#frostbite – Mary Chambers & Brenda McGuire (14865) were the very popular winners of the Mugs in the Fireball Class on the third day of the 2013/14 Frostbite Series sailed in slightly soggy and difficult conditions in Dublin Bay yesterday writes Cormac Bradley. The two ladies were delighted to have picked up their Mugs before the end of November with a second place on the water behind Ed Butler & Conor Kinsella (14990).

Both the Race Committee and the competitors had a difficult time on the water. We were able to go outside the harbour again thanks to favourable conditions – a modest breeze from the SE quarter but with an ebbing tide. The sea condition was slightly lumpy with a wind against tide situation.

The Race Committee had set themselves up slightly to the east of the harbour mouth with a trapezoid course that was set into Scotsman's Bay. However, just before the scheduled "kick-off" they put up a postponement flag – a good call as the wind initially evaporated and then came in from the opposite direction before reverting to a direction similar to where it had started. The tell-tale signs of a fickle wind were manifested when a Laser training session further east in Scotsman's Bay saw Lasers sailing away from us in healthy winds and further offshore Oppies doing the same thing.

The subsequent course had a slight soldier's course about the upwind leg. The fourteen Fireballs on the water all tried to hog the committee boat end of the first start that was then signaled as a General Recall. Most unusually, but understandably, Race Officer Stuart Kinnear subjected them to a black flag start for the second attempt which saw them get away cleanly.

The assessment afterwards in the DMYC was that the aforementioned ladies had the perfect start, one that even Adam Bowers with his emphasis on "Wumpeta" would have been proud of! They stayed on the left hand side of the course making one short hitch rightwards on their way to 2nd place at the weather mark. Messrs Butler & Kinsella led the fleet round and the sequence after the two ladies was Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly (14713), making their Frostbite debut, Conor Clancy, sailing with Owen Laverty (14807), Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (15061), Kenny Rumball & David Moran (15058), Alistair Court & Gordon Syme (14706), Mick Creighton & Hermine O'Keeffe (14691), Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775), Andy Boyle & Teddy Byrne (14934), Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley (15007), Luke Malcolm (14790).

Unlike last week when only two of the three subsequent legs of the trapezoid accommodated a spinnaker leg, this week legs 2, 3 and 4 of the trapezoid were three-sailers, but the last leg was very tight and no-one sailed the coloured sail all the way.

The second and third beats of the race offered a limited amount of choice, take the hitch right at the start of the leg, or tack immediately and take the hitch later on. Speaking to the ladies afterwards they did the latter on the second beat and the former on the third beat. The limited choices upwind meant that there was no real change in the running order of the fleet. The offwind legs offered the option to do things differently with some boats gybing at Mark 1 to get a different line into Mark 2 and some boats sailing well beyond Mark 2 to provide a different angle into Mark 3. Some did make gains, the rest of us were just grasping at straws!! Mary and Brenda however sailed an exceptionally good race to not only hold onto their second place but to extend their lead over Miller & Donnelly, who will also be pleased with their third place.

2013/14 Frostbite Series; Series 1, Day 3. (17th November)
1 Ed Butler (Jnr) & Conor Kinsella 14990 National Yacht Club
2 Mary Chambers & Brenda McGuire 14865 Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club
3 Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly 14713 Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club
4 Noel Butler & Stephen Oram 15061 Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club
5 Conor Clancy & Owen Laverty 14807 Royal St. George Yacht Club.

Fourteen of the fifteen Fireballs registered for the Frostbites were on the water yesterday a 93% turnout. We had two boats "debuts" Miller & Donnelly (14713) and Glenn Fisher and Dave Coleman (14740) and two individual debuts, Owen Laverty (14807) and Mick Creighton (14691).

After three races the overall situation is as follows;

2013/14 Frostbite Series: Series 1 Overall – After 3 races.
1 Kenneth Rumball & Alexander Rumball & David Moran 15058 INSS 8pts
2 Noel Butler & Joe O'Reilly & Stephen Oram 15061 DMYC 10pts
3 Conor Clancy & Jim Devlin & Owen Laverty 14807 RStGYC 12pts
4 = Ed Butler & Conor Kinsella 14990 NYC 18pts
4 = Alistair Court & Gordon Syme 14706 DMYC 18pts

The Irish Fireball fleet gets together for their seasonal dinner and Class Prize-giving on Friday next (22nd) in the National Yacht Club. At this gathering the Travellers' Trophy winners will be recognized as well as the individual award winners – Most Improved (India Trophy), Significant Contribution (Asterix Trophy), Captain's Prize, Liam Bradley Memorial Trophy and Best Lady.

