics of 140 to gain a considerable lead which they managed to hold on to the line. 161 were in second followed by 134 in third.
CREWS' RACE IS GRAND FINALE
Race 7: Crews' Race, windward/ leeward course. The rescheduled Crew's Race became a real Grand Finale. The wind picked up to make this quite a thrilling race despite having just eight boats. Dubious with Callum Maher faced great competition from Dan Kinlay in Chance, Orlaith Connolly in Starfish, Paul Long in Dart, and his mother Wendy helming IDRA 14 No 1, Jim Lambkin's beautifully-maintained "senor senior boat". It seemed all might be lost for Callum when he missed the leeward mark and slipped back four places. Undaunted, Callum sailed on to win, ahead of Chance and Dart.
You have to be as quick on your feet as on the water when you take the Gold again - 2024 Champions Callum Maher (left) and Simon Revill givng as good as they get. Photo: IDRA 14 Class
ENCOURAGING CONCLUSION
Thus the crews-as-helms provided exciting close racing to round out the championship, and it was a case of "Well done to all" from the class's officers. For although Simon Revill and Callum Maher may have come back from hospitable Lough Erne with the main trophy retained, and the crews' trophy with it, it was good that the Silver Fleet was won by the emerging talent of Clontarf juniors Joey McGauran and Tom Farrelly with Swift.
"We are the future". Junior winners Joey McGauran and Tom Farrelly (CY&BC)
Congratulations to Simon Revill helm, with Callum Maher crew, on being awarded National Champion 2024, holding on to the title for another year. Winner of the Silver Fleet was Swift 114, with Joey McGauran helm, and Tom Farrelly crew.
Results downloadable below as a pdf file.
