Fagin for Gold, Fagan for Silver in Squib Easterns at Howth

16th August 2022

Clean away – Squib action in the Easterns at Howth Credit: Paddy Judge

“Mixed feelings” might describe the ordinary host club members’ feelings in contemplating the results of the Squib Easterns at Howth. For although Derek Bothwell, one of HYC’s elite squad of Race Officers, managed to pull a very complete set of results out of what might be seen in future as the “last rose of summer” event, with sunny breezes having to be set off against king-sized Spring tides, the overall results sheet showed that the visitors did very nicely indeed, thank you.

The overall winner in the Gold Fleet was Fagin from Royal North of Ireland YC, sailed by Gordon Patterson and Ross Nolan. And the overall winner of the Silver Fleet was Tiger Roll, sailed by Carla Fagan of the host club. Enthusiasts of Dickens will have a field day with all this, meanwhile, HYC members are increasingly wondering if the women sailors on the peninsula do all the winning while the men are fit for nothing but the washing up.

Rising star – Carla Fagan’s Tiger Roll enjoying the heatwave by stayng cool – and first in the final race – out in Fingal Bay

Maybe ’twas ever thus. Anyway, in a good fleet of 24 boats in which the most northerly came from Belfast Lough, the most easterly from Holyhead in Wales, the most southerly from Kinsale and the most westerly from Lough Derg, it was actually Emmet Dalton and Neal Merry of the host club who were tops of the locals in fourth in the Gold Fleet. But rising HYC star Carla Fagan crewed by Stephen Quinn had the dream trajectory, as she started with a very L-plate 19th, but thereafter it was onwards and upwards with 13th, 3rd and 1st to provide first in the Silver fleet.

Striking a blow for the Crews’ Union – winning pit man Ross Nolan (RNIYC) with HYC Commodore Paddy Judge

Silver stars – crewman Stephen Quinn with Silver Fleet winner Carla Fagan and Paddy Judge

However, as the result sheets show, there was no gainsaying the fact that it was Fagin of RNIYC on first with 4,1,1,2, Firecracker of Killyleagh (Steven Bridges & Matthew Bolton) on second with 1,2,2,9, and Granat of Royal Irish YC (David Stewart & Brian Hare) on third at 2,5,5 and a discarded 11. It’s no wonder so many visitors have since been in touch to send thanks to HYC for providing such a lovely time……..

It was a very satisfactory spread of entries

Published in Squib, Howth YC

Published in Squib

Tagged under

squib

About The Author

WM Nixon

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William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.

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