Fantastic reaching conditions with fantastic reaches greeted the National 18 fleet on the first Wednesday night of the season.
15 sailors took to the water, with one new boat among them in the hands of Willie Healy. Race Officer Keith MacKeown did not waste the good winds and set a superb Olympic course that produced two excellently contested races. In the first it was class secretary Kieran O’Connell who led the way along with crew Donal Hegarty and Graham Marron. However despite his early pace it was the experienced campaigner Tom Dwyer on Das Boot along with Richard Kehoe and Mark O’Donovan who took the bullet in the end.
In race two the blustery conditions produced one capsize and one man overboard just to get the sailors into the swing of things early in the season. This time the race went to the Barry brothers Colin and Ewan sailing with Peter O’Donovan on the wire that took the honours with only a few boat lengths to spare over Das Boot.
Racing continues this Saturday when it is hoped to see some more of the now 30 boat fleet out on the water. The National 18 class provides excellent racing for sailors of all abilities. Anybody interested in crewing or looking to get involved please contact Peter O’Donovan or miriam@royalcork.com
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