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Two Top Ten Results Overall for Ireland at Mirror Worlds
#mirrorworlds2013 – There was no Irish victory but consolation that two home campaigns boats finished in the top ten today at the 2013 Mirror World Sailing Championships on Lough Derg, Co. Tipperary. The top Irish boat was Dougie Elmes & Scott Levie in sixth after a great series that included two race wins with Alfie Wisdom and Sam Warren in tenth.
It was all still to play for today in the final day of racing. Two boats were still in with a shout and separated by just three points; Ryan & Michaela Robinson from South Africa and Ridgely Ballardes & Rommel Chavez from the Philippines with the Robinsons holding a few more aces due to better discards.
A nice bright breezy morning greeted the 182 sailors with 15-18 knots when boats launched but rain with plenty of wind shifts was forecast. The fleet got away eventually on the third start, not before about eight boats had fallen foul of black flag on general recall at the second start. UK's Robert Bellfield & Sally Lorrimer tied up but biggest casualty was Ireland's Dougie Elmes who had been lying 5th overall. Middle of line looked most favoured before the fleet moved to left side of course up the first beat. The wind lightened and not as many white horses were evident. The first boats to show were Jeremy & Lauren Stephens from the UK, South Africa's Robinson & Robinson, Isabel Davies & Milly Moss and Ireland's Shane McLoughlin & Ben Jennings. The first boat around was Ballardes & Chavez who were certainly doing all that could be asked at this stage, closely followed by Stephens & Stephens, Davies & Moss and Robinson & Robinson. McLoughlin & Jennings went round 7th with locals Alfie Wisdom & Sam Warren about 12th, ahead of Cian Hickey & Caolin Cosadell.
A tight situation was unfurling at top of the leader board and with the wind increasing a great spectacle with a number of capsizes. With fleet spread across the course down to bottom mark, Ballardes & Chavez were still leading but Robinson & Robinson were very much in touch around the bottom mark. The leaders initially went left but seemed to have settled on the middle, with Sarah Richards and her son George now very much in the mix. With the top three boats in the series up near the front, this race was turning into a real battle. Stephens & Stephens were now leading as they approached the weather mark for the second time, with now in second with Katie Davies & Gemma Keers in 4th. Ballardes & Chavez seemed to have dropped back to 7th behind Hickey & Cosadell who were having a great race.
The wind picked up as the lead boats went down the close reach, with Davies & Keers broaching but making a fantastic recovery. Richards & Richards, currently 3rd overall had dropped back to about 11th. The final legs could be key to the destination of the title. If Robinson & Robinson kept a few boats between themselves and Ballardes & Chavez then it would make it very difficult for the Philippine boat. With leaders around the final mark, Stephens & Stephens held off Davies & Kerr and then Robinson & Robinson. Best of the Irish were Hickey & Cosadell in 6th.
The first attempt at Race 2 was AP'd when a huge rain cloud descended and PRO Con Murphy held off starting for five minutes. The next attempt was a black flag and general recall with four numbers on the blackboard and a few boats heading for an early bath. First to go were David Johnston & Rory McEvoy from Ireland but then as boats readied for the one minute it became apparent that Robinson & Robinson had sails down and tied up beside a support boat. They had been black flagged also. It was only when the fleet got away clear that a cheer went up on support boat behind starting line along with the South African flag. The other boat black flagged was Ballardes & Chavez and the Mirror Worlds title was heading to South Africa for the first time. The new champions Ryan and Michaela Robinson stayed around the course to watch the concluding race.
With Ballardes & Chavez now out, the battle was on for second and third place. Richards & Richards, the initial leaders looked to be out on left hand side of the course. Kerri-Ann Boylan & Ros Morgan and Wisdom & Warren, all from Ireland, were strong early on. Boylan & Morgan were first to the weather mark to a rousing cheer from the Irish supporters. Closely followed by David & Edward Coady from the UK, Wisdom & Warren, Richards & Richards and Davies & Keers. After the reach Richards & Richards and Coady & Coady were having a major battle having passed Boylan & Morgan. Widsom & Warren were fighting hard to hold onto 4th place. In to the finish it was neck and neck between Richards & Richards and Coady & Coady with the latter taking the win. A great cheer greeted the two Irish boats Boylan & Morgan who took 3rd and Wisdom & Warren that placed 4th. However transpired that Boylan & Morgan were OCS so 3rd went to Wisdom & Warren.
