We have waited four years for a GP14 Worlds, so another two days to get the first race is tolerable. Just! Despite the great weather in Skerries the last few days and the obvious delight to be around a large gathering of crews once more, you can sense nervous tension and the desire to get on the water. Sunday was to be a practice race followed by the first race of the Championship proper.

The crew profiles provided the other day were part 1 of 2 sets of introductions I had hoped to present over the initial few days. And as luck would have it, many of the crews that showed first in what was Sunday's practice race were on the second list below.

In the end the best that can be said was the fleet got to practice 2 more gate starts. And with very little wind and an ebb tide, the first attempt was mayhem. With the tide pushing the Pathfinder and the guard boat downwind, many of the 104 boats struggled to keep clear. The PRO had no option only to abandon the race having probably got no more than a quarter way down the fleet.

The second start was far better, with a fraction more breeze. Pathfinder John Hayes & Joel James tacked out to the left and were always looking in contention coming to weather mark. It was hard work however with the tide and quite a light breeze all having its effect. The first 8 or 10 were an even mix of boats that either went well left, well right or up the middle. Best from the right was Keith & Matteo Louden (Lough Foyle) who came around the top mark a boat length or 2 behind the Pathfinder with Ross Kearney & Andrew Vaughan (RNIYC) also from the right. Adrian Lee & Gareth Gallagher (Youghal) were next from up the middle followed by Neil Marsden & Derek HilI who seemed to come out of the left. Alan Blay & Hugh McNally (Sutton Dinghy Club) were next and another who came up the middle.

By the gybe mark Kearney & Vaughan had overtaken the Loudens with Lee & Gallagher closing in. Marsden & Bell were in 5th just ahead of Blay & McNally. However Hayes & James were in complete control in the lightening breeze. Others in the top 10 as they made their way to the gybe mark were Sam Street & Josh Lloyd from Blessington and Ruan & Rebekkah O'Tiarnaigh (Sutton Dinghy Club) Back in the fleet big gains were to be made in staying high to the gybe mark and saw Hugh & Dan Gill, Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe amongst others make big moves. However the signs were starting to look ominous as the breeze continued to drop, and as the leader approached the leeward mark, with a couple of boats still to make the weather mark, the PRO sounded horns to abandon the race and very quickly after that racing for the day. It take a bit of time and effort to tow 104 boats home but effectively and efficiently handled by the safety and shore crews from Skerries.

Rarely is the practice race taken as anything more than a practice race, but the post race discussions on the effect of tide, wind shifts and gate boat protocols were fairly animated and extensive. Talk turned to Monday, but even on Sunday there was a sense it might not happen.

With hope if not expectations high, Skerries had arranged a talk on local tides by Gerry Byrne. Having seen the impact of tide on Sunday practice race, the talk was very well attended. However, despite an amendment to start earlier, the wind didn't play ball and Monday morning saw 2 postponements before racing was finally abandoned for the day around midday. Another amendment saw the lay-day lost and racing now scheduled for Wed with an earlier start on Tuesday. Looks like PRO Bill O'Hara will try and get 3 races in on Tuesday and hope to get back on track by end of Wednesday. The forecast does looks promising.

• Neil Marsden & Derek Hill - The 2003 Champions and 3rd in Mounts Bay in 2018, Neil and Derek are back to contest another Worlds. Their victory in 2003 was in a 171 boat fleet and they pipped the legendary Richard Estaugh for the title. Not sure when was the last GP14 event they sailed, but we shouldn't be surprised if they are there or thereabouts next Friday evening.

   

• Adrian Lee & Gareth Gallagher - A Youghal and Moville combination and one that has been on fire this season. Adrian has been a regular race winner in the last few season and they have race victories in pretty much all events this year, but the pair have now added consistency to their obvious speed. They have demonstrated at the Nationals at Royal North and the Skerries Pre-Worlds that they can deliver in both light and windy conditions.

