Lough Foyle Yacht Club

Racing Thur 10/06/21

This was the final race day in Series C. Two boats retired in race 2. Congratulations to Keith and Mateo L who win the series. The second race was for the Brian Frazer shield so congratulations to Aidan for that also. Maith Thú!

Racing Tue 08/06/21

I didn’t see this race tonight but can gather the following from the ODs notes. Race one went well enough with Kevin T very close to the GPs and pulling back a place on Handicap. The wind must have dropped and only two boats completed the course.

Racing Thur 27/05/21

Bill J in the Laser tonight. Ken and Davy L was in close competition with Keith and Mateo L with honours even. Anton H and Joy W trying to stay ahead of Aidan O D

Racing Tue 25/05/21

And so SERIES C starts tonight. Racing tonight under threatening dark clouds. A good but variable F3 + breeze and sunshine. A classic doesn’t know what its going to do Culmore evening. Racing in Culmore bay. A start line by the slipway, Gilmores, Harts, Power station, back through the line, X2. Anton H and Joy W were late to get rigged and late to start in race one but made up good time and got back into it. Keith L and Alex L were sailing exceptionally well in very tricky reaching conditions. They were ably assisted on shore by roadie Mattheo L. A secret ingredient I would hazard! Many thanks as always to Liam H and Peter F who jointly run the whole operation with great ease, grace, assurance and a new road sign. James P H and Alan T were DSQ in race 1.

Boats getting packed up after racing on Tue 25/05/21. Photo credit by Sean McCafferty with thanks.

Racing Sat 26/06/21

Close racing today between Anton H and Joy W and Bill J and Barry McN. Congratulations to Keith and Mateo L who win the series.

Racing Sat 12/06/21

Nice course today down to Faughan and Conniborrow. Keith and Mateo L out front closely chased by the rest in race 1. Aidan O D joined for the second race and Bill J and Joe McC retired. Aidan established an early lead and defended it all the way home.

Racing Sat 05/06/21

I wasn’t there to see this race but note the following: Race 1 was long with finishing times all around the hour mark. Race two was shorter with finishing between 36 and 50 minutes. Keith and Mateo L sailing very well. Great to see Barry McN sailing again. He has been awarded an LFYC Handicap of 1185. The Foyle Festival Cup was sailed today in the second race so congratulations Keith and Mateo L!

Racing Sat 29/05/21

Racing in Culmore Bay in very light winds. Great to see Aoife H sailing again with Anton H, on a visit from Scotland. One race only and that was shortened.

Racing Sat 22/05/21

Racing in Culmore Bay in nice but variable wind and sunshine. Great to see Keith L and Sons out in their GP. Going very well. Good close racing all over the course with several lead changes and calls for Starboard and Water being hailed. The reach from Gilmores to Harts was extremely marginal with no real benefit for the spinakers being gained. This stretch of the course suited the Lasers which love the close reach. The second race was for the Dingy Regatta prize. Congratulations to James P H and Alan T who won it.

Thu 13/05/21

Light winds caused just one race tonight. Tonights racing also concludes Series B: Congratulations to James P H and Alan T who win the series.

Tue 11/05/21

Sailing today in Culmore Bay. Karen (Joys sister) was sailing with Bill J. Great to see her back sailing. Light winds, Harts, Gilmores, Power station, x2. Anton H and Joy W crashed into the back of Bill J and Karen in a competitive mark rounding. No damage! Joy W said it serves them right for being in front. Well done to James P H and Alan T who had two aces.

Thursday 29/04/21

Sailing today in contrast to Tuesday night was in very light winds. Race 1 took 41 minutes. Actually after Tuesday, the light winds were welcome! The course tonight was Perch, Faughan, Conniborrow, Leonards x2. Well done to James P H and Alan T who took both wins. Are they going to win everything this year? Certainly going very well!

27/04/21

Sailing today started in very strong winds and big sea which gradually built up eventually making it impossible to race. Well done to James P H/Alan T who were the only boat to complete the course. Anton H and Joy W managed a burning reach across the bay near the clubhouse on the way home. Nice. The second race was abandoned.

Sat 15/05/21

Welcome back to Ken L and Davy L, great to see them back out again after lockdown. Straight outta lockdown they won the first race. Nice going! Great to see Barry McN out sailing in the club laser. He is doing very well especially considering that the boat leaks and is gradually sinking – and its not even that gradual! Series A concludes today with James P H and Alan T taking a second series win!

08/05/21

Racing today at 5.30pm. Course Perch, Harts, Faughan, Conniborrow, Leonards X2. At least that was the course but n fact both races were cut short. In race one Bill J/Joe McC broke the rudder extension just as they were crossing the start line and retired. That left just two boats and the race was cut short to facilitate a quick restart. Bill J/Joe McC got fixed up and relaunched and Kevin T also launched. Light winds but steady enough. All was going well till the Faughan mark. Winds dropped then changed direction then changed back before doing a 180, leading to a total bafflement for all boats. Two boats retired. The race was shortened. Winds then picked up nicely. All in a days fun!

