Progressive Credit Union GP14 World Championship 2022 at Skerries Sailing Club - Overall

Friday and final race day. 2 races schedule which would enable all crews to utilize a second discard. At the top of the fleet, only 2 points separated Ian Dobson and Matt Mee and with Neil Marsden, Nick Craig, local sailor Colman Grimes, Ger Owens, Hugh Gill, Alan Blay all capable of top five finishes, this title was still very much up for grabs.

Local bragging rights going into day 2 looked secure with Skerries Colman Grimes in fourth but he had an outside chance of taking third but the gap to fifth was also very small.

In the Silver Fleet, Sutton Dinghy Clubs Conor Twohig led and barring a disaster looked secure but behind him there was a good battle for remaining podium places with Blessington's youngster Sam Street, vying with Skerries Doire Shiels, Newtownards Steven Nelson and another youngster Greystones Ciaran Keogh. In the Bronze Fleet Darwin Sailing Club's and former Skerries man Conor Byrne looked secure but again all to play for between Meg Tyrrel, Kerri-Ann Boylan, Darach Dineen, Eoghan Duffy and Frankie Browne.

Race 1 got under way clean and on time, with Peter Boyle as pathfinder. With majority of fleet heading out right, pathfinder looked good. Approaching the weather mark, pathfinder Peter Boyle capsizes when in fourth, with Ross Kearney first at the weather mark. Then Neil Marsden. Ian Dobson fourth around behind bronze fleet leader Conor Byrne. Alan Blay in top five closely followed by Mat Mee.

After the spreader mark, Ian Dobson and Matt Mee engage in little luffing match. The close engagement between the pair will extend through to the end of the days racing.

By the top mark second time round, Ross Kearney still just leads Neil Marsden. Matt Mee has escaped clutches of Ian Dobson and lies third and closing in on the leaders. Alan Blay fifth. Ian Dobson now lies seventh. This competition is far from being over. Wind has been up steady now at 18 knots but has taken it toll on the fleet with quite a few retirees.

Up the last beat Matt Mee has really put the squeeze on the the leading pair and takes the gun by three boat lengths from Neil Marsden with Ross Kearney in third. A fast finishing Ian Dobson recovers well to take 4th and that leaves things very tight now at the top of the leader-board. Nick Craig fifth, leading Youth Robert Richardson sixth, Alan Blay seventh with leading Irish contender Colman Grimes in eighth.

The fallen pathfinder Peter Boyle having slipped back to late 30s after the capsize has made an excellent recovery to take tenth.

A couple of big finishes sees Blessington's Sam Street & Josh Lloyd post a sixteenth and the Boylan sisters from Skerries take a 25th which put both pairs now in contention for podium places in Silver and Bronze respectively.

Race 8 was now of major significance in where the World Championship would go. Matt Mee a British National champions on two occasions but who had been out of the GP14 fleet for a few years lead by one point from four time World Champions Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe who was were very keen to reclaim a title they had relinquished in 2016.

Blay and McNally lead Dobson and Mee to the mark - Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 day 6 - photo © SSC

The top mark leader is Neil Marsden, then Nick Craig, Ian Dobson and Ross Kearney. Our pathfinder Jane Kearney is eighth. Silver Fleet leader is up in Conor Twohig thirteenth. With wind now up over 20knots, the reaches are fast and a cracking spectacle. Bottom of the reach Neil Marsden has stretched out a very healthy lead. Ian Dobson is next. Matt Mee in 4th behind Nick Craig. Rosa Ross Kearney 5th. Colman Grimes in now up to ninth behind Jane Kearney.

By the leeward mark. All changed. Neil Marsden and majority of the fleet come down right hand side. Ross Kearney has gone left with Matt Mee and Ian Dobson in the middle. Left side seems to have paid with Ian Dobson now leading Matt Mee with Neil Marsden in third ahead of Nick Craig and Ross Keaney in close order. That makes it very tight.

Last beat will be interesting. Jane Kearney seventh, then John Hayes, Colman Grimes tenth. Silver fleet leader Conor Twohig holding his thirteenth with Sam Street fourteenth, the pair making a real contest. Peter Boyle fifteenth. Bronze fleet Eoghan Duffy in a superb sixteenth, Hugh Gill seventeenth. And Kerri Ann & Megan Boylan now in twentieth.