On the following Saturday (30th), the Fireball Class will have an Open Day based at the Irish National Sailing School in Dun Laoghaire to promote the Class to newcomers or those who want to take their racing in a different direction.

The Irish Fireball Class is hosting an Open Day on November 30th to try and recruit new members to the Class. 

The plan is to show the boat set up, have video footage of Fireballs in all their glory and get newcomers out on the water to sample one of the fastest dinghies on the Irish sailing scene.

Timings for Saturday 30th November are below at the Irish National Sailing School venue on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire

Two sessions @ 11:00 and 13:30.

11:00 – 11:15 Meet & Greet & video footage
11:15 – 12:15 On the water
12:15 – 13:00 Back to INSS, hot showers, debrief.

13:30 – 15:30 Repeat the timetable above.

RSVP: [email protected]
Mobile: (On the day) 086 190 8463

If you are a sailor bring your own gear, we will provide trapeze belts!

#fireball – Twelve Fireballs, up 50% from last week's entry, were part of a record 78-boat fleet for the 2nd round of the 2013/14 Frostbite Series in Dun Laoghaire. An e-mailed survey during the week canvassed opinion from the entrants on possible changes to the format of the racing and two changes were implemented yesterday – the RS fleet had their own start and we had a four-lap trapezoid course – trapezoid in shape only rather than in terms of mark-roundings.

With the National Team Racing Championships taking place inside the harbour, the "Frostbiters" were sent outside but the weather and sea conditions were favourable with a modest breeze blowing from an easterly direction and a flooding tide, with high water due at approximately 17:00.

#fireball – With the RS fleet getting their own start, the Fireballs made up the 4th and last start of the day and they were given a separate weather mark. Another fleet was also given a separate weather mark but only one of their number read the sailing instructions!

An assortment of approaches was taken to the first beat in the Fireball class with most of the fleet congregated at the committee boat end of the line. This, presumably, was to facilitate an early tack to go inshore and certainly that appeared to be the way that paid.......though not for everyone! Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775) were first to go inshore and they took a second bite of that side of the course about halfway up the beat. It didn't help and they spent the rest of the race trying to catch up. Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (15061) stayed on the left hand side of the beat and that left them in a most unusual position at the first weather mark – behind five of six other boats! The leading boats on the first beat were Conor Clancy (14807) and Ed Butler (Jnr) and Conor Kinsella (14990) who also hadn't read the sailing instructions and initially went for the wrong weather mark. This allowed Kenneth Rumball & David Moran (15058) and Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley (15007) to get into the frame and after a few hails of starboard and some close crossing, the pecking order at the first weather mark was Butler & Kinsella, Rumball & Moran, Smyth & Bradley, Clancy, Andy Boyle & Teddy Byrne (14934), Alistair Court & Gordon Syme (14706) and Butler & Oram.

The second and third legs of the trapezoid were spinnaker legs and initially the front three got away from the chasing pack. The short fourth leg of the trapezoid was a two-sailer and only Rumball/Moran took a hitch to windward at the turning mark. Butler/Kinsella & Smyth/Bradley continued inshore. Clancy sailed that bit higher than Smyth and not only closed the gap on Smyth, but provided himself with a platform to pass Smyth further up the beat. Boyle/Byrne also closed on Smyth but by the second weather mark Smyth had limited his losses to one boat. At the head of the fleet Rumball was sticking very close to Ed Butler and followed him closely around the course. These two had a gap on Clancy who in turn was comfortable relative to Smyth.

Up the third beat, Butler & Oram, who had persisted with their offshore philosophy on the beats, dramatically closed the gap on Smyth and Boyle, with all three rounding the third weather mark in close company. Smyth held them off to Mark 2, thanks in part to an RS400 who arrived at the mark with the three Fireballs, behind Smyth but simultaneously with Boyle & Butler. The RS pushed Butler wide allowing both Smyth and Boyle to stay ahead onto the third leg.

