2004 European Championships

The 2004 Mirror European Championships saw 122 boats compete in Ireland, with competitors coming from as far a field as New Zealand, many attracted by the availability of new GRP charter boats. Hosted by Lough Derg Yacht Club, Ireland on a large inland expanse of non tidal water, some 25 miles long and 10 miles wide, surrounded by mountains to provide a picturesque backdrop. For the championship, competitors experienced predominantly light and shifty conditions, with a short chop placing great emphasis on keeping the boat moving, rewarding those who mastered the conditions and were consistent in what was to be a high scoring event.

Team GBR sent a strong team of 34 boats, many arriving the previous week for training and event familiarisation. Team GBR consisted mainly of juniors, with Tom Lovesey the youngest helm at nine years old and a few parent and child teams.

For the 12 RYA grant winners, National Coach Peter Aitken organised three days of intense training and event support during the actual regatta. With its strong commitment to training the UK Mirror Class Association also organised an open coaching squad with Matt McGovern. Team GBR was certainly the envy of the other nations with their organisation and top coaches.

Team GBR got off to a flying start with the Hansen Sisters winning the practise race , putting aside any suspicious thoughts.

With 122 boats on a single long start line, the championship proper started with the inevitable general recall. After the introduction of the black flag, the fleet got away and enjoyed some very close racing over a long Olympic course. At the front were again the Hansen Sisters in Double Trouble who led most of the race only to be piped at the finish by mistaking the outer end and letting the local Irish boat Seriously Easy Going with Brian Cox and Rory Rafferty taking honours for the day. Father and son team, Guy and Joe Wilkins (GBR) were third. Dave and Joric Gebhard (GBR) fourth.

Race two started in ever darkening skies, quickly followed by an amazing electrical storm centred over the lake. Sensibly the race was cancelled and the fleet sent ashore.

When Race 2 was re-sailed on the Tuesday, Race Officer, Tony O'Gorman set a windward/leeward course. In the shifty winds this caught many boats out, resulting in bunching round the marks. Andrew Woodward and James Bendon (IRL) won the race, from GBR National Squad Members Robert Struckett and Tom Hodkinson, with father and son team Guy and Joe Wilkins (GBR) third.

For Race Three, again a windward/leeward course was set which was shortened after two laps as the Race Officer was keen to sail three races on Day 2, making up for loosing the second race on Day 1 as a result of the massive thunderstorm. The last beat saw a massive wind shift, allowing some boats to reach to the finish. Defending Champion Dave and Joric Gebhard (GBR) in Trident-UK won, from Patrick Houlihan and Inge-Lisa Hansen (GBR), with Juliet and Richard Long (GBR) third. This race was subsequently thrown out after protests over confusion of the position of the finish.

Race Four saw the Race Officer revert to the standard Olympic Course, and with an increasing wind the competitors enjoyed the best racing of the day, it was a pity some went ashore early, frustrated with the light winds of the previous races. Dave and Joric Gebhard (GBR) in Trident-UK won again, from race 1 winners, Brian Cox and Rory Rafferty (IRL), with Louise Kerr and Joanne O'Hara (IRL) third.

Day Three saw all racing abandoned. The Race Officer took the fleet out to the next bay from where the course was usually set, necessitating in a sail of about an hour to get to the start from launching. After a short wait the race got under way after a general recall. With a dying breeze, the fleet struggled their way upwind. After half an hour the leaders were in spitting distance of the windward mark, but unfortunately not close enough, giving the Race Officer no choice but to abandon the race.

For Race 5, the Race Officer set a windward/leeward course in a shifty Force 3 wind. With large shifts and many holes in the wind, the competitors experienced many place changes. Louise Kerr and Joanne O'Hara (IRL) won from Andrew Woodward and James Bendon (IRL), with Dave and Joric Gebhard (GBR) third in Trident-UK. Butcontroversy struck as three senior GBR sailors including Gebhard and Guy Wilkins protested Woodward under Rule 2 - fair sailing, for intimidating Wilkins down the offwind leg. Woodward was given a non-discard able disqualification.

Race 6 a windward/leeward course was again set in similar conditions. National Squad sailors Juliet and Richard Long (GBR) won from Andrew Woodward and James Bendon (IRL), with Dave and Joric Gebhard (GBR) third again.

