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High Speed Trip to Peel
When romanticizing about offshore races or cruises we all say we want a good following breeze with a great spinnaker leg to get us to our destination at full speed. The reality however includes the nail-biting, edge of the seat drama that is racing downwind with a good breeze but also with the accompanying rolling seas.
By all accounts this was the scenario for the Isle of Man Race, part of the Northern Ireland Offshore Points Series, which started from the Royal Ulster YC start line on Friday evening at 20.05hrs with destination Peel. First to finish was the Beneteau Twister (Fair/Byers & Fletcher) with an elapsed time of five hours ten minutes - probably a record for this race. They were closely followed by Spindrift (Donnan & Sheals) and the first Sigma 33, Sula (Taylor & Sherwood). Te final finishers Chaingang (K Halliwell), Gumdrop (D Gilmore), Blues (Hamilton & Milne) and Chimaera (G Baird). Final results are not t hand as not all time declarations have been received. Most of th boats stayed on in Peel until Sunday morning and were delighted with the town as a destination for this offshore race.
Powerboating
Last weekend Rory Flannigan, who we all see manning the safety boats on Tuesdays and Thursdays and most of our special sailing events, was competing for the Great Britain & NI Team at the UIM/RYA Formula Future World Championships. Rory has had success previously in the Honda Youth RIB Championships also under the auspices of the RYA but this was a major step forward for our local powerboat guy. Not only was Rory chosen for the 16-18 years category in the event but he was selected to be Team Captain, an honour of which he is rightly proud. The competition took place at the Lancashire Powerboat Racing Club at St Helens and attracted teams from all over the world but mainly from Europe. Team Gb had several top places but the event was won by the German team. It seems that in some countries small powerboat racing is considered a school sport and some of the teams had been competing together for some time.
Rory Flannigan - Team Captain (centre back row) with other members of the GB & NI Team at the RYA UIM Formula Future Powerboat World Championships at St Helens
Rory commented that “he was extremely proud of the whole team throughout the competition. adding: “The best thing about the competition is that it has brought us all together. Not only are we a team but we have become friends as well. It has given us the opportunity to meet people from all around the world and to improve our powerboat racing.”
Coming up at Royal Ulster YC are the final two Thursday evening races this week and 2 September. The Cruise in Company over the weekend 27 to 29 August and the Portpatrick Race on Saturday 4 September sponsored by Irish Spars and Rigging. This weekend coming is Royal North of Ireland Regatta. The first CLub Night talk is on Wednesday 15 September and will be an illustrated talk by Fiona Hicks on her trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with her sisters earlier this year. More details of all these events will be on the web site soon and on Club notice boards.
‘Heresay’
UK City of Culture 2013 gets on board for
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
Superyacht "Lady B" anchored off the Royal Ulster Yacht Club
Regatta Day 2010
OUR REGATTA THIS YEAR WAS HELD OVER 2 DAYS 19/20TH JUNE AND WAS KINDLY SPONSORED ONCE AGAIN BY TEMPLETON ROBINSON ESTATE AGENTS IN BANGOR.
SATURDAY RACES WERE IN THE USUAL FORMAT WITH THE MORNING RACE STARTING AT 11.30 IN BRIGHT SUNSHINE AND A FRESH N/NW BREEZE STARTING AT 10 KNOTS BUT REACHING 25 KNOTS LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS CLASS WAS SET COURSES TAKING THEM ACROSS BELFAST LOUGH TWICE TO CLOGHAN JETTY BUT FINISHING AT THE RUYC LINE.
THE RACE WAS WON BY SPINDRIFT FROM BENGAL MAGIC AND TROUBLE WAS THIRD.
THE AFTERNOON RACES ENJOYED WONDERFUL SAILING CONDITIONS AND THERE WAS A GOOD TURNOUT OF BOATS IN 11 CLASSES.
THE COURSES WERE THOSE USED FOR THURSDAY NIGHT RACING OFFERING THE VARIOUS CLASSES GOOD WINDWARD BEATS KEEPING THEM BUSY IN THE BLUSTERY CONDITIONS.
TREVOR EDWARDS WAS OOD ON SATURDAY AND OUR THANKS TO HIM AND HIS TEAM IN THE BATTERY AND IN THE SAFETY BOATS.
RACING CONTINUED ON SUNDAY MORNING AFTER THE MID SUMMER BALL ON SATURDAY EVENING WHICH SAW MANY OF THE COMPETITORS DANCING INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF SUNDAY MORNING.
SUNDAY RACING WAS SAILED OVER WINDWARD LEEWARD COURES SET BY THE OOD RON HUTCHIESON.
3 RACES TOOK PLACE AND ONCE AGAIN EXCELLENT SAILING CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE ON SATURDAY.
SPINDRIFT WON OVERALL IN IRC CLASS .
BLUES WON IN THE SIGMA 33 CLASS .
THERE WERE 2 STARTERS IN THE IRC WHITE SAIL CLASS AND THE WINNER WAS KACANA.
