After a Sunday of too much breeze, followed by a Sunday of variable breeze, the DMYC Viking Marine Frostbites fleet had a Sunday where the wind was much more manageable in terms of consistency and strength. We also had a debutant Race Officer in the form of Brendan Duffy from the Ruffian Class in Dun Laoghaire.

This correspondent had a much more genteel afternoon laying the gybe mark for the two-race programme of the day.

Fifty-eight boats answered the starters orders with the ILCA 6s having the biggest fleet of 29 boats. The ILCA 7s also had a good turnout, their biggest of Series 2, with nine boats, while the PY fleet mustered 20 boats, including seven Fireballs. No ILCA 4s got wet!

Fireballs, GP 14, Aero and Wayfarer off the start line Photo: Neil Colin

For the first race, a three-lap Olympic course, a weather mark was set in the approximate location of the bandstand on the East Pier, the gybe mark was in the mouth of the harbour and the leeward mark was in the “elbow” of the western breakwater and the West Pier, with the INSS green raft in close proximity. Wind strength for the day was between 5 and 12 knots from an approximate SE direction.

The first two starts got away at the first time of asking and in the PY Fleet the choice appeared to be to use the left-hand side of the beat initially, before trying to work across the width of the harbour to the starboard layline. The seven Fireballs started in a tightish bunch with Aeros hovering around the fringes, and the first spinnaker to show at the weather mark was from Irish Class Association Secretary and Chairman Frank Miller & Neil Cramer respectively (14915). They had a healthy lead on their classmates for the first lap but as the race progressed, they were put under pressure by the “pink ladies” Louise McKenna & Hermine O’Keeffe (15016) and Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (15167). Different approaches to the downwind sausage in particular seemed to make the difference. Court & Syme having closed on Miller & Cramer worked the left-hand side of the run while Miller and McKenna sailed to the right-hand side. That appeared to cost Court, leaving McKenna and Miller dicing it out for first place on the water. Miller took the win by 22 seconds from Mc Kenna but both lost out to the Aeros of Stuart Harris and Stephen Oram who finished 4:20 and 3:31 minutes astern of Miller, respectively but took the handicap win and second place by 54 and 43 seconds, respectively. A new combination in Fireballs, Jack McNaughton & Jamie Malcolm (GBR 14101) were sailing very well in the conditions and finished a creditable 10th on handicap. Given that this is a boat that they put on the water for the first time in Series 2, this was a commendable performance.

On handicap, the finishing order was Stuart Harris, Stephen Oram, Miller & Cramer, McKenna & O’Keeffe, Sarah Dwyer (Aero 6).

The nine ILCA 7s also seemed to enjoy some close racing and shared the same view as the PY fleet on how the first beat should be sailed. In tandem with the PY fleet, they worked the right-hand side of the beat for subsequent laps. The finishing order was Theo Lyttle, Gavan Murphy, Sean Bowden, Niall Cowman and Gary O’Hare.

Both these fleets then found themselves having to sail through an ILCA 6 fleet that was still in the starting area, due to a number of failed attempts to get started in accordance with the RO’s requirements. By the time they did get away, their course had been reduced to two laps of the course. Up front there was a close battle going on between Barry McCartin (FBs, RSs) and class stalwart Sean Craig which McCartin won, but only after a one-on-one that lasted the whole course. Behind Craig, the order was David Williams, David Cahill and Darren Griffin.

