Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club - Overall
by Robert Hastings 29 Dec 2025 05:29 PST
2 November - 21 December 2025
After the disappointment of no sailing the previous weekend due to unfavourable weather, everyone had been looking at multiple forecasts like hawks as we needed our sailing fix to finish off the year and the series. The forecast did not disappoint, a nice 8 to 15 knots from the southeast, not a direction we get too often.
The race committee set up their course and on the first start with the tide pushing the majority over the line, a general recall was made and RO Gerry Reid decided he was taking no prisoners. The black flag was hoisted, and it didn't come down for the day, after all it was the shortest day of the year so there was no time to waste. It turns out that Tim Leonard & Stevie Donnelly had to take their turn to sit on the naughty step for being over the line. Liam Donnelly was reunited with his usual crew Rick McCaig who had been on baby duty, and they shot off to the windward mark and never looked back.
The first leeward mark rounding was probably the most fun for any spectators with seven boats coming in at once from different angles. Dan Sherriff and James Waugh got sandwiched and somehow their spinnaker ended up a casualty and sadly they decided to throw in the towel for the day. Donnelly & McCaig held onto their lead until the very end with Tom Purdon & Olivia Hayes, who re-found their mojo, hot on his heals taking second and Patrick Hamilton & Jakob Ozarek taking third.
Race two, the wind started to clock ever so slightly to the east, so the start line was somewhat congested at the pin end, and with the black flag still hanging in the air, a clean start was had. Former winners of the series Kennedy & Kane led from start to finish. The downwind legs were like a game of snakes and ladders with big changes in the results from the first round and anyone who gybed early seemed to get punished. McIlwaine & Wilson claimed 2nd with Hastings & Higgins hot on their heels in 3rd.
Race three, with the wind still moving anticlockwise, the course had to be rotated around. With another black flag start, Purdon & Hayes found the right gears and led the fleet most the way only to be pipped to the finish line by Flannigan & Wilson who took the line honours by only seconds. Donnelly & McCaig claimed 3rd place.
After an interesting results day, everyone retired to the warm comfort of the Royal North bar for a complimentary pint from Rockshore. After a lovely Christmas dinner in the dining room, the prize-giving commenced.
The first prize of the night was the RS400 Traveler Series Trophy which was awarded to Liam Donnelly & Rick McCaig from Carrickfergus Sailing Club.
To the Frostie Series, and after fifteen races, there were seven different race winners with eighteen crews representing ten different clubs.
In third place overall on 51 points was Liam Donnelly & Katy Nelson/Rick McCaig from Carrickfergus Sailing Club. They just squeezed in front of McIlwaine & Wilson who were also on 51 points, but Donnelly won one more race.
In second place was Ross Kearney & Andrew Vaughan from the host club RNIYC on 43 points.
In first place and first-time winners were Gareth Flannigan from Ballyholme YC and Knox Wilson from East Down YC and they picked up the Bosun Bob's RS400 Frostie Series Trophy.
Gareth Flannigan thanked RNIYC, the race team including RO Gerry Reid, the rescue and mark laying team, the sponsors Bosun Bob's Chandlery & Rockshore. He also thanked all the competitors. He said you never had to look out for one competitor on the water, you had to look out for them all as the competition is so good. Lastly, he thanked his crew Knox for putting up with him.
Everyone returned to the bar and a good few pints of the black stuff were consumed until late into the evening.
The RS400 & RS200 calendar has been finalised.
- RS Northerns are a Carrickfergus Sailing Club 18th & 19th April.
- RS Easterns are at Greystones SC 16th & 17th May.
- RS Inlands are at Blessington 18th & 19th July
- RS Nationals are at Killaloe SC 21st, 22nd & 23rd August.
The RS Fevas & RS Aeros will also be joining in with a number of these events.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 1259 | Gareth Flannigan | Knox Wilson | RUYC/EDYC | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | (8) | 4 | (8) | 8 | 1 | 34 |
| 2nd | 1546 | Ross Kearney | Andrew Vaughan | RNIYC | (DNC) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | (12) | 4 | 8 | 43 |
| 3rd | 15 | Liam Donnelly | Katy Nelson | CSC | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | (9) | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | (8) | 1 | 5 | 3 | 51 |
| 4th | 15 | Luke McIlwaine | Ryan Wilson | NYC/QYC | 4 | 5 | 4 | (9) | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | (11) | 2 | 7 | 51 |
| 5th | 1353 | Robert Hastings | Rory Higgins | SLYC/RNIYC | 8.5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 6 | (11) | 2 | 7 | (DNC) | 6 | 3 | 4 | 74.5 |
| 6th | 1283 | Patrick Hamilton | Sam Kelly | EDYC | 3 | (BFD) | | | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 7 | | 11 | 1 | 3 | (12) | 9 | |
| 7th | 1522 | Peter Kennedy | Stephen Kane | RNIYC/SLYC | (DNC) | 4 | 9 | 5 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 99 |
| 8th | 877 | William Findlay | Erin Gabbie | SSC | 5 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | 7 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | DNC | 5 | 9 | 11 | 7 |
| 9th | 16 | Paul Robinson | Adam Robinson | CSC | (DNC) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 7 | 6 | 5 | 115 |
| th | 741 | Jocelyn Hill | Rowan Berry | CAYC/CSC | 1 | 3 | 8 | 4 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 9 | 9 | 3 | 5 | DNC | DNC | DNC | 132 |
| 11th | 1264 | Neil Calvin | Sharon Corkhill | CSC | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | | | 11 | | 8 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 9 | | | 134 |
| 12th | 888 | Tim Leonard | Grant Rintoul | CSC | 7 | | 11 | (13) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | | (14OCS) | 11 | 12 | 147 |
| 13th | 1178 | Brian Holmes | Rose White | CSC | DNF | 9 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 151 |
| 14th | 04 | Tom Purdon | Olivia Hayes | SLYC | RET | BFD | 6 | 8 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 15th | 06 | Joseph Robinson | Dan Sheriff | BYC/RUYC | (DNC) | DNS | DNS | 11 | 11 | 7 | | RET | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 6 | | RET | 14DNS | 162 |
| 16th | 14 | Simon Hutchinson | Ben Williams | RNIYC/SLYC | (DNC) | RET | DNS | DNS | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | | 11 | | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 2 |
| 17th | 1415 | Stephen McLernon | Edwina Ternan | CSC | 8.5 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 224.5 |
