A beautiful sunset last evening (Sunday 29th August 2010) over Youghal Bay finally drew a fitting curtain over an exciting day of powerboat racing in the East Cork town. Returning to Cork waters for the first time in many years this year’s ISA National Powerboat Championship is proving to be a huge success with intense competition across all classes and superb excitement for spectators.
Photos: Ger Leahy

With the waters directly off the quays in Youghal roaring to the sound of 14 race engines, the quays were equally buzzing with the chatter of keen spectators enjoying this unique blend of water, noise, bravery and spectacle.

Although only in it’s first year, this was Youghal Bay Boat Club’s second hosting of a round of the National Championships – the first being in Ardmore back in July. In Ardmore it was the P750 (Thundercat) classes that provided the excitement, this time out the entire national powerboat racing fleet came to party.

The weekend of maritime activities had begun the previous day with local marine training centre Aquatrek hosting the Munster Final of the Yachtsman Euromarine Rib Challenge and Youghal Bay Boat Club hosting their Commodore’s Cup and a thrilling aerobatics display by Gerry Humphries (and his wonderfully daft flying cow!) in the skies above Youghal. With two new ribs up for grabs in the national finals of the Rib Challenge, competition was naturally keen. Challenges were spread across land-based skills, questions and tasks – while on the water crews were tasked with a variety of tests. When the dust settled, the teams going through to the national final were announced as:

Seniors:
1st – Aquatrek Training Centre
2nd – Youghal Bay Boat Club
3rd – Tralee Bay Sailing Club

Juniors:
1st – Aquatrek Training Centre
2nd – Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club
3rd – Wexford Harbour Boat & Tennis Club

Sunday morning arrived with a car-park full of very strange machines for the people of Youghal to wonder about – it’s not every day you see a van with what looks like a little jet plane parked on its roof. With crews and boats from the four corners of Ireland filling out the car park the excitement grew from early morning until the first boats hit the water just after noon to begin a long day of hot action. Under blue skies and mostly clear water the afternoon was filled with twelve races in total. Community Radio Youghal were on hand to provide informative commentary and fill the time between races with music and banter. With this being the penultimate round of the national championships the racing was always expected to be intense, and the crews didn’t disappoint. Turn after turn, race after race, the crowds were treated to top-notch racing directly in front of the town’s quays. The big F2′s rocketing past at 100 miles an hour throwing huge plumes of water into the skies, the little P750 (Thundercats) throwing their boats and crews into impossible turns just inches apart from one another, and the T850 monohulls buzzing, skimming and often flying across the water.

For Youghal Bay Boat Club this was the first year in the build towards a major annual Maritime Festival, and it proved to be a satisfying success. For the spectators it was another opportunity to enjoy the wonderful spectacle which the waters of Youghal can provide. For the competitors it was an opportunity to showcase their sport and battle hard for championship points.

At the end of a long and exciting day the honours went to the following:

T850 Class
1st: Oliver Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)
2nd: Megan Anderson (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)
3rd: Philip Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)

Formula 2 Class
1st: Will Chambers (Lisnaskea Boat Club)
2nd: Liam Ralph (East Coast Powerboat Racing Club)
3rd: Oliver Haire (North East Powerboat & Racing Club)

Formula 4 Class
1st: Will Chambers (Lisnaskea Boat Club)
2nd: Phil Boyle (Irish Powerboat Club)

P750 (Thundercats)
1st: Sean Dillon & Gary Hogg (Irish Offshore Powerboat Racing Club)
2nd: Colin Snow & Conor Mullally (East Coast Powerboat Racing Club)
3rd: Ronan O’Connor & Fionn Little (Youghal Bay Boat Club)

For further information please contact Aidan Foley (Club PRO) on 086 0401368

Our Maritime Weekend actually kicks off on Saturday (Aug 28) as Aquatrek host the Munster Final of the ‘ISA Yachtsman Euromarine Rib Challenge’ on the quays in Youghal. Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com

If you’re part of an ISA club or training centre you should get a team together and enter. There are 2 classes – Junior and Senior. More details can be found by clicking here, or by phoning our very own John Innes on 086 859 3482.

And it’s not all about power this weekend (well, mostly it is!). We’re having a Commodore’s Cup Sailing Regatta also on Saturday afternoon. Sailors from Youghal and Inniscarra will compete on the water, and try not to get mowed down by wayward competitors in the Rib Challenge.

Youghal Harbour comes alive this Sunday when the only round of the ISA National Powerboat Championships to be held in Cork this year rolls into town and down the slipway. This will be the penultimate round of this year’s series and with points tight at the top of each class, competitive racing is guaranteed. The organisers of this round – Youghal Bay Boat Club – have been working hard to design courses that will ensure tight exciting racing with the whole event happening right in front of Youghal quays. Padraig Brooks -  Commodore of Youghal Bay Boat Club tells us “This is the first time our new club has held powerboat racing here in Youghal. We hosted a round of the Championships across in Ardmore back in July which proved to be an enormous success with huge crowds and fantastic racing and now we look forward to welcoming the racing fleets and spectators to the waters of Youghal for what’s expected to be a memorable round of the championship. The layout of the quays allows for great viewing and we hope people will come down and enjoy the racing”.

Four classes are expected to race this Sunday – 29th August: The F2 & F4 classes look light waterborne jet fighters and can attain speeds approaching 200 kilometres an hour, the T850 fleet are an exciting monohull class, while the P750 class (better known as Thundercats) will make a welcome return to these waters following a highly successful international race back in 2008. Expect lots of noise, tons of excitement and a great spectacle for a wonderful family afternoon.

This is another exciting event for the recently formed Youghal Bay Boat Club. At the start of the Summer large crowds turned out to enjoy their Open Day which was followed closely by ‘WindQuest’ – an inter-club sailing competition – and then a competitive sea-angling competition in July. Given the natural amenities in the area it’s perhaps little surprise that a club in this East Cork town should have proved so active.

Racing on Sunday begins at 12.30 and continues throughout the afternoon with several races in each class. Music and commentary on the day will be provided by Community Radio Youghal and the centre of the action will be Nealon’s Quay (next to ‘The Quays’ bar).

We’re delighted to be able to confirm some more details about the Maritime Weekend that’s taking place in Youghal this Saturday and Sunday (August 28th & 29th). Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com Email: news@youghalonline.com

The first ‘biggie’ is an aerobatics display that will be flown by Gerry Humphreys in his Vans RV7 at 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon. This is the first time such a display has been flown in the skies over East Cork so we’re expecting it to be truly memorable. Youghal is a great location for such a display so people are advised to get along quayside to watch the excitement. Further details on this are available here on our website:
http://www.youghalbay.com/component/content/article/35-latest-news/57-aerobatic-display.html

Further details on the National Powerboat Championships – which we’re hosting on the Sunday are also available on the site, specifically on this page:
http://www.youghalbay.com/component/content/article/35-latest-news/59-maritime-weekend.html

We’re a young club (less than a year old) and there’s only so much we can do with our reach. This weekend is a continuation of the events we’ve already delivered this year and a taster of what we hope to bring in the future, so we humbly ask that you assist our endeavors by helping to spread the word.

Aidan Foley
PRO – Youghal Bay Boat Club
Tel: 086 0401 368