#inss – After two weeks of missing racing, there were joyous sailors all over Dun Laogahire yesterday, despite a few 1720s braving it to go out last week only for the race to be wisely abandoned, everybody was very keen to get racing yesterday writes Kenneth Rumball. On the Royal Irish pontoons, after the team on Lady A used their 'magic brush' to give their hull a quick clean, Team INSS borrowed the brush to try and add a bit of magic to their boat. Team INSS rigged quickly and based on the forecast rigged up the bigger headsail and prepared the masthead asymmetrical kite for a decreasing forecast.
Form the moment the crew slipped lines, the breeze appeared to be building building building! After the first two starts got away, the '1720 start' came of group three saw 7 1720s line up in what now appeared to be breeze in the high 20s. Fintan Cairns and team had given us the course we all love, a mini coastal race, starting at the harbour mouth, around the yellow outfall with two turning marks on the way down to the Muglins and then back home.
A messy start from all saw 'Third Time Lucky' helmed by Ben Cooke take an OCS and headed back after the start to get going again. Team INSS helmed by Kenneth Rumball battled in towards the left handside of the course try to get the most out of the rising tide, with main sails flogging in the big breeze, Team INSS rounded the weather mark first with Merlin (RstGYC), and then Lady A (Collie Byrne RIYC), just behind. Collie and team went straight for the kite and entered into a few spectacular broaches before getting everything under control and settling the boat down to blast downwind, Ben and team aboard Third Time Lucky tried the kite and took the safer option with the rest of us to leave the kites firmly under their bungess on the initial downwind leg. By mark two, Collie Byrne and team on Lady A were right behind Team INSS having mastered their kite to gain a few spots downwind. Rounding Mark 3, all the 1720s got the kites up with Merlin, Team INSS, Lady A and Third Time Lucky blasting downwind while few other cruisers even had a spinnaker up.
Rounding the Muglins, Merlin had taken the lead followed in hot pursuit by Lady A and Team INSS, Third Time Lucky were having some problems getting their chute down... Continuing upwind, a very tight battle between Merlin, Team INSS and Lady A emerged with all boats at time only separated by a boat length! Team INSS managed to pass Lady A before the marks laid in Scotsmans bay and then managed to pass Merlin on the leg up to the outfall mark before marching downwind to take the '1720 class' win!
A great day on the water with big winds and bigger smiles from the Sportsboat kids.