#dbsc – To a racing observer from the shore, the start of yesterday's Frostbite was very odd! At the scheduled start of 14:00, the first two classes the PY Class and the Lasers got away in proper order writes Cormac Bradley. Quite a bit later there was a start for the RS Classes but as soon as they appeared to go over the line they were all called back. The confusion and delay in the starting sequence meant that the Fireball fleet on the start line was doubled in size, going from three to seven boats, and the fleet got a competitive race in!
Initially the three boats in the start area were Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella (15114), Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (15061) and Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keeffe (14691). Having been at a Fireball –connection house-warming the night before I thought that the others had succumbed to the hospitality of the house-warming and decided to give the racing a miss. Because it was gone 14:20 before Kenneth Rumball & Brian Byrne (15058), Louis Smyth & Joe O'Reilly (15007), Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly (14713) and Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775) joined the other three starters. It transpired in the clubhouse afterwards that the fleet emerging from the Coal Harbour end of Dun Laoghaire harbour had been stalled by the Race Committee who were considering their options for the day.
The aborted start for the RS Classes was due, it appears, to two class flags being flown, when only one was required. The nett effect was that all seven Fireballs got a race, sharing the one start.
Having observed the previous starts from shore, I imagined that the Fireballs would be fighting for the committee boat end in order to be able to go right, to a windward mark that was just to the west of the harbour mouth. So it was rather surprising to see McCartin & Kinsella halfway down the start line coming up the beat on starboard tack. The error of that approach manifested itself early on when they went behind the transom of Colin & Casey.
The one boat that did go hard right was rewarded with third place around the weather mark – Smyth & O'Reilly having gone all the way right before they took the hitch into the mark. Rumball & Butler rounded first and second and would keep each other in close company for the balance of the race. Behind Smyth came McCartin, who powered over Smyth between Marks 1 and 2. Miller led Colin and McKenna.
What had looked like a broad reach for the PY and Laser Classes between 1 and 2 was now a tight three sail reach for the Fireballs. Rumball held the spinnaker all the way to 2, Butler did an Aussie drop with about 100m to go, McCartin sailed higher managed to bear of in the tougher gusts to hold the bag all the way to 2. Determining when to gybe after 2 was a key factor in the comfort level of the leg between 2 and 3.
On the second beat the fleet all went right to varying degrees but Rumball & Butler pulled out distance on them all to leave themselves having their own race. A cluster of Fireballs rounded after them, one of whom took a 720˚ penalty turn to leave the sequence as Colin, Miller, Smyth, McCartin and McKenna. At Mark 2 McCartin gybed immediately whereas Smyth and Miller delayed with the result that McCartin took them both. However, by the next mark, McCartin had lost his gains again as the others passed him out. His day got even worse when his spinnaker wouldn't come down at Mark 4 so he retired from the race.
On the third beat the fleet was working inside the area defined by the four marks of the course as opposed to sailing on the extremities. By this stage they were each covering the other with the comfort of knowing that the chasing pack were too far back to threaten. At the end of this third lap however, Rumball fell foul of other boats, at Mark 4 and again when he needed to avoid a capsized 29er. The nett effect was that at the fourth weather mark, Butler & Oram had assumed the lead which they held onto until the finish. Colin led the chasing pack home, followed by Miller, Smyth & McKenna.

DMYC Frostbites – Series 2 R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 Tot Nett
Noel Butler & Stephen Oram 15061 NYC/DMYC 2 3 1 2 3 2 1 14 11
Kenneth Rumball & Brian Byrne 15058 INSC 9 1 3 3 2 4 2 24 15
Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella 15114 RStGYC 1 4 2 14 1 1 9 32 18

These provisional results (by me) are based on the idea of a single discard for Series 2.
After a balmy but very breezy Saturday here in Dun Laoghaire, the fleet enjoyed more modest temperatures of 8˚ with wind out of the NW (313˚) at 12.5 knots with a highest recorded gust of 21 knots, according to the weather station in the harbour.

#diasporamuseum – The governement has altered course on plans for a national emigrant museum because it fears a backlash from rejected bidders ahead of the general election, according to a report into today's Sunday Business Post newspaper.

Inspite of a drawing up a plan to draw 300,000 visitors annually to a new national facility  the government is now aiming at smaller regional museums instead.

Dun Laoghaire and Cork harbour were among sites considered in the plan. Both ports had advanced amibitious plans for a national diaspora project. 

The Port of Cork's Company's Custom House and Bonded Warehouse buildings located along the city's central quays, were to be converted into a major €15m museum that will tell the story of Ireland's emigration.

In Dun Laoghaire on Dublin bay, port chief executive Gerry Dunne made the case for a diapora centre in the South Dublin port town at a gathering in the House of Lords in London in January 2013. The museum, to be located on the town's Carlisle Pier, forms a major part of the harbour's regeneration plan. 

#DunLaoghaire - With the end of Stena's ferry service between Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead confirmed earlier this week, The Irish Times' Lorna Siggins gauges the mood in the south Dublin port that aims to transition from a commercial focus to a more diverse leisure hub.

Described as "the worst-kept secret on this coastline" by harbour user and dinghy sail trainer Alistair Rumball, Stena's decision to pull out of Dun Laoghaire is being seen as good news for the harbour company's master plan, with its emphasis on enticing cruise traffic, tourism and related facilities.

Among these are the planned diaspora centre, and the 'urban beach' project for the East Pier that was green-lit by planners late last year but is currently under appeal.

However, local TD Richard Boyd-Barrett argues that the move only opens the way for "back-door privatisation” of the harbour. And even our own WM Nixon wondered earlier this year about the scale of the master plan's ambition, and whether Dun Laoghaire has lost the plot.

The Irish Times has much more on the story HERE.

#stenaoutofdunlaoghaire – Following the news that Stena has decided not to resume its Dun Laoghaire Harbour Seasonal Ferry Service. Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company Ltd (DLHC) is seeking expressions of Interest are now being sought by the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company from suitable providers to operate a seasonal ferry service on the Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead route. 

A ferry service has been running between Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead for over 170 years (since 1835).  A small fast craft was introduced to the route in 1993 which was replaced by the world's largest fast craft, the HSS, in 1995. Stena Line, the operator of the ferry service, decided not to resume service on this route this week. As a result, a berth has become available in Dun Laoghaire for a new ferry service.

The full advert for the new operator is here

#dmycfrostbites – With both XCWeather and Windfinder forecasts suggesting similar conditions for 15:00, northerly winds of 20 knots with gust to 27/28 knots, air temperatures of 5/6˚, but, ironically sunny conditions, the organisers of today's DMYC Frostbites pulled the plug on the Dun Laoghaire dinghy racing series writes Cormac Bradley. N over A flies from the DMYC flagpole for yet another week!

#DunLaoghaire - Despite getting the green light from planners six weeks ago, Dun Laoghaire's 'urban beach' project faces an appeal made against it to An Bórd Pleanála.

According to The Irish Times, councillors in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown have been told of an appeal lodged in late December against the €2.5 million scheme modelled on Berlin's famous Badeschiff.

It has not been made known who made the appeal, though the original planning application received 15 objections during the public consultation from local groups and individuals.

Many of these expressed concern at potential damage to the protected East Pier where the Badeschiff would be installed, and also argued for council funds to be instead directed towards restoration of the derelict Victorian Baths nearby.

The Irish Times has more on the story HERE.

#fireball – It will come as little surprise that yesterday's Frostbite racing at Dun Laoghaire was abandoned early in the day. While the sea state inside and outside the harbour weren't excessive, due to the Dun Laoghaire shoreline being the leeward shore, the wind conditions were severe and very gusty.

However, in warmers climes, a number of Fireballers have just concluded a Tasar World Championships in Australia, with commendable results.

In addition to 11th place overall, in a fleet of 122 boats, Heather picked up the Australian First Female Trophy (Highest placed woman helm).

