The southerly wind today (Sunday), Day 4 of Royal Ulster’s Bangor Town Regatta wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as it was yesterday when racing was cancelled, so Principal Race Officer Con Murphy got the fleet away in 25 knots gusting 30, for what turned out to be the final race of the series.

In Class 2 the battle between Pat Kelly’s J109 Storm from Rush and Howth and the local Archambault 35, John Minnis’s Final Call II, was over before racing started. A routine gear check yesterday discovered rig damage on Final Call II and fearing further problems she didn’t compete. So, it was second overall for Minnis and third for Ballyholme and Cockle Island entry, Shaun Douglas’s Beneteau 40.7, Game Changer.

It was much the same situation in Class 3 when the D’Arcy/Mclernon duo in VX One from Carrickfergus didn’t race today leaving the Wilson’s Corby 29 Elixir from the same club, top in both IRC and NHC with VX One runner-up and on equal points with Jack (Peter Doig) from East Antrim in IRC and Michael Eames All or Nothing from Strangford Lough second NHC.

Garth Lindsay’s Jonathan Star cleaned up in Class 4 and in Class 5 it was the Bell/Lawther/Bell trio top in the Oceanis 37 Merry Jack who won the contest in IRC from Kevin Byers and Michael Russell in the Sigma 33 Signet who topped NHC.

In the eight-strong Sigma 33 Class James Miller’s Helensburgh-based Mayrise lifted the trophy in IRC with Stephen Mullaney’s Insider from Howth second and first in NHC. Miller also won the Irish and Open Sigma Championship.

Only three of the original six entries for the RS Elite division competed in the remaining single race today and it was the local Polly/Gunning/Kelso trio first with Jane Buchanan from Royal North second.

The boats in Class 8 raced a Coastal Course and here in IRC the winner was Ross Boyd in the Elan 40 and in NHC Murray Findlay from Clyde CC in his X 4-0. Ross Boyd is a RUYC as well as Quoile YC member and supported the event by bringing his boat to Belfast Lough. He said,” For the last six months I have been helping organise the sailing for BTR. To support the event, I decided to bring my 2002 Elan 40 Evenstar around from Quoile Yacht Club in Strangford Lough where I am also a member.

The Coastal Class has been a great success at BTR and it is a really good way to encourage cruisers into racing. The race team at BTR did a super job organising a range of courses in challenging conditions including a lovely sail around the Copeland Islands.

We had really good racing against the Boxcar guys in their X4.0 from CCC and are delighted with the IRC win”.

Among the special prizes there was one for the young crew of the Ruffian 23 Brigand, an acknowledgement that Royal Ulster is keen to encourage young people into sailing. Top Scottish boat was Murray Findlay’s Boxcar and top Belfast Lough competitor was Jonathan Star (Garth Lindsay).

After the Regatta, Robby Milhench, the Chairman’s ‘right had man’ reflected on the event;” Bangor Town Regatta has been a fantastic success on many fronts but for me the real success is that the under 23 prize went to sailors aged ten, 13 14, on the Ruffian 23 Brigand. The sailing fraternity need to harness sailors for the future. Well done to all winners and most importantly to all competitors”.

Article by Betty Armstrong, Afloat.ie