It's not often that universally-agreed forecasts of exceptionally good weather will cause a reduction in numbers for an upcoming sailing race. But as the week drew on and yesterday (Saturday's) annual Aqua Restaurant-sponsored Two-Hander at Howth came steadily up the agenda, the number of authoritative predictions of "no wind at all unless a sea breeze happens to develop" were such that where in 2020 - in a lockdown-emerger - they'd 38 entries, this time round there were 29, and they'd to wait out a two-hour postponement until the sweetest sea breeze came in from between east and southeast.
The JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (Conor O'Higgins) and the First 40.7 Tiger (Stephen Harris) getting into the groove. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
Former winner Checkmate XV (Dave Cullen and Aidan Beggan) gathers speed as she gets into open water. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
Dun Laoghaire visitor More Mischief (right) went home with a First Prize. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
Their patience was rewarded many times over, for as Annraoi Blaney's selection of Mediterranean-but-better photos indicate, this was the purest essence of summer sailing. This was a day which – when the dark damp glooms of winter are upon us – will be contemplated in loving wonder. And all power to Dave Murnane for having thought of it all some years ago and kept it going ever since, for the fact of everyone being two-handed forms a special bond, even in socially-distanced après sailing.
The only real danger was heat-stroke, and happily it seems that the only victim of this was the HYC Computer Results System. That said, it was trouble enough, for the electronics experienced such a wobbler that Race Officer Scorie Walls had to resort to pencil and paper to produce a reasonably accurate set of results in time for a prize-giving before two visitors from Dun Laoghaire – Conor O'Higgins with his family's renowned JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI, and Greg Kalinecki with his First 31 More Mischief – had to head for home.
Floating living history – the Ron Holland-designed Shamrock Class Silver Shamrock (Conor Fogerty & Suzanne Ennis) was Half Ton World Champion at Trieste in 1976 under Harold Cudmore's command. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
A busy ship is a happy ship – Robert Dix and Carla Fagan racing Jeannie to third place in the J/80s. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
It's at times like this that you realise why a J/80 is normally raced with a crew of four………Photo: Annraoi Blaney
As ever, it was a remarkably diverse fleet, with cruiser-racers ranging from the new J/99 Snapshot (Evans brothers, sailed by Mike Evans and Graham Curran) fresh from overall success at the Sovereigns in Kinsale, all the way back to the almost-fifty-years-old Shamrocks – Silver Shamrock (Conor Fogerty), the Half Ton World Champion of 1976, and Windsor Laudan and Steffi Ennis's Club Shamrock Demelza, which also started her winning career in the 1970s, in those distant days in the ownership of the Mansfield family of Crosshaven.
Are the East Coast of Ireland's tectonic plates shifting? Rockabill closes up on Ireland's Eye. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
In the Puppeteer 22s, Trick or Treat (Alan Blay & Alan Pearson, right) was to have the best of it. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
In the One-Design categories, the J/80s had a very healthy turnout, with Dan and Dylan O'Grady in Jammie getting first from Bryan Byrne and Keith Glynn in Beeboop & Ricksteady, while Robert Dix and Carla Fagan were third in Jeannie. And in a more modest fleet, the Puppeteer 22s saw the honours go to Alan Blay & Alan Pearson in Trick or Treat.
The cruiser results were worked every which way, but in straightforward line honours Snapshot – with Mike Evans teamed with Graham Curran – was first home, 28 seconds ahead of the First 40.7 Tiger (Stephen & Jennie Harris).
Provisional HYC Aqua Challenge 2021 results:
IRC Spinnaker Class: 1st Snapshot (J/99, Mike Evans & Graham Curran) 2nd Lambay Rules (J/97, Stephen Quinn & Dave Cotter).
IRC Spinnaker Class Under 940 Rating: More Mischief (First 31, Greg Kalinecki & Jakub Gajewski, Dun Laoghaire)
ECHO Spinnaker Class: 1st Indian (J/109, Simon Knowles & Colm Buckley); 2nd Checkmate XV (Half Ton Classic, Dave Cullen & Aidan Beggan).
IRC White Sails: 1st Tiger (First 40.7, Stephen & Jennie Harris).
ECHO White Sails: 1st Toughnut (MG34, Dermot Skehan & Conor Macken).
J/80: 1st Jammy (Dan & Dylan O'Grady); 2nd Beeboop & Rocjsteady (Bryan Byrne & Keith Glynn); 3rd Jeannie (Robert Dix & Carla Fagan).
Puppeteer 22: 1st Trick of Treat (Alan Bay & Alan Pearson); 2nd Odyssey (Philip & Barry Byrne)
Captain cool. Mike Evans brings Snapshot cleanly through the boats summer-anchored in Howth Sound at Ireland's Eye, on his way to line honours and the IRC win. Photo: Annraoi Blaney