That battle down the final stretch gave runner up spot to Sarah Richards and her son George with two other UK boats filling 3rd; Katie Davies & Gemma Keers and Isabel Davies & Milly Moss in 4th, Ridegly Ballardes and Rommel Chavez from the Philippines took 5th. Then top Irish boat was Dougie Elmes & Scott Levie in 6th after a great series that included two race wins with Alfie Wisdom and Sam Warren in 10th making it two Irish boats in Top 10.
#mirrorworlds2013 – Top Irish Douglas Elmes and Scott Levie are in fifth overall, some 25 points adrift of the South African leaders going into the final rounds of the Mirror World Sailing Championships on Lough Derg in County Tipperarty today.
Day 4 of the Championships and the weather forecast for Lough Derg was more amenable that had been expected. Boats launched in incessant rain with a light southerly breeze. The first race took three attempts as has become the norm for first race. Third time lucky and all got away with Ridegly Ballardes from the Philippines took the left side of the course along with Ireland's Alfie Wisdom and the UK's Robert Bellfield. As the leg progressed the left side certainly looked like it was paying off with Sarah Richards (GBR), Ridgely Balladares and Ryan Robinson from South Africa following suit. Douglas Elmes (IRL) took the middle but certainly looked separated from the leaders during the early stages. Aside from Alfie Wisdom the best Irish at this point was Jack Maye who was also on left side of the course.
Sarah Richardson was first to weather mark followed by Ryan Robinson and Ridgely Balladares. A few boat lengths later was Nigel Thomas from the UK and local Alfie Wisdom who was having a great leg. The left side certainly paid off with right hand side boats well back at weather mark. Down the spinnaker leg Isabel Davies and Katies Davies started to make a move on the leaders. With the wind starting to increase and visibility reducing with the rain it was hard to see where the leaders were coming from during the early part of the upwind leg. Sarah Richards seemed to go right with most of the others up the middle. Nigel Thomas and Alfie Wisdom had now overtaken Ridegly Ballardes however Sarah Richards had extended her lead at second weather mark and held it to the finish. A battle ensued between Nigel Thomas, Ridegly Ballardes and Ireland's Alfie Wisdom down the reach and spinnaker leg with Thomas and Wisdom eventually taking 2nd and 3rd respectively . Overnight leader Ryan Robinson sailed conservatively and finished in 6th while Douglas Elmes who had been 5th overall could only manage an 18th. Ireland's Kerri-Ann Boylan had a storming race and took 9th to be second Irish boat home. The wind picked up at the end and a number of backmarkers capsized with a few retiring before the second race.
The second race got away the first time with wind steady about 180 degrees. At the pin end David Coady from the UK had a great start followed closely by Rachel Grayson, Esme Shepard and Ridegly Ballardes. With the rain now belting down it looked like the fleet were favouring left side again. Rachel Grayson was the clear leader up the beat with Douglas Elmes now showing alongside Ridegly Ballardes, Robert Belfield, Sarah Richards and Katie Davies. Alfie Wisdom looked like the next Irish boat but he had to do penalty turns and was slow away from the mark. The PRO called for weather mark to be moved further out for next beat as fleet made their way down to bottom mark in a lightening breeze. The lead boats maintained their positions around bottom mark but Rachel Grayson had extended her lead. Series leader Ryan Robinson had been sailing conservatively and at times looked like it was not flying a spinnaker but was still in contact with the top five. Rachel Grayson came out of the right hand side of beat with Sarah Richards, Katie Davies and Ryan Robinson, while Douglas Elmes and Ridegly Ballardes took the middle left.
Rachel Grayson rounded weather mark for the last time with further extended lead with clearly the minor placing between the next five or six boats. Douglas Elmes seemed to get round second followed by Sarah Richards and Katie Davies. The latter had a great leg and got ahead of Douglas Elmes at bottom mark and moved in to second place as they rounded for the short beat to the finish. Douglas Elmes was also under pressure from Ridegly Ballardes and had to be satisfied with a 4th while Sarah Richards finished 5th. Overall leader Ryan Robinson seemed happy to not get too engaged and finished 9th and with a second discard kicking in he still leads.