Heading to the top mark and the finish. It's still very close between Ian Dobson and Matt Mee and might well go to a countback. Ian Dobson take the gun from Matt Mee. There is clearly a bit of cheer in the background and Ian & Andy believe its theirs. That recovery on the last beat to take fourth in Race 7 may well be the key moment.

Colman and Ross are Top Irish Boat - Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 day 6 - photo © SSC

Long time race leader Neil Marsden & Derek Hill pips Nick Craig & Toby Lewis for third with Ross Keaney & Andrew Vaughan in fifth. Two good races for Ross on the final day may well be enough to get him into the overall top ten after a slow start to the Championship. Leading Irish contender has finished ninth to cap a superb event for the local sailor who is also the Event Coordinator. Robert Richardson & Steven Wilson take tenth to copper-fasten an overall top ten for a very impressive Youth showing.

Moville John & Donal McGuinness take eleventh with Conor Twohig & Mattheew Cotter from Sutton Dinghy Club capping a super event with a twelfth in the final race. Blessington Sam Street & Josh Lloyd finish a great final day with an 18th.

That fourth in Race 7 meant Ian Dobson & Andy Tunnicliffe and Matt Mee & Chris Robinson tied on Total (17) and Net (9) scores with both discarding two fourth places. An event beset by two year Covid delay and impacted by the loss of three days racing, saw the 2022 GP14 World Championship go all the way to the wire and decided on countback in favour of Ian & Andy on the basis of four race victories to three by Matt & Chris.

It really couldn't have been closer and a super end to what has been a superbly run event by Skerries Sailing Club.

The overall result saw Ian & Andy first, Matt & Chris second, with Nick Craig & Toby Lewis third. Top Irish boat was Colman Grimes & Ross Gingles (Skerries SC) who finished fifth.

There were three Irish in the top ten with Ross Kearney & Andrew Vaughan (RNIYC) finishing in seventh and Hugh & Dan Gill (Sutton Dinghy Club) tenth. Another eight Irish crews in the top twenty made for a strong showing and highlights the strength of the Irish fleet.

Conor Twohig & Matthew Cotter finished 21st overall and took Silver Fleet from Doire Shiels & Lewis Coppinger in 23rd and Sam Street & Josh Lloyd (Blessington) in 27th. Conor Byrne & Emer McNally (Darwin SC) and 22nd overall took Bronze Fleet from Kerri-Ann & Megan Boylan (Skerries SC) in 34th and Frankie Brown & Dave Lappin (Skerries SC) in 40th.

Curly Morris annoucing World Sailing Medal Presentation - Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 day 6 - photo © SSC

Curly Morris, the outgoing GP14 International President and a great supporter and facilitator for Youth and Female engagement and involvement in the Irish GP14 Class announced a major surprise when additional World Sailing Championship medals were to be presented possibly for the first time at a World Championship in Ireland.

The GP14 International organisation would normally present trophies at the GP14 World Championships to categories such as leading Female Helm, leading all-Female crew and leading Youth, but this was the first year that World Sailing has permitted World Sailing medals be presented to these categories as well as the overall World Championship top three.

To major cheers and emotional scenes the prize-giving ceremony concluded with the following presentations...

World Sailing Youth podium - Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 day 6 - photo © SSC

World Sailing Youth Championship Medals:

Gold: Robert Richardson & Steven Wilson (Royal Windemere SC) Silver: Sam Stree & Josh Lloyd (Blessington Sailing Club) Bronze: Ciaran Keogh & Adam Leddy (Greystones Sailing Club)

World Sailing medal winners in the All Female Crews category - Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 day 6 - photo © SSC

World Sailing All Female Championship Medals:

Gold: Kerri-Ann & Megan Boylan (Skerries Sailing Club) Silver: Katie Dwyer & Michelle Rowley (Sutton Dinghy Club) Bronze: Meg Tyrrell & Sorcha Donnelly (Royal Irish YC/ Skerries SC)

Worls Sailing Mixed Crews podium - Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 day 6 - photo © SSC

World Sailing Mixed Crews Championship Medals:

Gold: Ger Owens & Mel Morris (RoyalSt. George YC & East Antrim Boat Club Silver: Jane Kearney & Ollie Goodhead (Royal North of Ireland C &) Bronze: Ruan & Rebekkah O'Tiarnaigh (Ballyholme YC & Sutton Dinghy Club)

Ian Dobson and Andy Tunnicliffe win the Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 - photo © SSC

Overall World Championship Results:

Progressive Credit Union GP14 Worlds 2022 day 6 - photo © SSC