Up the fourth beat, Butler & Oram went offshore again, though they fell behind Court & Syme at Mark 4, and this time took both Boyle and Smyth. Court & Syme also went offshore and they went ahead of Smyth in the early stages of the approach to the 4th weather mark. Smyth tacked just inside and ahead of them at the final stages of the approach to round behind Boyle who had been taken by Butler. Butler & Kinsella were still leading but were unable to shake Rumball & Moran or indeed gain any distance on their pursuers. So, of course, the inevitable happened! In the dying stages of the race they were overtaken by the latter pair to finish in 2nd place. However, as Rumball & Rumball had picked up the Frostbite mugs on the previous Sunday, Butler & Kinsella won them today

Today’s debutants included Andy Boyle and Teddy Byrne from the Royal Irish Yacht Club. Andy has just returned from Malta where he was on a 2^nd in Class entry in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Also making their winter debut were Louise McKenna & Hermine O’Keeffe (Royal St. George Yacht Club) (14691), Eamonn Bourke & Robert Slater (14817) from Howth Yacht Club and the Mug winners, Ed Butler (Jnr) & Conor Kinsella.

#fireball – Halloween has gone.........it must be Frostbite Time! With the celebrations of ghouls and ghosts gone for another year, the Irish Fireball fleet can embrace the prospect of Frostbite and Sunday afternoon sailing for the next 5 months.

A modest fleet of eight Fireballs initiated the 2013/14 Frostbite Series in the company of RS 400s, RS 200s, Lasers, Lasers Radials, IDRAs and one 470.

On Saturday the wind was very strong and both the Met Eireann and XC Weather websites were suggesting that we were in for a battering on Saturday night, but that the winds would ease during the course of Sunday – so much so that by 18:00 on Sunday evening XC Weather was saying that there would be as little as 1 – 2 knots. The Race Committee went out into the main body of Dun Laoghaire's harbour under blue skies and a modest breeze out of the West. With the obvious intent of taking advantage of the benign weather a programme of two races was declared.

As the last start of the day, the Fireballs were clustered towards the pin-end of the line with a group of probably five boats fighting to be the pin end boat. Kenneth Rumball, with brother Alexander as crew (15058) was in the mix with Noel Butler and Joe O'Reilly (15061), Neil Colin and Margaret Casey (14775), Alistair Court and Gordon Syme (14706). The quest for the pin was to facilitate an early tack onto port to sail up the port-hand side of the course. There had to be a victim in this quest and so it was as an individual recall was signaled after the start. No-one went back.

Those boats who had not pursued the pin-slot were of course subject to the prospect of being sailed over by those who were to windward of them. One of these was Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley (15007) who saw Court/Syme go over them. Others who were slightly to leeward of the ideal line to the first weather mark were Mary Chambers and Brenda McGuire (14865), Conor Clancy (14807) and Luke Malcolm and Shane Divenny (14790). An adverse wind shift as they approached the weather mark saw Smyth & Bradley round this mark in last place. In reverse order, the sequence was Smyth, Chambers, Clancy, Malcolm, Court, Colin, Rumball & Butler. Messrs Butler & Rumball tagged each other round the rest of the course with never more than a few boat-lengths between them. The lead changed hands a number of times, even on the same leg! This gave Colin & Casey a bit of leeway to do their own thing and on occasion they sailed a very different upwind leg to the rest of the fleet, staying right rather than going left immediately after the leeward mark.

Three laps were set for this first race of the Series to accommodate a second race so the pressure was on to recover places. The top three had a slight gap over the rest of us, so the bulk of the changes were among the 5-boat chasing group. Smyth got ahead of Chambers on the first downwind leg, but Malcolm, sailing with us for the first time since the last Frostbite Series, lost out to Smyth and Clancy as the race progressed. The lead alternated between Rumball and Butler but the brothers led at the critical stage – over the finish line. Colin & Casey went over the finish line to silence, meaning that those behind them were elevated by one place.

As XC Weather predicted, the wind then began to switch off and the plan to have a second race was abandoned. The mark-laying ribs helped to get the fleet ashore by offering tows to shore.

#fireball – Two regattas, two weeks apart, two provincial titles! The Irish Fireball regatta season closed with the re-scheduled Leinsters being sailed in Dun Laoghaire this weekend. The event, originally down for August, had to be postponed due a lack of personnel to run the event. In has been a busy close to the season with six Irish boats in Slovenia for the Europeans and Worlds in mid September, followed by the Munsters in Athlone the weekend after our return. Now two weeks on we have had the Leinsters.

Over the two days a total of nineteen boats turned out with Mike & James Murphy (14908) making the trip from Dunmore East and two boats coming from Clontarf on the north side of Dublin Bay, Hugh Johnson and Brian Nolan. We also saw the season debut of Owen Laverty and Ed Butler on Saturday.