#2013mirrorworlds – Leading Irish contenders, Douglas Elmes and Scott Levie have jumped three places to be second overall after eight races at the Mirror World Championships on Lough Derg yesterday. The Royal Cork helmsman is 21 points adrift of the lead held by South Africa's Ryan and Michaela Robinson as only eight points separate Royal Cork's Elmes and sixth place.
Day 3 and PRO Con Murphy made it clear from start he was going to try and get 4 races in, especially after losing a race on Tuesday and with an uncertain forcast for Thursday and Friday.
However, with over eager sailors and a few big shifts, the first race only got going on 4th attempt. The fleet was reduced as a number of sailors fell foul of black flag on the recalled 3rd start.
Irish boat Jack Ryan got a corker of a start and along with fellow Irish sailor Dougie Elmes, the pair lead the field down the first leg swapping places but keeping rest of field at bay. South African Ryan Robinson and GBR Isabel Davis fought over other placings around top mark and down the spinnaker leg. Irish sailor Jack Maye dragged himself up into 7th.
A steady enough breeze saw Dougie Elmes and Jack Ryan consolidate top two positions for an Irish 1, 2 and great start to day 3 for the Irish. SA Ryan Robinson consolidated his series lead with a 4th.
The second race started under black flag, and the fleet heeded the warning and got away clear. Dougie Elmes again stormed up the beat for another top 3 position but SA Ryan Robinson was again not far away but out of the left (Aus ) Tim Pilbeam led at first weather mark and never lost the lead all the way to the finish. There was a ding dong battle all the way to the line between GBR Sarah Richards, Dougie Elmes (IRL), Ridgely Ballardes (PHI) and SA Ryan Robinson leaving the South African leading the series now from Ireland Dougie Elmes with Sarah Richards (GBR) in third.
With wind freshening all the time up to 18 knots, the 3rd race under black flag got away clear. The chop and stronger wind now was making life difficult for some of the fleet with capsizes and broaches across the course. SA Ryan Robinson was again to the fore on first beat, closely followed by GBR Katie Davis and Ridgely Ballardes (PHI). Alfie Wisdom and Tiarnan Dickson were best of the Irish with a strong 4th and 6th place down the spinnaker leg but Dougie Elmes was struggling to stay in top 20. GBR Katie Davis took lead on downwind and never lost it with SA Ryan Robinson clearly delighted with a 2nd to consolidate their series lead. PHI Ridgely Ballardes came late on last 2 legs to pick up a very valuable 3rd place. Best Irish was Alfie Wisdom who worked hard to take a 4th.
With the wind now constant at 18 knots the 4th race was always going to be a struggle for the less experienced and younger crews. PRO Con Murphy went into sequence with another black flag start that ensured a clean start and recovered Tuesday's lost race. There was only one boat going to win this race and SA Ryan Robinson clearly in form roared up the beat and never looked back and extended his lead at every mark. Again Dougie Elmes struggled early on but managed to claw his way up to 11th and ensure Ireland would have a boat in the mix going to Day 4. GBR Sarah Richards had a great race to take 2nd and along with Joanna Calderon (3rd) and Katie Davis (5th) ensured a good day for GBR. Ridgely Ballardes (PHI) had a capsize and ultimately retired but still lies in top 5 heading to Thursday.
SA Ryan Robinson now looks to have a formidable lead at the top of the table adding a race win to an already very consistent results card. Ireland Dougie Elmes lies 2nd, closely followed by Katie Davis, Sarah Richards (GBR) and Ridgely Ballardes (PHI) with hard to see a winner outside these 5 but clearly South Africa's Ryan Robinson is favourite at this stage.
With 8 points between 2nd and 6th this looks like it will go to the wire for the minor placings with Irelands Dougie Elmes having a great regatta.
