Fireballs in the Dublin Bay Sailing Club Tuesday Series - Day 6

For a third Tuesday in a row Fireballers were treated to a balmy night's sailing in the DBSC series. Until very late afternoon the wind was distinctly lively with white horses all across the bay but by the time competitors reaches Scotsman's Bay for the evenings racing everyone was in light wind mode from a westerly direction.

For a pleasant change the DBSC race committee under the direction of Ben Mulligan set Olympic Triangular courses rather than the windward-leeward course favoured of late. The first start line had a slight pin end bias and the five Fireballs stretched down the line with The Clancys and Miller/Crowe vying for a pin end start. This allowed them sail towards the harbour wall and out of the stronger effects of the ebbing tide and the two boats stretched away from chasing group led by Noel Butler/Stephen Oram. The Clancys led around the windward mark followed by Frank Miller/Tim Crowe but Noel Butler/Stephen Oram were close behind and a fast hoist combined with a sharper angle allowed them overtake for 2nd position. Thereafter no places changed with Louise McKenna/Margaret Casey taking 4th from Carsiosa Power / Marie Barry.

The second races started in similar conditions though the wind was a tad lighter. Again the Clancy's pulled off a pin end start on starboard with Miller/Crowe on their heels and again the fleet headed inshore out of the tide. Butler/Oram had a messy start as an abandoned port start saw them ducking the rest before crossing the line. The ensuing race followed a similar pattern to the first with the Clancys enjoying a fairly clear lead. Things changed however on the second reach as the wind faded.

The Clancys and Miller had sailed increasingly high to keep their kites drawing but ended up in a near hole while those who sailed a lower angle still had some wind. Both gybed to reach the leeward mark, now dense with the PY fleet rafting around it at extremely low speed, and with the tide taking the raft downwind. Somehow the Clancys got around cleanly and headed for the shortened course finish. Similarly Miller/Crowe sneaked their way around through a gap created by the tide. Butler/Oram having sailed lower sailed around the bunch and seemed to pick up a slightly better zephyr so while the Clancys crossed the finish in first place Butler/Oram nipped in just ahead of Miller/Crowe to take second again, with the other placings the same as race one.