The second Saturday of Howth Yacht Club's Autumn League, held on September 21, 2024, saw a fleet of 80 boats face challenging conditions for both the Offshore and inshore fleets! With wind speeds ranging from 12 to 17 knots from a direction of 040 to 045 degrees, an ebbing tide, and lumpy sea conditions, sailors had their work cut out for them. Despite the demanding conditions, all boats returned safely after an all-round challenging day on the water.

Offshore Fleet: Battles Fought Across Five Classes

The race officer set two courses to accommodate the diverse fleets: Classes 1 and 2 raced on Course 042, while Classes 3, 4, and 5 competed on Course 041.The Offshore fleet, comprising Cruisers 1 through 5, saw great racing with close finishes and handicap adjustments shaking up the final standings. Let's dive into each class to see how the day unfolded.

Cruiser 1: Indian Maintains Dominance

In the Cruiser 1 class, Simon Knowles' "Indian" continued its impressive run, crossing the finish line at 16:27:49 and securing first place on both IRC and HPH handicaps with corrected times of 1:17:54 and 1:17:35 respectively. The battle for second was on, with Michael & Richard Evans' "Snapshot" taking the runner-up spot on IRC (corrected time 1:18:20), while Stephen Quinn's "Lambay Rules" claimed second in HPH (corrected time 1:22:47). The tight racing in this class was evident, with just 26 seconds separating the top two boats on IRC handicap.

Class 2: Impetuous Lives Up to Its Name

In Class 2, "Impetuous" (Noonan / Chambers) demonstrated strong form, securing victories in both IRC and HPH fleets. "Maximus" (Paddy Kyne) claimed second in IRC while "Mojo" (Pat O'Neill) took third. in HPH, Mojo finished second with Jeremy Beshoff’s Jawsome II finishing third. The racing was competitive, particularly in IRC, where just 18 seconds separated the top two boats on corrected time.

Class 3: Insider Makes a Splash

Class 3 saw "Insider" (Stephen Mullaney) dominate the day's racing, claiming first place in both IRC and HPH fleets. In IRC, "Alliance II" (Vincent Gaffney) and "Gecko" (Kevin Darmody) rounded out the podium. The HPH fleet saw "Shenanigans" (Lee Douglas & Aidan Keane) and "Alliance II" take second and third respectively. "Insider's" performance was particularly noteworthy, with a significant time gap to the second-place finishers in both fleets.

Class 4: Varied Performances Across Fleets

Class 4 witnessed different winners in IRC and HPH fleets. In IRC, "Bite the Bullet" (Colm Bermingham) secured the win with a corrected time of 46:55, followed by "Splashdance" (John Beckett & Andy George) at 48:07 and Toughnut at 50:22. The HPH fleet saw "Changeling" (Kieran Jameson) claim victory, with "Bite the Bullet" taking second and Splashdance finishing third.

Class 5: Leeuwin and Demelza Share the Spotlight

In Class 5, "Leeuwin" (E. Burke & J. Murray) and "Demelza" (Steffi & Windsor) each claimed victories in their respective fleets. "Leeuwin" won the HPH fleet followed by "Pepsi" (Doug Anderson & Mark Tattersall) and Joker’s Wild in third. In the smaller IRC fleet, "Demelza" finished first with a corrected time of 47:52, just 18 seconds ahead of "Leeuwin".

Featured photo: "Spellbound start" by Robert Orr

Inshore Fleet: One-Design Classes Battle It Out

While the offshore classes were competing on their course, the Inshore fleet, comprising the one-design keelboat classes of Squibs, Puppeteers, and Howth 17s, engaged in their own fierce competitions closer to shore

Squibs: Kerfuffle and Tears in Heaven in Tight Contest

The Squib class saw close racing in both scratch and handicap fleets. In the scratch fleet, Emmet Dalton's "Kerfuffle" claimed victory, crossing the finish line at 16:13:39, just 16 seconds ahead of Tom McMahon's "Tears in Heaven". Stephen Kay's "Crackertoo" rounded out the top three, finishing 45 seconds behind the leader. The handicap fleet results shuffled the order slightly, with "Tears in Heaven" taking first place on corrected time, followed by "Crackertoo" and Caroline O'Kelly & Suzanne Barry's "Fantome". "Kerfuffle" dropped to fourth in the handicap results, highlighting the impact of the rating system on the final standings.

Puppeteers: Shiggy Shiggy Edges Ahead in Tight Competition

The Puppeteer 22 class saw intense competition with minimal time separating the top boats. In the scratch fleet, Paul & Laura McMahon's "Shiggy Shiggy" claimed victory, crossing the finish line at 16:07:20. Alan Pearson & Alan Blay's "Trick or Treat" followed closely, finishing just 51 seconds later. Nigel Biggs' "Nimon" rounded out the top three, only 20 seconds behind "Trick or Treat". The handicap fleet results shuffled the order slightly, with "Shiggy Shiggy" maintaining its first place position. Sarah Robertson's "Snowgoose" moved up to second place on corrected time, while "Trick or Treat" finished third in the handicap results.

Howth 17s: Deilginis Takes the Day, Erica Leads Overall

The Howth 17 class, known for its classic design and competitive racing, saw a shake-up in the standings during Saturday's race. In the scratch fleet, "Deilginis" (Massey, Toomey, Kenny) claimed victory, crossing the finish line at 16:23:56. "Erica" (Davie Nixon) followed 1 minute and 12 seconds later, with "Orla" (Gallagher & Fitzgibbon) completing the podium another 2 minutes and 6 seconds behind. The handicap fleet results presented a different picture. "Deilginis" maintained its first place position, while Bryan and Harriette Lynch's "Echo" moved up to second place. "Rosemary" (Curley, Jones & Potter) rounded out the top three in the handicap results.

Photos by Richard Kissane