Over 20 sailors in nine Yeoman keelboats enjoyed excellent sailing sport at the annual Yeoman Irish Championship hosted by LEYC on September 13-14. Race Officer Michael Whaley set Saturday’s start lines into a light south west wind near Inishdoney, right where the Club’s historic race start lines were first set in 1820. Sunday’s starts were into a moderate south east wind from near Fovar Island. The weather was mid-summer in mid-September. Declan Dooley with Robin Forsythe in Honeybee emerged 2014 Champion after six testing races, with Raymond Morrison and Warren Cooper in Lady Rose, equal points but second overall, then Bertie and Ian Forsythe third in Christa.

Overnight, these three boats were equal first overall, with a first, second and third each - six points. Sailing uses a low points system, one for first, two for second etc. Race scores are totalled for overall score net worst score if the full quota of races is sailed. On Sunday, Lady Rose won the fourth race. Honeybee stung back winning fifth and sixth races, with Lady Rose second in each, so again both tied on net equal points. But Honeybee had three firsts, Lady Rose two, so Honeybee was Champion.

Fourth overall, Richard Smith’s Growler had a good regatta, best result a third place. Substitute Sunday helm was septuagenarian Michael Clarke with teenagers Finbar McCann and Timothy Boomer – only boat with three crew. LEYC sail trainees, they had won the dinghy racing at June’s Summer Regatta.

Finbar counted down seconds to the fourth race start signal while Timothy trimmed jib sail as Growler close rounded the line end buoy right on signal, well away and on to round the upwind mark first. Downwind, the teens took time to untangle spinnaker drills – this big sail drives hard with wind behind.

The three top boats got past. Fifth race, spinnaker drill sorted, Growler finished third, holding off the other septuagenarian-helmed Christa, fourth. Growler started last in the final race. Her two-teenager sail team did so well that she overhauled half the fleet to finish fourth. Spinnaker pulling fast down wind, Finbar took it down only just as Growler rounded each leeward mark, likewise Timothy trimmed jib sail for the upwind leg - another boat or two caught and passed. Proven: the best Yeoman sail crew is a pair of LEYC sail-trained teenagers.

Other young crew included Liam Martin with Donald McCarthy in Mirage, fifth overall, Rory Gill with John McCrea in Blue Diamond, sixth, Andrew Dunbar with Brendan Gallagher in Nelly Kelly, seventh, Alexandra Earl with her uncle Greg in Scorpio, eighth, and Caroline with Alex Knowles in Thief of Time, ninth overall having sailed only one race on Saturday, finishing it sixth.

LEYC Commodore, Theo Nugent praised and thanked all who helped make this yet another very successful and enjoyable event: Michele Martin, Vice Commodore (Sailing) Bertie Forsythe, Yeoman Fleet Captain, Michael Whaley, Race Officer and team, Joey Kelly, Caitriona Johnston and Jo Thompson, RIB drivers, Norman Whittaker and Wilfred Graham (who donated his bottle back to be awarded to best improved Yeoman, Greg Earl) Liz Doherty, Results Secretary, and all competitors.

LEYC final 2014 event, the Autumn Regatta is on Saturday September 20, using Club start line in Gublusk Bay, first of five races at 10.00 am.

Moderate north winds promise good sailing for J/24, Yeoman and other keelboats, GP14 and Topper dinghies.

October can be beautiful on Lough Erne, but keeled boats must be got ashore before the Rivers Agency arbitrarily endangers navigation by reducing depths to below safe levels.

Last October, a visiting USA family had a frightening experience when their J/24 struck a rock in normally deep water. This irrational Agency mistreats as only a drain Fermanagh’s most valuable resource, Lough Erne, Europe’s finest inland navigation.