#RS – A record breaking turnout of 72 RS dinghies descended on Belfast Lough for the three day Irish Nationals and Euro-Cup making it one of the biggest dinghy sailing events to be held in the country this year. The fleet was made up of 44 RS400's, 19 RS200's and 9 RS Feva's.
The top quality race management on the water was matched by a fantastic reception ashore by all involved at the Royal North of Ireland YC.
In the RS400 class a strong contingent made the journey from Scotland with several of the top boats from the English circuit making the trip too. Also joining the class were several Irish Olympic campaigners and former national champions including James Espey (Laser London 2012), Fraser Brown (49er Athens 2004) and Gareth Flannigan to name but a few.
With such a quality fleet and tactically testing conditions the slightest boat handling error or missing of a wind shift would cost over ten places instantly and clawing back up through the traffic was easier said than done.
Despite local sailors Bob Espey and his crew Mike Gunning putting up a strong fight for the first half of the event it was Roger Carter and Ian Robertson from Scotland who managed to master the predominantly light and shifty breezes. In second place and only one point off top spot was former Enterprise World Champion Stewart Robertson with his wife Sarah crewing. In third Place were Howard Farbrother and Dan Martin of Queen Mary SC.
The top three Irish 400's were Bob Espey and Mike Gunning in 4th, Michael Ferguson and Jeremy Tomalin in 5th and Emmet and James Ryan in 8th place.
The turnout for the RS200s, showed continuing steady growth in this class. The fleet included three UK entries. The eventual winner counting four firsts was John McKelvie and Sarah Watson from Strangford Lough YC followed by Julian Bradley from the UK. In the light and fickle winds there was much place changing during all the races and after a slightly shaky start to the event Roy Van Maanen and Glen Reid improved their performances to take third overall and second Irish 200. Third Irish went to Frank O'Rourke sailing with his son Kevin also from Greystones SC who finished their series with an impressive win.
RS 200 start. Photo: Thomas Anderson
A new feature in this year's fleet was the high number of Youth sailors. First under 19 200 went to Stephen Craig and Conor Foley from the Royal St George YC. The lads counted a very creditable four 2nds in their overall tally. Greystones mother and daughter team, Sarah and Ciara Byrne took the first ladies RS200 title.
In the Feva class there were 9 entries including the very talented Laura Gilmore who took the Topper National trophy last year and the experienced Optimist and Laser 4.7 sailor, Holly Campbell. Both sailed McCready Sailboat Fevas. RSGYC duo Jack and Henry Higgins sailed a fine series to eventually win the Jack Craig memorial trophy. They managed to just edge out Laura Gilmore and crew Molly Fekkes who fell afoul of an OCS in the last race. Emer Rafferty and Laura Coleman also from the RSGYC took first U15. All these boats took line honours in a number of races showing how close the Feva racing was. The U14 was won by Triona Hinkson and Kate Kelly and U13 by Rachel Eggers and Helen O Beirne.
A notable bonus of the three RS fleets running a combined event meant it was possible for whole families to be out racing together and in certain cases against each other, the definition of domestic bliss!
One stroke of event management genius was to have Windguru forecast 1 knot with gusts up to 3 knots for Sunday. Most crews took this as a green light to pull the trigger socially on Saturday evening with the expectation of no sailing the for the final day, only to awake to a pleasant 8 to 10 knots and three cracking races.