For Race 7, the breeze built to good Force 4 and reasonable steady, albeit with some holes to catch people out. Andrew Woodward and James Bendon (IRL) won, from father and son team Craig and Mitchell Bond, with fellow Team GBR members Robert Struckett and Tom Hodkinson third.

Going into the final day, the European Championships were wide open, and with the pressure on, many boats were black flagged for Race 8 including the Gebhards. This race belonged to the Irish, taking the top four places. Woo Kearney and Craig Martin won from Andrew Todd and Adam McCullough, with Stephen Browne and Tim Rafferty third.

Race 9 saw father and son team Craig and Mitchell Bond (GBR) open up a large lead, maximising a favourable shift on the right hand side of the beat, in the end they dropped back to second behind the Gebhards, with Andrew Woodward and James Bendon (IRL) third.

This was sufficient to give Dave Gebhard in Trident-UK the championship,and successfully defending his crown. The Longs took second tying on 52 points. Fellow National Squad members the Hansen Sisters finished third, showing an excellent improvement since the nationals earlier in May.

On the gear front, the Gebhards sailed a brand new Trident GRP boat with Trident sails. The Longs sailed a Duffin wooden boat with Q Mark sails, the Hansens sailed a Butler wooden boat with McNamara sails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pos	Bow/Sail	Boat	Skipper	Crew	Club	1	2	4	5	6	7	3	8	Total  Points	Pos
1	94/ GBR 70337	Trident-UK	Dave Gebhard	Joric Gebhard	DRSC	4	7	1	2	3	34	[125/BFD]	1	52.00	1
2	07/ GBR 70222	Whatever !	Juliet Long	Richard Long	PYC	19	4	[27]	7	1	4	13	4	52.00	2
3	83/ GBR 70176	Double Trouble	Eloise Hansen	Kayleigh Hansen	CSC	2	14	12	10	7	21	5	[33]	71.00	3
4	19/ IRL 70130		Stephen Browne	Tim Rafferty	LDYC	5	25	26	5	14	8	3	[125/BFD]	86.00	4
5	57/ IRL 70029	Seriously Easy Going	Brian Cox	Rory Rafferty	LDYC	1	6	2	[125/BFD]	5	9	57	9	89.00	5
6	05/ GBR 70172	AV IT	Anna Mackenzie	Nicola Brook	RWYC & HLSC	7	8	33	[36]	13	12	10	8	91.00	6
7	106/ IRL 70326		Conor O'Brien	Ed Butler	LDYC	48	5	[114/DNF]	9	10	10	6	5	93.00	7
8	11/ GBR 70002	Magic	Robert Struckett	Tom Hodkinson	ISC	29	2	[49]	4	35	3	7	16	96.00	8
9	56/ IRL 70032	Just 2 Hat II	Philip McGlade	Orlagh Cotter	RCYC	26	3	16	14	15	[40]	15	7	96.00	9
10	85/ IRL 69680	Mind over Matter	Bryan Cotter	Gemma Doran	RCYC	6	[125/BFD]	14	22	19	17	11	13	102.00	10
11	21/ GBR 70281		Craig Bond	Mitchell Bond	BSC	10	42	[125/BFD]	11	17	2	23	2	107.00	11
12	23/ GBR 39508	Norbert	Guy Wilkins	Joe Wilkins	CSC	3	[125/DSQ]	25	3	8	32	18	20	109.00	12
13	17/ IRL 70266	Insomniac	Woo Kearney	Craig Martin	RNIYC	8	29	20	8	27	23	1	[38]	116.00	13
14	58/ IRL 70074	Synergy	David Cox	Katie Dagg	LDYC	24	13	5	29	26	[41]	12	10	119.00	14
15	121/ GBR 70253	Once Upon a Tide	George Yeoman	James Ponsford	ISC	12	20	10	17	[44]	18	21	21	119.00	15
