Islandmagee Challenge

Saturday 14th August saw the inaugural Islandmagee Challenge race, the vision of Head Coach Jason Greenwood. With 11 boats from County Down and Co Antrim, it promised to be both a challenging and memorable day. 8 St Ayles Skiffs and 3 Celtic One Design Yawls were competing from Whitehead CRC, Sketrick, Killyleigh, Strangford, Ardglass and Dundrum

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Boats set off at 1.15pm and raced to get ahead for the first challenge between Muck Island and Islandmagee. Once through the narrows, the boats were met with some swell which the Skiffs were able to negotiate more easily, whilst the yawls had some exciting surfing conditions to contend with. Whilst 3 boats pulled ahead, the centre pack jostled for positions as they skirted the iconic Gobbins path. Then after rounding the Blackhead Lighthouse, the race was on to the finish line in Whitehead Bay.

Dundrum’s “Mystic Wave” battling it out with Whitehead’s “Black Cove”

Killyleigh’s St Ayles Skiff “Gocean” passing the Iconic Gobbins cliffs

Black Cove homeward bound from Blackhead Lighthouse