Report from Kinsale YC ‘Christmas Regatta 2009’

Report from Kinsale YC ‘Christmas Regatta 2009’

This weekend Thirty four ‘Oppy Mad’ hardy sailors turned up for the KYC annual Christmas Regatta. Sailors made great efforts to attend this highly competitive event with a good turnout from Tralee, Lough Derg, Dublin and RCYC. The weather on Saturday was crisp and dry, wind from SE puffing at 10-14 knots and a warm 8 degrees. PRO’s Neil Prendeville and Bruce Mathews set the ‘International Optimist Course’ using the full length of the harbour.  and the cast was set for what was to be a highly contested event.

Local sailor Daire Cournane, fresh from his outstanding result in Palma continued to show the way by securing a bullet in race 1 followed by Peter Mc Cann in second. Race 2 was clinched by another local sailor, light aired specialist Sean Gambier Ross. The girls were not letting the boys have it their own way and Erica Ruigrok took race 3 in fine style. Race 4 was won by Robert Dickson making day 1 a 2 all draw between Munster and Leinster. Ashore and signed in, sailors were greeted with hot chocolate and marsh mallows.

Sunday brought blue skies a watery sun and a light breeze of 6-9 knots from the East. A very hotly contested start line in race three caught a few sailors OCS at the pin however they all dipped back through the line and made for the favoured side of the course.  Sean Gambier Ross took the advantage and led from start to finish closely followed by Daire Cournane and Harry Whitaker. This was to set the scene for a showdown between both KYC sailors for the title.

Going into the final race of the day, race six, Sean got boxed in on the line and had to split sides with Daire. Both sailors slipped up in this final race with Conor Murphy taking the gun.

Ashore all sailors received selection boxes for signing in, and beautiful Kinsale crystal was presented to the 1^st three sailors in the four iodai divisions, senior and junior, gold and silver. Rebecca O Shaughnessy who is just 10 years old received a prize after recovering spectacularly from a capsize in these cold conditions.

Daire Cournane won the event by two points from Sean Gambier Ross and Sophie Browne kept the flag flying for the girls by taking 3^rd overall.  Conor Murphy won senior gold, Andrew Levi took senior silver and Ross O Sullivan took the junior silver award.

Well done to all the competitors and parents who made this a great social event with top level competition and a preview of who is going to be on the pace for 2009.

Click here for Main Fleet Results

Happy Christmas to All in ‘Oppyland’.

Finbarr O’Regan

Kinsale YC