Stephen Oram mixes it with the Fireballs at the weather mark. Photo: Ian Cutliffe

The RO kept the course as was but signalled T2 for the second race – two triangles. Again, the PY fleet and the ILCA 7s got away at the first time of asking and this time there was an earlier choice to use the right-hand side of the beat. This was due to a shift which saw the fleet sailing the first half of the top reach on starboard tack, before gybing long before the gybe mark onto port and closing out with a tight second reach to the leeward mark. The wind had also eased as the afternoon progressed and while the Fireballs were to the fore on the water, they had neither distance nor time to preserve that advantage over the Aeros when it came to the computed results. So, while Miller & Cramer had a “minute and four” advantage over Oram in the Aero, Oram was able to turn the tables on the spreadsheet of results gaining a 1:40 advantage on handicap. Indeed, Miller & Cramer would only claim 8th place on corrected time. Oram (Aero) led home (on paper) Pierre & Remy Long (IDRA 14), Sarah Dwyer (Aero), Monica Schaeffer & Charlie Dunn (Wayfarer) and Patrick Hassett (2.4m).

In the ILCA 7s, Theo Lyttle scored a second win and Roy McKay beat Gavan Murphy into second, with Chris Arrowsmith and Gary O’Hare closing out the top five.

Meanwhile, the ILCA 6s had even more “fun and games” though many may not share that sentiment, for their second race start. Despite four attempts to get the fleet away, the effort was ultimately abandoned and they lost their second race, sent home early for a hot shower. Off the water, the RO’s observation was that even at 30 seconds to go, the vast majority of the fleet was invariably over the line. And positioning a rib just on the course side of the line did not act as the desired deterrent.

Series 2 Overall; After 14 races and two discards at the Viking Marine DMYCFrostbites

PY Fleet. Noel Butler (36.5), Stephen Oram (40), Stuart Harris (54), Frank Miller & Ed Butler/Neil Cramer (61), Sarah Dwyer (64).
ILCA 7s. Conor Byrne (31), Gavan Murphy (38), Theo Lyttle (39), Niall Cowman (40), Chris Arrowsmith (41).
ILCA 6s. Sean Craig (19), Conor Clancy (31), Darren Griffin (48), John O’Driscoll (52), David Cahill (59)

 Karl Leavy (Aero) collects his Frostbite Mug for Sunday 12th, February from Cormac Bradley Photo: Frank Miller

Monia Schaeffer & Charlie Dunn receive their Frostbite Mug on Sunday 5th, February Photo: Frank Miller

Noel Butler of the National Yacht Club is Stateside this week for the 2023 Florida RS Aero Winter Series in Tampa.

Davis Island Yacht Club — known for its steady winter winds ranging from 8-15 knots on any given day — is hosting the weeklong event that comprises the Florida State Championships on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 February, the Round the Bay long-distance race on Wednesday 8 February and the Midwinters over the weekend of 10-12 February.

In the meantime, Butler’s absence will give his fellow competitors in the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbite Series a chance to reshuffle the leaderboard.

There was a big breeze and plenty of capsizes at the in-harbour racing of Sunday's Viking Marine DMYC dinghy Frostbite Series at Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay today.

Frank Miller captured the action in this photo gallery below that features the mixed dinghies, Fireballs and ILCA fleets all racing inside the giant harbour walls.  

Over 100 dinghies compete in the races each Sunday afternoon.

Racing continues in Series Two of the annual league until March.

Afloat's regular weekly Frostbite report will follow

Viking Marine DMYC Dinghy Frostbite Series at Dun Laoghaire Photo Gallery by Frank Miller

The critical aspect of last Sunday’s DMYC Frostbites, sponsored by Viking Marine, was the air temperature rather than the wind strength. True, there had been a severe wind warning as late at 13:00 on the Saturday, with Severe Gale Force winds predicted for the northern coasts of the island and the northern portion of the Irish Sea, but these were due to blow themselves out and a more sublime Sunday was predicted.

Temperature on the other hand, was an issue and an oft-used anatomical expression of the coldness, which in actual fact has a naval sea-fighting connotation, was appropriate for the day. Fifty-five boats were on the water for the day with the ILCA 6s having the biggest fleet with 22 boats. They were closely followed by the PY fleet, made up of Fireballs, Aeros, an IDRA, a GP 14, a Wayfarer, a Laser Vago, a RS 400, a RS Quest and the 2.4m of Patrick Hassett.

