Wind and rain at Quoile Regatta

Wind and rain at Quoile Regatta

27 June 2012 - by BY MARCUS CRICHTON

HIGH winds and rain didn’t add up to make Saturday perfect for Quoile Yacht Club’s annual regatta.

But despite the difficult conditions, 70 boats turned up on the starting line off Salt Island.

Full marks to them all, particularly the juniors who showed plenty of skill and not a little courage as they were given a severe examination.

The honours in the big boat IRC class once again went to Raymond Killops and the crew of Movistar Bleu from Killyleagh, who had over six minutes to spare on second-placed Darren Martin from Whiterock in his Laser SB3, Trouble.

It was a lot tighter in the IRC 2 class where Jonathan Gifford’s Apache had 43 seconds on Peter Thompson’s Alcyone, from East Down.

James Regan, also from East Down, was celebrating after winning the PY 1 class, while in PY 2 the plaudits were taken by James Heron in his Moody 33, Straiddorn of Down.

Raymond Beattie, no stranger to the silverware, finished first in the first of the two restricted sail classes. The second restricted sail category was won by Lindsay Crawford, who is the hot favourite to clean up at next month’s Narrows Regatta Series.

Andrew McCleery and Colin Dougan, from Killyleagh, were kings of the Flying 15 class, and Steven Bridges, also from Killyleagh, topped the Squib standings.

In the dinghies, William Findlay, from Strangford, won the Laser Radial class and Paul McMeekin, also from Strangford, was the best of the Topper 4.2 sailors. Luke Sandford, from Quoile, won the Topper class.

Results

IRC 1: 1st Movistar Bleu, R. Killops, KYC; 2nd Trouble, D. Martin, SLYC; 3rd Only Just, J. Dixon, EDYC.

IRC 2: 1st Apache, J. Gifford, QYC; 2nd Alcyone, Messrs Thompson & Watson, EDYC; 3rd Chorus Line, G. Cromie, KYC.

PY 1: 1st Lizante, J. Regan, EDYC; 2nd Magdaleyne, Messrs Petticrew & McMahon, EDYC; 3rd Pandanova, S. Andrews, SLYC.

PY 2: 1st Straiddorn of Down, J. Heron, QYC; 2nd Loads of Mischief, D. Kirk, SLYC; 3rd Shanty, W. White, PSC.

Restricted sail 1: 1st Tiger Lily, R. Beattie, KYC; 2nd Mad Fish, R. Crosby, QYC; 3rd Trinity, J. Baker, QYC.

Restricted sail 2: 1st Arica, L. & H. Crawford, QYC; 2nd Silmarillion, D. Neilly, SLYC; 3rd Extreme, M. Bridges, KYC.

Flying 15s: 1st Too Fast and Furious, A. McCleery & C. Dougan, KYC; 2nd Over the Moon, G. & G. Reilly, SSC; 3rd Fflapping Eagle, N. Logan & B. Bridges, SSC.

Rivers: 1st Laragh, K. & S. Smyth, SLYC.

Glens: 1st Glen Cuan, J. Pannell, SLYC.

Squibs: 1st Firecracker, D. & S. Bridges, KYC; 2nd Terpsichore, J. & A. Sandford, QYC; 3rd Sparkler, D. Quinn, KYC.

Wayfarers: 1st G. Jess, EDYC.

Laser Radials: 1st William Findlay, SSC.

Toppers: 1st Luke Sandford, QYC.

Topper 4.2: 1st Paul McMeekin, SSC.