The annual HYC double-handed race was held last Sunday with a record entry across three classes with some familiar pairs of hands, and some new, racing for one of the more coveted prizes of the season. It’s an event not just for the more adventurous sailors, but also for those wanting to challenge themselves and test their boat handling skills. Three classes of boats competed (Spinnaker, Non-Spinnakers and Puppeteers) in 10 – 14kts wind and pleasant August sunshine - champagne sailing for all on the water.

The Spinnaker class race kicked off in the sound with a downhill start and a strong following east going tide. If gauged correctly, this provided a significant advantage to those brave enough to pop a kite with 30 seconds to go. The course was a 3-mile spinnaker run to East mark, followed by a beat into West Mark and then back home, leaving the Island to Starboard. The race served up a classic lesson in shorthanded sail handling at the East Mark when short-crewed. Big Picture learned the hard way that failure to bear off significantly before the spinnaker drop leaves a massive load on the sail, making it nearly impossible to douse cleanly. The loaded takedown resulted in their spinnaker ending up over the side and into the water.

With only two crew members per boat, handling big kites in building breeze was challenging. Boats flying asymmetrical setups found the reaches and manoeuvring noticeably more manageable than those flying traditional symmetrical spinnakers. Meanwhile, the larger yachts in the fleet made great use of their autopilots, which proved invaluable extra ‘crew’ hands during the heavy work.

The second course for non-spinnaker boats and Puppeteers entailed a run down to Garbh followed by two sausage legs between Cush and Dunbo with a good beat in between and then back around the island to starboard and the finish line. Eamonn Burke and crew Jimmy Brennan were a little bit late for the start but didn’t let this faze them at all and battled their way back to a narrow IRC victory over Windsor Lauden and Steffi Ennis in Demelza.

Back in the bar 1st prizes were awarded to:

Spinnaker IRC : Mike & Andrew Evans

Spinnaker HPH: Fiachra Farrelly & Crew

Non-Spinnaker IRC: Eamonn Burke and Jimmy Brennan

Non-Spinnaker HPH: Stephen & Joan Harris

Puppeteer HPH: Phil & Rozz Byrne

See HYC Results for full details.

Photos available here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zzRo5nxKn8kFQCZBA

Photos kindly captured by Rozz Byrne and Judith Malcolm

A fantastic day on the water and a testament to the skill (and resilience) of HYC's double-handed sailors. Thanks to Race Officer Richard Kissane who set two excellent courses for the fleets. Overall, another fantastic event held by Howth Yacht Club which we are already looking forward to next year and would strongly encourage all sailors to give it a go.