The performance of the UK Sails Ireland team continues to bear fruit, most recently on the competitive race courses of Scotland and Howth last weekend.
In Howth, at the 1720 Europeans, a UK sails 1,2,4 showed the competitiveness of the UK product range. Congratulations to Aoife English and Ross McDonald who sailed Atara to a well-deserved win, followed by Rob O'Leary on Dutch Gold.
The 1720 class over the last 20–years has been a test–bed for sailmakers to show what their latest and greatest technology can do. In the early days, there were up to 70 1720’s competing and development in the shapes and designs has continuously evolved. Designs perfected in this type of hotbed one design transfer then to mainstream Cruiser and IRC shapes.
Over the last three years, UK sails have won every 1720 Europeans title and have also taken second and third in these events showing their dominance in this hotly contested class.
At the Scottish Series last weekend, UK Sails Ireland were delighted with a class win in class 3 IRC for Samurai J the J92 of Alan MacLeod & Andy Knowles. They were flying a UK Sails provided X Drive jib and a mainsail recut in the UK loft in Cork over the winter, to finish ahead of Howth Half–Tonner, Harmony.
In Class RC 35, Brian and John Hall's J109 Something Else from the National Yacht Club, using UK Ireland sails, finished a creditable second to the overall winner, David Kelly's Storm, in this competitive class. They were, in fact, leading after the first day and in the nine races sailed, Something Else finished ahead of Storm in four races. This was all the more laudable when you consider Something Else was using a non-overlapping headsail on a furler.
UK sails will have its full team at this weekend's Wave Regatta in Howth supporting its clients in whatever way possible including on-site repairs. Barry Hayes, Graham Curran and Claire Hayes from the UK Ireland loft will be in attendance.
Mark Mansfield, UK Sails agent and racing Consultant will also be at Wave Regatta.
Both Curran and Mansfield both leave Wave Regatta to take part in the 2018 IRC European Championships being held in Cowes the following weekend. Curran will be trimming aboard Rob Mc Connell's (UK sails Powered) A 35, Fools Gold, which was the overall winner of the 2017 Sovereigns Week. Fools Gold then goes on to Compete in the IRC Worlds in the Hague in Holland in August.
Barry Hayes leaves Wave Regatta for Holland to Sail trial Uk sails Ireland provided sails for the brand New designed Waarship 36. This innovative new design has been built particularly to try and win the 2018 IRC Worlds in the Hague, Holland and will sport UK Uni Titanium Jibs and Mains and UK Spinnakers.
Waarship 36 –powered by Uk sails Ireland Uni Titanium upwind sails and SK75 spinnakers
Immediately after Wave, Mansfield will sail in the IRC Europeans in Cowes as Tactician on John Smart's J109, Jukebox, Then moves on a few days later to do the same role on Paul Gibbons Quarter Tonner, Anchor Challenge at the Quarter Ton Cup in Cowes, then a few days later joins Paul O'Higgins JPK Rockabill VI in the Round Ireland race. Rockabill VI includes UK sails in her inventory this year.
UK Sails Ireland will also be providing Back up service in July at Cork Week which is home to the Uk Sails Ireland Loft.
