Flying Fifteens Face Tricky Day on Dublin Bay

26th April 2015

#flyingfifteen – The Flying Fifteen fleet turned out in good numbers again with 13 boats competing in the first DBSC Saturday race of the season on a surprisingly cold day. Race Officer Suzanne McGarry and her team on Freebird managed to get in two races in varied and tricky conditions.
Race 1: the tide was coming in and the wind from the north was a good force three but shifty, the committee boat was biased end at the start, Ben Mulligan sailing with Alan Green got a great start. After a short while on the starboard most boats tacked out to the right, Gorman/Doorly kept going and on the shift got into the lead before the weather mark just ahead of Mathews/Poole and Mulligan who was closely followed by Galvin and Mulvin, this is how it stayed down wind. On the second beat the wind was getting lighter and patchy, Mathews took the lead but Gorman got back by going more left, these two changed lead a few time on the next lap with Gorman eventually getting ahead. On the fourth lap the race was shortened, there was slight confusion as the leeward mark was close to the committee boat/line. Gorman was out on the left and went straight to the line as did Mathews, with no hooters they went back and rounded the leeward mark and then finished with Gorman winning, as all this was going on Mulligan slipped past Mathews to finish second. The Galvin brothers were fourth with Justin Maguire fifth.
Race 2: There was little or no wind now but racing started with the majority of boats starting at the pin and heading out left, Gorman tacked off to the right to get clear air, this worked as he took the lead, closely followed by Mathews, Mulvin and Mulligan. On the second beat Gorman kept the boat moving and had a good lead as he head over to the lef towards the weather mark, when he tacked the boats just stopped- no wind! Mathews and Mulvin with Mulvin taking the lead. On the slow drift down towards the finish, any of the three could win. Mathews gybed inside Mulvin and got the win, followd very closely by Mulvin with Gorman in third. Mulligan/Green were a comfortable fourth, with Maguire fifth and Sherry sixth..

Well done to the PRO Suzanne McGarry and here team on Freebird for persevering and getting the racing in. This Thursday the DBSC series continues.

Published in Flying Fifteen

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