The Irish GP14 Fleet can enter this weekend’s Championships of Ireland on a high following a strong showing at the recent GP14 World Championships held in Abersoch, North Wales.
Continuing the trend of poor summer weather the weeklong event was held in miserable conditions with racing regularly cancelled and postponed due the wet weather significantly reducing visibility. Weather aside the 105 boat fleet produced excellent racing.
For the first time in a number of years the Irish Fleet produced two top ten finishers – Hugh Gill and Ciaran Murphy from Sutton Dinghy Club and Alastair Duffin with Stephen Nelson from Newtwonards Sailing Club finishing ninth and tenth respectively.
Curly Morris and Laura McFarland from Newtownards Sailing Club revelled in the light conditions to finish fifteenth allow were unfortunate to be on the wrong side on a four way tie breaker.
The highlight of the week’s performances came from Gerry O’Sullivan and Ben Saunders. Recently graduated from the Mirror fleet the Sutton Dinghy Club sailors showed they had made the best possible use of their Irish Sailing Association funded training weekend with world champion Ian Dobson. The pairing finished a highly commendable second overall in the Silver Fleet and are certainly a crew to watch for the future.
Other youth sailors taking part in the first GP14 World Championships posted some very confidence boosting result. Peter and Andrew Collings also of Sutton Dinghy Club finished 43rd with Adam Scott and Ben Malone from Skerries Sailing Club finishing 63rd. Admirable results for the future of Irish GP14 sailing and providing a good platform for a strong performance at the next World Championship in Sri Lanka 2011.
Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffle from Burwain Sailing Club retained their World Championship title their had previously own in Sligo back in July 2006. They beat off fierce competition including 2003 world champions Neil Marsden and Derek Hill and five time world champion Richard Estaugh.