RS200 RS400 & RS Feva Irish National Championships
Feva Class
Sailed: 10, Discards: 2, To count: 8, Entries: 9, Scoring system: Appendix A
Rank SailNo Club HelmName CrewName R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Nett
1st 2512 RStGYC Jack Higgins Henry Higgins (5.0) 2.0 4.0 2.0 1.0 (6.0) 2.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 15.0
2nd 5239 SLYC / EABC Laura Gilmore Molly Fekkes 3.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 (4.0) 4.0 (10.0 OCS) 17.0
3rd 5231 RNIYC / DSC Holly Campbell Lucy Burrows (4.0) (5.0) 1.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 19.0
4th 3115 RStGYC Emer Rafferty Laura Coleman 1.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 (5.0) 4.0 (6.0) 3.0 3.0 4.0 22.0
5th 1776 RStGYC Triona Hinkson Katherine Kelly (8.0) 4.0 5.0 (7.0) 4.0 2.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 34.0
6th 1595 RStGYC Rachel Eggers Helen O'Beirne 2.0 7.0 (10.0 DNF) 5.0 7.0 (8.0) 5.0 6.0 7.0 3.0 42.0
7th 3661 RStGYC Eoghan Cassidy Greg Arrowsmith 7.0 6.0 7.0 (10.0 DNS) 6.0 5.0 (8.0) 7.0 6.0 6.0 50.0
8th 1654 RStGYC Conor Little Roisin Foley 6.0 (10.0 DNF) 6.0 6.0 8.0 7.0 7.0 8.0 8.0 (10.0 DNC) 56.0
9th 5240 CYC Oonagh Jordan Kurtis Frazer 9.0 (10.0 DNF) (10.0 DNC) 10.0 DNC 10.0 DNC 10.0 DNC 10.0 DNC 9.0 9.0 7.0 74.0
RS200 Class
Sailed: 10, Discards: 2, To count: 8, Entries: 19, Scoring system: Appendix A
Rank SailNo Club HelmName CrewName R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Nett
1st 860 SLYC / WSC John McKelvie Sarah Watson 1.0 (3.0) 2.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 3.0 1.0 3.0 (20.0 DNC) 14.0
2nd 1263 WSC Julian Bradley Alice Hudson (10.0) 1.0 1.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 4.0 (6.0) 1.0 5.0 22.0
3rd 1534 GSC Ray Van Maanen Glen Reid 5.0 (7.0) 3.0 5.0 1.0 (6.0) 1.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 22.0
4th 1315 GSC Frank O'Rourke Kevin O'Rourke 3.0 5.0 4.0 2.0 5.0 5.0 7.0 (8.0) (8.0) 1.0 32.0
5th 771 RStGYC Stephen Craig Conor Foley 2.0 2.0 (9.0) 6.0 6.0 (13.0) 2.0 2.0 6.0 8.0 34.0
6th 1479 GSC / RStGYC Graeme Noonan Heather Louise King 6.0 8.0 5.0 3.0 (9.0) 3.0 8.0 (10.0) 7.0 6.0 46.0
7th 1352 NYC Clive Coffey Helen Cassidy 4.0 9.0 (20.0 DNF) 7.0 3.0 8.0 (12.0) 9.0 9.0 3.0 52.0
8th 624 SDC / HYC David Johnston Louise Flynn-Byrne (11.0) (14.0) 11.0 10.0 8.0 4.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 52.0
9th 706 NYC / RStGYC Conor Totterdell Myles Kelly (16.0) 13.0 10.0 11.0 10.0 11.0 (14.0) 4.0 4.0 7.0 70.0
10th 727 EDYC Trevor Fisher Emily Watt 7.0 (12.0) 8.0 12.0 (13.0) 9.0 9.0 7.0 10.0 9.0 71.0
11th 1131 WSC Roger Wilson Renata Sapazinskaite (13.0) 11.0 7.0 9.0 7.0 10.0 6.0 (12.0) 11.0 11.0 72.0
12th 1478 GSC Sarah Byrne Ciara Byrne 8.0 6.0 (20.0 DSQ) 8.0 12.0 7.0 11.0 11.0 14.0 (16.0) 77.0
13th 778 BYC Rob Milligan Sharon Doherty 9.0 4.0 6.0 14.0 11.0 14.0 10.0 (15.0) (16.0) 10.0 78.0
