Friday Night League – Race 12 report

Cove SC’s senior dingy sailing instructor – Gillian Roche (Hydaway) took a break from her usual club duties to take charge of round 12 of the Friday Night League, last weekend. From a startline at EF1, the OD chose to send the 10 spinnaker class boats and 5 ‘whitesail’ boats to EF2, EF4, and buoy number 11 before turning them for home at buoy number 9, off Whitegate.  The fleet then ran back to an EF 1 finish, via EF4.

Finbarr Dorgan’s Sonar was again the boat to beat on the water, taking first in IRC. The sportsboat has now won 4 of the 5 races she has sailed. Thunderbird’s Denis Coleman and Wot Like’s Niall Kelly joined this experienced crew on the night. Bedlam offered most resistance to the Sonar, again. Despite having a different helm for the third time in four races, the well-prepared Impala was unluckly to finish in second place, only 2 seconds adrift of the Sonar, on corrected time. The Alastair, Doyle and Russell owned boat will surely be in the hunt for honours again this year. Fergus Coughlan’s White Knight took third on the night, whilst Re Eile and Gaelic Kiwi, were a little further back in fourth and fifth , respectively.

With two thirds of the league’s races now sailed, Kevin O’Connor’s Gaelic Kiwi retains top spot in IRC, with Re Eile in second and Bedlam in third. While discards will inevitably determine where the title goes, it is hard to look beyond this group of boats for the winner of this year’s Friday Night League. A tight mid-table group of Sonar, Jay, Kodachi and White Knight are only separated from one another by one or two points on average, but lie some 15 to 20 points back from the leaders.

Robert Keating’s Serendipity placed first in white sail Pat Hayes’ diminutive Minstrel sailed to her best result of the season so far in second, with John Doyle’s Chanteuse, placing third. Chanteuse retains her lead in this competitive division. Jim Buckley’s Wader lies in second with Rory Allen’s Mystic in third.