Lough Foyle Yacht Club

There will be a fund raising social evening featuring a traditional Hog Roast on Friday the 28th of October.

We would like all LFYC regular sailors to buy up to 10 tickets and sell them/give them away to their friends and family. Tickets are available from the Vice Commodore Daniel Gallagher. (+44 7720464085)

This not to be missed event will be held in Campsie Masonic Hall. A full bar will be available. The evenings entertainment will include music from local muscians, oul sailing stories and lies, excellent food and craic.

Everybody welcome, family fun, open to all ages.

A great way to find out more about LFYC, support LFYC and introduce new friends. The first gun for sailing on saturday is at 15.00, Danny will be there, its an ideal opportunity to pick up tickets then.

Many of the Lough Foyle fleet (16 helms and crew from LFYC and MBC) went to the GP14 Sligo event on the weekend of  24/25 sept. Owen McCauley did particularly well winning 2nd in the Junior Helm race.

Saturday was very windy with a fair size wave to adding complexity to difficulty. Pretty much everyone went for a swim at one stage or another. Luck and specific conditions played a part in how quickly and cleanly the recovery was made.

Pictures and more reportage to follow……….

LFYC are very thankful to Richard Street (GP14 class president) who travelled from Blessington to Lough Foyle to run a training day for our fast developing GP14 fleet.

The day was a great success with everyone benifiting from Mr Streets tips and insights.

Dermot M sailed with Junior Helm Jack H and they had a particularly exciting day as winds strengthened. Richard Street emphasised constant adjustment of the kicker, letting it go during the lulls and pulling on during gusts.

Richard Street (GP14 Association of Ireland, President) will visit LFYC on Sunday 18th starting at 10.30am to run a training day.

It would be graet to see as many GP’s out sailing as possible for what will no doubt be a very informative and helpful day.

There was no race today but Anton H, Dermot M and George G went for a practice sail down to Black Brea/Muff area. Dermot and Anton swapped boats to compare tuning set up on the Phantoms.

Culmore regatta on this weekend, all welcome. Punt racing, Open PY dinghy racing, rowing, tae, coffee and food, oul chat and good crack. The hotly contested Junior helm race is on this thursday night at 7.
The Lough Foyle Punts race tonight, friday at 7 and saturday at 11 in the Culmore Regatta. Dont miss the opportunity to see these wonderful traditional boats being raced to the limit.
The dinghy races (Open PY, everyone welcome) will start after the Punts on saturday. Why not come down for the whole day and enjoy the crack.
See pictures from last year year http://www.foylearts.com/lfyc/?p=427

The Moville Regatta Dinghy race was on saturday 30/07/11. The first gun was to be at 11.00ambut racing was delayed for about two hours because of no wind. Eventually the wind picked up (F4 at times) and two great races were held. These results are the results with the LFYC skippers handicap applied and will be counted as part of the LFYC Series E races.  The open PY results are held by Moville Boat Club and reported elsewhere. The first race was anticlockwise and the second race was clockwise around the usual movile triangle with start and finish lines in front of the pier. The swell made the run in the second race very interesting. The L and the G boats were seen having a great duel gybing spinnakers as they chased eachother toward the line. Congratulations to John and Donal McG who came first in both races despite the determined attention of Dermot M and Ken and David L.

LFYC Handicap notes: John and Donal McG have been awarded a GP14 handicap of 1127. Shay Kelly has been awarded a handicap of 1140 in his Laser.

There were two punt races last night. Each one was remarkable.

Four boats raced comprising:

Messrs Louden, O Kane and Lynch

Messrs Doherty, Doherty and Harrigan

Messrs, Gallagher, Gallagher and McCauley

Messrs, Hockley, Lynch and Hutton

The course was in Culmore Bay, starting from a mark near the slipway up to Harts, a mark formerly known as McKennas, Powerstation and through the line X2. F2 W.

The first race was won by Hockley, Lynch and Hutton who were evidently not impeded by Hutton’s first appearance in a Punt.

The second race the wind droped after lap 1. Gallagher, Gallagher and McCauley were leading but went wide at Harts and got caught by the tide. Doherty, Doherty and Harrigan had taken a route over by the shore and came up next but tacked early and collided with the mark. Louden, O Kane and Lynch came from behind and glided around successfully.  Hockley, Lynch and Hutton tried several plans of attack, each approach foiled by the tide. A very wide approach eventually brought Gallagher’s boat around. Doherty’s and Hockley’s boat retired leaving just Gallagher’s and Louden’s boats.

They went to the Powerstation without incident. Louden went up river to the old jetty before trying to cross the tide in the channel. They made it across but ran aground near the slipway. A lesser known sailing rule was applied at this stage. You can get out of your boat and push, so long as the push is not forward or progressing toward the line. They got out and pushed away again and made it over the line on the second attempt.

It was getting dark!

Gallagher, Gallagher and McCauley were still on the other side of the channel. They crossed over but were heading for a hard stop on the shore near the slipway so they tacked in the tide. they were pushed backwards fast and it looked as if the race was up. But a puff of wind came on and a second attempt brought them across the line to a cheer from the shore.

Interior of a punt.

The Lough Foyle Punts launched in Shroove for the annual Regatta. It was an exceptionally nice day with a sunshine and a good breeze. Three races were held with 7 punts sailing. Excellent advice was quietly and generously given from the assembled  audience at the flagpole on matters of rigging, strategy and sailing skills.

A punt about to negiotate the exit from Shroove slipway.

Danny G , Kevin L and Bill J+ crews went to the Rathmullan Sea Fest event, and finished in that order.

It was a great water sports festival / regatta. There were well over twenty boats with a lot of picos, lasers and bigger topaz type boats. It is an event that is an ideal family event, hospitality was excellent and those who attended recommend it to all in LFYC.

All this despite an international incident in which a laser driven by a frenchman, ran up Danny G’s stern. In the verbal exchange that followed no-one imagined that Danny G had such an excellent command of French!

Altogether though it was very well organised, and an enjoyable sail in the Swilly. Hearty congratulations to all in Rathmullen Sailing Club.