KENNETH HUNTER
HON. SAILING SECRETARY
The Battery Team
Inshore Points Series
The Todd Chart Agency Mid Lough Series jointly organised by Royal Ulster, Ballyholme Yacht Clubs and Carrickfergus Sailing Club took lace last weekend. Unfortunately only eight boats joined in, four in the IRC Unrestricted Class, and two each in the Sportsboat and Sigma 33 classes. Saturday’s fresh breeze made for some exciting racing however Sunday was a much lighter wind affair. The racing took place mid-lough, near the Fairway buoy, with Tony Weston’s Mandolin Wind acting as Committee Boat.
In IRC Unrestricted Shaun and Cathy Doran’s Caesium and Ken Halliwell’s Chain Gang shared the honours with Caesium taking two firsts and a second on handicap and Chain Gang with one first and two seconds. The Donnan/Sheals owned Spindrift had three third places on Saturday. Burton Allen’s Sigma 33 Starshine Challenger had three firsts on Saturday and the honours were also shared in the Sportsboat Class with the Darcy Hutchinson partnership in the SB3 Bullet taking two firsts and a second.
With the lighter wind on Sunday there was a lengthy postponement waiting for the wind to settle down before Race Officer Jim Coffey got the fleet away on three more races. In the SB3 contest Bullet definitely had the upper hand in the lighter airs although both SB3s lost the second race for being over the line early at the start. Bullet was the overall winner of that Class Gerry Bell’s Cariad had three wins on Sunday to clinch that Class overall on the tie break rule. In IRC Unrestricted the Gillespie-Ross-Smith syndicate in Trouble took two races on handicap while Caesium sailed their discard in race four by being over the line early. Ken Halliwell’s Chain Gange was able to discard a third place to win this class overall.
The prize giving for the event took place at Royal Ulster YC after racing on Sunday where Billy Todd of Todd Chart Agency present the winners with their prizes.
Hamilton Shipping Thursday Series
Heresay wasn’t racing lst Thursday as she was busy ensuring there were no voters denied their rights at the Polling Station. However, I can report that in the classes that raced Ken Halliwell’s Chain Gang won IRC Unrestricted, the Johnston’s Impulz won the Sigma 33s, George Baird’s Chimaera and the McDonough/Nutall partnership in Bamboozled has easy wins in the Whitesail and Elite Classes respectively while Laser No 192602, owner unknown, won the PY Centreboard Class. It would greatly assist the race results team at Royal Ulster if boat owners could ensure that their boat names and owners are advised to the race office or to the Sailing Secretary.
Success for Oliver
Congratulations to RUYC and BYC young member Oliver Loughead who came second overall in the Laser Radial Class at the ISA Youth Championships in Schull at Easter.
At the ISA Youth Nationals & Junior Pathway Championship Prize-giving
(l-r) Event sponsor Tom Mapplebeck, of Curradinghy Sailing, ISA President Peter Crowley, Oliver Loughead, who placed 2nd in the Laser Radial Class and Rory Fitzpatrick, ISA Youth Development Manager.
T Oscar Rollins Spring Series 2010
Race Three
The third race of the T Oscar Rollins Spring Series at Royal Ulster Yacht Club had a very similar feel to it as the previous week’s race. Not a breath of wind for over half an hour and then a real chill came in bringing the light breeze with it. The light air filled in well to give a good beat from No 1 mark to No 4 and then No 7 downwind to the finish. The IRC Unrestricted class were given a second round which enabled Blues (Hamilton/Milne) to just sneak a victory on handicap from Kenneth Halliwell’s Chain Gang.
In the Whitesail Class George Baird’s Chimaera was again winner on handicap with Enigma (Adair, Johnston & Jordan) second and John Moorhead’s Margarita in third. The RS Elites had a close race until the wind shifted and No Angel (F Hicks) overstood No 4 mark letting Bamboozled (McDonough & Nutall) through to hold the lead until the finish line.
The final race of the Spring Series is on Saturday and is combined with Opening Day. The courses start from RUYC Battery and the sailing instructions and start times are on the Club web site and available in the Clubhouse. Anyone racing who has not got this year’s course card will need to get hold of it as the courses and mark positions have changed this year.
Race Two
The second race of the T Oscar Rollins Spring Series at Royal Ulster Yacht Club finally got started after a postponement of 30 minutes due to a complete lack of wind. For a while the only things moving just offshore at the Club battery were three harbour porpoises enjoying an early morning formation swim along the shoreline.
When the breeze filled in gently from the north east the fleet of nine boats in three classes each had a downwind start to number one mark followed by what looked like a beat into the great unknown as number 5 mark was almost invisible on the horizon in the low lying mist. John Moorhead’s Margarita showed everyone a clean pair of heels to get round the No 5 first, while in the Unrestricted Class Blues (Hamilton/Milne) were having a tight tacking battle inshore with Ken Halliwell’s Chain Gang. The two Elites out for the first time this year, Bamboozled (McDonoughs & Nutall) and Fiona Hicks’ No Angel, also close tacked most of the way to the first mark.