The weather was kind over the two days with temperatures in the low teens on Saturday and winds out of the N – NE. Even the water temperature seemed to be quite pleasant. Four races were sailed on the first day in winds that started out at about 12 – 14 knots but eased marginally during the day. There was evidence of some rustiness with capsizes taking place and more than one set of penalty turns being taken.

Two Olympic courses started the day's proceedings and after these it was honours even at the head of the fleet with Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella (1509) and Kenneth Rumball & David Moran (15058) sharing a first and second each. Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (15061) were not having the best of days by their standards as they opened their account with a 4, 3. The other third place on the Olympic course went to Class Chairman & Class Secretary, Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775).

On the start-line of the third race of the day, the first of two windward-leeward courses, there was a "Moses- like parting of the Red Sea" for Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley (15007) which they took full advantage of to lead the fleet up the first beat. Adam Bowers would have loved his mantra of clear water and clear wind being exploited so successfully. Gavin Doyle and Dave Sweeney (14953) were next in the pecking order. Smyth & Bradley led the race until the short hitch to the finish at the conclusion of the race. McCartin and Rumball were keeping very close company and while Smyth cleared them on starboard tack, their attacking of the committee boat end of the line was enough for Rumball to take the win, though Smyth squeezed into 2nd.

The biblical advice of the first being last and the last being first was then applied to Smyth/Bradley as they could only muster a 10th in the next race. McCartin/Kinsella took that one to finish the day with a 2, 1, 3, 1 scoreline. Rumball/Kinsella dropped to 7th in Race 4 but joined McCartin/Kinsella at the top of the leaderboard by dropping this last score. The next best performance of the day belonged to Colin/Casey who blotted their copybook with an eleventh in the second race but rose to the (near) top of the class with a 3, 4, 3, in their other three races.

Butler/Oram were in slightly unusual territory in 4th overall on Saturday evening counting a 3 and two 4ths, but they also had a 7th. Conor Clancy & Hugh Butler kept their results to even numbers with a 10, 4, 6, 2 sequence, enough to give them 5th place overall.

The last two races of the regatta season were sailed in overcast and slightly damp conditions – it didn't rain, but there was a dampness in the air. The Race Officer gave us one Olympic course and one Windward-Leeward in breeze that had swung towards the NW quarter. However, there wasn't as much "oomph" in it as there had been on Saturday. Sailing in slack water at the bottom end of an ebbing tide, the logic would have been to head inshore but the one boat that stayed out rounded the weather mark in second place, behind Conor Clancy (14807) – Jonathan Evans and Aidan Caulfield (14748). Smyth/Bradley were also well up as was father and son Mike and James Murphy (14908). Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly (14713) were also well placed until helm and crew temporarily parted company on the final approach to the weather mark.

The first reach was tight and too short, leaving a long very broad second reach. The leaders overall caught up as we made our way to the leeward mark – McCartin/Kinsella, Butler/Oram, from a long way back and Rumball/Moran. Evans & Caulfield persisted in going to sea on the second beat and were still in good shape at the second weather mark. The three afore-mentioned combinations with Clancy and Evans took the first five places.

And so to the last race of the season! For some this was to be their best race of the regatta, Alistair Court & Joe O'Reilly (14706) and Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keeffe (14691) had good results, but it was too little too late for this regatta. McCartin and Kinsella changed roles in the boat – a sure sign that they had the regatta sewn up! Rumball/Moran took the win to share the wins with McCartin/Kinsella, Butler/Oram recovered from an average first beat to finish second, while Clancy spoiled the symmetry of his results by claiming the first odd-numbered finish of his regatta – a 3rd.

Irish Fireball Leinsters – DMYC, 12 & 13th Oct.

The Silver Fleet prize went to Jonathan Evans and Aidan Caulfield.

As this was the last regatta of the season, the Class AGM was held on the Saturday evening, immediately after racing. In an effort to promote a discussion of the health of the Class and the need to revive our numbers, the formal part of the AGM was kept to a minimum.

