Finnegan in the Hot Seat

Tim Gibbons beats Stephen Finnegan to the windward mark

Round the windward mark and not a spinnaker in sight

Hicks/Browne and the McLaughlins battle for line honours 

All Photos by Simon McIlwaine

A brisk and chilly breeze from the north west greeted sailors expecting much less, if windguru was to be believed. Paul McParland was in control of the race despite feeling under the weather, a virus no doubt.

Linedancer stayed in situ with the windward mark towards the Ross monument. The fleet split from the off with 2 or 3 boats taking the inside line and the rest going out in search of the flooding tide.

This seemed to pay initially as the leaders at the windward mark were all coming in on port tack. However, the reach soon sorted things out with the RS400s zooming into the lead on the water. The lead became a battle for line honours between Browne and McLaughlin.

Initial hesitancy to fly the kite cost the McLaughlins the early lead but on the second beat Browne headed out while McLaughlin stayed shore side and at the second windward mark McLaughlin had 30 seconds lead. This was stretched to 60 seconds on the line.

However once Kieran Cranley gets to work with his calculator it is likely that one of the radials will take the win, either Anna McNulty or Stephen Finnegan. Erin McIlwaine had the B Fleet to herself today and so a guaranteed victory.

The AGM afterwards was held in a full to brimming clubhouse, with members wanting to hear about the big change to the constitution. Ian Finnegan the incoming Commodore explained the move to a new structure with the club as a limited company.

Michael O’Farrell was elected as Vice Commodore and in a very close vote Paddy Rooney just managed to grab the coveted role as Sailing Secretary. Kieran Cranley again had a close fight to hold onto his position as Honorary Secretary.