Fireball Frostbite Series at Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club - Day 2
by Cormac Bradley 16 Nov 2015 07:42 GMT
15 November 2015
Window of opportunity
Yet again, the race management team of Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club were able to defy the weather forecast and get a race completed in the Frostbite Series in Dun Laoghaire harbour. From the middle of last week the forecast for the weekend had been bleak as Abigail worked her way eastwards across the Atlantic. The projected wind strengths on XCWeather were in the mid-twenties with gusts in the range of high thirties to mid-forties. And yet a window opened to allow a solitary race to be completed.
I missed the action on the water – being taxi for members of the family – but caught up with race winners Noel Butler & Stephen Oram de-rigging in the National Yacht Club afterwards.
Only three Fireballs raced with Conor and James Clancy making their Frostbite debut along with team Keegan. Noel Butler had his regular crew back at the front end but it appears that the Clancys set the pace for the four-lap trapezoid course until Mark 3 on the last lap. It seems that the Clancys chose to gybe at this mark whereas Butler & Oram sailed on and overtook them. The Clancy's disappointment at losing the race will be offset by the fact that they have secured their Frostbite Mugs early, on the second day of racing!
It was a blustery day on the water with huge wind shifts and an "on-off" supply of wind causing a number of windward rolls – one minute on full trapeze, the next no wind at all. While blustery winds are not unusual for November, the temperature was very unusual. Driving to the harbour my car thermometer was reading 17˚ - very unseasonal.
As I type this short report, approaching midnight, the wind is howling outside again.