After two years at the helm, Neil Colin stood down as Class Chairman but has offered to stay on the committee. In addition to his management of the Class, Neil, and his crew Margaret, who is also Class Secretary, have put a lot of effort into Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club's hosting of Fireball events, the Nationals in 2011 and this weekend's Leinsters. Margaret will take another year as Secretary>

In what was billed as a promotion, but is in fact a natural succession, Marie Barry, our Treasurer up to Saturday evening, took over as Chairman. Marie has looked after our accounts exceptionally well and has kept them easy to understand. Hermine O'Keeffe takes over the position of Dun Laoghaire Class Captain, succeeding Louise McKenna, while Frank Miller and Cormac Bradley stay on as Trophy Secretary and Communications Officer respectively. Stephen Oram retains the management of our website. The Treasurer's position was the subject of some debate, with a number of candidates mentioned though none specifically said yes! In a welcome development, Conor Clancy indicated his willingness to come onto the committee.

A number of initiatives to revive our numbers were debated in the discussion that took place after the formal part of the meeting with a number of people making offers to help with a targeted marketing and recruitment drive. The Frostbite Series is our next engagement with the first round of races taking place on 3rd November. The Class prize-giving takes place on 23rd November in The National Yacht Club's Wet Bar.

#fireball – 17 Fireballs hsve convened in Dun Laoghaire for the last regatta of the season, the Leinsters.

After 4 races there is a tie at the top of thr leader bosrd between Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella and Kenny Rumball and David Moran, each on 4 pts. They each enjoyed two wins.

Next in the pecking order are Neil Colin and Margaret Casey, counting a 3, 4, 3. Noel Butler and Stephen Oram are in fourth, with their best result a third and counting 2x4ths

Fifth place is occupied by Conor Clancy and Hugh Butler with a 6, 2, 4 scoreline.
6th place is shared between Gavin Doyle & Dave Sweeney and Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley who were just barred entry to the winner's enclosure in Race 3 by Rumball/Moran, having led the entire race!

#fireball – Noel and Ed Butler enhanced their overnight Fireball lead at the Munsters in Lough Ree to take the title with a 5pt margin writes Cormac Bradley. Adding a 1, 3 to their score of 4pts they had the luxury of swapping roles for the last race, Noel taking to trapezing.

Another combination entered the winner's enclosure for Race 6, Team Rumball, Kenneth & Alexander and with a 4th in Race 5, this elevated them to 3rd overall.

Barry McCartin, recently back from Australia and Conor Kinsella had a 5, 2 to secure 2nd overall. These three sailed most consistently over the weekend, allowing them a comfortable points margin over fourth placed Conor Clancy and Stephen Campion, who weren't too shabby with a 2, 2, 5, 5, 7, 8 results sheet.

Niall McGrotty and Neil Cramer had a much better day with a 2, 5, Neil Colin & Margaret Casey had a 4th in the last race and Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keeffe scored another 3rd.

Smyth &Bradley scored two 9ths to hold onto 5th place overall, but in the words of a (in) famous Scot it was a squeaky bum session as Murphy & Voye closed to 3pts.

Three boats contested the Silver fleet, Evans/Caulfield from Sligo, Power/Barry and Chambers/McGuire from Dun Laoghaire. The title went West by a margin of 6pts from Power/Barry.

1. Butler/Butler 15061 8pts
2. McCartin/Kinsella 15093 13pts
3. Rumball/Rumball 15058 15pts
4. Clancy/Campion 14807 21pts
5. Smyth/Bradley 15007 30pts
6. Murphy/Voye 14908 33pts
7. McGrotty/Cramer 14938 35pts
8. McKenna/O'Keeffe 14691 36pts
9. Miller/Donnelly 14713 40pts
10. Colin/Casey 14775 42pts

6 excellent races were set by Race Officer John Leech and his team, each of just about one hour duration. Courses were adjusted continuously to fit in with the 1 hour constraint.

Hospitality by LRYC was superb with soup and rolls after racing and a great meal on Saturday night. The prize giving was held outside today such was the mildness of the weather.

We convene again in DL in 2 weeks time for the rescheduled Leinsters, to be hosted by DMYC with the Class AGM down for the Saturday evening. Volunteers for the committee will be needed!

16 Fireballs have assembled in Lough Ree Yacht Club (LRYC) for the penultimate regatta of the season, the Munsters. Four excellent Olympic courses were set by Race Officer John Leech and race wins were shared by Noel Butler & Ed Butler (Jnr) 15061 and Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella 15093. Team Butler added a 2, 3 to the two wins to open up a 2pt lead at the top of the ranking. McCartin/Kinsella had a 4, 5 to be 3pts ahead of Conor Clancy & Stephen Campion (2, 2, 5, 5) giving them a 1pt cushion over Team Rumball, Kenneth & Alexander. In 5th place are Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley (3, 3, 6, 10).
Other notable individual race results include a third in Race 3 for Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keeffe and a 4th in Race 4 for Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly. Mike Murphy & Alex Voye are counting 2x6ths. Jon Evans & Aidan Caulfield had a 7 & 6 in the first two races.
Conditions were good despite a forecast of light easterlies, with trapezing conditions prevalent. Race turnarounds were kept to a minimum which meant that the session on the water was virtually entirely spent racing.
A further two races are scheduled for tomorrow.

