Killyleagh duo are crowned NI champions

Killyleagh duo are crowned NI champions

23 May 2012

KILLYLEAGH pair Andrew McCleery and Colin Dougan,  last year’s Masters of Strangford Lough, were crowned Northern Ireland Flying 15 champions at the weekend.

But it was a close run thing. With two legs of the final race to go, it looked as if the title was going to Whiterock duo Roger Chamberlain and Charlie Horner.

Leading with just the run and final beat remaining, they needed to finish third at worst to become champions. But in a dramatic switch in fortunes, they went backwards and McCleery and Dougan came from way back to surge into the lead which they held to the finish.

It was perhaps just reward for the Killyleagh pair, who won three of the five races over the two days. Chamberlain and Horner, who finished second overall, took one of the three races on Saturday, while Portaferry’s Shane McCarthy and Jeremy Rodgers won the Sunday morning race and took the overall honours in the silver fleet.

Rob Pelley and Orla Lawson, from Strangford Sailing Club, which hosted the event, finished tops in the bronze fleet ahead of Tommy Connor and Hilary Crichton.