Two Roscommon natives to compete in 600-mile sailing event
Pat Dowd and Michael Fleming will be part of the Galway Bay Sailing Club crew that will be taking part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race from Malta later this year. Picture: iStock
Two County Roscommon natives are gearing up to compete in a renowned 600-mile annual sailing event.
Pat Dowd and Michael Fleming will be part of the Galway Bay Sailing Club crew that will be taking part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race from Malta later this year.
The race will kick off in the picturesque surroundings of Valletta on October 19th, tracing a course north through the iconic Messina Straits between Southern Italy and Sicily. Navigating past the renowned volcanic island of Stromboli, the boats will then follow the Sicilian coastline to the Egadi Islands. Keeping the islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa to port, the race will conclude back in Valletta.
While the race is expected to span about four days, larger multihulls and some monohulls will be vying to complete the challenge in under two days.
Pat and Michael, alongside their team-mates, will be competing in the J/122 Noisy Oyster.
The challenge is being managed by Fergal Lyons, while the skipper is Mark Wilson, best known for his many successes on the Atlantic seaboard with the Sigma 33 Scorpio.
The full squad is: Mark Wilson (Scorpio), Skipper; Nigel Moss (Woofer), Watch Leader; Conor Lyons (Out of the Blue), Helm; Aaron O'Reilly (Koncho Buntz), Helm; Padraig Dennison (Scorpio), Trimmer/Navigation; Pat Dowd (Scorpio), Trimmer/Navigation; Iso Inan (Scorpio), PIt/Trimmer; Michael Fleming (Scorpio), Trimmer; Paddy Hennelly (Out of the Blue), Bow/Trimmer; Cronan Quirke (Scorpio), Bow/Trimmer.
