The final races of the Combined Clubs October Series being hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland were tough and demanding of crews with a strong northerly wind which reduced temperatures to single figures.

The Race Officer Peter Moore completed a full set of races for both Spinnaker and Non-spinnaker Classes.

A total of nine races were held for the Spinnaker Class and five for the Non-Spinnaker Class over three weekends of racing.

Peter Moore from Tralee Bay Sailing Club got the Spinnaker Class consisting of three divisions off to a cracking start on an Olympic type course with plenty of fast reaches and the odd broach on the downwind legs. There was smiles all round as boats got up to full speed on the reaching legs which made for some interesting mark roundings.

While the Spinnaker Class were off, the Race Officer Peter Moore called in the Non-Spinnaker Class consisting of two divisions for a combined start and he set a medium length coastal course for the one race remaining in Non-Spinnaker Class to complete the full series.

In the first race of the day for the Spinnaker Class Tadgh O'Loinsigh on his J24 Janx Spirit, Tralee Bay Sailing Club was first with Peter Clifford Foynes Yacht Club / Tralee Bay Sailing Club helming his J24 Gala Racing in Second and the J24 Lady J sailed by Simon Mc Gibney from Foynes Yacht Club in third.

For race two for the spinnaker class the race officer set a windward leeward course with Simon Mc Gibney's Lady J from Foynes in first, in second Johnny Callanan from the host club on his Corby 25 Stonehaven Racing and Peter Clifford again finishing on the podium on his J24 Gala Racing in third.

The Non Spinnaker fleet came home to finish with local sailor from the host club Darin McGibney on his Beneteau First 25 in first, with Conor McLoughlin / Bernadette Synott on their Moody 333 from Foynes Yacht Club finishing second and Fintan Keating on Passade his Hallberg Rassy 352 finishing 3rd and the Non Spinnaker Fleet returned to Kilrush Marina in preparation for the overall prize giving at the Gallon Inn later that evening.

Jacks Sparrow (Beneteau First 25) Darin McGibney from Kilrush Marina

The final race for the Spinnaker class was three rounds of the windward-leeward course on a very windy River Shannon. Tadgh O'Loinsigh on his J24 Janx Spirit Tralee Bay Sailing Club was first followed by Dexterity in second Liam Madden and Team Foynes on his X332 and Rob Allen’s Corby 25, Smile, from host club in third.

The winning 24 in the Spinnaker Class ECHO division Lady J, Simon McGibney from  Foynes Yacht Club 

The overall prize giving took place in a very packed Gallon Inn in Cappa on Saturday night.

Thanks were given to the sponsors Kilrush Marina, Shannon Ferries, Aster Yachting & Gala Clifford’s Cash & Carry.

The overall results are:- 

Non-Spinnaker Class 

1st IRL320      Jacks Sparrow   Beneteau First 25       Darin McGibney Kilrush Marina
2nd IRL352      Passade         Hallberg Rassy 352      Fintan Keating Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland
3rd IRL3492     Big Deal        Dehler 34               Derick Dillon Foynes Yacht Club 

Spinnaker Class IRC 

1st IRL8224     Janx Spirit     J24             Tadgh O'Loinsigh Tralee Bay Sailing Club        
2nd IRL2424     Lady J          J24             Simon McGibney   Foynes Yacht Club 
3rd IRL25007    Smile           Corby 25        Rob Allen Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland

Spinnaker Class ECHO 

1st IRL2424     Lady J          J24             Simon McGibney  Foynes Yacht Club 
2nd IRL5278     Gala Racing     J24             Peter Clifford  Foynes Yacht Club / Tralee Bay Sailing Club 
3rd IRL3323     Dexterity       X332            Liam Madden     Foynes Yacht Club 

Here’s looking forward to the 2019 season with Foynes Yacht Club hosting the West Coast Championships on July 24th to 27th.