Wind is the winner at Narrows Series

Wind is the winner at Narrows Series

25 July 2012

A CURTAILED 2012 Narrows Regatta Series began with a whimper and ended in a storm.

Light airs meant that last Thursday’s Bar Buoy race turned into a drifter, but there was no shortage of wind over the next three days and by Sunday there was so much that the final event, Portaferry Sailing Club’s regatta, had to be cancelled in the interests of safety.

In between there was plenty to enjoy with conditions just about perfect and good courses which produced tight, exciting racing at Strangford Regatta on Friday and Portaferry Town Regatta the following day.

There were quite a few familiar faces at the front of many of the classes. In the IRC 1 big boat class, Killyleagh skipper Raymond Killops and the crew of Movistar Bleu took the overall honours ahead of another Killyleagh sailor, Mike Spence, in Le Basculer, with Dermot Hinds’ Hindsight in third place.

Michael Ennis, from Kircubbin, was the pick of the IRC 2 helms in his Hydro, Moonlighter, with Jonathan Gifford, from Quoile YC, second in his Albin Express, Apache, and Stephen Martin third in Signet of Kip.

Alison Tyler, from East Down YC, won the PY 1031 and under class in Kaaterina, with Portaferry’s John Wilkinson second in Rockin’ Goose and another Portaferry man, Danny McAlea, third on Scampede.

Ryan Kelly, from Portaferry, was celebrating after he won the PY 1031 and over class from Roy Edwards in Whisper with Lindsay Crawford third in his Hawk, Arica.

Danny Sinclair, formerly from Kircubbin, made his trip from Scotland worthwhile when he took the honours in one of the two restricted sail classes, the other class being won by David Neilly’s Silmarillion.

One of the biggest cheers of the week went to Peter Lawson and his sister, Jo Bridges, after they won the Flying class from their Portaferry clubmates, Shane McCarthy and Jeremy Rogers.

Husband-and-wife team Warren and Frances Cannon had the measure of their opposition in the Squib class. Kenny Smyth was once again the king of the River sailors and John Pannell reigned supreme in the Glens. Brian Corry’s Apache won the Sonata class and Conor McGrattan kept Portaferry’s flag flying high with victory in the Leisure 17 class.

There was a terrific turn-out of more than 40 young sailors for the junior sailing which was held in Castleward Bay.

Patrick McMeekin held off his brother, Tom, and Peter Gilmore, from SLYC, to finish top of the Toppers.

Tori Ferris, from Killyleagh, won the Topper 4.2 class, Celine and Molly Egan, from Quoile YC, picked up more silverware in the Mirror class, while their sister, Caitlin, rounded off a great week for the Egan family by winning the Optimist class.

Paul and Matthew Stacey were the best of the Pico crews and William Findlay was an outstanding winner of the Lasers.

Results

IRC 1: 1st Movistar Bleu, R. Killops, KYC; 2nd Le Basculer, M. Spence, KYC; 3rd Hindsight II, D. Hinds, PSC.

IRC 2: 1st Moonlighter, M. Ennis, KSC; 2nd Apache, J. Gifford, QYC; 3rd Signet of Kip, S. Martin, SLYC.

PY 1030 & under: 1st Kaaterina, A. Tyler, EDYC; 2nd Rockin’ Goose, J. Wilkinson, PSC; 3rd Scampede, J. McAlea, PSC.

PY 1031 & over: 1st Wandering Angus, R. Kelly, PSC; 2nd Whisper, R. Edwards, EDYC; 3rd Arica, L. & H. Crawford, QYC.

Restricted sail PY 1045 & under: 1st Keeley, D. Sinclair, KSC; 2nd Almaviva, L. McCann, KYC; 3rd Free Spirit, C. & C. McMillan, EDYC.

Restricted sail PY 1046 & over: 1st Silmarillion, D. Neilly, EDYC; 2nd Jorgia, Messrs Shields & Robinson; 3rd Extreme, M. Bridges, KYC.

Flying 15: 1st Ffrig-It, P. Lawson & J. Bridges; PSC; 2nd Last Orders, S. McCarthy & J. Rodgers, PSC; 3rd Final Resort, R. & P. Chamberlain, SLYC.

Squib: 1st Nimrod, W. & F. Cannon, QYC; 2nd Firecracker, S. Bridges; 3rd Blue, D. Hanna & H. Curran.

River: 1st Laragh, K. & S. Smyth, SLYC; 2nd Gweebarra, Messrs Cunningham, Marten & Brooks, SLYC; 3rd Roe, E. Hicks, P., S. and J. Irwin, SLYC.

Glen: 1st Glen Cuan, J. Pannell, SLYC; 2nd Glen Elg, P. Storey, SLYC; 3rd Glen Lark, R. Aiken, SLYC.

Sonatas: 1st Apache, B. Corry, SLYC; 2nd Triad, R. Darnley, SLYC; 3rd Entertainer Too, C. Burrowes, SLYC.

Leisure 17: 1st Simply Red, C. McGrattan, PSC; 2nd Lulu, G. Kirk, EDYC; 3rd Octavia, M. McLaughlin, EDYC.

Topper: 1st Patrick McMeekin, SSC; 2nd Tom McMeekin, SSC; 3rd Peter Gilmore, SLYC.

Topper 4.2: 1st Tori Ferris, KYC; 2nd Evie McLaughlin, SSC; 3rd Tara Findlay, SSC.

Mirror: 1st Celine & Molly Egan, QYC; 2nd Christopher Cannon, Fergal Mooney & Jake Egan, QYC; 3rd Phliip & Colin Crichton.

Optimist: 1st Caitlin Egam, QYC.

Pico: 1st Paul & Matthew Stacey, QYC; 2nd Alison & Guy Crichton, QYC: 3rd (tie) Eli Brownlow & Camille Armault, SSC, Shannon Conway & Tara Findlay, SSC.

Laser: 1st William Findlay, SSC; 2nd Laura Gilmore, SSC; 3rd Matthew Bolton, KYC.