   

• John Hayes & Joel James - Another team in good form coming into the Worlds following 5th place that included a race win at the British Nationals and victory in the Scottish Championship earlier in the season. John has been a regular visitor to Ireland and will certainly be in the mix most days. Word on the street is his boat is on its way to an emerging GP14 Club in Northern Ireland.

   

• Alan Blay & Hugh McNally - This is a strong team and getting stronger and finished last season with victory in the Munster Championship in November. They have shown patches of form in events so far and did well last November. strong team, won the last event of the year in 2021 and have shown showed good form early in the season. Have served their time in the class, is this year the year for them?

   

• Ruan & Rebekah O'Tiarnaigh - The father and daughter team jumped into the class at the start of the season and have taken off very quickly. No surprise really with Ruan's vast experience and success, former National & Helmsmans Champion and 4th in the Durban World Championships back in 2000. They have been showing some great pace, took a podium in the Spring Open in Sligo and will be looking to have a good event.

   

• Keith & Matteo Louden - Keith teaming up with his youngest son has been great to see, a very light pairing who could cause some serious trouble if the conditions go in their favour. One of the youngest in the fleet at 14, Matteo has taken to the front of the boat like a duck to water and despite their weight have shown they can handle windy conditions as well. The pair have race wins and a no. of top 3 finishes in races throughout this seasons events.

   

• Niall Henry & Ossian Geraghy - Recent winners of the Pre-Worlds, which followed a 7th at a very competitive Nationals in July. The pair have not sailed much for a year or two but seem to be quickly getting back to their usual competitive selves. Get a good run going and they would certainly be hoping to be in top 3 Irish boats this week and always capable of a race win.

   

• Chris Clayton & Rory Higgins - Newcomers to the Irish fleet this season and part of an emerging fleet at Royal North of Ireland. Chris, a Mirror World Champion back in 2003 had been out of sailing for quite a while but with Rory Higgins they have not taken long to find their feet in the fleet and have gone from strength to strength since their first event in Sligo back in April. Expect them to have a good event.

With a practice race and the first race this afternoon the 2022 GP14 World Championships kick off today. Last minute registrations are underway here and everyone is looking at the weather.

With a heatwave all week leading into the event, fingers are crossed that we get racing today. Things are looking positive at this point.

With a fleet of 105 boats, here are a number of the local and overseas contenders who we might see to the fore this week.

• Ger Owens and Mel Morris - Ger and Mel will be favourites within the Irish fleet to pressure the podium. The current weather would suit them as they favour the lighter winds, however the fast becoming the ultimate all-rounders as evidenced in breezy conditions at the recent Irish Championships where they managed a superb second place behind Shane MacCarthy.

   

• Ross Kearney and Andrew Vaughan - A new pairing since Ross returned to Ireland and showed some early form with victory at the Ulster's back in May. Followed that with a consistent set of results at the Championship of Ireland to take 2nd. Was also to the fore in the Pre-Worlds in Skerries a few weeks ago. 2nd at the Mounts Bay Worlds, Ross will be looking to go one better here in Skerries.

   

• Matt Mee and Chris Robinson - Matt is back with Goachers Chris Robinson in the front of the boat. An inform pair in recent times with a second place at the recent British Nationals in Llandudno. Twice a British Nationals winner Matt and Chris will certainly be ones to pressure the podium Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe - Probably event favourite, Ian will be keen to take back a crown he has won multiple time but not since 2014 when he won in Ireland in East Down. The pair are in form with victory in the Bristish Nationals in Llandudno a few weeks ago.

   

• Nick Craig and Toby Lewis - Nick is a 6 time Endeavour Trophy winner and multiple National Champion across various classes including RS400. Went close in the Worlds in Barbados back in 2016 behind Shane MacCarthy and will be a favourite for the podium here in Skerries.

   

• Jane Kearney and Ollie Goodhead - Jane and Ollie had a very encouraging performance in the Nationals at Royal North with a 3rd place and some very consistent sailing. Jane, Ross other half will certainly hope to be in the Top 10 here in Skerries and found the recent Pre-Worlds a very useful exercise.

