J/24 Irish Championship 2023 at Lough Erne Yacht Club: Exciting Sailing Action on the Water
J/24 Irish Championship at Lough Erne Yacht Club
23-25 August 2024
Lough Erne Yacht Club hosted the J/24 Irish Championship from 23rd to 25th August 2024. This exciting event was made possible with the support of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, Hidden Hearing, Rope Locker, and Blakes of the Hollow.
Competitors from throughout Ireland participated, with notable entries from Carlingford, Cork, Sligo, Bray Wicklow, Lough Ree, and Greystones. The host club had the largest entry with five boats, including two under 25 teams and three past Irish champions, bringing the total to 16 boats.
Friday’s racing took place in the broad lough, where competitors faced constantly changing wind conditions. The double reigning European champions, Headcase, led by Cillian Dickson, showcased their dominance by securing three first-place finishes. Following closely was Dave Bailey’s team, Hard on Port, who achieved three second places. Connor Haughton’s team on Jupiter from Wicklow finished the day in third place. In the silver and under 2 divisions, Osin Brennan’s team from Sligo on Gossip took the lead.
Saturday began dry, and the initially moderate winds strengthened throughout the day, requiring all boats to adjust to smaller jibs. Headcase continued their strong performance, winning the first two races and finishing with a fourth in the final shortened race. Hard on Port remained consistent in second place, finishing with two third places and a second. The Sligo team, Blind Squirrel, helmed by Colm O’Flatterty, made a notable advancement in the strong winds, rising to third overall.
Ken Draper’s young team from Sligo in Jevan took the lead in the silver fleet, moving ahead of Ossin Brennan in Gossip. Unfortunately, due to the forecast of windy conditions for Sunday, racing was called off, and the standings from Saturday remained final.
The top local boat, Il Riccio, helmed by JP McCaldin, won the last race after missing the first due to crew injury. Luke McBride and his team on Crazyhorse finished in seventh place, followed by Tim Rippey’s team on Jigilo in thirteenth and Barry Humphries on TJ in fourteenth. The LEYC youth team, led by Adam Torrens on Jet, claimed the sixteenth position.
A heartfelt thank you goes to the race team, led by Derek Bothwell from Howth Yacht Club, and all the volunteers who contributed to a successful event for all competitors. Anyone interested in joining the J/24 fleet for the autumn series is invited to meet at the club at 11 AM on Sundays from 8th September to 13th October.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Fleet | Boat Name | Sail No | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GOLD | HEADCASE | 4247 | Cillian Dickson | Sam D’Byrne/Ryan Glynn/Marcus Ryan/Louis Molloy | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | (4) | 5 |
| 2 | GOLD | HARD ON PORT | IRL 4794 | Dave Bailey | Jack Hannah/Rory Groves/Sean Hayes/Chris Curran | 2 | 2 | 2 | (3) | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| 3 | GOLD | BLIND SQUIRREL | IRL | Colm O’Flatterty | Dave O’Connor/Lucia Nicholson/Gwen Draper/Sean Flynn/Ciaran Walsh | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | (8) | 2 | 19 |
| 4 | GOLD | JUPITER | IRL 5270 | Connor Haughton | Johnny Flood/Garrett Kinnane/Charles Heather/Rumo Best | 3 | 5 | (7) | 2 | 4 | 5 | 19 |
| 5 | GOLD | HUNG JURY | IRL 5278 | Brian Raftery | Gilly Henry/Diarmuid O’Donovan/Natascha Menieor/Sophie Skinner | 4 | 3 | 5 | (6) | 3 | 6 | 21 |
| 6 | GOLD | IL RICCO | 5219 | J.P McCaldin | Ron Finnegan/Graham Priestly/Liz Copland/Brendan Brogan | (DNS) | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 22 |
| 7 | GOLD | HEDGE HOG | IRL 4217 | Mark Usher | Ryan Usher/Matthew Hennessy/Dermot Clarke | 5 | (12) | 9 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 35 |
| 8 | GOLD | CRAZYHORSE | IRL 4533 | Luke McBride | Declan Brennan/Judie Anderson/June Clarke/Nigel Walsh | 7 | (8) | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 36 |
| 9 | SILVER | JEVAN | IRL 4180 | Ken Draper | Mark Greer/Racheal McGarvey/William Draper/Daniel Draper/Triona Harvey | 8 | (9) | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 41 |
| 10 | SILVER | GOSSIP ‑ UNDER 25 | 4202 | Oisin Brennan | Frances Cadogan/Max Van Der Grijn/Oran Costello/Tom Walls | 10 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | (12) | 47 |
| 11 | SILVER | LEGAL ALIEN | IRL 4064 | Craig O’Neill Jnr | Craig O’Neill/Andrew O’Neill/Julie O’Neill/Paul Keal | 9 | (14) | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 54 |
| 12 | SILVER | PROUD MARY | IRL 4384 | Brian McConville | Colin Matthews/Ruiri Kennedy/Lorraine Fagan/Marcin Gatalski/Joe McConnville | 11 | 10 | (13) | 11 | 12 | 11 | 55 |
| 13 | SILVER | JIGALO | IRL 5312 | Tim Rippey | Bridget Rippey/Jonny Beattie/Susanne Hughes Jordan/Rian Kelly | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | (DNF) | DNS | 64 |
| 14 | SILVER | ‘TJ’ | 4155 | Barry Humphreys | Kris Sokol/Laura Zahumenska/Stephen Trimble/Ramona Harron | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | (DNS) | 69 |
| 15 | SILVER | PRINTFIX | IRL | Owen Carten | Andrew Davidson/Colum Furlight/Darragh Gillingham/Jemma | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | (17) | 13 | 70 |
| 16 | SILVER | JET ‑ UNDER 25 | IRL 739 | Adam Torrens | Leah Petterson/Peter Brines/Emma Brines/Emily | (17) | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 84 |
Oliver Hayes, a seasoned sailor and marine journalist from Southampton, has a profound love for the sea that has shaped his career. Holding a degree in Marine Journalism from the University of Portsmouth, Oliver is celebrated for his compelling and insightful storytelling. His work vividly captures the excitement of sailing and the rich maritime heritage of the United Kingdom, making him a respected figure in the sailing community. When not writing, Oliver enjoys exploring the British Isles’ diverse coastlines and participating in local regattas, always on the lookout for his next nautical adventure.