Killyleagh grab the silverware at Quoile event

19 August 2015

A TOTAL of 28 boats took part in the hugely successful Thomas Parker Marine two-day event hosted by Quoile Yacht Club at the weekend.

The tried and trusted formula of two races on Saturday and one on Sunday once again proved a hit with the competitors, who included a sizeable number of visitors.

Tricky conditions, particularly a shifting wind in the afternoon, meant that Saturday’s racing was slightly longer than would be ideal. However, bright sunshine and a steady 15-knot breeze on Sunday proved just about perfect.

There were six classes in total and it proved to be a triumphant weekend for Killyleagh Yacht Club which claimed gold in four of them.

In the big boat IRC 1 class, the runaway winner with three first places was Raymond Killops and the crew of Movistar Bleu from Killyleagh.

There was a close battle for the minor placings, with Ernie Kelly’s What’s The Rush II, from Ballyhenry Boat Club, taking the runner-up spot on account of a second place finish on Sunday.

There was a disappointing entry in the IRC 2 class, which was won by Jonathan Gifford’s Apache, from the host club, with Jesse Murray’s Flashpoint, from Portaferry, in second spot.

It was a Killyleagh one-two in the NHC 1 category. Ronnie Barr and Ken Bowsie’s Cheval de Mer took the overall honours with two bullets and a third place, while Raymond Beattie’s Tiger Lily finished runner-up with three second place finishes. Ronnie Crosby, who sails out of Quoile and Killyleagh, was third in Mad Fish.

Denis Kirk’s Load of Mischief, from Whiterock, finished top of the pile in the NHC 2 class with Colin Earney, from East Down, second in Club Coffee and James Heron, from Quoile, third in Straiddorn of Down.

The restricted sail class had the biggest fleet of the weekend, with eight going to the start line. In the end Leo McCann’s Almaviva, from Killyleagh, took the top prize from the Baker brothers, Jeff and Ronnie, from Quoile, who were second and third respectively in Trinity and Chips.

There were seven starters in the Squib class and this was another Killyleagh show with Steven Bridges claiming first place in Firecracker from Kyle Bolton second in Allsorts and Robert Marshall third in Slipstream.

Results

IRC 1: 1st Movistar Bleu, R Killops, KYC; 2nd What’s The Rush II, E Kelly, BBC; 3rd Go To Red, P Holden, SLYC.

IRC 2: 1st Apache, J Gifford, QYC; 2nd Flashpoint, J Murray, PSC.

NHC 1: 1st Cheval de Mer, Messrs Barr & Bowsie, KYC; 2nd Tiger Lily, R Beattie, KYC; 3rd Mad Fish, R Crosby, QYC/KYC.

NHC 2: 1st Load of Mischief, D Kirk, SLYC; 2nd Club Coffee, C Earney, EDYC; 3rd Straiddorn of Down, J Heron, QYC.

Restricted Sail: 1st Almaviva, L McCann, KYC; 2nd Trinity, J Baker, QYC; 3rd Chips, R Baker, QYC.

Squib: 1st Firecracker, S Bridges, KYC; 2nd Allsorts, K Bolton, KYC; 3rd Slipstream, R Marshall, KYC.

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder