Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club - Week 2

Day Two of the Frostie Series for the RS400s and the weather forecast didn't disappoint. We hadn't seen sunshine in nearly three weeks and it came out and we didn't half need our sunglasses. The breeze was also perfect, a nice westerly breeze blowing across Belfast Lough from the north of the city.

Twenty boats rigged up which is a brilliant turn out for a double handed fleet. We had a lot of new faces young and old, from Hugh Hutchinson who is only 13 right up to our class veteran Liam Donnely who is at least 5 times older, plus vat!

The race team got the racing off bang on time and squeezed the fleet though a rather short start line, I for one got spat out the back. The fleet spread out evenly across the course. The usual suspects Bob Espey & Mike Ferguson (1533) lead the majority of the way, but on the final down slipped up and opened the door to Donnelly and McCaig (1405) and to Kennedy & Kane (1522) who both nipped inside, resulting in Donnelly & McCaig showing the youth that he hasn't lost it by taking the bullet, closely followed by Kennedy & Kane in second. Unfortunately, two boats, 1044 Andrew Irvine & 1322 Dave Cheyne forgot to go through the up-wind gate resulting DNFs.

Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series 2024 Week 2 - photo © Lindsay Nolan

Race two and the start line was the same length, everyone tried to cram in closer to the committee boat resulting in the majority of the fleet being over the line, the first substitute was raised, everyone had to go back for another go. This time everyone behaved themselves and racing commenced. The breeze had picked up and it was proper hiking conditions. There was a real game of snakes and ladders. Ross Kearney & Andrew Vaughan (1438) uncharacteristically messed up and let four boats in at a leeward mark rounding. Ben Martin & Rory Flannigan (1179) did well after lap one and gained five places climbing to sixth place. Two boats had a mast on mast clash in an upwind port and starboard making a hell of a noise but the writer of this report saw absolutely nothing and knows nothing about it, honest gov! In the end Stephen McLernon & Jake Little (1316) took third, Peter Kennedy & Stevie Kane (1522) held onto second and taking the line honors were Bob Espey & Mike Ferguson (1533).

Race three, a number of boats by this time had retired due to various reasons. It was a bit more of the same, conditions hadn't changed and everyone got off to a clean start. New kids on the block Patrick Hamilton & Sam Kelly (1283) put in their best performance of the day taking fifth, Jocelyn Hill & Rowan Berry (741) did surprisingly well in forth, especially after Jocelyn was out out the night before and might have had one too many dark'n'stormies. The usual suspects took the podium positions, Ross Kearney & Andrew Vaughan (1438) in third, Peter Kennedy & Stevie Kane (1522) in second leaving Bob Espey & Mike Ferguson (1533) in first. They also won the day's racing, congratulations.

Rockshore / Bosun Bobs RS400 Winter Series 2024 Week 2 - photo © Lindsay Nolan

Thanks as always to the race, rescue and mark laying teams who let us have fun each week, it is greatly appreciated.

This Sunday coming, it looks like the high pressure that has been lingering for so long is off and a gnarly arctic northly is coming our way, time to dig out the thermals and the wooly hats!

Results after Week 2: