Andrew and Colin on crest of a wave

Andrew and Colin on crest of a wave

16 July 2014

ANDREW McCleery and Colin Dougan held off a late charge from former Irish champion Darren Martin and Jo Bridges to win the Flying Fifteen class at the Narrows Regatta Series.

Martin was brought in late on Sunday night for the unavailable Peter Lawson, but even he wasn’t able to overhaul McCleery and Dougan, who won Monday’s Portaferry Sailing Club Regatta to add to their victory at Strangford Regatta on Saturday and runners-up place at Portaferry Town Regatta on Sunday.

For good measure the Killyleagh pair also led the Flying Fifteens home in the Bar Buoy Race on Friday evening.

There were a number of other notable performances over the four days. Simon Watson lived up to his pre-event billing as hot favourite to win the Squib class, though he was pushed hard by fellow Killyleagh sailors David Hanna and Robert Marshall.

Raymond Killops’ Movistar Bleu stormed to victory in the big boat IRC 1 class, while Quoile sailors James Heron and Jeff Baker took the honours in the NHC 2 and NHC Restricted Sail 1 categories respectively.

Kenny and Sonia Smyth won the River class once again and Richard Aiken finished at the front of a highly competitive Glen class.

Portaferry Sailing Club lifted the silverware in the IRC 2 and NHC 1 classes courtesy of Stuart Cranston and Messrs Wilkinson and McLarnon respectively, David Neilly’s Silmarillion won the NHC Restricted Sail 2 class and Robert Darnley was the leading Sonata sailor.

One of the biggest success stories of the series was the junior regatta in Castleward Bay where 30 young sailors enjoyed four days of excellent sailing in near ideal conditions.

Whiterock’s young hotshots scooped the bulk of the prizes. William Browne led the way in the Toppers, Catherine Pooler and Anna Wilson were first in their RS Feva and brother and sister Peter and Laura Gilmore were just about unbeatable in the Laser 4.7 and dinghy handicap classes respectively. Elsewhere Philip Crichton, from Strangford SC, won the personal duel with his brother, Colin, in the Topper 4.2 class.

The event was organised jointly by Strangford Sailing Club and Portaferry Sailing Club and was sponsored by Marine Current Turbines, Down District Council and Ards Borough Council.

Results

IRC 1: 1st Movistar Bleu, R. Killops, KYC; 2nd What’s The Rush II, E. Kelly, BBC; 3rd Shindig, P. Buckley, PSC.

IRC 2: 1st Even Flow, S. Cranston, PSC; 2nd Signet of Kip, S. Martin, SLYC; 3rd Alcyone, Messrs Thompson & Watson, EDYC.

NHC 1: 1st Rock ‘n’ Goose, Messrs Wilkinson & McLarnon, PSC; 2nd Scampede, PSC; 3rd Magdaleyne, F. Petticrew, EDYC.

NHC 2: 1st Straiddorn of Down, J. Heron, QYC; 2nd Wandering Angus, R. Kelly, PSC; 3rd Escape, D. Swail, PSC.

NHC Restricted Sail 1: 1st Trinity, J. Baker, QYC; 2nd Alamviva, L. McCann, KYC; 3rd Umlani, S. Edwards, EDYC.

NHC Restricted Sail 2: 1st Silmarillion, D. Neilly, RCC; 2nd Extreme, M. Bridges, KYC; 3rd Sea Borne, R. Dow, EDYC.

River: 1st Laragh, K. & S. Smyth, SLYC; 2nd Shimna, Messrs Andrews, SLYC; 3rd Strule, Edwards, Hinds & McKnight, SLYC.

Glen: 1st Glen Lark, R. Aiken, SLYC; 2nd Glen Shiel, I. Gleadhill & V. Nelson, SLYC; 3rd Glen Elg, P. Storey, SLYC.

Flying 15: 1st Too Fast ‘n’ Furious, A. McCleery & C. Dougan, KYC; 2nd Ffrig-It, P. Lawson & J. Bridges, PSC; 3rd The Final Resort, R. & P. Chamberlain, SLYC.

Squib: 1st Volante, S. Watson & S. Bridges, KYC; 2nd Blue, D. Hanna, KYC; 3rd Slip Stream, R. Marshall, KYC.

Sonata: 1st Triad, R. Darnley, SLYC; 2nd Cockahoop, S. McGimpsey, SLYC; 3rd Hi-Note, C. Markwell, SLYC.

Topper full rig: 1st William Browne, SLYC; 2nd Angus Ferris, KYC; 3rd Peter Ramsay, SLYC.

Topper 4.2 rig: 1st Philip Crichton, QYC/SSC; 2nd Colin Crichton, QYC/SSC; 3rd Aimee Cushley, SLYC.

Dinghy Handicap 1131 & over: 1st Catherine Pooler & Anna Wilson, SLYC; 2nd Rachel Browne & Molly-Rose Ramsay, EDYC.

Dinghy Handicap 1130 & under: 1st Laura Gilmore, SLYC; 2nd Tom Purdon, SLYC; 3rd Tom McMeekin, SSC.

Laser 4.7: 1st Peter Gilmore, SLYC; 2nd Emma McKnight, SLYC; 3rd Jordan Conway, SSC.