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The Squib East Coast Championships, generously sponsored by Sutton Cross Pharmacy, was hosted by Howth Yacht Club over the weekend of 23/24th August. The 23 entries included visitors from Dungarvan, Dublin Bay and our long-time sparring partners from Belfast.
Under the management of PRO David Lovegrove, himself a one-time Squibber, the fleet reached the race course in a spritely 20-ish knots. The first two races were windward-leeward and the third a triangle-sausage affair. Race 1 and Race 2 were bagged by the erstwhile Bridesmaids Dalton and Merry in "Klipbok". "Why Not" (Jean Jago) and "Toy for the Boys" (Wallace & Others!) made up the podium in Race 1 with "Fantome" (MacDonnell & Hudson) and "Toy for the Boys" doing the same in Race 2.
Leading for almost all of Race 3, chased by the fangs of "Shadowfax" (Merry & Odlum) and "Klipbok", "Perfection" took the proverbial smoke. The Delaney family love affair with the Squib was showing signs of becoming more passionate this side of the Irish Sea. Vincent Delaney takes after his younger brother Owen! At the end of a busy Day 1, the leaderboard was topped by "Klipbok", ahead of "Toy for the Boys" and "Perfection".
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The Championship Dinner was served to a tired group of sailors who eventually regained consciousness with the chance of winning some tidy spot prizes at the end of the night.
Generous sponsors such as MacManus Marine Services, White Marine Services / Hyde Sails, d'Alton watches, Prorig and Ivan's Restaurant donated a plethora of fantastic prizes raffled amongst the entries.
Almost a form of premonition, many of the prizes went to our Dublin Bay brethren, save for a pair of sunglasses each to Wyatt Wright and Peter Wallace from Cultra.
In circumstances suggesting voodoo involvement, a d'Alton watch was picked out the hat by Emmet Dalton and presented to the helm of "Femme Fatale", Paul Dalton.
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Chillax - Mary McLoughlin - RStGYC
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Day 2 saw the sun rise for the first time since 1996 and the competitors looked like a bunch of test dummies caught in a nuclear flash. Only the Cultra boys, with shades won the night before could stand proud. A nice Force 4 carried the fleet around briskly for the last two races.
Sun affected the "Klipbok" crew who, in spite of just needing a nice conservative couple of results, were blinded on the start line of Race 4 and ended up coming off the line in last place. As the clouds started to form, the werewolf that is Neal Merry transmogrified and the performance of "Klipbok" boiled the water in hot pursuit of the leader "Toy for the Boys". The O'Rahilly Clan (Father and son, Michael and John) "Lola" had, at this stage, settled into a nice clever regatta (Ending 5th overall), doing nothing too adventurous but sailing clever whilst the rest of the fleet got into its own private battles. Just sneaking past "Lola" at the bottom of one of the runs, "Klipbok" took 2nd place and the Championship.
Notably, "Why Not" consolidated 4th place overall, just reward for a hard-fought event and a tough early season with a broken mast. The results are coming Derek!
The Silver fleet was won by "Fat Boat Slim" (RNIYC), Wyatt Wright's steed, crewed by Howth's Simon Revell (Or "Revelllllle", as Wyatt likes to pronounce it!)
Bronze Fleet Champions were Alex Moorehead and Des Clayton in "Inismarra", also from RNIYC.
Commodore Gerry O'Neill (One-time Squib submariner) and Sutton Cross Pharmacy owner Roisín McLoughlin presented prizes under rare sunshine, occasionally drowned out by the thump of helicopter blades. Some say the chopper was looking for "Fantome".
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Puffin - Emer Harte - HYC
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