#BAILYBOWL – Dragons, Squibs and RS Elites lined up for the Royal Alfred Baily Bowl one design series at the Royal St. George at the weekend, the modest RS Elite fleet included the recently crowned Miss Northern Ireland Tiffany Brien.
Winds gusting up to 25 knots and a big rolling sea made for challenging conditions for the series on Saturday but winds on Sunday were so light the titles were settled on Saturday's scores.
By far the biggest fleet at this Royal Alfred Yacht Club Championship was the National Squib Class with 13 entries, 3 from the Royal North of Ireland Y.C., 2 from Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club, 2 from the Royal Irish Yacht Club and the rest from the host club the Royal St. George Yacht Club.
Race One on Saturday took place in tumultuous seas (waves up to 3m high) despite the wind strength being about 12 kts. Racing Squibs in these conditions is difficult with many waves breaking over the bows, causing the boats to take water and killing the forward momentum. The windward leeward races were not tactical- but the were won by boat speed and boat handling.
Race One Results: 1st. 'Andromeda', Nigel and Paddy Barnwell RIYC.
2nd. 'Toy for the Boys', Peter Wallace and Kerry Boomer. RNIYC.
3rd. 'Halloween', Fred Campbell. RNIYC
Race two followed immediately afterwards with the seas remaining steep and confused, but the North Easterly wind dropping slightly.
Results: 1st. 'Halloween', Fred Campbell. RNIYC.
2nd. 'Toy for the Boys', Peter Wallace and Kerry Boomer.
3rd. 'Quickstep III', L. Mc.Carthy Nolan & Gordon Patterson.
Race three followed with similar wind and sea conditions.
Results: 1st. 'Perequin', Vincent Delany and Noel Colclough. DMYC.
2nd. 'Quickstep III' L. Mc.Carthy Nolan & Gordon Patterson. RNIYC
3rd. 'Halloween', Fred Campbell. RNIYC
Race four and five on Sunday were abandoned due to a flat calm, no wind and poor visibility.
The Dublin Bay boats achieved two out of three first places but they could not compare with the consistency of the Northern boats, so the final results were:
First 'Halloween', 3,1,3 placings. Sail No. 148.
2nd. 'Toy for the Boys' 2,2,5 placings. Sail No. 818.
3rd. 'Quickstep III' 5,3,2 placings. Sail No. 820.
Best of the rest was 'Andromeda' with 1,4,6 placings.
Best Wexford boat was 'Chubble', Michael Jones. The Wexford club is new to Squibs and they now have a fleet of 7 boats which normally sail above the road bridge in Wexford town in the South Eastern corner of Ireland.
Best all lady team: 'Chillax' sisters Angela Heath and McLoughlin who had the benefit of a double dolphin escort while they were waiting for the second race to start.
Royal Alfred Baily Bowl one design series 2012:
Dragons
1st Sir Ossis of the River Dennis Bergin, 2nd Kin Simon Brien, 3rd Aphrodite Micheal Doorly.
Elites
1st Momentary Laps, John Patterson, 2nd Kin Tiffany Brien, 3rd, Fullmarks Mark Brien.
Squibs
1st Halloween Fred Campbell, 2nd Toys For The Boys Peter Wallace, 3rd Quickstep III McCarthy Nolan and Patterson.
Thanks to Eunice Kennedy and Vincent Delany for assistance with this report