#fireballsailing – Seven Fireballers headed out to the bay on Sunday afternoon for race 5 of the DMYC Frostbite series, a race in the bay gave the fireballs a chance to stretch their legs on a longer course but with the spring tides in play, some tidal calculations were needed at all the turning marks of the course. Watching the PY fleet start before, it was clear a conservative start was needed and after waiting for our turn, all seven fireballs got away cleanly with no OCSs to mention, a rare time with Irish Fireballers.
Given the shifty conditions, the first beat was almost a fetch to the weather mark and most of the fleet tacked on to port almost instantly after the start, the Clancy brothers 15113 mastered the start line and took a dominant role on the left handside of the fleet. Neil Colin and Margaret Casey 14775 went out towards the right hand side while most of the fleet kept towards the middle of the course.
At the top mark, the Clancy brothers had held their lead and rounded first, followed by Colin/Casey, then Rumball/Byrne 15058 followed hot by Butler/Oram 15061. A quick hoist saw Rumball/Byrne overtake Colin/Casey on the top reach and then set off in hot pursuit of the Clancy brothers. By the first gybe mark of the trapezoid the Clancy brother still held their lead. Up the next beat Rumball/Byrne had closed the gap while Butler/Oram had managed to overtake Colin/Casey.
Round two of the course saw some good match racing between Rumball/Byrne and the Clancy brothers with Rumball/Byrne only managing to gain first place on the next upwind leg. The race continued with little place changing from here on as far as this writer can tell.
The finishing order is below with mug winners on the day of Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keefe.
1. Kenneth Rumball Brian Byrne
2. Conor Clancy/James Clancy
3. Noel Butler/Stephen Oram
4. Luke Malcolm/Harry O'Reilly
5. Louise McKenna/Hermine O'Keefe
6. Neil Colin/Margaret Casey
7. Mary Chambers/ Brenda Mcguire
