A strong fleet of 34 boats travelled to Howth for the GP14 2024 Leinster Championships. Local hopes were resting on the shoulders of Kissane/Currane, Blay/McNally, Twohig/Cotter, Dwyer/Rowley and various branches of the McMahon clan. No weak teams in that HYC lineout!

Champagne sailing conditions greeted the fleet on Saturday morning and PRO Scorie Walls got her charges away under (Sometimes eventful) gate starts. The overnight leaders, after four races, were Kearney/Nelson (RNIYC) but it was tight at the top! HYC podiumed, to use an Olympic year turn of phrase, with Diana Kissane and Graham Curran dominating Race 3.

Sunday was a lovely day….except for the wind bit! The competitors were towed to a race area with little confidence in the chances of any further racing. Not to panic, people! Scorie had her team do some sort of dance to the weather gods on back of Star Point and a 4-6 kt breeze settled in from the NW. No sooner had the fifth race been packed away than a perfect sea breeze filled in.

Rear Commodore Christina Knowles lead the prizegiving and thanked the sailors, volunteers and supporters for ensuring the event went off without a hitch before presenting the 2024 Leinster Championship trophy to Seán Craig (Royal St. George YC) and Stephen Boyle (Sutton DC).  By keeping all of their results, bar one, inside the top 4, Seán and Stephen concentrated on the overall title whilst others fought it out for race winners’ glory. Tasty work!

Report by Emmet Dalton - Championship Chair and Hon. Sailing Secretary

Stephen Boyle and Seán Craig with Rear Commodore Christina Knowles

Link to Results

Link to Racing Gallery

Link to Prizegiving Gallery

https://hyc.ie/gallery/albums/383-2024-gp14-leinsters-prizegiving

Support from

• Howth Castle for providing camping facilities
• www.allthingsprinted.ie for the bespoke prizes