J/24 Irish Nationals at Carrickfergus Sailing Club
by Michael Clarke 11 Jul 2006 07:57 BST
7-9 July 2006
The team on Taz wins the J/24 Irish Nationals © Nigel Thompson
Ireland’s 2006 National J/24 Champions are David Taylor and Paul Barbour, in Taz from Carrickfergus SC, with Emma Lovegrove, Steve Ferris and Connor Brennan.
100 sailors in 19 boats from 10 clubs competed in this 27th Irish National J/24 Championship. Of 10 races planned, 9 were completed on windward-leeward courses set by race officer Jim Shields of Carrickfergus Sailing Club, on Belfast Lough over three days, 7 - 9 July. Wind and weather ranged from near calm to force five in driving rain.
Typical of the real sailing sport enjoyed by Ireland's J/24s, first places were shared across five crews, and over half the fleet scored at least one first, second or third place. A J/24 is 24 feet long with a fin keel and real spinnaker. With hull and rig all the ‘one-design’ success depends most on the skilled teamwork of her crew of five men and women. First to finish decides who wins in tight and hard fought racing.
Second overall was a past national champion, Michael McCaldin's team in Murder Picture from Lough Erne YC. Third was Desmond Fortune's Hard on Port, Royal St George YC, and fourth Tim and Shirley Sheard's Jay Kay, another past Irish champion, from Lough Neagh SC. Fifth was Stuart Harrison, also LNSC, at the helm of Mark Isherwood's Jadore, LEYC, and sixth Jamie Bergin's Jaws from Lough Ree Yacht Club, most distant traveller who took his J/24 by road to Carrick from Athlone.
John Patrick McCaldin’s Jet from LEYC took the prize for first among the five older Westerly built boats. Second was Graeme Grant’s in Juno with a team from Carlingford Sailing School, best a 3rd place. Third was Elayne Taylor, the only woman helm, from Ballyholme YC, in Jeriatrix from LEYC, best a 4th place.
Next outing for Ireland’s J/24 fleet is the revived Southern Championship, hosted by Royal Cork Yacht Club on 19 and 20 August. A fortnight later, J/24s on loan to RCYC from Irish owners will be used in the ISAF Nations Cup match racing final. This is a top world level sailing event, and Ireland’s most important international sailing championship this season, indeed for some seasons past. Around the world 63 nations have selected entries for seven regional or continental championships. The winners of these seven will be in Cork this September to decide the world final.
Results at www.carrickfergussc.org/Racing/J24NationalChampionship