Given the light wind conditions forecast for the rest of the week, the Cork Dry Gin Calves Week Organising Committee brought forward one of the traditional set pieces of the Regatta week, a sail out through Roaringwater Bay to the Fastnet Lighthouse for the 6 separate racing fleets.
A slight delay to the start, to ensure the full fleet had assembled, meant many of the crews got an opportunity to see Clet, the dolphin that has been visiting Schull and other harbours around the West Cork coast. Clet seems to particularly enjoy the excitement of many boat sailing around in formation waiting for the first gun and breaches alongside or swims underneath each boat in turn while skilfully avoiding hazards like propellors
With a fair forecast, and a steady 15 knot northwesterly, Race Officer Neil Prendiville ensured a full day’s racing for all. He sent the smaller boats in Whitesail 2, who were started first, and Class 4 around the Amelia and on a fast close reach out directly to the Fastnet Rock and back. Whitesail 1, and Class 3 included a windward leg through the Calf Islands and around a laid mark south of Long Island, before the turn towards the Rock. Classes 0/1 and 2 had to complete a further downward/windward leg from the Fastnet Rock around Clear Island, and a blustery run north through the Gascanane Sound and northwest around West Calf Island for the Class 2 fleet and Goat Island for the largest Class 0/1 boats before a spinnaker run to the finish.
Colman Garvey in True Penance (RCYC) took his revenge for yesterday’s place and won IRC Class 0/1 ahead of Rob McConnell in Fools Gold (Waterford Harbour SC) and yesterday’s winner, Conor Doyle in Freya (Kinsale YC). In Echo, three different boats took the prizes, with Peter Boylan’s Sweden 45 , Annabella (RIYC) ahead of Thomas Roche (KYC) on Meridian and local Grand Soleil 43, Growler (Gabby Hogan). In Class 2 IRC, Dexterity from Foynes YC (McEneff/Madden/Hobbs) won the day ahead of local rival Big Deal (Derek Dillon, Foynes YC) and The Man 4 (John ORegan KYC). In Echo, Ernie Dillon on Silke Breeze (RCYC) got one up on his brother’s result in IRC, ahead of The Man 4 and Raphael Crowley’s Huntress from Tralee Bay.
The different racing conditions suited different boats in both Class 3 and 4. Dan O’Donovan on Seconds Count (Dungarvan) was ahead on corrected time of both Gary Fort’s J24, Jaguar from Tralee Bay and Jimmy Nyhan on Outrigger (RCYC). Bombora had a great win in Echo Class 3 with Padraig O Donovan on Chameleon (KYC) having a great regatta to date with a second placing in Echo ahead of local First 300, Chinook (Frank O’Hara, SHSC).
Local Boat, Shelly D, Mick McCarthy, won Class 4 IRC and was placed third in Echo behind two local rivals Kevin Murray on Dovita of Colla (SHSC) and Oonagh Buckley on Tete a Tete (SHSC).
In the fleet of larger whitesail boats, John Dowling in Samba (RCYC) received his second first place in IRC ahead of Act 2 (Roche, O’Leary, Andrews), and Samatom (Bob Rendell). Echo honours went to Cork based, Endeavour (Conor Phelan, RCYC) ahead of Ken Burke from Howth Yacht Club on Savarna and Don McCarthy on VSOP (SHSC). In Whitesail 2, Tom McCarthy on Ashanta again took IRC honours, with local boat Dreamcatcher (Frank Murphy, SHSC) ahead of Michael Hearn on Summerfly and Cork boat, Tuna (Brendan Buckley, RCYC).
Light winds are forecast for the remaining days regatta, although this being West Cork, the weather can always surprise.
[button link=”http://www.shsc.ie/CalvesWeek2014/CalvesWeekResults2014.aspx” color=”black”] Full Results Here[/button]