Cork Pair Continue to Lead Irish Hopes at Mirror Worlds
#mirrorworlds – Royal Cork pair Douglas Elmes and Scott Levie continue to lead Irish hopes after Day 2 and four races of the Mirror World Sailing Championships on Lough Derg, Dromineer, Co. Tipperary today. The pair are in fifth place overall and 14 points off the overall lead held by South African's Ryan and Michaela Robinson.
Race 3, the first race of the day, began with a total of three general recalls and two race abandonments due to severely quick shifting winds. Eventually, sixth time lucky, the fleet were clear and the race finally got under way. Finishing yesterday in 3rd overall, Sarah Richards and her son George (GBR) took the win in this race followed by Katie Davies & Gemma Keers (GBR) in second and father and daughter Jeremy and Lauren Stephens in third (GBR).
Race 2 got off first time under a black flag. Up the middle seemed to be the optimum tactic in the steady 18 knots breeze. First to weather mark were Davies & Keers followed closely by Nigel Thomas & Felix Jefferies (GBR), Ridgeley Ballardes & Rommel Chavez (PHI) and first Irish boat; 15 year olds Dougie Elmes & Scott Levie. With less squalls than earlier but wind of around 20 knots, the leading pack swapped places down to the leeward mark.
Up the second beat with wind now gusting 25 knots Ireland's Elmes & Levie fought their way into 2nd place just rounding the weather mark ahead of Ballardes & Chavez. Davies & Keers had extended their lead at the second weather mark and chose not to fly the spinnaker on the reaching leg. One of the leading GBR boats Sarah Richards and her son George were not far behind the leading pack, and having won the first race of the day, are major contenders for this championship. South Africa's brother and sister duo; Ryan & Michaela Robinson were also in this pack and will be also one to watch over the week. The pair were leaders after Day 1 and Ryan arrived at this event straight from ISAF Youth Worlds where he competed in 420 class. Three other Irish boats were in leading 15 included Jack Maye & Sarah White, Cian Hickey & Caolin Cosadell and Alfie Wisdom & Sam Warren.
Only four or five boats in the top 30 flew spinnakers on the reach. With a lot of capsized back markers his may have been a wise move. Dougie Elmes fought hard to maintain his second place spot but was caught by his Philipino rivals before the finish. The Richards' consolidated a strong start to the event to finish 15th following their victory in Race 3 today. With wind constantly between 20 and 25 knots and quite a few retirees, the PRO called the fleet temporarily ashore after the second race of the day. However,with no reduction in wind the fleet did not venture out for a third race.
Only four or five boats in the top 30 flew spinnakers on the reach. With a lot of capsized back markers his may have been a wise move. Dougie Elmes fought hard to maintain his second place spot but was caught by his Philipino rivals before the finish. The Richards' consolidated a strong start to the event to finish 15th following their victory in Race 3 today. Withwind constantly between 20 and 25 knots and quite a few retirees, the PRO called the fleet temporarily ashore after the second race of the day. However,with no reduction in wind the fleet did not venture out for a third race.
All results are provisional.
#mirrorworlds – Royal Cork Yacht Club pairing Douglas Elmes and Scott Levie are top Irish boat after day one of the 91-boat Mirror World Championships at Dromineer on Lough Derg today. This is the first time a world sailing championship has been held on the inland waters of Ireland.
Leading after the day's two races are the Robinson siblings from the UK, second overall is fellow British pairing David and Edward Coady and third are mother and son Sarah and George Richards.
Racing began late this morning in squally, rainy conditions with gusts reaching as high as 20 knots. The 91 boat fleet got off to a clear start for Race 1 but three teams in particular clearly dominated from the beginning. Leading around the first mark were David and Edward Coady from the UK followed closely by mother and son duo Sarah and George Richards, also from the UK, and Ridgely Balladares and Rommel Chavez from the Philippines. Try as they might, none of the other sailors were able to catch the three pairings but competition for the prestige of first race win was fierce. Battling hard and coming up from behind, it was ultimately Balladares and Chavez from the Philippines that took the win followed Richards and Richards in 2nd with Coady and Coady 3rd.
Local Lough Derg Yacht Club sailors Alfie Wisdom and Sam Warren were the first Irish boat, finishing in 5th.