Fireballs at a weather mark in the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ian Cutliffe

Given the conditions, it was decided beforehand to try and get a short race in first and then review the conditions for a second race. With a wind that initially fluctuated around due west, a weather mark was set up just to the north of the marina entrance, a gybe mark to the east of the dolphins of the Hy-speed ferry terminal and a leeward mark set off the weather station on the upper level of the East Pier. Two triangles were set for Race 1.

A generous length of line and a pin end bias had the desired effect of spreading the fleet along the start line and all three fleets had a clean start, though the bias made for tight calls at the pin end. Still, halfway up the first beat for the PY Class, it was pleasing (as a RO) to see that the fleet was spread across the course rather than hogging one side.

First to show at the weather mark was the father and son combination of Ed and Ed Butler (14915), with young Ed helming in lieu of the regular helm Frank Miller who was off on leave. They scorched around the course taking advantage of good three-sail reaching on the top reach and more genteel three sailing on the second reach. Other Fireballs to feature prominently were Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (15167) and Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775) with Glen Fisher and Michael Keegan (14676) not far behind. Also doing well was another father/son combination of Frank and Hugh Cassidy (14934). Hugh has only been introduced to Fireball sailing in this season’s Frostbites and is making a very good go of it thus far. Mixing it with the Fireballs were the Aeros of Noel Butler (3289) and Stephen Oram (3288) and in handicap terms in this race that would be reflected in the results. Three Fireballs finished ahead of the Aeros on the water, Butler/Butler (18:26), Court/Syme (19:11) and Colin/Casey (19:25), with Butler (20:29) beating Oram (20:55) Yet on handicap terms, the Aeros took 1st and 3rd – Butler (18:43), Butler/Butler (19:22), Oram (19:38), Court/Syme (20:09) and Colin/Casey (20:24).

 ILCA 6s at the weather mark in the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ian Cutliffe

The ILCA 7s and 4s share one start and the start line conditions also meant they had plenty of room to manoeuvre themselves into favourable positions. For the 7s, of which there were eight, the race was run in close company with a finishing order of Conor Byrne, Chris Arrowsmith and Roy McKay. And in the 4s, the finishing order was Grace Gavin, Zita Tempany and Sam Legge.

The 20-boat 6s’ start was busy at the pin end and while it got very close, they did have a clean start. In the first race, a new name was at the head of the fleet, Peter Williams, who was followed home by Conor Clancy, Brendan Hughes, Darren Griffin and Pascal Boret. A high-profile member of this fleet was recorded as a DNF and that, combined with a polite comment on the “earliness” of the blue flag would suggest that he may have gone through the finish line when said blue flag was up. If that is the case, then his actions are commendable and more people should follow his example!

For the latter stages of the first race, the wind was moving northwards and that prompted a review of and an amendment to the course, pushing the weather mark to starboard relative to the committee boat. On that basis the three-start sequence got away again, but then the wind started to move backwards towards its original direction. It didn’t turn the beat into a soldier’s course, fortunately, and the downwind leg of the three-lap Olympic course didn’t turn into a reach.

In the PY fleet the Butler² team in the Fireball repeated their feat of the first race, romping home by a 1:09 margin over Colin & Casey in the second Fireball and by 4:00 on the first Aero of “the other Butler”. However, in a race of just less than half an hour, this wasn’t enough for the Fireball to hold off the Aero on handicap and Butler (Aero) took another individual race win by a margin of 0:04, FOUR SECONDS! In handicap terms the Butlers, singular and plural were followed home by another father and son combination, Pierre & Remy Long in the IDRA, Colin & Casey and Oram.

In the ILCA 7s, Theo Lyttle took the race win followed by Conor Byrne and Gavan Murphy. In the 6s, a more familiar line-up was evident in the finishing order as Sean Craig won comfortably, followed by Darren Griffin, Pascal Boret, Conor Clancy and John O’Driscoll. And in the 4s, Patrick Foley led home Grace Gavin and Zita Tempany.

