Howth's Ben Duncan and the crew of Sharkbait were the winners of the SB3 Western championships on Galway bay.

The weather gods delivered some rip roaring racing with 25 boats taking to the race course in conditions varying from 15kt southerly to 29kt westerly.

The Howth crew beat Southern championship winner Peter Kennedy (Ridgefence)from Strangford for the top slot in the six race wind-leeward series. Although hosted by the local sailing club the unofficial race HQ was McSwiggin's pub near the city docks with sponsorship from Captain Morgan. Third was Brian Reilly's Boomsticks. 26 competed.

Teaming up for the first time since Mays world championships the Sharkbait team of Ben Duncan, Brian Moran and Ric Morris seemed to have an extra gear at crucial points in each of Saturday's first two races popping well clear. The 2009 national champions Peter Kennedy, Dave Cheyne and Stephen Kane on Ridgefence held on doggedly nipping at their heals before taking the last race of the day leading from gun to gun. The BWM liveried Boomsticks of the Reilly brothers and Johnny O'Dowd separated the pair with Sharkbait finishing third.

Sharkbait and Ridgefance have been here before at recent inland championships and on day 2 they began to mark each other on the race course from the first race. Starting next to each other both boats ended up mid fleet at the first mark. After pulling through on the run the two boats went to the right hand side of the course on the next beat with Sharkbait holding Ridgefence past the layline as both boats climbed into 3rd and 4th by the windward mark. By the end of the run Sharkbait was up to second behind Darragh Sheridan, Johnny Phelan and John Malone in Dinghy Supplies. Rob Howe, Paul McMahon and Joanne Sheehy 3rd with Ridgefence in 4th. All 4 team held these places to the finish.

The days second race was a near repeat with Sharkbait and Ridgefence rounding the windward mark together in mid pack before pulling through the fleet to finish 1st and 3rd, this time separated by Boomsticks. Having won the regatta with a race to spare Sharkbait headed to shore leaving Ridgefence and Boomsticks to close out 2nd and 3rd overall with a win and a 2nd in the final race. Andrew Algeo in Flutter  finished 4th overall. Rob Howe followed up his 2nd place at the Southerns with a 5th place overall at the Westerns. Dinghy Supplies finished 6th.

Action from Galway Bay. Photo: Cian Gallagher

The Howth crew collected their prize from Galway harbour master, Brian Sheridan (wearing red jacket)