The Royal Ulster YC crew of Gareth Flannigan/Brian Spence/Jeremy Tomalin on ‘McCreadys Gill Team’ were the emphatic winners of the Investwise SB3 National Championship at Howth with a remarkable 17.5 points margin over runner-up ‘Yeti’ (Sean Craig/Stephen Boyle/Alan Green) of the Royal St.George YC, with early pacemaker ‘Sharkbait’ (Ben Duncan/Brian Moran/Ric Morris) of HYC a further two points adrift.

The northerners simply got better and better as the series unfolded. After a tentative start with an 8th and a 6th on day one, they strung together an impressive record of three bullets and three seconds, clearly revelling in the strong wind conditions over the weekend.

They arrived in Howth as the pre-event favourites on the back of top class performances at the four regional championships and did not disappoint. Overnight leaders going into the last day, they only had to steer clear of trouble and keep an eye on Craig and Duncan to be sure of overall victory.

Winning the penultimate race (just ahead of Craig and with Duncan back in 17th) effectively sealed the title but the last race threw up the highly unusual result in one-design racing of a tie for line honours with ‘Bullet’ (Trevor D’Arcy and crew from Carrickfergus), with Duncan salvaging a third after several average results.

Discarding an 8th was a clear indication of the Royal Ulster crew’s dominance of the event and the pre-event predictions as to who would be the podium finishers was highly accurate. In addition to the top three, there were four other northern crews and four Dun Laoghaire boats in the top ten.

Duncan was the leading local boat in 3rd overall, although two other Howth crews ‘Flying Saucers’ (Emma McDonald) and ‘Lia’ (Dave Barry) filled 11th and 12th places respectively.

David Quinn of sponsors Investwise, who competed himself and finished mid-fleet, was delighted with the event which, with 49 entries, ranks as one of the biggest one-design class championships in the country. Organisation of the championship was headed up by Suzanne Carroll and her committee.

The 2010 Westerns at Galway were epic!

Galway Bay Sailing Club hosted the SB3 Ireland Western Championships, over the weekend. The legacy of the city being host to the 2008 Volvo stopover means that, with the addition of a few further basic amenities, Galway is now a first class championship venue. The fleet were hosted by Galway Harbour Company in the docks and clear water out to the west meant the course had superb wave conditions to go with the 20-25kts of breeze. Ideal conditions for ripping it up in an SB3. But for a single 30kt squal the breeze barely wavered all weekend putting boatspeed, technique and fleet management skills to the fore.

Dave Quinn and the crew of Investwise have been in increasly fine form at HYC so it was no surprise to see them storm off the line to round the first windward mark in the lead. Sharkbait looked to follow them but badly misread the tide and had to eject out below the windward mark eventually rounding 6th with McCready Gill Racing in 4th. The first helterskelter run of the weekend followed with the entire fleet powering down the run under A-sails at the bottom of which Sharkbait pulled through the last couple of boats to take the lead on the drop. From there they eased away to a comanding lead whilst back in 3rd McCreadys spun out at the final gate (caught on camera for the entertainment of the masses in the bar that evening) and went wide of the gate. Once they realised their error they retired from the race leaving Investwise a comfortable 2nd with Lia in third followed by Belfast Kitchens and Duff Beer in 4th and 5th.

In the second race the trio including Loch Derg stalwarts Geoff O’Donoghue and Michael McCarney launched out of the left and into an early lead closely followed by Ronan Downing in Profile Park. But the pack slowly hunted them down with Sharkbait taking their second win, followed by the McCreadys. Profle Park held on for 3rd followed by Belfast Kitchens and Lia.

In the third and final race of the first day Sharkbait jumped clear off the first line with a significant bias to take up a controlling position. Marking the fleet most of the race they let slip at the top half to let Peter Kennedy through. PK, Tom Molloy and Peter Mackel on Belfast Kitchens sailed up the beat to round first with inches to spare. Down the run the McCreadys belted out to the left hand side of the run while the two leaders headed off neck and neck down the right. Belfast Kitchens held their own with Sharkbait down the run leaving a frantic pressure drop from both boats at the leeward gate. Bow vs bow to get the kites down and under control it was honours even as Sharkbait closed to within inches of Belfast Kitchen’s stern before being ready to tack off. Both boats crossed tacks half way up the final beat with Belfast Kitchens having extended to a 2 boatlength lead. Both teams worked their boats for all they were worth and the finish was greated with celebration on the Northern Irish boat as they took the pin end line bias for a win by feet to serve notice that they will be there to defend their National title come September. Discount them at your peril. McCready Gill Racing came 3rd with Sean Craig, Stephen Boyle and Alan Green in Yeti making their first appearance at the front of the fleet this year from Profile Park.