By 15:30, the fleet was on its way home to thaw out in its respective clubhouses!

In overall terms, the PY fleet is well spread from a points perspective. Noel Butler (6) has eleven points on the Fireball of Frank Miller/Ed Butler and substitute crews and helms (17) with another Aero, Stuart Harris, and another Fireball, Alastair Court & Gordon Syme, tied on 27 pts. Stephen Oram holds fifth place on 29pts.

Likewise, in the ILCA 7s there is a points gap between all the boats at the top end, with eight between Conor Byrne (6) and Chris Arrowsmith (14) in 1st and 2nd. Niall Cowman and Gavan Murphy are separated by a single point, six and seven points behind Arrowsmith, respectively.

In the ILCA 6s, a single point separates Conor Clancy (12) and Sean Craig (13), but they have a comfortable margin, at present, on John O’Driscoll (23). O’Driscoll will need to keep an eye over his shoulder on Darren Griffin (25) with Judy O’Beirne (29) not too far away.

In the ILCA 4s a 4-point spread covers 1st to 3rd with the top two, Patrick Foley and Zita Tempany both on 9 points and Sam Legge on 13.

Frostbite Mug winners on the day were Frank and Hugh Cassidy (R1 PY Fleet), Cariosa Power & Marie Barry (FB/R2 PY Fleet) and Roy McKay (ILCA 7). Mug winners have to be in attendance to get their Frostbite Mugs and get two chances to claim their Mugs.

Ed Butler (right) collects his Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites prizes for Series 1 from DMYC's Neil Colin Photo: Cormac Bradley

Cariosa Power (L) and Marie Barry collect their Viking Marine DMYC Frostbite Mugs for the 2nd PY Race Photo: Cormac Bradley

Roy McKay (ILCA 7s) picks up his Viking Marine DMYC Frostbite Mug. (Race 1) Photo: Cormac Bradley

Hugh (L) and Frank Cassidy collect their Viking Marine Frostbite Mugs for the 1st PY Race Photo: Cormac Bradley

The opening race of the post-Christmas Series 2 of the Viking Marine-sponsored, Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club hosted dinghy Frostbites got off to a quiet start on Sunday 1st January 2023. Quiet; a) because of a much-reduced fleet size and b) because the wind, which was genteel to start, got lighter as the afternoon got later, resulting in a shortening of the second race.

A game of two halves – because for only the second time since Race 1 of Series 1, the Aeros dropped a race win on handicap and the beneficiaries – Neil Colin and Margaret Casey in Fireball 14775 - the only boat to take a handicap race win from the Aeros, their second such win in the 2022/23 Series.

Twenty-eight boats saw in the New Year on the water by taking part in the opening race of Series 2. The Fireballs had the biggest fleet with 9 boats on the water, 75% of their total entry to the event. They were followed by the ILCA 6s with 8 boats, Aeros with 5 boats, and the ILCA 7s and ILCA 4s each having 3 boats.

Fireballs at the head of the fleet, Race 1. Left to right – Colm Breen & Rory Power Breen(just in picture), Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (15167), Louise McKenna & Hermine O’Keeffe (15016), Glen Fisher & Michael Keegan (14676), Paul & Morris ter Horst (14790), Frank Miller & Neil Cramer (14915), with Noel Butler in the Frame (Aero 3289) Photo: Ian Cutliffe

Olympic courses were set for both races with the wind forecast to come from SSW and by Saturday night’s forecast due to be in the region of 10 – 12 knots with gusts in the high teens. In reality the wind fluctuated around due West and strength-wise started at 10 knots but reduced as the afternoon wore on.

A windward mark was laid just north of the marina entrance with a gybe mark in the vicinity of the dolphins for the Hi-Speed ferry and a leeward mark in the vicinity of the weather station on the upper level of the East Pier.