On Saturday past, current Fireball World and European Champion, Tom Gillard and European Champion crew, Richard Anderton, won a "howling" Bloody Mary event in the UK.

And while the UK and Ireland is in the grip of high winds and the prospect of very low temperatures tomorrow (Tuesday), another regatta in warmer climes is being promoted inFacebook posts.

The Fireball North American Championships will be sailed as part of the 50th Anniversary North American Mid-Winters at Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida, in mid March, 13th- 15th(for the Fireballs). They are also expecting some European involvement with a promise of two European Teams taking the roll-on-roll-off from Southampton to Florida and a Swiss crew have also made a commitment to the event.

The advice is that there is a substantial late entry fee for registration after January 31st, so if six days of Floridian sunshine is something that you can contemplate...........get cracking!

#rnli – The crew of the RNLI lifeboat station at Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay will hold their annual ceremony to remember the 15 volunteers that died on service in 1895 on Christmas Eve as well as all those who lost their lives around our coasts in 2014. Families are especially welcome to attend this long-standing local tradition of remembrance.

The short ceremony will take place at mid-day on Christmas Eve at the lighthouse end of Dun Laoghaire's popular East Pier and will include music, an ecumenical blessing, a contemporary newspaper account of the 1895 tragedy and a piped lament.

Both RNLI lifeboats stationed at Dun Laoghaire will launch and the crews will lay wreaths at sea close to the pier.

The ceremony is a long-standing Christmas Eve tradition that remembers the lives of the 15 volunteer crew that died when their lifeboat capsized in gale force winds while attempting to rescue those on board the SS Palme that had run aground off Blackrock, Co. Dublin. All lives lost at sea will also be included in the ceremony.

Relatives of the original 1895 lifeboat crew are expected to be amongst those who will walk the pier for the 20-minute ceremony. Musician William Byrne and journalist Fergal Keane will be joined by a lone piper on the East Pier lighthouse battery during the short ceremony that has been facilitated by the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company. In case of inclement weather, an alternative ceremony will still be held closer to the lifeboat station.

#vdlr – Up to 15 entries have already been received for what is expected to be Ireland's biggest sailing event in 2015. Among the early entries for Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR) is a number of Scottish, English and Northern Ireland boats that responded almost immediately to the online publication of the July regatta's Notice of Race.

Among the first was Clyde Cruising Club's Wildebeest V skippered by Craig Latimer. Fairlie Yacht Club's  MAT 1010 Now or Never 3 sailed by Neill Sandford is also in for VDLR 2015.

Class bands have yet to be set for cruiser classes but already expressions of interest received at Dun Laoghaire Race HQ indicate a strong take up from overseas entries for the 2015 biennial, organised by all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs.

Other boats that have expressed interest or already entered are Stuart Cranston's Sigma 35
from Down Cruising Club. The GBR registered Beneteau First 36.7, Animal skippered by Kevin Aiken is coming and so is the Élan 333, Movistar Bleu from Killyleagh under Raymond Killops. Guy Cowper's Stratisfear, a Corby 36, from Royal Dee is also heading west for Dun Laoghaire. 

At this early stage, as Afloat.ie reported earlier, the following events have also been confirmed as part of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta line–up.

• Royal Dee Irish Sea Offshore Challenge

• J109 Irish National
Championship

• RS Elite Irish National
Championship

• Beneteau First 21 Irish
Championship

• Wayfarer Irish National
Championship

• GP 14 Leinster Championship

• J24 Leinster Championship

#rnli – The Staff of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) selected Dun Laoghaire RNLI lifeboat as the beneficiary of the 2014 Hope You Give (HUG) charity fund paid into over the year by the staff of DLRCC.
Above, Mary Kennefick, representing HUG (pictured left), presented the donation to Mark McGibney, RNLI Coxswain with Rita O'Reilly, Honorary Secretary of the RNLI Dun Laoghaire fundraising branch and Barry Keane, Vice Chairman.