This article appeared in the Newtownards Chronicle dated 10th August 2006.
The GP14 World Championships have just concluded at Sligo where 115 boats from Europe,
North America, Sri Lanka and Africa took part.
Bronze Fleet world champions
Newtownards Sailing Club is celebrating the success of Steven Preston and Vicky Meredith
the new Bronze Fleet world champions.
Duffin Marine
Further championship honours came with the news that the winners and runners up for
the overall event were aboard craft built by EDYC / NSC member and boat builder Alastair
Duffin.
Gold Fleet
Following a lengthy postponement due to gale force conditions the first of 11 races
got underway where the local pair of Johnny Park and Bob Stinson dealt with the
conditions to qualify for the highly competitive Gold Fleet and a well deserved 36th
placing at the end of the week.
Following the mayhem in the heavy qualifying conditions one of the local club's
top Gold Fleet boats Pooka sailed by Nigel Sloan and Mark Valentine emerged unscathed
to secure a final 29th spot after two days of some of the toughest possible racing conditions.
Silver Fleet
Several spectacular capsizes occurred in that first race.
Top local contenders Curly Morris and Laura McFarland broke a mast following a capsize.
Alastair Duffin and Steven Nelson's boat was holed in an incident that also resulted in a capsize.
This situation led to both boats dropping into the Silver Fleet following the series
of five qualifying races.
Alistair went on to take second place in the Silver Fleet and Curly fourth.
However, regular visitor to NSC, EDYC's Graeme Farrington and Rebecca Edwards
finished in sixth spot in the Silver Fleet.
In the silver Fleet, showing consistent form were Ard's Laurence Baalham and Libby Tierney
who tool 11th place and Brian Andrews and Mark Magreeham close behind in 16th spot.
Donaghadee sailors James Ogg and Tony Gibbs were 34th.
Bronze Fleet
But it was NSC's Steve Preston and Vicky Meredith who won the World
Championship Bronze Fleet Trophy, by taking two fourth places, a second and a first.
Steve who has some experience sailing cruisers in similar sea conditions usually
only found offshore admitted he had not previously sailed dinghies in such rough conditions.
Vicky, who owns a small cruiser, learned to sail in the relatively sheltered waters
of Strangford Lough last year at Newtownards Sailing Club.
Steve said: "It never really registered with me just how big the waves were
on Monday until I saw the terrific photos taken of the boats when I got ashore.
I was just enjoying the big fleet racing experience and we had joked,
'it's the World Championships we would keep on sailing'."
{Also in the Bronze Fleet were EDYC members Simon and Tim Jeffery (29th) and
Henry O'Friel / Elaine Vogan (34th)}.
With assistance from fellow sailors and friends, Steve has collected just over £3,500
for the work of the Ellen MacArthur Trust
by holding various fundraising events
as part of the World Championship campaign.
The Trust organises sailing trips to help boost the confidence of young people
living with cancer and other life-threatening conditions.