For the period leading up to the start for the PY Fleet, the weather mark was in a good “aggregate” position, but in the count-down it swung rightwards and the RO feared that there would be a soldier’s course to the first mark. That didn’t happen though as the fleet spread itself across the width of the course. Colin & Casey went to the RHS of the beat in deference to their class competitors who were all on their port side. At the top mark they found themselves in third place in a tight group of 5/6 Fireballs with Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (15167), Frank Miller & Neil Cramer (14915), Louise McKenna & Hermine O’Keeffe (15016), Glen Fisher & Michael Keegan (14676) and Paul & Morris ter Horst (14790). A tight three-sail reach kept this group substantially intact to the gybe mark and after rounding that the luffing matches started. But not for the “yellow-spinnakered” Colin& Casey who sailed a lower course and broke away from the “luffers”. It was a lead that they would retain for a large part of the three-lap course but at the third weather mark they were caught out by a wind shift to let Miller take the lead and finished 5 seconds down on Miller at the line.

Race 2 winners Neil Colin & Margaret Casey round the gybe mark in Race 1 Photo: Ian Cutliffe

Between Miller & Cramer at 29:52 elapsed time and Colm Breen & Rory Power Breen at 31:20 elapsed time, seven Fireballs – Miller, Colin, McKenna, Court, ter Horst, Fisher and Breen – finished before Noe Butler (Aero 6) led home an Aero 1-2-3 inside a 1:56 time window. Yet on corrected time, four Aeros took the spoils of the handicap correction – Butler at 29:10 corrected time, followed by Roy van Maanen, Stuart Harris and Sarah Dwyer at 30:18 corrected time versus Miller at 31:22 corrected time.

In the second race the course was set at five laps of the same course and at this stage the wind was starting to fade. Again, the Fireballs would lead the fleet around and again Colin & Casey were at the head of the bunch. They were chased by Miller and Court respectively. The luffing matches that had been a feature earlier in the afternoon were no longer evident as a more sedate pace was taken around the course. With the wind dropping below 5 knots a decision was taken to fly an “F” flag at the leeward mark to get the fleet a second respectable race in. Colin & Casey came home in 45:42 with a 9:10 advantage over Butler in the leading Aero. This was enough, in the conditions, to give Colin a 2:09 advantage over the single-hander and register a second race win in the Frostbites – only the second time that the Aeros haven’t claimed the top step of the handicap podium. A second Fireball, Court & Syme, closed out the podium for race 2.

ILCA 6s in close company – Sean Craig (218154) leads around this mark, followed by John O’Driscoll (210361) and Conor Clancy (213048) Photo: Ian Cutliffe

In the ILCA 7s the finishing order for both races saw the honours go the way of Conor Byrne, Chris Arrowsmith and Aidan Geraghty, while in the ILCA 6s, the top three were the same but Sean Craig took the first race, Conor Clancy the second and John O’Driscoll finished third in both.

In the ILCA 4s the finishing order was the same for both races – Patrick Foley, Zeta Tempany and Sam Legge. 

Viking Marine DMYC Dinghy Frostbite results for January 1 2023

Post racing the prize-giving for Series 1 took place in the DMYC Clubhouse;

Viking Marine DMYC Dinghy Frostbite Prize-giving photos by Frank Miller

Conor Clancy, ILCA 6s, 3rd Place Series 1 in the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites

Roy Van Maanen, PY 2nd Place, Series 1, Aero 6

Zeta Tempany, Frostbite Mug Winner. Day 1 Series 2 – ILCA 4s

Chris Arrowsmith, Frostbite Mug Winner. Day 1, Series 2 – ILCA 7s

John O’Driscoll, Frostbite Mug Winner. Day 1, Series 2 – ILCA 6s

Note:  DMYC are pleased to say that with an entry list of over 100 Dinghies for our popular Sunday afternoon winter sailing series, which runs from now to the end of March, they can still accept entries from any dinghy sailors who may not have been available for the pre-Christmas series, and who wish to join in now and avail of the great racing on offer. Discounted entries can be arranged with the race office on Sunday mornings, or by email to [email protected].