16	29/ GBR 70132	We Take Plastic	James Ellis	Carla Sheldon	RPCYC	21	16	24	6	22	[117/DNF]	20	11	120.00	16
17	103/ GBR 70171	Deja Vu	Katie MacKenzie	Holly Scott	RWYC & SSC	17	9	35	12	25	14	16	[125/BFD]	128.00	17
18	37/ IRL 70162	Rapid Challenger	Louise Kerr	Joanne O'Hara	WHBTC	35	[125/BFD]	3	1	6	13	24	54	136.00	18
19	49/ GBR 70133	Whitewash	Daniel Jacobs	Harrison Reece	TSC	11	[125/BFD]	23	19	11	7	55	12	138.00	19
20	08/ GBR 70274	Illiswilgig	William Kalderon	Rebecca Kalderon	ISC	[37]	31	6	20	24	24	9	29	143.00	20
21	89/ IRL 69949	Poseidon	Andrew Woodward	James Bendon	RCYC	9	1	4	125/DNE	2	1	[125/BFD]	3	145.00	21
22	13/ IRL 69955	Gee-Czar	Ross Kearney	Patrick Luft	RNIYC	13	[125/BFD]	32	38	9	6	34	14	146.00	22
23	98/ IRL 70030	Jailbreak	Ronan Cull	Ryan Scott	HYC	39	10	7	44	12	15	22	[125/BFD]	149.00	23
24	03/ GBR 70007		James Budd	Kate Robinson	LLSC & SCYC	18	38	22	26	33	11	[125/BFD]	27	175.00	24
25	107/ GBR 70024	Festino Lente	Ania Booth	Jennifer House	PYC	[51]	18	15	31	48	20	29	32	193.00	25
26	46/ IRL 69917	Baiis of Fire	Simon McGrotty	Niall Collins	SSC	34	22	19	43	62	5	17	[116/DNF]	202.00	26
27	119/ IRL 70076	Itchy	Stephen Mullaney	Cian Hickey	SSC	30	19	13	[53]	40	25	25	53	205.00	27
28	50/ IRL 69999	Hustler	Turlough Adley	Paul Carey	LDYC	44	30	18	28	20	[85]	32	45	217.00	28
29	115/ IRL 70325	Mach II	Andrew Todd	Adam McCullough	RNIYC	[50]	32	8	45	46	43	2	44	220.00	29
30	120/ GBR 70280	The Other Half	Jack Yeoman	Matt Ponsford	ISC	49	17	66	13	16	28	38	[116/DNF]	227.00	30
31	42/ GBR 70263	Ace of Clubs	Joshua Rumbol	Tom Davidson	PYC	23	63	[125/BFD]	24	23	42	40	15	230.00	31
32	47/ GBR 69776	Pthreetle	Emma Barry	Martina Barry	BSC	27	48	9	39	69	22	[125/BFD]	26	240.00	32
33	105/ IRL 7001 X		Philip O'Leary	David Kennefick	RCYC	61	21	44	27	43	45	4	[125/BFD]	245.00	33
34	44/ GBR 70216	Which Witch	Alice Darling	Jillian Darling	ISC	[60]	26	60	25	56	38	19	23	247.00	34
35	75/ IRL 70031	Remedy	Gerard Healy	Barry Armstrong	SYC	14	[125/BFD]	30	18	66	56	28	36	248.00	35
36	48/ NZL 70261	Evolution	Jason Rope	Eimer O'Leary	RCYC	41	12	42	35	42	49	[125/BFD]	31	252.00	36
37	70/ GBR 47566	Desparate Measure	Patrick Houlihan	Inge-Lisa Hansen	CSC/RWYC	31	50	41	51	18	[73]	51	17	259.00	37
38	09/ GBR 70055	The Female of the Species	Emma Houlihan	Emily MacKenzie	RWYC	[74]	28	21	54	38	48	48	28	265.00	38
39	93/ GBR 70265	Trident-UK	Josh Gebhard	Jodi Gebhard	DRSC	40	52	54	56	45	19	8	[116/DNF]	274.00	39
40	82/ GBR 70003	Encore une Fois	Tom Robinson	Shaun Mason	WSC	43	46	28	15	30	47	[67]	65	274.00	40
41	26/ GBR 70258	Checkmate	Jamie Knill	Lewis Rumbol	PYC	38	49	37	[81]	60	30	26	34	274.00	41
42	104/ IRL 70082		Sarah O'Leary	Ally Baker	RCYC	[120/DNF]	27	17	57	41	64	47	24	277.00	42
43	18/ NED 70156	Double Dutch	Sander Mertens	Thijn Mertens	KWVL	42	36	47	42	29	[70]	50	48	294.00	43
