Irish Squib Freshwater Championships wrap up in Tipperary

by Gail MacAllister on 24 Oct 2014 The Irish Squib Freshwater Championships took place in Tipperary over the weekend of 18th- 19th October. The Squibs were joined by a small fleets of Dragons, SB20s, and Flying Fifteens. The National Squib fleet entry of 27 boats included two boats from Cultra on Belfast Lough, one from Quoile and two from Killyleagh on Strangford Lough, nine from Dublin Bay, two from Glandore, two from Howth, and four from Kinsale as well as three of the home Lough Derg fleet. The Dragons got out for a sail on the Friday to extend the event, but strong winds meant the Dragons, Fliying Fifteens and SP3's stayed dry Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, PRO Liam Moloney laid a windward leeward course of two laps in an offshore 27knot breeze, with the windward mark off Ryan’s Point. Many of the competitors missed the starting signals, but despite this, the leaders had a tight race which was won by Gordon Patterson’s Quickstep from Colm Dunnes Allegro and Vincent Delany and Joe O’Byrnes Femme Fatale. Some competitors found to their cost that it paid to hug the Hazel Point shore. Many boats found the conditions too strenuous and headed for home. In race 2 the wind dropped down to about 20 knots, but there were still intermittent gusts of up to 33 knots. James Matthews’ Mucky Duck (a.k.a. Battallion) won from the consistent Quickstep and Femme Fatale. For the third race the wind had risen back to 27 knots, and only 14 tired competitors were left on the course. Again it paid to hug the Hazel Point shore. This time it was Mucky Duck who won from Cian O’Regan’s Fagin with Frank Whelan’s Lola placed third. Despite four races being scheduled the last race was postponed and the competitors returned to shore where the Whisky Still pub had a welcome for all.

On Sunday morning the wind had changed, it was blowing 29 knots from the south west and was kicking up quite a chop for the 12 competitors who were still happy to face what seemed to be almost a gale. In a remarkable piece of seamanship the two lead boats Quickstep and Mucky Duck sailed a match race at the front of the fleet, Mucky Duck had an upwind speed edge and Quickstep proved faster on the offwind legs and took the gun, with Femme Fatale third despite not flying a spinnaker.

The result of the championships hung on the results of the last race which was relocated further into Dromineer Bay where the conditions were considered to be more sheltered but the gusts stronger, and race legs too short for a championship race. This race was won by Des Clayton’s Inis Mara from Fagin with Mucky Duck third. She had done enough to compensate for her failing to register a finish in the first race.

With a better representation for all the Irish Squib fleets throughout the country and competitors travelling from the North, East and South coasts, this event is recognized as the unofficial National Championships. James Matthews and Robert Jacob of Kinsale Yacht Club in Mucky Duck were universally acknowledged as being worthy winners. ISA website