The Squib South Coast Championships in Baltimore drew an impressive crowd competing for glory, with 19 boats from Lough Derg and Kinsale, along with 3 from Howth.

Day 1 greeted sailors with "Champagne conditions," or what the local Corkonians called "Cider conditions”. Four races were scheduled, and thanks to Race Officer Collette's expert management, and Squibs behaving themselves on the line, the competition flowed smoothly allowing sailors to be back on shore for the Leinster kick-off at 5 pm. The seemingly straightforward windward-leeward course was a little fiddly, with shifty winds and tricky tides keeping everyone on their toes (literally). There were two leeward options to ease traffic, yet the fleet had some entertaining double-jibing and kite manoeuvres at the mark. By the end of the day, Kinsale boat “Atomic” had 3 wins in the bag, followed by clubmates, the Murphys. Howth’s “Kerfuffle” (Dalton/Merry) sat in 3rd, “Dürt”(Stanley/O’Kelly) in 6th and “Kaizen” (MacDonell/Wilson) in 10th.

Day 2 brought blustery winds, demanding constant crouching and hiking, leaving sailors physically bruised. But Howth’s egos were not bruised as “Kerfuffle” claimed victory in Race 5, boosting their standings. The extended three-lap Race 3, with its favourable port bias and unpredictable winds, added another layer of excitement, not only because of a broken mast for Cork's Aidan O’Connell which took him out of the race.
Ian Travers and Keith O’Riordan on “Atomic” maintained their dominance, securing 1st  place, followed by the Murphys of Cork in 2nd . Howth boats represented their club proudly, all finishing in the top half: Emmet Dalton and Neal Merry on “Kerfuffle” in Podium position in 3rd, Ronan MacDonnell and Catherine Wilson on “Kaizen” in 7th, and Rob Stanley and Fergus O’Kelly on “Dürt” in 9th.

Generosity was in full swing as sponsor Frank McGowan delighted the audience with a variety of prizes, ranging from power tools and hedge trimmers to stylish dry bags.

With the Irish Championships in Howth looming on July 24th, the countdown has begun.

Enter HERE

Photographs courtesy of Dave Cullinane Photography www.davecullinane.com

Report by Catherine Wilson, Squib 882 “Kaizen”