44	30/ IRL 70075	Lapdancer	Gerard O'Sullivan	Ben Saunders	SDC	20	[125/BFD]	55	21	77	76	37	18	304.00	44
45	01/ IRL 70083	Cantankerous	Kieran Little	Pamela Lee	LDYC	65	33	45	62	4	50	54	[125/BFD]	313.00	45
46	81/ IRL 70323		William Atkinson	David White	LDYC	63	15	59	52	52	35	[66]	39	315.00	46
47	60/ IRL 69806	Kaizen	Michael McCarney	Karl Mackey	LDYC	16	24	[125/BFD]	34	28	29	60	125/BFD	316.00	47
48	12/ GBR 70167	Rooster	Gavin Tullett	Henry Westropp	RWYC	33	60	77	37	37	[84]	52	25	321.00	48
49	79/ SWE 69830	Syster Yster	Andre Hogbom	Malin Goransson	StoSS	[88]	47	38	67	32	61	33	43	321.00	49
50	22/ GBR 70201	What a girl wants	Kate MacGregor	Emily Hunter	PYC	46	53	40	[61]	59	53	43	30	324.00	50
51	27/ IRL 70164	Black Velvet	Eoin Blaney	Oisin Boland	LDYC	69	55	34	32	71	39	31	[116/DNF]	331.00	51
52	43/ GBR 70151	Fairground Attraction	Lewis Turner	James Beer	SYC	32	40	64	50	50	33	62	[74]	331.00	52
53	91/ IRL 67592	Levante	Peter Collings	Andrew Collings	DMYC	59	43	75	68	21	[89]	36	40	342.00	53
54	66/ IRL 69807	Nemisis 4	Katie Hamilton	Matthew O'Dowd	LDYC	55	[125/BFD]	29	16	61	27	30	125/BFD	343.00	54
55	51/ IRL 70213	Under Duress	David Adley	Conrad Ryan	LDYC	58	41	61	58	[82]	63	27	35	343.00	55
56	113/ IRL 69775	Supreme Illusion	Mark Armstrong	Ciara Armstrong	SYC	78	[93]	11	78	57	88	14	19	345.00	56
57	74/ IRL 70225	Still Thinking	Doire Shiels	Alison Pyke	SSC	22	35	[125/BFD]	23	36	37	71	125/BFD	349.00	57
58	67/ NED 70220	Patriot	Lodewyck Berghuys	Timothea Berghuys	WSVB	70	68	36	30	73	31	[125/BFD]	55	363.00	58
59	20/ IRL 70077	Just 'n' Time	Catherine Hilliard	Jack Hickey	NYC/SSC/RCYC	15	56	[87]	48	76	79	63	37	374.00	59
60	84/ IRL 69933	Mach III	Claire O'Driscoll	Evie Ward	LDYC	56	59	70	41	34	62	[79]	58	380.00	60
61	73/ IRL 70135	Vendetta	Caragh Shiels	Claire McMahon	SSC	67	23	71	89	49	[93]	61	22	382.00	61
62	100/ GBR 69891	TBB	David Conlon	Michael Conlon	BSC	43/DNF,RDG	34	48	91	120/DNF	[125/DNC]	44	6	386.00	62
63	68/ IRL 69874	Unfinished Business	Laura Egan	Clare Ann Aherne	LDYC	76	[125/BFD]	39	49	70	16	93	50	393.00	63
64	86/ GBR 70154	Passing Wind	Simon Lovesey	James Lovesey	WSC	28	77	56	60	74	59	[81]	42	396.00	64
65	112/ IRL 70026	Womaniser	Dano O'Connor	David Gray	LDYC	57	51	46	[125/BFD]	58	46	90	49	397.00	65
66	40/ IRL 69753	Paldin	Grainne Costigan	Meadhbh Costigan	HYC	[82]	44	31	75	68	77	53	52	400.00	66
67	31/ IRL 70287		Paul Amerlynck	Brian Malone	SSC	[125/DSQ]	83	73	47	53	26	70	56	408.00	67
68	118/ IRL 70028	Tantalizer	Fred Gilbert	Niall Carbery	MYC	25	37	[125/BFD]	33	31	36	125/BFD	125/RAF	412.00	68
69	39/ IRL 70143	Renegade	Emer McNally	Lucy Canning	SSC	68	39	89	[92]	75	51	46	51	419.00	69
70	36/ IRL 69973	Close Shave	Jessica Guy	Robert Craig	LDYC	75	67	63	63	55	44	[82]	80	447.00	70
71	02/ IRL 69834	Geepers	Bernard Lee	Lenard Garland	LDYC	89	70	50	84	47	72	39	[125/BFD]	451.00	71
72	65/ IRL 70158	Dominatrix	Ross MacMahon	Jack Mahon	SSC	45	11	67	70	90	98	75