With the lock gates firmly closed until 1pm on Sunday full advantage was taken of the Captains Morgans sponsorship at McSwiggans Bar in the evening. As the poster said ‘we’re off the edge of the map now lads, here be monsters!’.

On Sunday afternoon a steady 18-20kts westerly welcomed the competitors back to the race course. Despite enjoying all that Galway has to offer for the evening Dave Barry wiggled Lia up the first beat to round first, followed by Sharkbait and McCready Gill Racing. All the Lake Garda practice paid off when their kite went up with a wrap. they gybed off smartly undoing the wrap and holding 3rd to the end of the race. Sharkbait powered away to an early lead down the run with the McCreadys’ hot on their heels and an early drop closed the race right back up again. Patrolling the middle of the course up the second beat Sharkbait took a 10 boatlength lead into the final run which they extended to 15 boat lengths before wiping out in the final gybe of the race. All the advice on broach recovery came in handy and but by the time the kite was back up the mast McCready Gill Racing where hot on their heels. Perfect drops from both boats at the gate and a game of tack and cover to the line saw the Howth team home for their 3rd bullet sewing up the event. Game Sharkbait.

In the 5th and final race McCready Gill Racing tidied up 2nd place overall with a race win from Dinghy Supplies, Monkey, Duff Beer and Yeti.

1 -  Sharkbait – Ben Duncan (1,1,2,1) Total 5.0
2 -  McCready Sailboats – Garreth Flanagan (2,3,2,1) Total 8.0
3 -  Belfast Kitchen Company – Peter Kennedy (4,4,1,7) Total 16.0
4 -  Lia – Dave Barry (3,5,8,3) Total 19.0

Complete Results

More event photos by Olivier Bauduin are here.

This adds  to the Eastern championship won earlier in the season.

The event was held by Crookhaven Sailing Club,  with Sailing outside Crookhaven harbour on Saturday in a fantastic 10 to 14 knots. The OOD managed to provide 4 very good races anticipating the gale warning for Sunday with a very competitive 23 boat fleet treated to some excellent sailing conditions. Competitors had to fight hard for every place with positions changing at every mark and a different race winner for each of the 4 races.

The first race was won comfortably by Stefan Hyde and Gerry Dowling. Race 2 saw Andrew Algeo take a nice lead which he extended to the finish, however from 2 to 10 saw constant place changes right to the finish with Mccready sailboats managing to get into 2nd at the finish.

Race three saw Gareth Flanigan take the gun from Ronan collins.

Race four was won by John Downey and crew who sailed very well downwind to extend the lead to the finish.

This was followed by plenty of pints and good food in Crookhaven for the 23 boats and crew.

Sunday started with the gale as forecast. The committee boat went out to check the conditions and it was decided that racing should be cancelled with gusts in excess of thirty knots.

This left the results from saturday to stand with McCready sailboats (Gareth Flannigan) taking the Event.