The breeze died down slightly, the clouds parted and the sun emerged for Race 2. As the fleet rounded the first mark it was the Irish that were dominating by taking the lead and also filling two more of the top five spots. Young Douglas Elmes and his crew Scott Levie from Cork made a break and left the rest of the fleet behind, all except for siblings Ryan and Michaela Robinson from South Africa who tailed them frantically. In a hotly fought game of skill and tactics it was eventually the Corkonians who reigned supreme winning Race 2 and finishing Day 1 in 4th overall and the highest placed Irish boat.
182 sailors in 91 boats began were are competing today on Lough Derg. Sailors have travelled to Lough Derg Yacht Club from the UK, Australia, the Philippines, South Africa, Canada, Sweden as well as parts of Ireland to compete in this highly respected two-man dinghy regatta. The biennial regatta was last held in Australia in 2011 and will be hosted by South Africa in 2015.
Racing continues until Friday.
Lough Derg Prepares to Welcome the World
#mirror – Lough Derg Yacht Club in Dromineer, North Tipperary, will host the Mirror World Sailing Championship, the first world sailing championship to be held on the inland waters of Ireland. As well as identifying the Club's facilities and central location, this honour significantly recognises the achievement of the Club in hosting sailing competitions of this calibre in the past; the Club staged the European Mirror Sailing Championship in 2004.
Simon Coveney, Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will officially open the Championship on Sunday evening July 28. As a former Mirror Dinghy Champion, Minister Coveney maintains a keen interest in the sport. The Mirror World Sailing Championships in association with IPB Insurance and Waterways Ireland, will be one of the leading sporting Gathering events for the Tipperary Region.
The championships are held every two years, in 2011 they were held in Australia, and in 2015 they will be held in South Africa. It is anticipated that eighty boats will compete with sailors travelling from the UK, Australia, the Philippines, South Africa, Canada, Denmark, and all parts of Ireland.
Lough Derg Yacht Club has a long association with the Mirror Class; Club members Peter Bayly and his cousin William Atkinson won the Mirror World Championships held at Howth in 2001. Ireland has won the Mirror Worlds in South Africa in 1999, in Tasmania in 2003, and in 2011 Ross Kearney and his crew Max Odell from the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club, won the World Championship in Australia, having achieved the European title the same year.
In 2011 LDYC sailors Alfie Wisdom and his crew Sam Warren won the Mirror Nationals, and with his Australian crew Harry Sutcliffe-Woelders, Alfie finished 24th in the World Championship in Australia earlier that year.
Our current Olympian sailor, Annalise Murphy, competed in the Waterways Ireland Mirror European Championships when they were held here on Lough Derg in 2004, Ms. Murphy's father, Con Murphy, is the Principal Race Officer for this championship. Lough Derg, a fresh water, non-tidal lake, will provide competitive and challenging racing, on courses set by Mr. Murphy and his Racing Committee.
Ian Roberts, and his team on the event committee, have been working hard for the past eighteen months organizing a championship that is hoped competitors and their families will find memorable, both on and off the water.
The packed social calendar begins at the launch of the Championship, Sunday July 28, where visitors will hear pipe Major Joe Barry of the Thomas McDonagh Pipe Band, (the band celebrates its Golden Jubilee this year). Dedicated volunteers are even selecting and picking the best elderflower from the hedgerows to make elderflower cordial for the opening ceremony, wine will also be available.
In addition to its reputation for providing racing in a beautiful setting, Lough Derg Yacht Club is renown for the care and hospitality it extends to its visitors: brewed coffee and home baked scones will be served in the clubhouse each morning and there will be bring your own BBQs in the evenings. An Irish Dancing night, a Céilí Mór, has been organized, where we hope to teach our visitors a few steps. The social calendar will conclude with our Nations Night where all the visiting teams will take a turn to perform for the host nation.
Our guests will also have the opportunity to experience A taste of Tipperary, where local produce, from hog roast to the best of Tipperary Beef, and other such gastronomic delights, will be showcased.
The classic boat, the Shannon One Design, an 18ft clinker built wooden vessel, is the emblematic dinghy sailed at Lough Derg since 1922, and we will provide our visitors an opportunity to race in these dinghies whilst they are here.