   

• Hugh and Dan Gill - Another father and son team with the right mix of youth and experience, they have got their beautiful new Duffin going great this year, with a few races wins mixed together with black flags they haven't had the results they may be deserved. The recent Pre-Worlds saw them show great speed and only for sickness at the British Nationals in Llandudno they would have bettered 7 place where they took a race win.

   

• Colman Grimes and Ross Gingles - Event co-ordinator and another form Irish boat from Skerries, Colman and Ross have been in superb form this year. The pair have had race wins across almost all the seasons events and most recently in the Pre-Worlds. They have shown excellent pace, are known to like the breeze but have also proved they can win in the lighter stuff.

   

• Peter and Stephen Boyle - Peter took his first event race win in the recent Pre-Worlds with dad Stephen up the front. This followed some consistent results that gave them 4th at the recent Championship of Ireland. They started the season with two second places in Irish events, showing some great pace in the breeze and will be pushing to get inside the top 10 this week. Stephen will be looking to improve on the 4th place position he had as crew to Ruan O'Tiarnaigh back in Durban in 2022.

The event runs from today through to next Friday with an expected layday on Wednesday. 2 races a day with 106 boat entered representing UK, South Africa, Barbados, Australia, USA and Ireland. Last night, the GP14 World Championship was officially opened and the GP14 President Curly Morris, in his short address, captured the essence and mood of the event - 'An event deferred is an event enhanced, let the Championships begin'.

The O'Tiarnaigh Challenge has always been a different kind of event. Pioneered by the late great Riocard O’Tiarnaigh, it’s an innovative occasion that encourages sailing and competition throughout the fleet, adding further uncertainty as to what might happen next. In this year’s format both conservatism and daring were to be rewarded, with short courses and overall scores from the first day all due to be counted, leading to knockout rounds and a final race where the top 3 from bronze silver and gold fleets would battle it out for the overall win. With a moderate breeze forecast on Saturday and little wind Sunday, who knew what would happen next? Almost 50 boats had amassed to get their Worlds practice in, gates starts and all, so lets find out how it panned out.

Racing got underway on Saturday with a moderate and shifty offshore breeze. Hugh and Dan Gill led the fleet away as pathfinder, and with everyone successfully away, those sailing through the middle were able to take advantage of some big oscillations, join the dots of pressure and trade tacks. The weather mark rounding was the usual and expected busy affair, with the crew of Coleman Grimes & Ross Gingles squeezing in ahead of Josh Porter & Sara Gowdy closely followed by, Ross Kearney & Andrew Vaughan and Adrian Lee & Gareth Gallagher.  The following reaches saw the exchange of places with Lee / Gallagher and Kearney / Vaughan rolling through to weather ahead of the gybe mark. A luffing battle ensued between this pair on the next leg that subsequently allowed Grimes / Gingles back in and close out the positions for the race on the next beat. 

Peter & Stephen Boyle took on pathfinder duties for race 2 with great success. Coming in from the right-hand side they were able to round at the top pack and secure a race win from there on. “Stormin’ Norman” Lee & Alan Leddy showed their form and enjoyed bagging the 2^nd spot. For some of the fleet, the left looked promising off the start, as they could see additional pressure coming down the course. It was only Jane Kearney & Ollie Goodhead who could convert this strategy into a gain, by getting far enough to the right at the top of the beat. They subsequently took the 3^rd spot. Lee & Gallagher had a terrific race to finish first over the line but failed to round the weather mark ahead of the windward finish, this leading to the first of their two DSQs for the same misdemeanour.  They weren’t alone by any means, with a bar-full re-reading the race instructions later that evening.   

