Four races with all podium results delivered the overall event win to John and Suzie Murphy’s Outrajeous at the monday.com ICRA National Championships at Howth today (Sunday 10th September 2023)
In spite of valiant efforts by the race management teams, there was no overcoming the weather that delivered near calm conditions and torrential downpours of rain that only allowed a brief race by one of the six classes.
The result sees Murphy’s Howth team crowned IRC champion in Class 1 as well as the overall event winner in their ten boat division.
Speaking at the prize-giving John Murphy paid tribute to his team on Outrajeous in a short but emotional speech where he revealed that after three years campaigning he was close to calling it a day before this season. However, his friend and helmsman Neil Spain persuaded him to keep going for the 2023 season leading to this weekend’s happy outcome.
The full 70-strong fleet representing 27 clubs from all coasts of Ireland plus inland venues saw Cork boats win two of the five individual championship titles.
Amongst the big boat entries of Class Zero, Brian Jones Jelly Baby from the Royal Cork Yacht Club had narrow one-point win over John Treanor’s ValenTina from the National Yacht Club. That result reversed under the ECHO Performance handicap result, spreading the prizes as expected.
In Class 2, James Dwyer with the classic New Zealand half-tonner Swuzzlebubble, also from the Crosshaven club won after Johnny Swan on Harmony from the host club couldn’t match the all podium scoreline from Saturday’s four races that comprised the championship for the bulk of the fleet.
David Bailey and partners with Hard On Port from Bray Sailing Club won the J24 national championship title over five races in their 20 boat fleet that also comprised many of the Under 25 crews that are emerging from numerous clubs around the country as a pathway event into cruiser sailing.
The U25 trophy was won by the crew on Kinsailor hailing from the West Cork club who also placed second overall and were just three points off the overall win.
With no further racing apart from Saturday’s four races, the Class 3 championship went to Snoopy from Courtown Sailing Club owned Joanne Hall and Martin Mahon that counted two race wins and all podium results in their scoresheet for this, the largest class after the J24’s with 13 entries.
“Considering the challenging weather conditions that the race management team and competitors alike had to face, we’ve a super championship and Saturday’s racing must count as one of the most memorable Sailing day’s in Ireland of recent times,” commented ICRA Commodore David Cullen. “We’re already looking forward to next year’s championship to be hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire and we’re keen to receive feedback – good, bad or indifferent – to help deliver a great event.”
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