A small but high quality field of 10 boats joined 172 other keelboats for the annual Howth Yacht Club Regatta on Saturday 7 June.

Light winds and bright sunshine greated sailors as they left for the race area on Saturday morning. After an hour postponement the cruiser classes got away with a race around Lambay Island ahead of them.

The SB20 class were the only class to go for 2 Windward Leeward races instead of the traditional Lambay Race. Race one started in 8kts with flat water and a slack tide. Mike Evans (sailing with Des Faherty and Brian Moran) and Emma McDonald (sailing with Joe Turner and Ross McDonald) rounded the first weather mark together, just ahead of Ben Duncan (sailing with Paul Adamson and Audrey McGovern) and David Quinn (sailing with James O’Callaghan and Paul McMahon). Downwind, Ben sailed good angles to move into the lead with David Quinn moving into second. Up the second beat Ben extended his lead, timing the oscillating shifts nicely. Emma McDonald showed some excellant upwind boat speed to get back into second by the second weather mark, with David Quinn third and a gap to Mike Evans in fourth. Ben remained in the lead to the finish, with David Quinn passing Emma McDonald on the final run to get second.

The second race got underway quickly afterwards with a right shift causing a 10degree committee boat bias. Emma McDonald got a good start with David Quinn over early and Ben Duncan in trouble off the line. Daragh Sheridan, helming for Dinghy Supplies’ Shane Murphy, took advantage of good height and boat speed, and a left hand shift caused by the dying see breeze to lead at the first weather mark, followed by Emma McDonald. They lead the fleet out to the right hand side of the run. David Quinn, who went back at the start and Ben Duncan rounded near the back of the fleet and gybed to go down the left side. This proved to be the right decision as they rounded the first leeward mark first and second. This order remained through to the finish with David Quinn winning the race from Ben Duncan with Daragh Sheridan in third. Overall Ben Duncan and David Quinn were tied for first with a 1,2 scoreline each, with Quinn winning on count back. Emma McDonald finished third overall with a 3,4 score line.

1= Helly Hansen D Quinn HYC
1= Sharkbait B Duncan HYC
3 TBA McDonald/Turner HYC
4 Dinghy Supplies S Murphy HYC
5= Arranow D Faherty HYC
5= Mahnamahna R Downing NYC
7 Tewfrydegz 2 L Shanahan NYC
8= Aquaserge J Aquesse HYC
8= Orestes E Quilan HYC
10 Sport Billy Callaly/Others HYC

Thanks must go to Richard Kissane, committee boat and rescue personnel for putting on some great racing, and HYC organisers for hosting an even better party that night!

Results, pictures and news of the regatta are on www.hyc.ie.