Browne Upside Downe

The first race of the season was a testing experience for many with a stiff force 3-4 breeze from the east and a strongly ebbing tide. Race Officer Stephen McKay ably assisted by Rachel McKay laid a short course in view of the freezing temperature. Back from retirement was Michael O'Hare and Osmond Morris with a Sterling performance, well maybe more of a Euro performance as they just couldn’t catch Henry McLaughlin Junior in either race! At least they didn’t capsize like many others including new combo Andy Browne and David Hicks who got a baptism of fire with his new helm, first a classic capsize at the leeward mark, then a capsize under the committee boat which took Aidan McKay some time to sort out.

The B Fleet was thinned out early with retirements from Trudy O'Hare and Hannahelisa Smyth who found the conditions just too much. That left Sean Lane, Matthew Collins and Kate MacAdorey to fight for the honours. MacAdorey came up trumps with 2 bullets and Lane took two seconds. Collins had to settle for two thirds, all that pond sailing in England not doing him any good!

News from ISA Youth Championships in Lough Derg is fantastic with Anna McNulty finishing 5th in the Topper class (second lady) and Conor Quinn 8th in the same class. Stephen Finnegan was 18th and Tom O'Hare who had a few bad days, performed brilliantly on the Sunday with results well up the fleet. Conor O'Farrell in the Laser Radial produced a great performance in a highly competitive fleet to take 15th overall.

Next Saturday sees the Club running a sailing exhibition in the Albert Basin, Newry from 12-4. Come along and see the boats close up and watch some demonstration races.

Kate MacAdorey taking the first of two bullets


Henry McLaughlin Junior flying on the reach


The point of no return for Andy Browne and David Hicks