Despite the various weather forecasts of little to no wind, 20 odd boats readied their boats on Sunday morning, 1 June, in Cong for the annual race from Lisloughrey pier to Galway.

The record for the race is one hour thirty minutes and it was looking unlikely that it would be beaten this year.

Race Officer Eddie Cats managed to get the fleet off to a start on the first leg to Kilbeg in a very light breeze, which disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, leaving the fleet with little else to do other than admire the magnificent scenery in the upper lake and work on the suntan. After leaving the fleet to 'rest' for a while it was decided that the first leg would be abandoned and the fleet was taken under tow to Kilbeg.

Whilst the sailors enjoyed a fine lunch on the pier in summer sunshine a nice breeze was developing on the lake setting the scene for a race restart at 3.55pm. Yannick Lemonier and Niall Thornton in their ISO skiff were first off the line having started at the committee boat end, closely followed by the fleet of seven Dart 16s. Within a minute the wind had dropped again and the fleet was left to struggle towards the first navigation mark, with Johnny and Tom Murphy on Xhiggy steadily closing in on Yannick's ISO skiff. As the wind increased and veered a little bit the ISO was the first to hoist their spinnaker rapidly followed by Xhiggy, a tacking battle between the two boats ensued as they entered the 'narrows' - a series of navigation marks closely located, which mark out a safe guide through a treacherous channel separating the Upper and Lower lake.

Xhiggy took the lead and Yannick in an effort to keep with the pace made an uncustomary mistake and capsized the ISO. Xhiggy held the lead all the way to the finishing line at Menlo Castle.

Further back the fleet a fierce battle was taking place among the seven Dart 16 cats, each nudging the other for a bit of clear air. Tension was high as the whole group was focusing hard to gain the advantage, with no one giving way. Eventually Bernard and Noreen pulled away and took advantage of the clean air and took a lead which they maintained, leaving the remaining 6 Darts vying for position, with the lead amongst the trailing group being shared at different times among Ian, Marie and Rian Conboy, Breda Golden and Christine Enright, Eibhlin Scanlon and Marie Salmon.

Further down the lake all was not well, the wind had picked up and Xhiggy screaming along on a reach in 15 Knots heard a loud bang as part of their genniker kit failed. Luckily they averted a capsize as they struggled to recover their sail. Some quick thinking, some string (spectra) and great agility from crew Tom Murphy enabled Xhiggy to continue 'jury rigged' to finish the race and take line honours in just under an hour and forty minutes. Yannick took second place on the line nearly forty minutes later being followed by Bernard and Noreen McCarthy.