For the first time in its recent history, the Irish 12 Foot Dinghy Championship moved 12 kilometres away from Dun Laoghaire to Bray Sailing Club on Saturday 24th August.
Three different types of 12 footer competed:
(a) International 12 Foot Dinghies
(b) Dublin Bay SC 12 Foot Dinghies (same hull but with a 1969 gunter rig with a small jib and a foredeck and
(c) Bray Droleens from 1896
All the fleets sailed together under the watchful eye of PRO Barry MacNeeney. His first challenge was to address the weather. The forecast was for 11 knots gusting 22 knots, but the 12 foot owners believe their boats are safe in winds up to 15 knots. PRO Barry MacNeeney decided to proceed with racing for any boats which wanted to compete, and laid the course as close to the shore as possible where the waves were non-existent.
On the water, Droleen Windyridge had the best start in race one but quickly ran into light winds on the left-hand side of the course, while Mark Delany in100 year old Cora (built by Camper and Nicholson) quickly took the lead and completed the single-lap triangular course in 15 minutes eight seconds, ahead of the Magowans in Sgadan fifty seconds later. Johnson and Varian in Albany crossed the line twenty-four seconds later.
In race two, the wind gusts were getting stronger, which was an advantage for the two-handed 12 footers. This time, in a very strong gust, the Magowans in Sgadan capsized just beyond the gybe mark, and the race was won by Johnson and Varian's Albany in fifteen minutes 19 seconds, with Mark Delany 1 seconds astern.
With one win apiece by Albany and Cora, everything depended on the last race. This time Cora started beside the committee boat and was overhauled on the first beat by the two-handed Albany. Sgadan despite having recovered from her capsize, was forced to retire. Albany finished in thirteen minutes twenty seconds and Cora seventeen seconds behind. Both boats were on equal points, but on countback, Albany with two wins took the overall championship.
At the prize-giving, Peter Lundy, Commodore of Bray Sailing Club, expressed his delight in having twenty-five entries in all the classes and welcomed the classic boats to the club. Vincent Delany of the 12 Foot Association spoke about the history of the three classic classes competing. Mark Delany was presented with the Cora Trophy as best International 12 Foot Dinghy, Gavin Johnson was presented with the Edmond Johnson Trophy for the best DBSC 12 Foot Dinghy and Gail Varian was presented with the Altair Trophy for the top crew.
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