Mirror Southerns Report 2007

Click here for full results

Another event, another new crew, Wexford Harbour was the venue this time, and I couldn’t help but remember the last time the mirrors were here. My burgee is still presumably on the bottom of the River Slaney!

There was no sign of that sort of wind for this event, however, and the start out in the bay had to be postponed not just because the light breezes were holding up the fleet, but also because 40 degree shifts were making setting a course nearly impossible. Race 1 was started surprisingly cleanly, and Aileen Boylan set the early pace, building on her impressive form so far this season. At a very early stage, the race was dominated by just four boats: Aileen, Peter Todd, Rachel Guy and Mark Boylan. In a dying breeze, the field outside this group was compressed, and Johnny Hill, Orlagh Cotter and Niall Carbery suffered particularly cruelly at the hands of the shifts. Aileen was also unlucky, as a huge shift left the lead to be scrapped over by Peter Todd and Rachel Guy, while she dropped into a fight with her brother for third place. In the end, Rachel spoiled Peter’s birthday celebrations when she beat him over the line by a matter of inches. Mark pipped Aileen for third, and Cillian Dickson once again performed his party trick of appearing from nowhere to finish fifth. Cian Hickey shocked everyone to finish 8^th, thriving in the tricky conditions.

Frustrating conditions in Race 3, as myself, Orlagh Cotter and Karl Mackey try to keep spinnakers filling

Race 2 followed on in the same vein, with light breezes and big shifts. This time it was the other Boylan, Mark, who was the clear leader, and it remained that way for the rest of the race, in what could well be the most comfortable win of his career. This time it was Cillian Dickson who was second to finish, followed by Johnny Hill, who continued the theme of little Northern kids beating me at sailing! Aileen was fourth again, and Karl Mackey, the top sailor still using the gaff rig, took up fifth spot.

After a torrential downpour and drop in wind, we had to try to negotiate the third race without the use of telltales. This is where experience should have paid off, but Cillian Dickson confounded everyone to become the third different race winner of the event, and lead overnight. Second was Aileen Boylan, third was Peter Todd, fourth was Rachel Guy and fifth was Mark Boylan.

Overnight just four points separated the top four places. Cillian led with 8 points, Mark was second with 9, Aileen was third with 10, and fourth was Rachel with 11. Everything was up for grabs on day 2, and there were more than a few people who would have preferred not to go out sailing, especially given the conditions. The only ripples on the water when we arrived at the club were caused by the racing tide, and the start was delayed indefinitely. To everyone’s surprise, except the omniscient PRO, the wind built at about 11, then built again, until suddenly we were racing in a healthy force 3-4. Race 4 began with a general recall, and so we were reacquainted with our old friend the black flag. Caught over the line were Matthew O’Connor and seventh overnight Karl Mackey. Almost as surprising as the good breeze as the fact that it wasn’t raining, but what surprised nobody was the fact that it was Mark Boylan who took the honours across the line. Mark was followed by Niall Carbery, then Cillian Dickson. Fourth was Aileen by a whisker from Rachel Guy, after a final beat that saw the Skerries sailor just come out on top following a tight match race. Orlagh Cotter, improving all the time, sealed a seventh place, and tenth was another Royal Cork star, Laura McCarthy. This left the overall standings with one discard as Mark top with 5 points, Cillian second with 6, then Rachel in third on a tiebreak with Aileen, both with 10 points. This effectively ruled Rachel and Aileen out of the running, leaving Mark and Cillian to fight it out in race 5.

Orlagh Cotter covers Graham Daly in Race 4

This race was started first time, and going up to the windward, the order was Aileen, Niall Carbery, then a slightly confused me! We were followed by Mark Boylan, with Cillian further back. The top four stayed locked in a tight battle for the lead on the shifty race area inside on the river Slaney. This situation remained until the third beat. Spinnaker issues caused me to drop back, leaving the top three out on their own, when a massive shift on the left hand side of the beat let Catherine Vaughan into third place, blew me up a certain proverbial creek, and fired the original speedy blonde kid, Adam McCullough, into the top five, having rounded in fifteenth. Going onto the last downwind leg, we had the top 8 all within about half a minute of each other, and everyone was fully aware that another shift like the last could deny race leader Mark Boylan the championship, as Cillian was sitting in 6^th place, waiting to pounce. Eventually, after more insane shifts, and one of the tensest final beats I have ever sailed, Mark held onto his lead, Aileen finished second, Niall third, Adam fourth, Catherine fifth, myself sixth, Cillian seventh and Karl Mackey eighth.

This left the final standings as follows-

Silver Fleet was won by Johnny and Adam Hill from Royal North, who finished 8^th overall. Second were Laura and Louise McCarthy from Royal Cork, who finished 15^th.

In Bronze fleet, Cian Hickey and John Rooney from Skerries were the winners, followed by Matthew O’Connor and Elliot Ryan from Lough Derg. Third place was Conrad Ryan and crew Andrew Mackey, also from Lough Derg.

The lack of local boats meant that no weatherdial trophy was awarded. The  southern traveller trophy went to Orlagh Cotter from Royal Cork.

After yet another miraculous performance from the PRO who has to have some sort of psychic power, last time we were in Wexford he sent us out literally seconds before a force 8 moderated to a force 5, we said goodbye to Wexford again. The turnout by local boats may have been disappointing, but the sailing on show proved that the hard core of the mirror fleet has lost none of its spark.

Peter Collings

www.imcai.com