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What is Swift?
What is Swift?
Swift is a recently renovated IDRA 14 that is sailed by a group of youth sailors aged between 18-25 years at CY&BC. It was bought in bad condition a few years ago, and was made into a speedy, race-ready boat thanks to the incredible work of a handful of CY&BC IDRA 14 class members.
Swift serves to provide youth sailors at CY&BC with an opportunity to sail as part of the IDRA14 fleet in local club races weekly, as well as participating in other IDRA 14 away events such as the National Championships that were held in Lough Ree this year. There are currently 6 of us (aka 'Swifties') who are part of the Swift group and we rotate who sails each week.
Not only do we get to sail in Swift, but we also are responsible for its maintenance. As you may know, IDRA 14's unfortunately require constant maintenance, so we try (and sometimes fail - RIP mast) to keep the boat in good condition so it can be sailed regularly. This means we have learnt basic boat maintenance skills such as using epoxy to fix damage to the hull or foils.
Why is Swift important to us?
Why is Swift important to us?
It seems to be a general trend that once teenagers grow older, they seem to drift away from sailing. This is due to many reasons: college commitments, jobs etc. This means however that there is no racing fleet for youth sailors to sail in. Swift however, gives us the opportunity to keep enjoying the sport we love in an active, competitive and most importantly fun fleet. It also enables us to learn from much more seasoned sailors. Importantly, it will generate a new generation of IDRA 14 sailors who maybe one day will be running the class.
Meet the Swifties
Meet the Swifties
Adam
Adam
Nickname: Chad
Highlight of the year:
Getting to sail with THE Joey McGauran
Must have boat snack: Blue Powerade
Dan
Dan
Nickname: Dan the Fan
Highlight of the year:
Surviving the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta with Tom
Must have boat snack: Pain aux Raisin from Circle K
Hannah
Hannah
Nickname: Mastslayer
Highlight of the year:
Rostrevor - sailing in Swift but also the early morning hike up the hill over looking the sail area.
Must have boat snack: White chocolate buttons
Joey
Joey
Nickname: Dont really have one maybe Tow-ie Joey because I once towed the boat.
Highlight of the year:
Flying the spinnaker downwind in Rostrevor in 20 knots of wind before unfortunately capsizing 🫤
Must have boat snack: Digestives
Orlaith
Orlaith
Nickname "Carnie" or"Orlabcdef"
Highlight of the year:
Surviving Lough Ree and still coming 2nd in Silver Fleet at the Nationals
Must have boat snack: My soggy crisp sambos
Tom
Tom
Nickname "The Puppeteer"
Highlight of the year:
"I had a boat load of fun sailing Swift this year. But if I had to pick just one highlight then it would be sailing in the Volvo Regatta in Dun Laoghaire. There was plenty of wind that weekend and it was my first time really experiencing 30+ knots of wind in an IDRA."
Must have boat snack: Sparkling water
2023 Results
2023 Results
Northern Championship - 4th Place
HYC Dinghy Regatta - 6th Place
CY&BC "At Home" Regatta - 5th Place
Volvo DunLaoghaire Regatta - 7th Place
National Championships - 2nd Place Silver Fleet
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