Amazing conditions in Howth for the team racing VP trophy…
RCYC 1, Winners of the VP Cup 2017
Howth Yacht Club held its annual Vice Presidents Trophy on Saturday. This team-racing event was inaugurated in 1986 and was re-introduced in 2015 after a number of years of absence. The VP Trophy was the brainchild of HYC’s Helen Mary Wilkes who, at that time, was Vice President of the world governing body for Optimists, IODA. The event has now become the premier club team-racing event in Ireland for Optimist sailors and is run in association with IODAI who use it as a selection basis for foreign team-racing events. Thomas Chaix, from DinghyPerformance, led on the management of the event and it was undoubtly the best VP cup sailed in recent years.
Forty-four sailors from clubs across Ireland took part in the event, many of whom were getting their first exposure to the fun, high paced races, tactical moves typical in such racing. In glorious summer sunshine and in light seabreeze conditions, Race Officer Richard Kissane and his race committee did an incredible job and managed to get away a dizzying 57 races.
RstGYC 1 Team, 2nd place in VP Cup 2017
On the racing side, 2 teams were surely showing effective team racing tactics and it was no surprise to see them battling it in the final. With the dying breeze and time running away, it was done over one race only and RCYC-1 captained by Rory O’Sullivan came out on top against the RstGYC-1 captained by Trevor Bolger. Both teams have been selected by IODAI to go to the Warsaw Team Racing open in October.
We had many battles at all levels including a few surprises… Eventually HYC-1 just managed to edge out the RstGYC-2 for 3rd.
Clubs represented were the RstGYC (3 teams), RCYC (2 teams), HYC (2 teams), MYC (2 teams), NYC and TBSC.
HYC Team 3rd place at VP Cup 2017
This kind of racing promoting cooperation, team work and a lot of fun is definitely something we would like to see again… so keep an eye as Thomas from DinghyPerformance will look at idea of re-introducing an Open team racing nationals (sailed in 2011 and 2012).
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