Endgame brings the curtain down

RACING at the Royal Cork drew to a close with the culmination of the CH Marine Winter League.

There was a Christmas flavour to the day but race officer Brian Cudmore had his own surprise as he set a novel course taking in Corkbeg, a beat up the west passage taking Spike Island to starboard, over to No 11 and back via Corkbeg to finish at Cage. The start was a repeat of last week’s jostle for position as the over-eagerness of the 1720s led to a general recall. The second start fared little better as they edged their way in at the Cage end, forcing other windward boats to take avoiding action. However this did little to spoil the day’s sailing in a brisk and at times gusty northwesterly breeze, ranging from around 15kt but with some very strong gusts.

In Class 1 Martin Darrer and Coleman Garvey’s True Pennance took the prize in IRC and Echo but overall both IRC and Echo went to Frank Doyle’s Endgame with True Pennance second and Ria Lyden’s Ellida third on countback but taking second in Echo.

In Class 2 IRC Kieran and Liz O’Brien’s Magnet took the series comfortably with 4 wins in 5 races with Mark Mendell’s Wicked having to settle for second with Len Donnery’s No Gnomes third.

In Echo Ernie Dillon’s Silk Breeze took the day prize but overall the series went to Wicked with No Gnomes second and Magnet in third.

Class 3 IRC went to Diarmuid Foley’s Anchor Challenge with Kieran O’Connell’s Bandit in second despite damaging her boom. Fergus Coughlan’s Whyte Knight was third but took first in Echo with Anchor Challenge second and Micheal Murphy’s Shelly-D in third.

In the 1720 class Anthony O’Leary’s Antix took first ahead of the Deasy/Ivers/Horgan team on Bad Company with Mick Murphy’s Aquatack in third.

Whitesail IRC was won by Alan Mulcahy’s Sundancer with wins in all five races despite the widely varying conditions. Second place overall went to John Rice’s Eagle and Donal McCarthy’s VSOP taking third.

Echo saw a series win for Peter Webster’s Thistle with Sundancer second and Dan Murphy’s Southern Star third, tied on points with Micheal Lynch’s Lady T.

Tomorrow will see the 12th AGM of the South Coast Offshore Racing Association (SCORA) under the chairmanship of Commodore Vinnie O’Shea.