Fireball Ulster & Celtic Champs at Lough Erne Yacht Club
by Irish Fireball class 25 May 2005 09:13 BST
21-22 May 2005
Lough Erne Yacht Club held the Fireball Ulster and Celtic Championships over the 21st-22nd May. This inaugural event was dogged by seriously confused winds, torrential rain and warm sunshine.
The first race got underway in semi trapezing conditions. Tom Fitzpatrick and Dave Mchugh took an early lead but after some hard sailing at the top of the beat Peter Hay and Richard Harper lead. He was closely chased for the rest of the race by Will Moody and Milan Kolacech. Fitzpatrick was in third at the start of the last run and gybed away from the other two boats picking up stronger pressure he gained significantly and followed the two boats around the mark. The wind had shifted and Hay somehow managed to mislay the finish line, Fitzptrick tacked first and took the gun narrowly from Moody with Hay having to settle for third.
The racing was finished for the day, the wind did not settle in one direction long enough to set a course.
Day two appeared to have less rain in it for a start although this soon changed. The wind however was a little more stable and soon race two began in a light breeze. Euan Seller and Matt Summers lead from Hay and Damian Bracken and Brian O’ Hara. The run was a strange affair and place changing took place on frequent basis, eventually at the last mark Hay was covering Fitzpatrick up the last beat until a shift at the very end again let Fitzpatrick break free to take the race, the gods appeared to be on the side of the Irish pair.
Race three was going pretty much the same as the other races, with Hay, Moodyand Fitzpatrick following a small group of boats until the wind suddenly increased and changed direction. The race officer shortened and boats stopped and started like a computer game as the wind switched on and then off and then on again.
Fitzpatrick again managed to work clear with Hay again second. Brian Nolan and Tim Leonard took third in an interesting finish.
Another race was started but the wind swung as the start gun went and the race was abandoned.
The PRO tried again and this time the fleet managed to start with Noel and Hugh Butler taking the lead followed by Fitzpatrick and Hay. Donald Smith and Matt Richardson and Moody took to the right of the run and gained rounding the right hand mark of the gate. Moody took to the left of the beat and took the lead from the Butlers and lead to the finish. The Butlers capsized on the line but managed to finish with Smith taking third from Sellar as they crossed the finish line.
The racing was hard, the conditions even harder but some great racing was had by the 31 boats that attended.
Overall Results:
1st Tom Fitzpatrick / David McHugh (Howth YC)
2nd Peter Hay / Richard Harper (Royal Tay YC)
3rd Will Moody / Milan Kolacech (DMYC)
Mid Gold
1st Brian Nolan / Tim Leonard (Clontarf Y&BC)
2nd Dave Barry / Hugh Johnson (Clontarf Y&BC)
3rd Damian McCullagh / Mike Murphy (Royal Cork YC)
Silver
1st Derval O’Carrol / Siobhan Hayes (GBSC)
2nd Kevin Foley / Paul Flannery (ISA)
3rd Alan Murnane / Ismail Inan (Clontarf Y &BC)
Classic
1st Mark McAuley / Dermot Boyle (DBSC)