The Spinlock IRC Welsh Championship was brought to a conclusion on Sunday 13th August with racing followed by the Prize Giving in The Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre (Plas Heli).
Pwllheli Sailing Club Secretary and Plas Heli Chairman, Stephen Tudor, thanked PRO Mike Butterfield for the excellent racing on the IRC 1 & 2 Courses set from the wonderful Committee Boat 'Pleione of Dee' with assistance form the Royal Dee Yacht Club.
Robin Evans the Race Officer for IRC 3 and 4 was congratulated on setting excellent cpourses for the Sportsboat and Cruiser Classes.
Huw Pearce and Jack Thompson were thanked and presented with momentos for race scoring and publishing work on the web site
Crews and skippers were invited to the ISORA Night race and also to the ever popular Pwllheli Challenge in September.
The Provisional Dates for the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship have been announced 17th to 19th August -
The Full results are available here but in Summary the Series winners were as follows:
Spinlock IRC Welsh Championship - The Champions
Place |
IRC 1 |
IRC 2 |
IRC 3 |
IRC4 |
1st |
Fools Gold |
Legless Again |
Luvly Jubbly |
Ella Trout III |
2nd |
Dark Angel |
Eazi Tiger |
Jac Y Do |
Paraiba |
3rd |
Impostor |
Ingenious |
HRT |
To Me To You |
The Champions
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Photographs by our event Official Photographer here and photos of the Prize-Giving here
Day One - Report
The Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championships hosted by Plas Heli and Pwllheli Sailing Club, got off to a breezy start today with 20-25kt South Westerly winds, rain and a confused sea! Race management for IRC 1 and 2 by the Royal Dee yacht club and IRC 3 and 4 by CHPSC.
With lumpy conditions for he committee boat, PRO Mike Butterfield set a short coastal course for IRC 1 and 2, with a beat to St Tudwal's Islands, round the back and then a run back to the Plas Heli finish line.
IRC 1 was won by Rob McConnels A35 "Fools Gold" and IRC 2 by the local M Crompton/G Hallsworth J97 "Injenious"
Robin Evans, PSC Race Officer set a windaward / leeward course around the club racing marks for the sportsboats in IRC 3 which was a great challenge in the gusty conditions. This race was won by M and J Thompson in J80 Jac y do. The IRC 4 cruiser class were set a course to Eurwyn buoy and back via the West end mark and this race was won in great style by Roger Fitzgerald in his Delher 29 Ella Trout III
A demanding day on the water, and tomorrow looks like a great sailing day in cardigan bay with 11-15 kts NE wind forecast for Day 2 where the IRC 1 and 2 classes will be racing windward/Leeward, IRC3 round the cans, and IRC4 a coastal course. Results are available here
Day Two - Report
With a forecast of 10-15 kts North Westerly winds, it was always promising to be a fantastic sailing day on Cardigan bay. Although overcast with an odd bit of drizzle, the fleet left the Plas Heli event pontoons with great expectations for the day ahead. It didn't disappoint! The PRO Mike Butterfield set and managed 4 races for IRC 1 and 4 which Rob McConnel Skipper of "Fools Gold" described as "excellent" ! mind you Rob did win all four races in IRC 1! Great sailing by this slick Irish team who have had great success this year, and are the current IRC Welsh champions. IRC 2 had multiple winners today, two races by "Legless again" one by "Injenious" and One by IRC2 leader "Eazi Tiger"
In IRC 3 the well polished "Luvly Jubbly" Cork 1720 team, recent winners of the VDLR sportsboat class, won both races with two great round the can courses set by RO Robin Evans which made the most of the excellent conditions with the sportsboats able to plane downwind at up to 12kts in the 20kts NW breeze.
IRC 4 Cruiser class was set a coastal course around St Tudwals via the West end mark, which saw ""Parabai" winning just ahead of "To me to you". It was great to see two boats enjoying their first experience of cruiser racing, "Pererin" and "Perfect Pitch"
After racing the crews enjoyed the excellent hospitality in Plas Heli with jugs of beers to the winners and a fantastic BBQ.
Tomorrow promises light airs racing and with it all to play for in IRC 2 3 and 4 patience and tides may come into play !
Day Three - Report
With light winds forecast for the final day, the fleet left the event pontoons to the two racing areas in glorious sunshine, a relief to shed the wet weather gear! IRC 1 and 2 sailed two windward/leeward races off shore from a committee boat start, where the breeze held steady from the South East at 4-7kts enabling some steady racing. "Fools Gold" and "Dark Angel" each won a race in IRC 1 giving the overall 1st for the championship to "Fools Gold" adding another title to their successful campaign this season.
In IRC 2 "Checkmate" and "Injenious" each won a race today with the IRC 2 overall championship won by "Legless Again" who sailed consistently all weekend. "Luvly Jubbly" won all three races in IRC 3 sports boat class and the overall win, in a class which we hope to build for next year, racing around the club marks off the club line.
IRC 4 Cruiser class was won today by "Paraiba" with overall championship in this class by Roger Fitzgerald in His Delher 29 Ella Trout III Prize-giving followed racing, and crews enjoyed a carvery dinner after! Plas Heli and Championship Chairman Stephen Tudor thanked the Royal Dee team for their race management of IRC 1 and 2 and Robin Evans for IRC 3 and 4
Thanks also given to Huw Pearce and Jack Thompson for scoring and website.
Next years provisional dates 17-19th August.
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More Photos by Andy Green
here