www.SPINNAKERWEB.net - Corcoran & Brogan retain the GP14 Ulster Championships

A bumper fleet of fifty boats attended the Ulster Championships of Ireland -incorporating the Ulster Youths and Master Championships- at Sligo Yacht Club on the 26th and 27th of July. Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan continued their march towards a “grand slam” adding the Ulster Title to the three other events wins notched up this season.

Race Officer Gus Henry and his team had their hands full the first day of sailing with a light and variable southerly wind, a strong tide running across the course and occasional patches of wind coming in from the east.

The conditions made for the most challenging day of sailing so far this season with all but one crew “dropping a clanger” in at least one race. The stars of the day were Sligo Yacht Club’s Paddy O’Connor and Tania McHale in only their second outing in about two months holding their nerve in the tricky conditions scoring a second, third and fourth making them overnight leaders.

The race winners on the day were Alistair Duffin and Steven Nelson in races one while Tim Corcoran and Brendan Brogan took the honours in race two and the Sutton team of Hugh Gill and Ciaran Murphy were winners of race three.

However, the highlight of the day was lap one of race one where Master Paul Rowan crewed by Ashling Gillen battled for the lead with youth sailors Mark Armstrong and Don McCormack, an apt scene encompassing nearly fifty years of the GP14 class being sailed in Ireland.

With a little less tide and the wind steadier Sundays sailing was a little easier on the mind and it was the Corcoran/Brogan team that was fastest out of the blocks leading at the first windward mark and holding that lead until the finish. Niall Henry and Ossian Geraghty finished second but only to find out that that they were OCS (they have since joined Sligo’s badminton club) elevating Curly Morris and Laura McFarland to second.

It was again the Corcoran/Brogan team that took the honours for race two closely followed by Morris/McFarland and Henry/Geraghty in third.

Sligo Yacht Club presented a new trophy to the Association for the sixth race in memory of Ernie Mawhinney who sadly passed away this year and it was fitting that the wind dropped and the sun shone, Ernie’s favourite conditions in which he was hard to beat. The McGuinness brothers lead the race from start to finish winning the inaugural Ventura Cup and the final race of the Ulster Championships.

There were fifteen entrants for the Master and with the first two races of each day counting in this event it was the Newtownards team of Alastair Duffin and Steven Nelson that took the honours in both Saturday’s races with Curly Morris and Laura McFarland winning races three and four on day two which was enough to give them championships with Duffin/Nelson in second and Robert and Ross Gingles in third.

Mark Armstrong and Don McCormack won the Ulster Youth Championships with Geard Healy and Luke Henderson second and Gerard O’Sullivan and Ben Saunders in third.

The Silver fleet was dominated by the youths clearly showing the benefit of their training from current GP14 World Champion Ian Dobson early in the month. Armstrong/McCormack were victorious with fellow club mates Healy/Henderson second and O’Sullivan/Saunders third.

In the Bronze fleet and keeping it in the family the winners were Frank and Ann Armstrong with Adam Scott and Ben Malone in second and Steve Preston and Mark Magreehan in third.

The regatta clearly demonstrated everything the GP14 has to offer sailing in Ireland, close racing in big fleets, great social scene for all ages, new blood and old hands winning prizes. For more information check out www.gp14ireland.com