The Ku-ee-tu Water Bus, (an original liferaft to the QE11), helmed by Teddy Knight, a former commodore of Lough Derg Yacht Club, will be available each day to bring spectators out to the race area and if the wind fails us, will have a rounders pitch in the field.
So that visitors are fully aware of the attractions to sight see in the region, we will have a tourist office on site throughout the Championship. Birr Castle is offering a two for one concession on visits to their world famous gardens and new Tree house.
As well as seeing the historic sites in the region, we will be encouraging our visitors to visit Nenagh, an active market town that offers great shopping, located only eight kilometres from Dromineer.
#mirror – A Mirror dinghy Bronze and Silver (B&S) Fleet event is a development of the innovative Bronze Fleet event introduced a few years ago to make it easier for new sailors to get involved in Mirror Sailing at national level.
The intention is that the inexperienced sailors would have the racing course to themselves without pressure. This year we have extended it to the silver fleet, but we plan that they will sail in separate flights a few minutes apart. We may also allow the racing marks to be hit, partly due to the fact that tides in Sligo Bay are strong and young sailors may have some problems with roundings. Eight short races are planned with two discards if all goes well. It is permissible for a gold fleet helm to crew for a bronze and silver fleet sailor.
The O'Dowd trophy will be competed for the following day with all boats (including the gold fleet) sailing together. This will involve six more challenging races with one discard. Although this is not a ranking event the beautiful trophy presented by the O'Dowd family is hotly contested for and would enhance any family sideboard for a period.
The two events are an ideal way of introducing new boats to the fleet and also a way of preparing sailors for the forthcoming Worlds. Sligo Yacht Club have tried to keep costs as low as possible with an entry fee of €20 for each and €30 for both. Members will also try to provide overnight accommodation to visitors and there is limited camping around the Clubhouse.
The club also has a number of Mirrors which may be made available for hire at a modest cost for the events. There will be a barbeque at the clubhouse Saturday evening, again at nominal cost.
NOR available to download below
1 | 70507 | Gold | C Hickey | C Croasdell | 11 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 70533 | Gold | J Maye | S White | Sligo SC | 16 |
3 | 70529 | Gold | K Boylan | G O'Connor | SSC | 17 |
4 | 70123 | R Armstrong | S Armstrong | Sligo YC | 23 | |
5 | 70580 | Gold | B Armstrong | S Wray | 25 | |
6 | 70428 | Silver | S McLoughlin | Ben Jennings | SDC | 29 |
7 | 70620 | Gold | S Dickson | E McMahon | HYC/SDC | 41 |
8 | 70607 | Silver | M Boylan | E Ennis | 42 | |
9 | 70508 | Silver | T McCullough | R Caddy | RNIYC | 46 |
10 | 70355 | Gold | J Ryan | B Graf | LRSC | 52 |
11 | 69797 | Silver | K Hackett | C Hackett | Mullingar SC | 55 |
12 | 702 | Bronze | E Hickey | S Culleton | SSC | 67 |
13 | 70076 | Silver | R Murphy | R Moore | LDYC | 74 |
14 | 70518 | Bronze | G Roche-Griffin | H O'Reilly | 77 | |
15 | 69558 | Gold | R Hackett | E Broderick | Mullingar SC | 91 |
16 | 21645 | Bronze | C Foley | R Foley | 95 | |
17 | 70036 | Bronze | R McAllistar | O McAllistar | 98 | |
18 | 70425 | Silver | D White | S Doyle | 99 | |
19 | 69037 | Bronze | C Nash | G Fisher | Coal Hbr | 105 |
#mirrors – The season for the Mirrors got off to a great start over the weekend in Lough Ree Yacht Club with the Western Championships writes Brid Hickey
Speaking to Graham Elmes, coach for the Mirror class on Saturday after 4 races, ‘There were testing conditions with shifts in the winds and varying wind speeds of 2 -8 knots, which will prepare the sailors for the Mirror Worlds being held in Lough Derg later this year’.
