Please select your home edition
Edition
A+T Instruments BFD 2024 Leaderboard
Product Feature
RS Venture
RS Venture

Flying Fifteen Irish Southern Championships at Killyleagh Yacht Club

by John O'Sullivan 25 Jun 2013 21:31 BST 15-16 June 2013

Lough boats dominate Irish Southerns

Killyleagh Yacht Club played host to the Southern Championship on the weekend of 15th-16th June, with 24 Flying Fifteens turning out to compete in the five-race championship held on Strangford Lough. The local fleet of 15 boats were joined by nine visiting yachts, with sailors arriving not only from the National Yacht Club, Dublin Bay, but from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club as well.

The consistency of their results saw Portaferry Sailing Club's Final Fling, under Shane McCarthy and Jeremy Rodgers, lift the Southern Championship Cup, with the host club's partnership of McCleery and Dougan in second place in 2 Fast'n Furious. Portaferry stepped up to the mark again with Friggit, under Peter Lawson and Jo Bridges, taking third overall, leaving overnight leader Art Gekko pipped into fourth place.

Despite a forecast of light winds and cloud, the first race on Saturday started with a bang in strong winds, and Portaferry Sailing Club's McCarthy and Rodgers in Final Fling romped around the course to take a commanding victory ahead of Logan and Bridges in Fflapping Eagle, who finished second. Claiming a convincing third were National Yacht Club visitors Mathews and Poole in Gruffalo.

Torrential downpours and massive wind shifts made life hard for race officer David Young and his team but eventually the second race got underway and Killyleagh Yacht Club's McCleery and Dougan made their mark with a convincing first place. Strangford Sailing Club sailors claimed second and third place as Gerry Reilly in Over the Moon and Malcolm Crichton in Art Gekko were hot on their heels.

With yet another course change required, race three saw the brother and sister team of Peter Lawson and Jo Bridges in Friggit nip ahead of Crichton's Art Gekko to take line honours. National Yacht Club visitor's Dooley and Hickey in Fflogger finished third, drawing the first day's racing to a close, but it was the local boats that topped the table with Malcolm Crichton's Art Gekko the overnight leader, ahead of overall winners McCarthy/Rodgers in Final Fling, and Lawson/Bridges in Friggit.

Sunday's racing got off to a much finer start with light southerly winds filling in quickly along the Killyleagh shore. A swap to the Olympic Triangle course configuration suited the stalwart Strangford sailor Gerry Reilly to a tee, and he claimed the first race well ahead of visitors Meagher and Matthews inThe Big Bow Wow, with McCleery and Dougan's 2 Fast'n Furious nipping into third.

With all to play for in the final race, it was a visiting yacht who showed the locals how to do it as Mathews and Poole in Gruffalo nipped across the line in a close finish, pushing the ever-consistent Final Fling into second place, with 2 Fast'n Furious claiming another third.

In the silver fleet, it was a Strangford Sailing Club victory for Philip and Anna Sandford in No Excuses, with the furthest travelling visitor Hard Currency, from Waterford, under Boland and Paul in second. Lough boats dominated yet again as Curran and Quail in Dreamcatcher made it a Strangford third in the silver fleet.

In the bronze fleet, the National Yacht Club lifted the first and third places which went to Murphy and Marshall in Hi-Fibre and O'Sullivan and Ryan in The Last Resort. Splitting the difference in second was the evergreen Seamus Byers from Portaferry Sailing Club in Sea U Later.

Despite the sometimes testing conditions, the event was an overall success and many thanks must go to local company Erindar and to Down District Council for their very generous sponsorship.

Overall Results:

1st Final Fling, Shane McCarthy and Jeremy Rodgers (PSC)
2nd Too Fast n Furious, Andrew McCleery and Colin Dougan (KYC)
3rd Friggit, Peter Lawson and Jo Bridges (PSC)

Silver Fleet
1st No Excuses, Philip and Anna Sandford (SSC)
2nd Hard Currency, Charlie Boland and Andrew Paul (WHSC)
3rd Dreamcatcher, Oliver Curran and Tony Quail (SSC)

Bronze Fleet
1st Hi Fibre, Peter Murphy and Andy Marshall (NYC)
2nd Sea You Later, Seamus Byers (SSC)
3rd The Last Resort, John O'Sullivan and Ken Ryan (NYC)

Furthest Traveller: Hard Currency, Charlie Boland and Andrew Paul (WHYC)
Best Visiting Yacht: Gruffalo, Ian Mathews and Keith Poole (NYC)


Flying Fifteen Irish Southern Championship prize winners - photo � Killyleagh YC

Related Articles

Poole Regatta to Host IRC Europeans in 2026
4 days of competitive racing in a spectacular environment The enviable track record Poole has built for hosting unmissable regattas continues in 2026 with the inclusion of the prestigious IRC European Championship as an integral element of racing, alongside multiple class starts. Posted on 1 Apr
Keelboat Endeavour 2025
Sonata class win Robin Judah Trophy in Burnham Joe Cross, Russell Wheeler, Matt Hitt and Tim Lees, representing the Sonata class, won the 2025 edition of the Keelboat Endeavour, hosted by Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, in Burnham on Crouch, Essex, over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd of March. Posted on 25 Mar
Ovington Inland Championships at Grafham
110 sailors spread across 83 boats and 6 classes attended It was great to see over 110 sailors spread across 83 boats and six classes for the Ovington Inland championship. This regatta has become a season opener for our classes over the years and whilst the sun was out, the temperatures stayed down. Posted on 20 Mar
No more excuses
2025 is all about the club sailors, the weekend warriors, the open meeting stalwarts I was wondering if things were going to slow down in sailing after the huge events of 2024, namely the Olympics, America's Cup and Vendée Globe but, if anything, they've speeded up. Posted on 17 Mar
Flying Fifteen Spanish Championship 2025
The fleet welcomes four new crews to the fleet bringing a new strong challenge The Flying 15 Spanish (Balearic) Nationals were held alongside the Snipe and 420 Nationals in Pollenca Bay on the island of Mallorca. Posted on 16 Mar
Volvo Ladies Helm 2025 at RHKYC
Female skippers aboard the 47 boats across seven classe On the International Women's Day on Saturday 8 March, the Club hosted the annual Volvo Ladies Helm Day on Saturday with female skippers aboard the 47 boats across seven classes joining forces to celebrate and recognise women's achievements worldwide. Posted on 10 Mar
Flying Fifteen Worlds Entry Opens
August's event at the WPNSA includes the UK Nationals and an International Championship "PRO-SET® Epoxy Propels Ovington Boats" in a 2025 Celebration of Flying Fifteens. For the first time since 2011 the Flying Fifteen World Championship will be held in the UK at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy from 10th - 21st August 2025. Posted on 2 Mar
A Big Year Ahead for Hyde Sails
We speak to Ben McGrane at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show Mark Jardine spoke with Hyde Sails' Ben McGrane during the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show 2025 about their focuses in the year ahead, including the upcoming Flying Fifteen World Championship at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in August. Posted on 27 Feb
Geographe Bay Race Week day 2
The wind gods are cooperating (for the time being) With the cobwebs well and truly blown out from a bout of racing on Sunday afternoon, the mini-regatta sailors were on the water bright and early on Monday morning - braving a 9 am start. Posted on 19 Feb
Cowes Classics Regatta 2025 Preview
The relaunch of an iconic regatta with a new format Having canvassed the opinion of those involved in the overall running of an event that has seen soaring popularity since inception in 2008, the Chairman and Organising Committee of Cowes Classics Regatta are delighted to unveil a new format. Posted on 13 Feb