14th 898 GSC Aaron Jones Conor Clery 14.0 (15.0) 12.0 (15.0) 14.0 15.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 13.0 110.0
15th 1156 RStGYC Clodagh Hinkson Adrian Hinkson (18.0) 16.0 (20.0 DNF) 13.0 17.0 12.0 17.0 13.0 12.0 14.0 114.0
16th 1480 RStGYC Rosanna Cassidy Maeve Cassidy 15.0 10.0 (20.0 DNF) (16.0) 15.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 13.0 15.0 116.0
17th 495 SLYC / BYC Emily Smyth Sandra Halliwell 12.0 (18.0) 13.0 (17.0) 16.0 17.0 15.0 17.0 17.0 12.0 119.0
18th 548 GSC Celine McGuire Joanne McInerney 19.0 19.0 14.0 18.0 (20.0 RAF) 19.0 18.0 (20.0 DNC) 20.0 DNC 20.0 DNC 147.0
19th 417 GSC Gabrielle Igoe Nicky Smith 17.0 17.0 (20.0 DNF) 19.0 18.0 18.0 19.0 (20.0 DNC) 20.0 DNC 20.0 DNC 148.0
RS400 Class
Sailed: 10, Discards: 2, To count: 8, Entries: 44, Scoring system: Appendix A
Rank SailNo Club HelmName CrewName R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 R10 Nett
1st 965 WBC Roger Carter Ian Robertson 1.0 3.0 4.0 (9.0) (7.0) 1.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 7.0 20.0
2nd 1319 RFYC Stewart Robertson Sarah Robertson 3.0 4.0 (13.0) 3.0 (6.0) 5.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 21.0
3rd 1251 QM / DSC Howard Farbrother Dan Martin (14.0) 1.0 (8.0) 4.0 2.0 8.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 32.0
4th 1001 BYC Robert Espey Michael Gunning (13.0) 2.0 1.0 2.0 4.0 7.0 8.0 (11.0) 11.0 5.0 40.0
5th 1138 BYC/RUYC Mike Ferguson Jeremy Tomalin 7.0 10.0 7.0 1.0 5.0 4.0 (11.0) (14.0) 6.0 4.0 44.0
6th 1161 SDSC / RFYC Ben Robertson Emily Robertson 6.0 (13.0) 12.0 (14.0) 8.0 2.0 6.0 9.0 3.0 2.0 48.0
7th 1117 ELYC James Sinclair Ben Wilcox 2.0 8.0 (10.0) 8.0 3.0 9.0 3.0 7.0 10.0 (13.0) 50.0
8th 1140 RStGYC Emmet Ryan James Ryan (22.0) 9.0 9.0 (18.0) 9.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 9.0 11.0 57.0
9th 1395 L&LSC Paul Allen Michael Allen 9.0 11.0 2.0 10.0 1.0 (22.0) 7.0 (45.0 OCS) 13.0 6.0 59.0
10th 1196 SDSC Peter Snowdon LenMetcalfe 16.0 5.0 3.0 6.0 (19.0) 6.0 16.0 6.0 (17.0) 17.0 75.0
11th 1313 LSC / BCYC Pete Vincent Darren McNamara 4.0 (19.0) 16.0 17.0 11.0 (45.0 OCS) 13.0 12.0 5.0 8.0 86.0
12th 1414 HISC James Gardner Anne Gardner 5.0 6.0 (45.0 DNF) 13.0 (30.0) 17.0 10.0 10.0 16.0 15.0 92.0
13th 1351 AYC Ian Robson Sandy Johnson 11.0 12.0 (17.0) 11.0 13.0 13.0 9.0 (16.0) 8.0 16.0 93.0
14th 840 BYC / RUYC James Espey Chris Penny (20.0) 14.0 11.0 5.0 10.0 10.0 14.0 (45.0 DNF) 19.0 12.0 95.0
15th 1200 DBSC Keith Bedborough Martin McCrew 15.0 (23.0) 15.0 16.0 12.0 14.0 (19.0) 8.0 12.0 9.0 101.0
16th 1405 RNIYC Liam Donnelly Chris Law (28.0) 7.0 5.0 12.0 14.0 12.0 (45.0 OCS) 15.0 21.0 20.0 106.0
17th 1018 ELYC / RFYC Richard Bolton Hannah Robertson 18.0 17.0 6.0 (24.0) 20.0 11.0 18.0 17.0 (23.0) 14.0 121.0
18th 1259 BYC Gareth Flannigan David Fletcher 19.0 27.0 (45.0 DNF) 25.0 (36.0) 18.0 12.0 4.0 7.0 10.0 122.0
