Dublin Port Company / Deloitte Irish Squib Championships 2007
Hosted by Royal St. George Yacht Club 4th - 6th August
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15 visitors joined the Dublin Bay Squib fleet to make an entry of 29 boats.
Howth fielded 8 boats, making it the largest group of tourists.
The latest Irish fleet, Quoile YC (Strangford Lough) was represented for the very first time and it was fantastic to see some new faces and boats.
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Day 1
In what can only be described as standard-issue Dublin Bay conditions (Shifty!) Kookaburra II (Gillian Guinness & Seamouse O'Leary) made its mark on the event with a nice 3, 1, 3, leaving them a point behind the lead of RNIYC's Kin (Simon Brien & Peter Bowring).
The rest of the Howth fleet had a mixed bag. Batleur (John "Still-a-Southsider" Craig and Hazel Ruane) looked like it had used up all its good fortune in the earlier DL Regatta and the sound of tiller extensions being beaten against booms broke the uneasy silence.
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Phil Merry & Tim Odlam
Shadowfax
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Normally mild-mannered Melanie McCaughey was seen to morph into a Hulk-like giant over her doting husband, Pat, as the shifts continued.
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Day 2
With some horrible results needing to be discarded, Sunday morning saw the competitors strapped in and straining at the leash. The Race Officer decided to postpone racing to wait for the rain to pass over. Given the season's weather, this may have been optimism on a mammoth scale. Against all odds, the fleet put to sea a few hours late.
As if by magic, the rain reappeared and washed away all thoughts of a steady breeze remaining for the day.
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Jonathan Craig & Hazel Ruane
Bateleur
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The vortex that is Dublin Bay generated weather systems that have only been seen on the third moon of Saturn. Whilst small children had to be strapped down in Scotsman's Bay, Sandymount resembled a sea of mercury.
Despite the elements toying with the race officials, two races were sailed. Kin and Kookaburra II stayed at the top of the results sheet with Halloween (Foxy Campbell & Alan Boston, RNIYC) nipping at their heals throughout the day.
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Day 3
Klipbok (Emmet Dalton and Student Neal, HYC) took the sixth race, holding off some strong attacks from Anemos (Pete Evans, RStGYC). Anemos took race seven from Kookaburra, much to the delight of the Dublin Bay Fleet.
This was its first race win in an Irish Championship and well deserved. Pot Black (Richard and Ian McMurtry, HYC) bucked its event form and took third on the line.
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Melanie & Patrick McCaughey
Astrix
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Gillian Guinness & Shay O'Leary
Kookaburra II
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| Overall results (for HYC Boats) |
| 1. | Kin | RNIYC |
| 2. | Kookaburra II | HYC |
| 3. | Toy for the Boys | RNIYC |
| 5. | Klipbok | HYC |
| 8. | Bateleur | HYC |
| 13. | Shadowfax | HYC |
| 14. | Pot Black | HYC |
| 15. | Fantome | HYC |
| 23. | Puffin | HYC |
| 27. | Astrix | HYC |
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