West of Ireland
Offshore Racing Association
Clifden
Tops the West Coast
Clifden
Boat Club wins two out of three classes and the Overall Title in
The
“Dubarry West Coast Super League” 2007
Overall Winner: Jackie Ward’s
yacht, “Hallmark”, Clifden Boat Club.
Class
1 IRC Winner: Thomas & Kieran Whelan’s X332 “Chaos”, Royal Western Yacht
Club.
Class
2 IRC Winner: Dave Griffin’s Dehler 34 “Egalite”, Clifden Boat Club.
Class
3 IRC Winner: Jackie Ward’s Parker 27 “Hallmark”, Clifden Boat Club.
Class
1 ECHO Winner: Thomas & Kieran Whelan’s X332 “Chaos”, Royal Western Yacht
Club.
Class
2 ECHO Winner: John & Edward Conway’s GK34 “Golden Kopper”, Foynes Yacht
Club.
Class
3 ECHO Winner: Donal McCormack’s Shamrock “Battle”, Foynes Yacht Club.
The second “Dubarry West Coast Super League” was another success with over ninety boats taking part from Sligo Yacht Club, Mayo Sailing Club, Clifden Boat Club, Galway Bay Sailing Club, Foynes Yacht Club, Royal Western Yacht Club, Tralee Bay Sailing Club and Howth Yacht Club.
The Dubarry West Coast Super League is an extracted series of three events to count from six events on the west coast, which nicely dovetailed together and is organised by the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association.
The six events were the Northwest Offshore Racing Association annual meet (this year in Sligo), the West Coast Championship’s 2007 (Clifden), O’ Sullivan Marine 100 mile race, Galway Bay Sailing Club cruiser regatta, Foynes Regatta and the October Series at the Royal Western Yacht Club.
The objectives of the Super League are straight forward, to promote sailing, to encourage inter-club competition, to avoid clashing of events and to cater for boats that wish to travel.
The
Overall Results of the “Dubarry West Coast Super League” 2007
1st Overall: “Hallmark”, Clifden Boat Club
2nd Overall: “Chaos”, Royal Western Yacht
Club
3rd Overall: “Battle”, Foynes Yacht Club
Jackie
Ward, and his team, from Clifden on yacht “Hallmark” won Class 3 IRC + ECHO in the Superleague 2006. They got 3rd
Overall in the Superleague 2006, only beaten by “Disaray” (winner 2006) and
“Chaos” (2nd in 2006). This year they went all out and won the
overall title in 2007. But it wasn’t easy.
Team “Hallmark” 2007: Jackie Ward, Damian Ward, Barry Ward, Thomas Davis, Mike Coquil, Mathieu Hussenot, Ian Shanahan and Kenny Flaherty.
The following outlines how
“Hallmark” became the “Best in the West”.
The 2007 Super League started with the “Foynes Regatta” (19th&20th May), where there weren’t enough yachts for a class 3 ... so “Hallmark”, and “Battle”, had to race in Class 2, directly (on-the-water) against the 2006 overall winner “Disaray”. Three races were held over the weekend. “Hallmark” won Class 2, but the competition was hot between these three yachts. This was the first time, in 2007, these top yachts went at it ... but not the last (wait for October). An encouraging, start to the season. “Chaos” won Class 1.
Foynes Results
IRC 1: Chaos, Dexterity, Marissa IX. ECHO 1: Chaos, Marissa IX, Dexterity.
IRC 2: Hallmark, Disaray, Battle. ECHO 2: Battle, Golden Kopper, Hallmark.
Second event was the “O’Sullivan Marine 100 Mile Race” (15th June). This race was from Fenit, Tralee Bay, to Baltimore, to help get interested yachts to two south coast events. “Chaos” won this race. This was the only race “Hallmark” did not enter.
The
third event was the WIORA “West Coast Championships” (4th-7th
July), hosted by Clifden.
This was the largest event on the west coast in 2007 with good competition in each class. The first two days racing were cancelled due to gales. Five races followed over the next two days.
The “West Coast Champion” title went to an east coast, Class 3, yacht “Alliance”. This was the only west coast event they did, so they don’t feature in the Superleague. This was also the only Class 3 yacht to beat “Hallmark” in Clifden.
Clifden Results
IRC 1: Inis More, Roxanne, Chaos. ECHO 1: That’s Life, AWOL, Marissa IX.
IRC 2: Quelle Surprise, Treyona, Crozz. ECHO 2: Treyona, Golden Kopper, Uforia.
IRC 3: Alliance, Hallmark, Battle. ECHO 3: Siamsa, Hallmark, Battle.
White Sails: Running Tide, Misty, Suaimhneas
Fourth event was “Sligo Regatta” (NORA Event) (20th-22nd July), where once again there weren’t enough yachts for a Class 3. “Hallmark” raced in Class 2 again, against the usual suspects and some new ones, only beaten by a north coast yacht, “Chilli Padi”. This was the only west coast event they did, so they don’t feature in the Superleague.
Sligo Results
IRC 1: Esperanto, That’s Life, Xena. ECHO 1: Esperanto, That’s Life, X-Div.
IRC 2: Chilli Padi, Hallmark, Ruthless. ECHO 2: Chilli Padi, Ruthless, Utopia.
Fifth event was the “Galway Regatta” (10th-12th Aug). The competition gets hotter, but Clifden’s “Hallmark” is on a roll and gets five straight wins out of the six races held. Clifden’s “Egalite” was hot on her heels all the way ... Giving Clifden a “One, Two” (1st & 2nd) in Class 2. “Hallmark” performed well enough to claim the Overall Title for the weekend.
Galway Results
IRC 1: Joie De Vie, Catalpa, That’s Life. ECHO 1: Chaos, Joie De Vie, Catalpa.
IRC 2: Hallmark, Egalite, Ibariki. ECHO 2: Ibariki, Egalite, Rhocodar.
Sixth and Final Event was the “Kilrush October Series”, hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club.
By this stage “Hallmark” has enough points to win the Super League 2007 but the following “Month of Sundays” saw some of the best racing of the season. “Hallmark” and local yacht “Battle” go at it one last time, on “Battle’s” home waters, the Shannon Estuary. It was “Tick for Tack” all the way, to the last race of the six held. “Hallmark” wins Class 3. “Chaos” won the Overall Title, “Hallmark” second and “Battle” third.
Kilrush Results
IRC 1: Chaos, Reconnaissance, Marissa IX. ECHO1: Chaos, Marissa IX, Reconnaissance.
IRC 3: Hallmark, Battle, Saronya. ECHO 3: Battle, Saronya, Hallmark.
Full info for 2008 available at www.wiora.org .