Sunday's Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites racing at Dun Laoghaire Harbour has been cancelled due to too much wind forecast.

"We were hoping to see a drop in wind for tomorrow afternoon in the Harbour, but now all forecasts suggest otherwise; regrettably we cancel the last race of pre-Christmas Series One, DMYC's Neil Colin told Afloat.

DMYC now looks forward to its Christmas Cracker on 27th, and the West Pier club starts Series Two on the 1st Jan, when the Series One prizegiving will be held.

Live Dublin Bay webcam 

The strong easterly winds that cancelled Sunday morning's AIB DBSC Turkey Shoot Series have also led to the cancellation of this afternoon's in-harbour racing of the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbite Series at Dun Laoghaire.

 The strong winds produced a big sea state (as seen on the 3 x Afloat webcams) that led to the scrubbing of the 150-boat mixed dinghy fixture.

Racing continues next Sunday. 

Fireballs are having a hot time of it at the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbite series in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. At the first outing on November 6th, competitors faced challenging conditions with extreme gusts in the high twenties coming from unexpected directions, often 30 degrees off the average. This resulted in some capsizes, mostly to windward, in the fresh and chilly conditions.

Neil Colin and Margaret Casey prevailed in race one, closely followed home by Alistair Court and Gordon Syme. Just behind was Frank Miller sailing with crew Dave Coleman whom Miller shanghaied on the slipway. It was Coleman’s first test on trapeze of his new knee and happily, the pair stayed upright around the course so that knee may be tested again. A capsize saw Louise McKenna and Marjo Moonen relegated to fourth in that race. The chasing pack of the nine-boat fleet saw good close racing right down the line.

Franco Cassidy has been out sailing with his young son Hugh, the latter’s first time in a Fireball and on trapeze and the pair are rapidly improving every race.

The SID Fireball was out in the safe hands of Pat McGoldrick with Jos Dornschneider-Elkink, who edged in ahead of Cariosa Power and Marie Barry.

Nick Miller has bought Miller’s previous Fireball Blind Squirrel, and with Cearbhall Daly has raised his game. Glen Fisher is guest helming with Michael Keegan in the latter’s boat and enjoying good competition in the middle of the fleet. Race two on the 6th saw several head for shore as the breeze picked up a notch but in fact the wind eased a little while racing was underway. This race saw Court and Syme prevail over McKenna & Moonen with Miller & Coleman again 3rd. Fisher & Keegan were 4th & McGoldrick & Dornschneider-Elkink 5th with Nick Miller & Daly 6th.

Court/Syme lead Colin/Casey in a Fireball duel at the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Pat Kiersey

The following Sunday the forecast was pretty terrible and many expected racing to be cancelled, but in fact conditions in Dun Laoghaire Harbour were quite sailable. While it was windy and sometimes very windy, the wind was far more stable than the previous Sunday. Race officer Cormac Bradley wisely went for one long multiple round race with 6 triangles. Happily, for the Fireballs in winds in the high twenties, the gybe mark was set low and spinnakers could be carried on the reaching legs. Frank Miller and Ed Butler took full advantage and blazed their way around the course leading by a good margin from McKenna & Hermine O’Keeffe, the Cassidys and Fisher & Keegan.

The following Sunday 13th November another terrible forecast turned out to be all too accurate and racing was cancelled without any complaints from competitors! But the Sunday just gone, November 27th, saw the best racing so far of the series.