01/05/21

Even on Labour day the work in the port goes on. A large ship coming into port delayed sailing from the original 10.00am start to 12.00. This meant that the tide was ebbing. The wind was light so we managed just one race. Good to see Yann out sailing in his 420. Bright but cold, sailing in Culmore bay.

24/04/21

And so the sailing 2021 season gets started (a little later than originally planned as Coronavirus gradually gets beaten back, worth the wait!)

Thanks to James P H for putting together a pretty packed schedule for 2021. Day 1 of the season got of to a great start in nice sunshine and a good breeze. Good luck to James H Snr in his new Laser, launched today. Welcome back to Barry McN sailing in the club Laser.

James P H and Alan T were uncatchable today with two good wins.

Special thanks to Big Peter F and Liam H who once again put on the gear to provide OD duties and Safety Boat cover. You could see that Big Pete loves it as he explained the course for the fifteenth time. Great to be back folks!

2020 was the year of Coronavirus rather than Sailing. Nonetheless we did manage a to sail Series A, B and C. We also sailied a friendly series in “bubble groups”.

We had a great but different Culmore regatta with fewer visiting sailors and spectators than we might normally host. The regatta co-incided with the launch of a Kevin Lynchs new Foyle Punt. Barra Best and the BBC made a nice TV programme about the event. Honestly, it cheered everyone up!

Friendly Series (17 races)
1. Aidan O D
2. Bill J/Joe McC/James J
3. James P H/Alan T

Series A (6 races)
1. Anton H/Joy W
2. James P H/Alan T J
3. George G

Series B (7 races)
1. Anton H/Joy W
2. Aidan O D
3. Kevin T

Series C (4 races)
1. Aidan O D
2. George G
3. Bill J/Joe McC/James J

Racing Sat 19/09/20

Sailing today took 48 mins for race 1 and 24 mins for race 2. I didn’t see the race but looking at these times I would guess there were two laps in race 1 and just 1 lap in race 2 (or else the wind picked up significantly). George G sailing very well in the Solo.

Racing Sat 26/09/20

Good to see Keith L and Son sailing today and doing very well. Today marked the end of Series C – cut short by the outbreak of the second wave of CoronaVirus. Congratulations to Aidan O D who takes the win for Series C. I fear the Coronavirus may also put an end to the season but we shall wait and see.

Racing 12/09/20

A dull afternoon with a storm looming. After some thought the OD decided to try and get in two quick races. 16min and 14 min. With just two boats sailing today the races went well and we got in just before the storm. Congratulations to Anton H and Joy W who won Series B. The second race today was for the Brian Fraser Cup. Congratulations to Anton and Joy for the win. Thanks to Liam H and Peter F for rescue cover and OD duties.

Racing 05/09/20

9am sailing in fine weather. Sailing this morning from a start line at Leonards mark to a mark near the Power Station then down to Conniborrow and across to Faughan.  Anton H and Joy W over the line in R1 but made a good recovery. Light winds in the first race contrasted with a good breeze in second race. The second race was a double for Series B and for the Foyle Festival Cup. Congratulations to Anton H and Joy W who won it in close race with Bill J and Joe McC. Many thanks to Liam H and Peter F for rescue cover and OD duties.

Racing 22/08/20

Great racing today in F3-5. Sailing a zig zag course in Culmore bay and down river to Faughan and Conniborrow Farm. A big Russian coal boat arrived between race one and two delaying things a bit. She had a pretty nasty looking ice breaker on the bow so we decided to let them carry on and dock. Anton H and Joy W going well in Race 2. Bill J and Joe McC went for a brief swim on a tight spinnaker reach across the bay but recovered well. Aidan O D far ahead and going very well in the laser.

Racing 20/08/20

No racing today due to strong winds.

Race 1 18/08/20

Racing today in light winds. We only managed one lap of one race. Anton H and Jack H got away to a great start but lost out on downwind.

LFYC club racing will cautiously restart on Sat 01/08/20.

A newly revised schedule has been put in place. Details here.

Some new procedures for safe sailing have been put in place particularly in the boatyard and the changing rooms and clubhouse. Please take note of the new signage and take appropriate good care.

Depending on the course of the pandemic we may reverse this decision to race so please keep monitoring the website and social media channels.

The Culmore Regatta will go ahead and several other special prize events have been included in the schedule. So keep safe and enjoy the racing.

There has, of course, been a long pause in sailing activities caused by the Coronavirus. However we are now pleased to mention that sailing has now cautiously restarted, but not full racing – at least not yet.

An informal series of friendly racing has started. In this series, which runs as per the original race schedule, there is a start gun and positions are recorded but no LFYC or handicap are applied. The friendly racing is being hosted because 1. because sailing but not racing is a bit boring and might even be impossible, 2. because some boats are not sailing at all with crew and helm still cocooning, 3. because the normal crew/helm teams are still socially distancing, 4. general prudent precautionary measures

In the boatyard we are observing social distancing and the changing rooms are limited to two people per room. Many thanks to Liam H and Peter F for Rescue cover and OD duties.

Thanks to Peter F for the drone photo