In a light air climax to a hectic cruiser class season, titles in three classes were decided on Dublin Bay on Sunday, August 26 as part of the eighth outing of Bank of Scotland's Challenge, a series that was cut short by a lack of wind.
Colm Barrington's class zero yacht Gloves-Off was carried by a sea breeze to a light wind victory despite the best efforts of Fastnet class winner Roy Dickson on board Howth's 40-footer Cracklin' Rosie that has benefited from a new assymetric spinnaker modification to finish third in class. Dun Laoghaire's Maurice Mitton was second in Exclamation.
Organisers based at the Royal Irish Yacht Club had to shorten the scheduled two day series to just three races following a decision to abandon racing on Saturday due to an absence of wind that for a while also threatened to rule out racing yesterday (Sunday) as well.
In spite of a shifting south westerly gradient that spoiled the opening windward leg of the first race yesterday morning a steadier sea-breeze allowed for two further short, sharp races over windward-leeward style courses yesterday afternoon that produced close mark roundings that put boat handling at a premium.
The three competing cruiser classes (zero, one and two) were bolstered by a 22-boat Sigma 33 one design fleet racing for national championship honours.
Tim Goodbody's Sigma White Mischief from the host club emerged as a winner in the no-discard series but only by a single point from (S.Kavanagh) Wardance and Tom Fitzpatrick's Boojum who finished second and third overall respectively after a tie-break.
The class one title went to Ian Switzer's Lethal Weapon and in class two the event was won by another Howth boat Michael Guinan's Phantom.
The overall prize for best performance went to Howth's Lethal Weapon.
The team challenge prize was won by the Howth Masqueraders a team made up of Cracklin' Rosie, Lethal Weapon, Phantom (Michael Guinan) and Boojum.
Dublin Bay Sailing Club Bank of Scotland Challenge overall results (provisional and subject to protest):
Class Zero (IRC)
1. Gloves off (C. Barrington)
2. Xclamation (M. Mitton)
3. Cracklin Rosie (R. Dickson).
ECHO
1. Infinity (A. Chambers)
2. Gloves off
3. Azure (B.Stewart).
Class One (IRC)
1. Lethal Weapon (I. Switzer)
2. Midnight Express (Paul D'Alton)
3. Miss Tuttles (C. Boyle).
ECHO
1. Midnight Express
2. Lethal Weapon
3. Miss Tuttles
Class two (IRC)
1. Phantom (M. Guinan)
2. Blue Berret II (T. Madigan)
3. Xebec (T.Giles).
ECHO
1.Phantom
2. Rebel (R.M. Mackle)
3. Xebec
Sigma 33 National Championships
1. White Knuckles (T. Goodbody)
2. Wardance (S. Kavanagh)
3. Boojum (T. Fitzpatrick).