Taste of Greystones Cruiser Regatta lives up to expectations
by Irish Sailing Associaton on 6 Sep 2014
Taste of Greystones Cruiser Regatta 2014 Alan Leddy Photography
The second Greystones Sailing Club Cruiser Regatta took place last Sunday and fully lived up to the expectations created by last year inaugural regatta. The event started with feeder races to Greystones from clubs up and down the east coast on Saturday afternoon, followed by the feeder race prizegiving in the Club shortly afterwards.
The entry fee of €50 had included vouchers for the club bar and vouchers for pints in the Beach House as well as a free overnight berth so great merrymaking rolled well into the early hours in both establishments!
Sunday morning saw hot breakfasts in the Greystones SC clubhouse courtesy of Spendlove's Coffee Shop, followed by a short trip to the starting area in flat seas, bright sunshine and light southerly winds for the 80 competing boats. Race Officers Jack Roy and Tim Costello fired off the first gun of a three class, two race event, on a windward leeward course at 11.00 after a 15 minute postponement.
Three fleets, all sailing the same course against a strong north flowing tide which caught many unaware at the windward mark. Much excited activity and high decibel vocalising took place between the windward and wing marks.
Follow a race averaging an hour and a quarter the second race got going with a strengthening southerly wind.
The tide again caught sailors on the hop by turning and flowing south against the still southerly and now increasing wind. Rounding marks became even more frantic than the first race as the wind touched 25 knots in wind against tide sea conditions.
Boats started finishing from about 2.00 o'clock and after berthing, all competitors, marina berthholders and invited guests were treated to the BJ Greystones Harbour Marina hot lunch, salad, and wine reception. Food was provided again by Spendlove's and wine by La Touche Wines.
The BJ Marina Deck also played host for the prizegiving and speeches followed by a reluctant but steady exodus of yachts to their home ports with the buzz of an all-inclusive event still ringing in their ears.
The regatta organising committee of Mark Usher, Daragh Cafferky, Joe Taylor and Graeme Noonan look forward to welcoming even more boats to the GSC 'Taste of Greystones' Cruiser Regatta next
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