#VDLR2013 – The second day of the VDLR13 for the Fireball Class yielded tight racing, excellent courses, 2 "Retired After Finish" and 3 OCSs - the latter resolved on the water!
Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly (14713) dominated the results with a 2,3,1 to rocket up the pecking order from 7th overall to 2nd. They are a point ahead of Brian Byrne & Stephen Campion who were a RAF in Race 4 but scored a 3rd in the last race of the day to offset the 7th in Race 3.
Conor and James Clancy are comfortably leading the fleet with a seven 7pt margin, courtesy of another two race wins (R3 & R4).
3 points cover positions 4 to 7 with the pecking order being McKenna/Rowan, Doyle/Sweeney, Colin/Casey and Smyth/Bradley.
The first two races were tight and at one stage in R3 (first of the day) seven of the eight Fireballs were in a line across the downwind leg of trapezoid course. Going the right way up the beat is always a challenge, today choosing the right way to go downwind was equally challenging. In R4 Team Clancy sailed from 5th place to a convincing winning margin. Yet when Smyth/Bradley sailed the same line in the previous lap, they went from 1st to 6th!
Miller/Donnelly sailed a brilliant last race of the day leading from start to finish and looked very comfortable doing it.
Two "Finishing Queries" were required to get the results resolved as two boats sailed two laps rather than the prescribed three - hence the 2 x RAFs!
Race Officer Harry Gallagher and his team have set five excellent courses, alternating classes between inner and outer loops of the trapezoid course. Races have been started promptly and with the stronger breeze relative to yesterday, 3-lap courses were the order of the day. Wind direction was again between 110 and 120 degrees.
With five races of the ten race programme down, it would appear the fleet is fighting for the minor podium finishes - this regatta is Team Clancy's to lose. And with a week to go to the Class Nationals, this extended session of tight racing is good practice for the eight boats on the water.
Not everyone will be delighted with their day's work, but on a day when the sun shone out of a totally blue sky and there was enough wind to sail three laps in an hour................it would be churlish to complain.
