Results of Protest Hearing - HERE

Meanwhile, Race Office Sheela Lewis got the 1720 Eastern Championships underway based on Ken and Debbie Hunter’s lovely motor yacht Juniper.  The rain was so persistent that most of the time the 11 sportsboats couldn’t be seen from shore.  They had a beat from the middle of the lough towards their windward marks set not far offshore in front of the Club.  With the wind mostly in the south giving a flat sea the beats were not too punishing, but the downwind legs produced plenty of excitement with a fair number of broaches and boat speeds apparently peaking at near 20.knots. Race winners on Day one were Beb Scallen’s El Diablo, apparently his first ever win on tour, Robert Dix’s LemonCello and Julian Hughes’s Root 1.  Only two points separated the first three boats after three races with the hot favourite, Ross McDonald’s Rope Dock Atara close in fourth.  With everyone afloat, sailors and Committee Boat team soaked and cold, Sheela decided that three races was enough for the day and brought the fleet in.

The Club was buzzing with every 1720 boat crew dining at the Club.  The late bar wasn’t needed as the tired and battered sailors all retired back to their lodgings to recover for Sunday.  As it happens, Sunday was a complete opposite, the sun was out and their was only a faint breeze from the south west.  Sheela held the fleet in the marina until the Committee Boat was on station and reckoned there was enough wind to get racing underway.  Two races were sailed before the wind looked like dying altogether so they called it a day and came ashore to start the job of de-rigging and lifting out.  There was a protest in the final race which proved a knotty problem but the prize giving got underway at 3.30pm.  Overall winner and Easter Champion was Root 1 (Julian Hughes), second was LemonCello (Robert Dix) and third Rope Dock Atara (Ross McDonald).  The Eastern Championship was the final leg of the 1720 Sportsboat 2025 Series and the overall winner and recipient of the Joe English Trophy was Ross McDonald.