Race 3 saw Keith & Mateo Louden lead the fleet away as pathfinder, and like the Boyles in the previous race, they had great success converting their duties into a well-earned 1^st. Lee & Gallagher again showed great skill on the water to bag their almost 3^rd podium, but subsequent 2^nd DSQ. Josh Porter & Sara Gowdy took home 2^nd with Alan Blay & Hugh McNally taking the 3^rd spot.  Race 4 saw Grimes & Gingles take on pathfinder duties, and with the fortune of a lasting lift from the gun, they could convert this into a 2^nd, reaching down to a shortened course to finish just behind Steven & Daniel Nelson, with John & Donal McGuiness close behind claiming 3^rd.

Having set the fleet away on 4 excellent “World-sized”  races with 2 beats in 3 of 4 of them,  the Race Officers Liam Dineen and Bill O'Hara called an end to the days proceedings and sent the fleet ashore, to attempt to count up the scores and determine who was fairing the best in each fleet. The final positions and most consistent were: 

Gold fleet:

Kearney & Vaughn 19 points, Grimes & Gingles 26 points and John & Donal McGuiness on 26 points. 

Silver fleet:

Christopher Clayton & Rory Higgins 52 points, Doire Shiels & Graham Burnes 58 points, Bill & James Johnson 73 points. 

Bronze fleet:

James & Colm Hackett 97 points,  Meg Tyrell & Sorcha Donnelly 107 points, Daniel O’Hare & Muriel Carthy 109 points. 

The craic and stories were flowing in the bar as the fleet enjoyed a great meal and additional Worlds’ Preparation, through a rules talk with Czema Pico, an international juror who kindly shared his wisdom and stimulated great discussion on the good, the bad and the ugly.   The fleet concluded the “World’s” would be a more civilised place if we could all “be more like Jane” Kearney. With the wind dropping off, the racing format changed that night, and Sunday would now see the slate wiped clean and the whole fleet battle it out for the top spots overall and in their divisions.

After an initial abandoned race,  and a competitor-gate boat-pathfinder sandwich, the fleet were off to see if they could complete a race in the now very light onshore flow. Those in phase and able to keep momentum fared well, though either side of the beat could be made to pay. A rare mistake from Kearney & Vaughan saw them unable to gain clear air off the start, a mistake they couldn’t recover from.  The pairings of Ruan & Bekka O’Tiarnaigh, Lee & Gallagher, Grimes & Gingles, Blay & McNally and Curly Morris & Abbey Kinsella were going well. Having started early, they could all eek out an initial lead.  With a little more pressure coming from the right, the race was then on to get across to it. Niall Henry & Ossain Geraghty showed their vast experience as they calmly glided through the fleet, with the Loudens doing likewise, however Blessingtons Simon Cully and young Lukasz Flynn came through to be first at the weather mark. The gybe mark saw the top 4 boats congregate with Grimes & Gingles having to give mark room to Henry & Gerraghy, then the Loudens. Grimes & Gingles were fortunate that Cully & Flynn were being “more like Jane” and didn’t capitalise on their momentum and the space left to squeeze through on the inside.  The wind continued to drop and the positions for the podium held. For the rest of the fleet the clock started once Henry & Geraghty crossed the line, and only 27 of the 49 could cross in time, with Josh Porter & Sara Gowdy picking up an unusual prize for them, in being the last placed boat.

So who won the O’Tiarnaigh challenge? The expert and swan-like crew of Niall Henry & Ossain Geraghty from Sligo Sailing Club, but so many others too. The GP14 class, who continue to attract large numbers and new smiling faces, Skerries Sailing club whose organisation and depth of enthusiasts show what we have to look forward to at the Worlds. Everyone who wanted to practice their fleet sailing and gatestarts, but for me, with four O’Tiarnaighs out on the water, Ruan back in the fleet, and he and Bekka receiving a prize for their creative sailing style, (missing a spreader mark, re-attempting it, missing it again, and for it all to be capture on drone footage…) I think Riocard would be smiling at his lasting legacy.  

Skerries we will see you in 2 weeks!

Full Saturday and Sunday (Final Results) HERE