The first day’s racing saw a different sailor win each race namely Tiarnan Dickson with his crew Alex Leech Lough Ree YC winning the 3rd race and lying first overall at the end of day 1 with 5 points. Cian Hickey Skerries S C with Caolan Croasdell LRYC lying 2nd overall with 8 points and winning race four. Beth Armstrong Sligo YC and her crew Samuel Wray also had 8 points and she won the first race of the event. Peter Reegan and Eugenie Dalby from Lough Ree YC was lying fourth and he won the second race.
The wind shifts might have been the cause for the sailors’ failure to maintain consistency according to some of the onlookers from David Dickson’s barge. However, it should be pointed out that Tiarnan did have 1 first and 3 seconds – possibly local knowledge could have played a factor here.
Day 2 of the Westerns took place in blustery conditions which would have appeared to suit some of the more weathered sailors. With wind gusting up to 20 knots in a very cold north easterly wind three very exciting races took place.
The races kicked off with Race 5 which was won by Cian Hickey and Caolan Croasdell with Jacy Maye and Oisin McAllister coming in second and Ronan Armstrong and Eva Martin from Sligo YC coming 3rd. Best of the silver were local sailors Jack Ryan and Ben Gaf in race 5 and the best of the bronze was Sutton sailors Shane Mcloughlin and Ben Jennings. Race 6 was won by Cian & Caolain and followed Ronan Armstrong and Eva Martin coming in a close second followed by other Sligo sailors Beth Armstrong and Samuel Wray. Going into the last race there was just one point between the top two sailors Cian and Caolan on 10 points and Tiarnan and Alex on 10 points and Beth and Samuel on 17 points.
Cian and Caolan held onto their winning form and won the race. 2nd place in the final race went to Shane McLoughlin and Ben Jennings SDC and 3rd place went to Ronan and Eva from Sligo YC. Overall racing proved very exciting over the 2 days a key factor would be the excellent racing provided with thanks to the PRO Vincent Rafter and his skilled team.
Overall racing proved very exciting over the 2 days a key factor would be the excellent racing provided with thanks to the PRO Vincent Rafter and his skilled team.
Congratulations to Shane McLoughlin and Ben Jennings from Sutton DC who now move up to the Silver fleet and, and Jack Ryan and Ben Gaf LRYC who move up to the Gold fleet.
Local Crew Win Mirror Nationals at Sligo Yacht Club
#mirror – Overall honours at the Mirror dinghy national championships in Sligo went to local sailors Jack Maye and Sarah White at the weekend.
After two days of training kindy provided by Sligo Yacht Club the Mirror fleet, from Bronze to Gold, were well prepared for 4 days of extremely variable conditions and tight racing results. Thursday saw light winds which gave the lighter helm and crew a chance to perform well. Friday was a day of doldrums and scorching sunshine which led to a day of patient floating about and ended up with some essential swimming and diving to cool off. Despite the best efforts of vetran Race Officer Gus Henry however, no race could be started. On Saturday the winds picked up with force 7 gusts and numerous capsizing of all ages and skills levels came to the fore, so the OD announced that all Bronze fleet must go in after the first race. The course was then moved inshore where there was some shelter and the gold and silver fleets had two very exciting races. The overnight leaders were Harry & Fergus Collins of Sligo, a considerable achievment for them as they were Silver Fleet sailors.
It was all down to the Sunday, the last day. By then gold and Silver had finished five races but the Bronze fleet had only three.
The Race Officer decided to have three races, which had the effect, if all were finished, that the second discard would kick in. Depending on the various permutations and combinations, it was still anyones regatta with six or even more possible winners.
A good force 3 South Easterly occationally gusting force 5 for perfect sailing conditions. The 3 races were completed and results were close. The final places were not decided until the last race, which developed into a ding dong battle between Kerry-Ann Boylan of Skerries, Beth Armstrong of Sligo, Peter Regan of Lough Ree and Jack Maye of Sligo which finished in that order. Noone had any idea who was the overall winner until the computer did its work and a final protest was decided, but Jack and Sarah had done just enough to take the Championships by a point from the Collins brothers.
A number of the Gold fleet sailors are now preparing for a trip to the Mirror Europeans in Poole in 2 weeks time, while the Bronze fleet sailors prepare for the Mullingar Bronze fleet event later this month while the highlight for the class is the staging of the Mirror Worlds in Lough Derg 27 July to 2 August 2013.