The downwind leg to the finish was frustrating slow as the breeze started to fade away and Margarita, Blues and Chain Gang all finished within a few seconds of each other followed by the two Elites. In IRC Unrestricted Chain Gang took the winners spot on handicap, in IRC Whitesail George Baird’s Chimaera took first on handicap although well behind Margarita on the water such is the handicapping system. No Angel just managed to stay ahead of Bamboozled to take the gun in the Elite Class.
Race One
The T Oscar Rollins Spring Series at Royal Ulster Yacht Club got underway last Sunday with a bracing north westerly breeze of around 15 knots dropping to nearer 10 by the end of the race. Mainly due to the recent bad weather only five boats made it to the start line.
The courses are now the new ones for this year and take care! Some of the courses are butterfly shaped and you might need to read the course card carefully so as not to repeat the mistake of one crew on Sunday. In the IRC Unrestricted Class Ken Halliwell’s Chain Gang had a comfortable win over the Hamilton/Milne partnership in Blues.
In the IRC Whitesail Class three boats competed and it looks as if George Baird’s Chimaera will be a hard one to beat this year as she finished first on handicap ahead of the Jordan/Adair/Johnston boys in Enigma and John Moorhead’s Margarita.
L to R Chimaera, Enigma, Chain Gang enjoy the brisk conditions for the first race of the T Oscar Rollins Spring Series at RUYC on Easter Sunday
Ken Halliwell's Chain Gang crosses the finishing line in the T Oscar Rollins Spring Series
George Baird's Chimaera beating for the first mark in the T Oscar Rollins Spring Series
Volunteer Award for Ron Hutchieson
Harry Hermon (l) CEO of the Irish Sailing Association congratulates Ron Hutchieson
on his Volunteer of the Year Award at the recent ISA Awards Dinner
(Photo: Gareth Craig www.fotosail.com)
The Irish Sailing Association has just released the names of its award winners for 2009 and Volunteer of the Year is no other than RUYC and BYC member Ron Hutchieson. Ron was nominated by the Irish Laser Class Association and the award was announced at the ISA Dinner on 6 March. Ron has been involved in sailing since the early 1960s and has worked in a volunteer role ever since both nationally and internationally. Ron has been Hon Secretary of the Irish Laser Association since 1979, a period during which the class has grown into one of the largest sailing classes throughout the world.
In addition to the Laser Class Ron’s voluntary work has seen him involved at the highest levels of the sport with involvement as an international judge since 1983 and with the ISA Racing Rules and Appeals Board a body of which he is Chairman today. Closer to home all Belfast Lough sailors know Ron for his skills in managing sailing events both on and off the water and he has also served on the RUYC Sailing Committee.
ISA Chief Executive Harry Hermon said: "Ron's commitment over the last 30 years is extraordinary and has been of huge benefit to the development of the sport. His is a worthy recipient of the ISA Volunteer of the Year Award."
RYA Award for RUYC Member
The Royal Yachting Association Awards and Community Awards acknowledge the importance of volunteers within the sailing and boating communities. They recognize the outstanding contributions, time, effort and experience individuals have made to making it possible for others to enjoy boating and sailing, from establishing clubs, committee participation, to boat maintenance and training.
In 2009, forty-nine Community Awards were projected across three categories recognising; Lifetime Commitment, Outstanding Contribution and Youth.
Northern Ireland had two award winners in this year's round of nominations. RYA Regional Award Winner was Royal Ulster YC member Doug Smyth who was nominated by the RYA NI Executive Committee for his contribution to sailing in Northern Ireland and a unique contribution to RYA NI particularly in respect of the introduction of effective governance and management arrangements.
Congratulations Doug on this significant achievement. He was presented with his award by HRH The Princess Royal, President of the RYA at the recent RYA Annual General Meeting. (Source RYA NI)
Royal Ulster YC Boxing Day and New Year Outings
Although rather chilly we were blessed with almost ideal conditions for both the Boxing Day Barbecue at the Copelands and the lunch outing to Carrickfergus. On Boxing Day Myles Lindsay and his team had the barbecue gong in time for the first arrivals on the island at midday and over twenty people enjoyed a sunlit cooking fest. Thanks are as usual due to Marty Wells for the use of the facilities at his cottage on the island. Thanks also to Garth Lindsay for acting as ferryman for the cruiser folk saving them the necessity of pumping up and launching rubber dinghies to get ashore.
Having Fun at the Boxing Day Barbecue
The Windrose was the venue for the New Year’s Day outing organised by Bill Whisker. Around 70 Club members and families rafted up in Carrickfergus Marina and lunched well at the Windrose. Even chillier weather was experienced with ice on the decks but the mulled wines and the excellent lunch kept us warm until we all got berthed back in Bangor.
A reminder to all cruising folk - the Cruising Dinner and judging of logs will take place on 19 February so you will need to get your masterpieces in to the Club in good time. More details of this later.
'Heresay'