Eleven Fireballs rocked up for the start line, necessarily a short line set close to the harbour mouth at the West Pier. Race seven of the series was a Windward-Leeward affair in medium winds from the south and southeast. Race officer Cormac Bradley set the windward mark well down the corner of the East pier, making maximum use of the harbour and giving competitors plenty to think about in terms of strategy up the beat. While the better wind was on the left side of the course, shifting and bending wind off the shore provided plenty of opportunity for those going at least some of the way right also. Too far right could lead to disaster and mucky broken wind but equally, too far left could leave competitors out on a limb.

Miller sailing with Fireball chairman Neil Cramer ultimately prevailed in race one, but it was hot and heavy all the way around the course and places changed several times with Court & Syme and McKenna & O’Keeffe leading at different points in the race. The run was especially tricky as decent gusts propelled the chasing boats towards the leaders. Colin & Casey had minor gear failure in that race which left them in 5th to Owen Sinnott & Grattan Donnelly. The chasing pack had close racing all around the course. Race eight saw a four-round Olympic Triangle course signalled but the race team changed that to three rounds as the clock was ticking and the winter sun getting close to diving behind the Dublin Mountains. Again, it was hot and heavy for Fireballs around the course. Miller & Cramer narrowly led around the windward, followed by Court & Syme, McKenna & O’Keeffe and Colin & Casey. Everything changed on the second beat as Colin & Casey banged the left corner and found good breeze to steam in on the port layline. On the run Miller & Cramer managed to nip ahead after a gybe, but that pair lost the lead again on the final beat by going too far left seeking the magic Colin had found previously.

Court & Syme, McKenna and O’Keeffe and Colin & Casey sailed a more conservative middle right course and made the most of a couple of shifts and a few pockets of good breeze to finish in that order and see Miller & Cramer relegated to fourth. Again, the chasing pack had extremely close racing with Power & Barry prevailing over Sinnott and Donnelly, Fisher & Keegan staying just ahead of Colm Breen and son Rory, and Paul ter Horst and son Morris keeping the SID boat of McGoldrick & Dornschneider-Elkink. While Miller & Butler currently hold the overall lead by a very thin margin all bets are off for this winter series.

In light and medium conditions, both Colin & Casey and McKenna & O’Keeffe are deadly, while in all conditions Court & Syme are extremely fast and extremely consistent. What is abundantly clear is that this is shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested winter series for Fireballers in some years.

An adverse weather forecast cancelled the third round of the Viking Marine-sponsored DMYC Dinghy Frostbites Series at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Sunday afternoon. 

The keelboats raced to Dalkey Island on Dublin Bay on Sunday morning in the third race of the DBSC Turkey Shoot in ideal conditions, but even then, some very strong gusts would have caused problems for the centreboarders.

Racing continues next Sunday, weather permitting. 

On the Wednesday evening before the start of the 2022/23 Frostbites, sponsored by Viking Marine and hosted by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, a cursory check of the forecast for the weekend suggested that the opening Sunday might not happen. The predicted winds were in the high teens with gust in the high twenties, from a direction just west of south. However, as the week progressed the forecast became more favourable and, on the day, we were greeted by sunshine and, at least at the DMYC clubhouse, genteel winds.

"Fifty-five boats answered the call for the opening round"

Bringing the committee boat to the main harbour there was a distinct change in the wind strength from the clubhouse assessment and by the time we anchored in the chosen start area a lesser version of the forecast manifested itself. My wind readings ranged from 10 to 22 knots from a mean direction of 210°. In real terms this mean that the breeze was coming off the Dun Laoghaire waterfront which meant a beat across the shorter dimension of the harbour. That precluded the use of a windward-leeward course in my view, so an opening course of three triangles was set.

Before the first race at the Viking Marine Dinghy Frostbites at the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club, a flag tribute was flown in memory of Ben Mulligan, a Race Officer for the Frostbites in recent seasons who had passed away at the end of October. Photo: Cormac Bradley

An early launched Fireball tested the beat for me, thanks Alastair & Gordon, and also flew spinnaker across the top reach with the gybe mark set in the water early. That assessment persuaded me to drop the gybe mark to leeward. The course configuration saw the weather mark set in line with the Royal Irish Yacht Club, the gybe mark set between the bandstand and the obelisk on the upper East Pier and the leeward mark set in the mouth of the harbour.

