Fireballs at the Dublin Bay Sailing Club Tuesday Night Series - Day 9

It would appear that the price the racing fleet pay for a day of sunshine, like yesterday, is a fickle evening of breeze. Not unexpected really! Yesterday was warm enough to warrant the generation of a sea-breeze but as the warmth fades so too does the strength of the breeze. And so it was to prove last night!

Five Fireballs answered the starter's call and were rewarded with two races....well, one race and a dramatically shortened second race.

Race 1 was a Windward/Leeward and by the time I got to my observation post on the seafront at Scotsman's Bay, the lead was being disputed by Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775) and Noel Butler & Crew (15061), Stephen being away. Noel led around the weather mark but Neil wasn't that far behind him. The sequence behind these two was Team Clancy, Conor and James, (15113), Cariosa Power & Marie Barry (14854) and Louis Smyth & Crew (15007). At this stage the race was at the second windward rounding. Noel eked out a short lead by the time they reached the leeward mark. Neil took a short hitch out to sea after rounding the leeward mark before reverting to a port tack approach to the weather mark. This modest deviation from the others paid dividends as he and Margaret rounded the last weather mark in first place.

However, Noel & Crew weren't too far behind and both boats took a more seaward approach to the downwind finish. Initially Butler passed out Colin to weather but when they approached each other again, Butler having gybed that bit earlier but outside Colin, Colin had regained the lead. In the meantime, Team Clancy had taken a more direct approach to the downwind finish and as the lead pair worked their way back inshore, it was apparent that the direct line taken by Team Clancy had allowed them to close the gap significantly. All three boats crossed the finish line overlapped with the finishing order being Butler, Clancy and Colin.

The weather forecast had suggested SSW winds of 8 – 11 knots for 19:00, and at 19:30 at the end of the first race, the Race Team were obviously encouraged by what they saw on the water as they indicated a second race would be started with three triangles on the menu! At this stage the surface of the racing area had a distinctly different appearance to further out to sea. On a line drawn between the harbour mouth and Sandycove, the outer area had a darker appearance, suggesting wind on the water, whereas inshore wind seemed to be less evident.

For the second start Team Clancy won the pin with Smyth & Crew astern of them and Colin & Casey to leeward. Power & Barry and Butler & Crew were further inshore and Butler was the first to peel away to pursue an inshore course. That proved to be a fatal error! The other four boats worked the left-hand side of the course with Colin, Clancy & Power each taking little nibbles to sea every so often to clear wind. At one stage an over-sized blanket would have covered all four boats.

Smyth & Crew were steadfast in their singular approach to the weather mark, taking a long port tack hitch for which they were rewarded with first place at the weather mark. Power & Barry rounded second, followed by Team Clancy. One hitch to sea too many cooked Colin & Casey's goose and they rounded in a poor fourth. Butler was wallowing inshore of the weather mark at this stage. Rather than bear off towards the gybe mark, Colin went high, possibly trying to get into the breeze that was outside the line of harbour to Sandycove. It didn't materialise and he ended up having to gybe back to set a course to the gybe mark.

Meanwhile Smyth and Power played pass the parcel with the lead in what were now very light conditions – spinnakers were "hanging" rather than filling! However, the lead two were "hanging" better than Team Clancy as they both sailed away from the brothers. Power led into the gybe mark, and as she rounded the shortened course signal was flown. Smyth & Crew sailing a line outside that of Power & Barry, seemed to get into better "wind" and eased away to a comfortable win.

Race 1 results:

1. Noel Butler & Crew, 15061, NYC
2. Conor & James Clancy, 15113, RStGYC
3. Neil Colin & Margaret Casey, 14775, DMYC

Race 2 results:

1. Louis Smyth & Crew, 15007, Coal Harb.
2. Cariosa Power & Marie Barry, 14854, NYC
3. Conor & James Clancy, 15113, RStGYC

Series so far:

1. Noel Butler & Stephen Oram, 15061, NYC 5pts
2. Louis Smyth & Crew, 15007, Coal Harbour 11pts
3. Conor & James Clancy, 15113, RStGYC 12pts