Skerries cruisers hit the water in style over the weekend!
Published 12:44pm on 7 Sep 2025
The E-Boat National Championships held in Clontarf Yacht & Boating Club over last weekend attracted a very competitive fleet of ten boats, and saw the three Skerries E-Boats take three of the top four positions.
With a forecast of gusts up to 25 knots on the Saturday, there was a steady rush to reduce sail size to cope with what turned out to be a memorable day of racing for more reasons than one! Pockets of sunshine and extremely gusty south-westerly winds reaching 30 knots at times made for adrenaline-charged racing which saw roller-coaster broaches, lifejackets inflating as boats and crews hit the murky Clontarf waters (I kid you not!) and one crew member being tossed from their boat due to the mercilessness of that particular roller-coaster broach!
While Sundays forecast was due to be more benign, the Wind Gods had other plans! The day presented very gusty and shifty conditions, resulting in exhilarating racing conditions made more challenging (as if more challenges were needed!) by seriously fluctuating wind shifts at the weather mark caused by gigantic ferries entering and leaving the channel!
After six white-knuckle races over the weekend, Seán Waddilove and his team on Aoife took Gold, with Bernie Grogan and her team on Eaglet taking Silver, and Paul Hick and his team on Easygo taking fourth place.
The event also saw a special presentation made to Paul Hick for his contribution over many years to the E-Boat fleet, both in Skerries and Clontarf sailing clubs. In a moving speech by Race Officer Ian Sargent, Ian recalled how Paul, shortly after bringing the first E-Boat to Skerries (the renowned Easygo), brought himself and Easygo to the very first National Championships in Clontarf sailing club. He said that ever since, the E-Boat sailors have been travelling back and forth between the two clubs for their annual National Championships. He concluded that it was due to Pauls unrivalled dedication to the E-Boat Class that such a close racing affinity has developed over 20 years between the Skerries and Clontarf E-Boat fleets.
But it wasn't all about Clontarf! The weekend also saw a large number of Skerries sailors participate in the Malahide Cruiser Regatta on 9 August, with Cormac Farrelly and his crew (including our Commodore!) in Pepperbox come 1st in the IRC class, Brian Skehan and his team in Chinook come first in the MPH Class, and Terry McCoy and his team in Out and About come first in the IRC white sails class.
Well done Skerries cruisers what a weekend that was!
Last updated 12:44pm on 7 September 2025