Royal St. George's Theo Lyttle - ILCA 7 Winner Race 1 (R), with race Officer Cormac Bradley (L) at the Viking Marine Dinghy Frostbites at the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club Photo: Frank Miller

Fifty-five boats answered the call for the opening round, split between PYs (24), ILCA 7s (7), ILCA 6s (23) and a solitary ILCA 4. The PY fleet and the combined fleet of ILCA 7s and the solitary ILCA 4 got away cleanly at the first time of asking. However, the ILCA 6s presented the Race Officer (me) with more of a challenge. On the water my first error was that the start line may have been too short – though a 24-boat PY fleet had got away first time. So, the line was lengthened. It took a black flag – far too early in the season – to get them away at the second time of asking. The price they paid was a reduction of the race length from three to two laps!

 The National Yacht Club's Noel Butler – PY Winner Race 2 at the Viking Marine Dinghy Frostbites at the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club Photo: Frank Miller

With the breeze blustery and coming off a shoreline filled with buildings, the top reach was deemed to “kamikaze” for the spinnaker boats to fly their bags and the philosophy seemed to apply for the second reach as well. Still, there was some fast planing available to everyone.

Royal St. George's Gary O’Hare – ILCA 7 Winner Race 2 at the Viking Marine Dinghy Frostbites at the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club Photo: Frank Miller

For the second race, the marks were kept in place but the course type was changed to Triangle-Sausage-Triangle. Again, the PY fleet and first ILCA start got away cleanly and again the ILCA 6s needed two attempts and a third attempt was aborted when the class flag hadn’t been raised. At 30 seconds to go the line is clear and even at fifteen seconds, but by this time milestone there is a “clatter” of boats on the aft quarter of the committee boat. But in the final count-down to the start, the fleet just goes and there is wall-to-wall sail hiding the pin from view. A lengthening of the line and moving the pin end upwind didn’t dilute the concentration of boats at the committee boat end! However, given that it was the last start of the day, the ILCA 6s got the full course.

Royal St. George's Sean Craig – ILCA 6 Winner Race 2 at the Viking Marine Dinghy Frostbites at the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club Photo: Frank Miller

Viking Marine Frostbites – Round 1; 6th November 2022

PY Fleet (24 boats)
Race 1
1. Neil Colin & Margaret Casey, FB 14775*
2. Noel Butler, Aero 6
3. Alastair Court & Gordon Syme, FB 15167
Race 2
1. Noel Butler*
2. Roy van Mannen, Aero 6
3. Stephen Oram, Aero 6

After 2 races.
1. Noel Butler (3)
2. Roy van Mannen (6)
3. Stephen Oram (9)
1st Fireball, Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (12), 5th.
1st Lady, Sarah Dwyer, Aero 5, (17), 9th.

ILCA 7s (8 boats)
Race 1
1. Theo Lyttle*
2. Conor O’Leary
3. Gary O’Hare
Race 2
1. Gary O’Hare*
2. Theo Lyttle
3. Sean Bowden
After 2 races.
1. Theo Lyttle (3)
2. Gary O’Hare (4)
3. Conor O’Leary (8)

ILCA 4s
Only 1 competitor – no race.

ILCA 6s
Race 1
1. Darren Griffin
2. Sean Craig
3. Pascal Boret

Race 2
1. Sean Craig*
2. Darren Griffin
3. Brendan Hughes

After 2 races
1. Sean Craig (3)
2. Darren Griffin (3)
3. John O’ Driscoll (9)
1st Lady, Shirley Gilmore (19), 7th.

*DMYC Frostbite Mug winners on the day – you have to be at the prize-giving to get your Mug.