The top results were as follows,

1st McCready Sailboats  Gareth Flannigan

2nd Modus Operandi  Ronan Collins

3rd   Flutter Andrew Algeo

4th  Sharkbait  Ben Duncan

5th Broomsticks  John Downey

Full results to follow shortly

Gareth Flannigan of Ballyholme is the Afloat.ie/Irish Independent “Sailor of the Month” for April after rising through the 43-strong fleet at last weekend’s busy East Coast SB3 Championship in Dublin Bay.
Mobility was the core concept for the 20ft SB3 as Laser International and designer Tony Castro brainstormed their way in 2002 towards a lifting-keel easily-trailed performance three-four man boat which would capture the spirit of the original iconic Laser single handed dinghy.
While there are many SB3s based in the Dublin area, nevertheless the very competitive fleet seemed to emerge from nowhere and from every corner of Ireland onto the forecourt of the Royal St George YC for this, the class’s first major event of the 2010 season.
Expat Kiwi skipper Ben Duncan, who sails from Howth, was the overnight leader and seemed securely in place. But through the second day defending title-holder Gareth Flannigan of Belast Lough implemented a strategy which saw Duncan’s points lead eroded and then bested.
With a team which included Stephen Milne who has recently launched himself onto the Olympic path with Cork’s Peter O’Leary in the Olympic Star, Flannigan cannily kept tabs on Duncan while keeping himself in the frame. His discard from Sunday’s three races was a 7th, while Duncan went down the tubes with a 19th and 18th in the two final jousts, after starting the day with a useful second.
In fact, it was Adrian O’Connell of the host club who showed best overall on Day Two, but Flannigan moved into a convincing overall lead, finishing on 15 points to the 24 of Duncan and O’Connell’s 26. It was a virtuoso performance which makes him a worthy winner of the monthly award, and it means Stephen Milne is right on line for an Oscar for best supporting actor – he has already been in lights for the second place in the Olympic Stars in Miami with Peter O’Leary in February.

Afloat Magazine

So the winter has been hideously cold, and the recession is biting hard, and one could be forgiven for expecting a lacklustre season opener for any sailing class given the current climate. But not for the Laser SB3 Class in Ireland!

Out of the sheds and gardens they came in their droves, with great cheer and enthusiasm, and a 43 boat fleet set out for the first ding dong of the 2010 season. Clearly whatever is happening out there, it isn’t dampening the enthusiasm of Ireland’s youngest and most vibrant collection of oldies.

All the usual protagonists where there, the match racing Kiwi, Flipper Flannigan, Sean Craig, Pete Kennedy, Theo Lyttle, Colin Galavan, Killian Collins (having traded in his brother for Audrey for the weekend), Homer and Marge and Baby Brother O’Connell – plus a fair pack of talent well capable of posting a few good results on the day snapping at their rudders.

Clearly however, it was to be service resumed with Ben Duncan’s Sharkbait and Flannigan’s Gill Race Team grasping the nettle in what was a stingy breeze for most. With the breeze flicking viciously on the right shoreline, big gains were possible, with race one turning inside out and providing glory for some, and a plughole for many. Not even the Sharkbait crew could have imagined the lead they would take to the finish as they sailed around the fleet following an smart early gybe into breeze on the left. Sean Craig was one who really came a cropper in this one, and plenty were already posting their discard (or hoped they were) before the event had barely begun.

Saturday was a day for some big blasting and broaching, as the breeze topped 25 knots on occasion and left a battle weary but delighted fleet heading for a delightful buffet dinner in the George for the evening. Sunday, true to form, Dublin Bay managed to throw up some massive ladders for those getting themselves in the right spot, with Trevor Darcy in Bullet making the most spectacular intervention from wide left field on Sunday morning, extending their lead to the finish.

Top boat of day two was Aidan O’Connell with a remarkable 3,4,1, contrasting with the usually consistent Duncan’s 2,19 and 18. Flannigan, as so often in the past, was either able to sniff out where the gain was coming from next, or were able to dig themselves out of midfield to keep themselves in the top 5 throughout. Consistency was always going to be the key, with the breeze going from a patchy SW with gusts, to nothing, until it was replaced with a bizarre breeze from the East for race 6. The trophy was pretty much a race off between Gill race Team and Sharkbait by then, and despite Duncan’s team getting the upper hand in the first start, the deal was pretty much done 50% of the way up the beat on the restart. Confusion reigned, as those standing on from the start hooked into a 20 degree lefty, to cross by a mile those who had tacked off to cover any right side bias that seemed likely to evolve. None more so than the Sharkbait boys, who found themselves languishing on the outside of a truly weird hole that ran down the middle of the right side of the course, which they kept falling into as they tried to get back into the centre of the course. They rounded the top mark pretty much DFL and despite a great effort to get back through the traffic, it was game set and opening match to the Boys from Ballyholme.

Royal St George Yacht Club excelled themselves again, setting an exceptional standard under the direction of Sean Craig, and most importantly showed how friendly and welcoming a club they are. Things are certainly alive and well in the SB3 fleet in Ireland, and all eyes will be on the Baily bowl in May, and the Northern Areas at Royal North in June.

A fleet of 43 boats from 13 clubs competed in the event, watched over by PRO Harry Gallagher.

Complete results here

Event photos by Gareth Craig