Butler & Butler (1, 1, 2, 3) 4pts
McCartin & Kinsella (5, 4, 1, 1) 6pts
Clancy & Campion (2, 2, 5, 5) 9pts
Rumball & Rumball (4, 7, 4, 2) 10pts
Smyth & Bradley (3, 3, 6, 10) 12pts

#fireball – The 2013 Fireball Europeans in Slovenia came to a close earlier this afternoon when a third race, from the scheduled nine was completed writes Cormac Bradley. The fleet was afloat early today after a short postponement. The view from the Laguna restaurant terrace, which is providing the Race Office, wasn't that encouraging so there was a sense that the idea was to be afloat to facilitate a quick start if the wind did come in. A substantially sized sail-training vessel dominated the race area, but ultimately we didn't get close to it. After a number of aborted starts the fleet got away in what were to prove (for this correspondent at least) very difficult conditions. It seemed left should pay, but it didn't and we found ourselves significantly off the pace.

Dave Wade led the fleet until the downwind leg of the sausage when Matt Rainback took over the lead. However, Robert Gullan & Ben Ainsworth were lurking with intent and they went on to take the win!

Matt Burge blotted his copybook by finishing 9th, in contrast to his two 1st places on Wednesday & Thursday, but this was modest compared to Gillard's 12th. Wade's 2nd was enough to drag him up the pecking order to finish behind Burge overall. Rainback went into 3rd, Birrell 4th, Gillard 5th, Howarth 6th, Gullan 7th, Mermod 8th, Rumball 9th, Rush 10th.

1 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff - 1,1,9 = 11pts
2 Dave Wade & Tim Hartley - 6,5,2 = 13pts
3 Matt Rainback & Simon Foskett - 10,2,3 = 15pts
4 Christian Birrell &Sam Brearey- 2,9,7 = 18pts
5 Tom Gillard & Simon Potts - 3,7,12 = 21pts
6 Chips Howarth & Vyv Townend - 5,6,11 = 22pts
7 Robert Gullan & Ben Ainsworth - 24,3,1 = 28pts
8 Claude Mermod & Rudi Moser (SUI) - 7,20,5 = 32pts
9 Kenneth & Alexander Rum ball (IRL) - 4,19,14 = 37pts
10 Tim Rush & Dan Ellis 9,21,8 =38pts.

Other Irish

18 Noel Butler & Stephen Oram
36 Frank Miller & Marie Barry
38 Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley
53 Louise McKenna

#fireball – After two days of scheduled races at the Fireball European Championships in Slovenia with an expectation of six races, we have two completed writes Cormac Bradley. Wednesday was wet and racing was delayed until late afternoon. Thursday was bright, sunny and hot and again racing was delayed until late afternoon.

Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff (15093/GBR) have scored two first places to lead the fleet with an 8pt cushion. They led from start to finish on Wednesday and had a comfortable margin at the finish. Yesterday they were much closer to the fleet, but the result was the same!

In second place are Tom Gillard & Simon Potts (15091/GBR) who are counting a 3rd and a 7th. Three boats have 10pts - Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey (15089/GBR), Dave Wade & Tim Hartley (15083/GBR) and Chips Howarth &Vyv Townend (15096/GBR).

One point behind the logjam in 6th overall are Matt Rainback & Simon Foskett (15080/GBR), followed by the first non British boat, Joerg Nolle & Clay Poulson (14508/GER). Two Irish boats occupy the next slots, the Rumball brothers, Kenneth & Alexander, (15058/IRL) and Noel Butler and Stephen Oram (15061/IRL), separated by 2pts.

The top ten is closed out by Petr Koran & Milan Kvasnik (14827/CZE).

Race 1: Burge, Birrell, Gillard, Rumball, Howarth, Wade,

Race 2: Burge, Rainback, Skorepova (CZE), Dobson (GBR), Wade, Howarth, Gillard.

This morning's briefing is offering the prospect of an earlier start to proceedings, but already competitors are getting into conversation mode!