19th 440 A&SYC Robert Yeamans Nadia McMinn 8.0 16.0 14.0 (31.0) 23.0 28.0 20.0 13.0 (35.0) 29.0 151.0
20th 1406 RNIYC Dave Cheyne Steve Kane 34.0 22.0 (45.0 DNF) 7.0 17.0 16.0 15.0 34.0 (45.0 OCS) 19.0 164.0
21st 1017 GSC Sean Cleary Steven Tyner (33.0) 21.0 (45.0 DNF) 15.0 25.0 23.0 30.0 18.0 15.0 22.0 169.0
22nd 1292 BYC Christopher Eames Niall Eames 29.0 25.0 (45.0 DNF) 27.0 18.0 20.0 (45.0 OCS) 22.0 14.0 24.0 179.0
23rd 1176 GSC Andy Verso Lisa Smith 23.0 26.0 (45.0 DNF) 30.0 16.0 29.0 17.0 19.0 (31.0) 21.0 181.0
24th 877 DBSC Phil Britton Joe Ellingham 37.0 18.0 (45.0 DNF) 21.0 (39.0) 24.0 26.0 20.0 26.0 26.0 198.0
25th 728 RNIYC / CSC Rob Hastings Neil Calvin 27.0 15.0 (45.0 DNF) 20.0 24.0 (39.0) 25.0 24.0 28.0 36.0 199.0
26th 1352 RNIYC Simon Hutchinson Stuart Annesley 21.0 (38.0) (45.0 DNF) 19.0 21.0 15.0 23.5 35.0 36.0 33.0 203.5
27th 475 A&SYC Chris Dowie Naomi Moran 17.0 24.0 (45.0 DNF) 26.0 32.0 34.0 (36.0) 29.0 25.0 18.0 205.0
28th 0001 RYA David Harcourt Jillian Harcourt (39.0) 31.0 (45.0 DNF) 22.0 27.0 25.0 28.0 30.0 20.0 32.0 215.0
29th 589 CSC Trevor D'Arcy Alan McClarnon 26.0 (37.0) (45.0 DNF) 29.0 33.0 31.0 31.0 23.0 18.0 25.0 216.0
30th 1197 RCYC Aidan McSweeny Ian Heffernan 12.0 35.0 (45.0 DNF) (43.0) 29.0 38.0 27.0 27.0 27.0 27.0 222.0
31st 1276 GSC Fiachra Etchingham Sarah Hoolahan 31.0 36.0 (45.0 DNF) (40.0) 22.0 21.0 29.0 32.0 29.0 28.0 228.0
32nd 1178 CYC Brian Holmes Jonny Campbell 10.0 32.0 (45.0 DNF) 41.0 34.0 40.0 22.0 26.0 24.0 (45.0 DNF) 229.0
33rd 1136 GHYC / RStG Arthur Mehigan Jay Stacy (38.0) 20.0 (45.0 DNF) 36.0 28.0 27.0 21.0 31.0 32.0 35.0 230.0
34th 802 RNIYC Gordon Patterson Ross Nolan (45.0 DNC) (45.0 DNC) 45.0 DNC 42.0 26.0 36.0 23.5 33.0 22.0 23.0 250.5
35th 1307 GSC Robert Gilligan Eoin Corcoran 25.0 29.0 (45.0 DNF) 37.0 15.0 19.0 (45.0 OCS) 45.0 DNC 45.0 DNC 45.0 DNC 260.0
36th 1025 RNIYC Mark Diamond Neil Mathews 42.0 30.0 (45.0 DNF) 23.0 31.0 35.0 38.0 (45.0 DNC) 34.0 30.0 263.0
37th 586 RStGYC Richard Tate Jim Foley 32.0 40.0 (45.0 DNF) 39.0 35.0 (45.0 OCS) 33.0 21.0 33.0 31.0 264.0
38th 512 SLYC Charlie Horder Wendy McCaughan (40.0) 33.0 (45.0 DNF) 33.0 38.0 26.0 34.0 25.0 39.0 37.0 265.0
39th 441 CSC Simon Grey Super Woman 24.0 34.0 (45.0 DNF) 28.0 (42.0) 33.0 37.0 38.0 38.0 40.0 272.0
40th 1308 GSC Gerry Cannon Avril Cannon 36.0 (39.0) (45.0 DNF) 35.0 37.0 30.0 32.0 36.0 37.0 34.0 277.0
41st 601 PSC / MSC Fraser Brown John Malone 41.0 42.0 (45.0 DNF) 34.0 (45.0 DNF) 32.0 45.0 OCS 28.0 30.0 39.0 291.0
42nd 1195 A&SYC Oliver Webster Palo Bellezze 30.0 28.0 (45.0 DNF) 38.0 41.0 41.0 (45.0 DNF) 45.0 DNC 45.0 DNC 45.0 DNC 313.0
43rd 1188 RNIYC Neill Strain John Ferguson 35.0 41.0 (45.0 DNF) 32.0 40.0 37.0 (45.0 DNC) 45.0 DNC 45.0 DNC 45.0 DNC 320.0
44th 888 GLYC Anthony Glendinning Lucy Glendinning (45.0 DNF) 43.0 (45.0 DNF) 44.0 43.0 42.0 35.0 37.0 40.0 38.0 322.0
