Tuesday Night Fireball Series at Dublin Bay Sailing Club - Day 8
by Frank Miller 22 Jun 2016 18:24 BST
21 June 2016
Dublin Fireball Tuesday Night Series day 8 © Ros Bremne
At last a breeze! Although not quite up to the forecasted gusts of 25 knots plus last night's DBSC racing was held in fantastic conditions with peaks of 20 knots in Scotsmans Bay while further out the Dublin Bay Buoy recorded gusts of 28 knots. A beautiful warm evening greeted the five Fireballers which made it to the start line, just beyond the harbour entrance in a filling tide.
Tidal strategy would dictate a committee boat end start and Miller/Donnelly fought with Teddy /Oram for that spot with the former edging out a lead off the line and then tacking inshore out of the tide. Tactics were far from simple however - with huge oscillations it was at times worth staying out in the tide in a strong lifting wind.
While this pair of boats led up the beat Louise McKenna and Hermione O'Keeffe were very close behind with excellent speed and height showing just how well the boat can perform for all weights with a few tweaks to the rig. Behind them Cariosa Power and Marie Barry held off Mary Chambers and Brenda McGuire.
While Miller led round the windward he lost out to Teddy Byrne on the run with the latter better judging the timing of the gybe. Miller clawed his way back into the lead on the beat only to lose it at the weather mark by leaving a few extra feet for the tide before tacking while Teddy put in a very neat tack underneath regaining the lead which they never lost on the downwind leg through the finish line.
For race two race officer Ben Mulligan set a triangular course adding the pleasure of a gybe into the equation. Again Teddy and Miller were the main contenders playing nip and tuck up the beat in a reducing breeze with Miller getting to the weather first and leading downwind but losing out with a messy drop at the leeward, giving Teddy/Oram the gap they needed.
The latter led to the next windward set beside the finish line but Miller in confusion went through the finish before setting off downwind again giving Teddy an unassailable lead. On the next windward leg the breeze fell off considerably and Miller/Donnelly stalled allowing the lighter, now faster ladies through.
Their luck was in however and McKenna/O'Keeffe were knocked down by a sudden gust just yards from the finish allowing Miller/Donnelly through. All in all another great nights DBSC racing in perfect conditions, on the brightest Tuesday of the year.