Quoile sailors scoop their share of prizes

Quoile sailors scoop their share of prizes

2 July 2014

SUNSHINE and sparkle made for champagne sailing at Quoile Yacht Club’s annual regatta on Saturday.

Strangford Lough was picture perfect for the 90 competing boats and their crews who revelled in the conditions.

Victories in four races ensured it was a good day for the host club. James Heron won the National Handicap 1 class in his Moody 33, Straiddorn of Down, and had the distinction of being the first boat to cross the finish line.

Gary Sims kept the Quoile flag flying by winning one of the restricted sail classes, while two of the club’s young hotshots, Manus O’Kane and Colin Crichton, were victorious in the Dinghy Handicap and Topper 4.2 classes respectively.

Killyleagh sailors were also celebrating after they too scooped four of the prizes.

Raymond Killops’ Movistar Bleu had almost two minutes to spare over the rest in the big boat IRC 1 class and Raymond Beattie’s Tiger Lily took the honours in the National Handicap 1 category.

Andrew McCleery and Colin Dougan romped home in the Flying 15s and the father-and-son team of Don and Steven Bridges finished top of an 11-strong Squib fleet.

The closest racing of the day came in the Glen fleet with all four boats finishing within 40 seconds of each other and top spot going to Ian Gleadhill in Glen Shiel.

Fifteen boats took part in the junior regatta and William Brown, from Whiterock, won the main Topper class.

At the presentation ceremony Jonathan Gifford, Quoile YC commodore, congratulated all the competitors. He also thanked the race officer, John Magowan, and everyone who helped to make the day a success, both on and off the water.

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

IRC 2: 1st Apache, J. Gifford, QYC; 2nd Mipaal, S. Lynn, EDYC; 3rd Apache, J. Gifford, QYC.

NHC 1: 1st Tiger Lily, R. Beattie, KYC; 2nd Mad Fish, R. Crosby, QYC; 3rd Magdaleyne, F. Petticrew, EDYC.

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

NHC Restricted Sail 1: 1st Tamarisk, G. Sims, QYC; 2nd Umlani, R. Edwards, EDYC; 3rd Manana, Michael McKeown, DCC.

NHS Restricted Sail 2: Silmarillion, D. Neill, RCC; 2nd Club Coffee, C. Earney, EDYC; 3rd Kestrel, J. Lowry, EDYC.

Flying 15s: 1st Too Fast and Furious, A. McCleery & C. Dougan, KYC; 2nd No Excuse, P. Sandford & T. McMeekin, SSC; 3rd Art Gekko, M. Crichton & W. Findlay, SSC.

Rivers: 1st Laragh, K. & S. Smyth, SLYC; 2nd Struell, L. Hynds, K. Edwards & J. McVeigh, SLYC.

Glens: 1st Glen Shiel, I. Gleadhill & V. Nelson, SLYC; 2nd Glen Iris, H. Anstey, SLYC; 3rd Glen Lark, R. Aiken, SLYC.

Squibs: 1st Firecracker: D. & S. Bridges, KYC; 2nd Terpsichore, J. & L. Sandford, QYC; 3rd Slipstream, R. Marshall, KYC.

Dinghy Handicap 1: 1st Laser No. 202055, R. Ramsay, EDYC; 2nd Wayfarer No. 10659; 3rd Laser No. 189542.

Dinghy Handicap 2: 1st Manus O’Kane, QYC; 2nd Molly O’Kane, QYC; 3rd Paul & Matthew Stacey, QYC.

Toppers: 1st William Brown, SLYC; 2nd Shannon Conway, SSC; 3rd Henry Greer, SLYC.

Topper 4.2: 1st Colin Crichton, QYC.