This article is from page 4 of the 2006-08-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE Western Yacht Club in Kilrush was in the limelight again this weekend as the Kingspan-Chieftain cruised to victory in the Round Britain and Ireland Race.
Gerard O’Rourke’s Cookson 50 was the third boat to cross the winning line behind two professional crews. But, when handicaps and penalties were applied the Kilrush based crew were clear winners.
The Limerick owner-skipper, who has a summer home in Kilkee, is now recognised as a classic offshore racing campaigner, as he has guided the boat to victory in seven prestigious races this year.
Starting in January, Chieftain was the class winner in Hobart before going on to win at Cowes-L’Harve and Cowes-Malham. The boat then brought even more glory to Kilrush when it won the English National before going on to win the super zero class in the Round Ireland Race.
The 1,780 miles of ocean that makes up the Round Britain and Ireland Race was the 12-man crews’ biggest win to date. Made up of seven Irish men, two Australians, one English member, one New Zealander and a Dutchman; the crew is almost completely amateur.
Mr O’Rourke told The Clare People that the boat was now the leading contender in the competition for best boat in the UK following its year of successes.
He said that the successes would not have been possible without the sponsor boat and acknowledged that the boat’s successes ensured all sponsors received value for money.
Fellow club mate and skipper of the Spirit of Kilrush, Thomas Whelan, described the win as “a brilliant boost for the club”.
The Western Yacht Club, of which Mr O’Rourke has been a member for more than 10 years, received its name from the former Royal Western YC in Kilrush.