11 nations and 106 boats contested the 2012 Fireball Europeans, hosted by Yacht Club Bracciano East during the week of 21 – 27 July. The fleet boasted an entry from Namibia, Nikolai & Pascal Allers, whose boat is stored in Switzerland, a single entry from Germany, Joerg Noller & Roger Leeman, 2 Canadian boats, including FI Executive members Joe Jospe (Commodore) and Tom Egli (Technical representative), 3 Belgian boats, 3 Slovenians, 5 French, 9 Irish, 17 Swiss, 18 Czechs, 19 Italians, who also contested their National Championships at the event, and 28 British boats.

As to be expected with an event that was within drivable distance of all the centres of European Fireballing, the means by which the boats arrived was of much interest. And winning the award for the most attention in this category was the Irish entry which brought 9 boats on a single jeep/trailer combination; eight boats stacked either side of the trailer with the ninth on the roof of the jeep. It took a team effort to load and unload the boats, but the trailer was easily loaded.

Measurement for the regatta took place on the Saturday and Sunday and Monday morning saw the first upset of the week!

The prevailing wind in Bracciano at this time of year blows onshore at the club. This morning it was blowing away from the club and was accompanied by grey skies........this wasn't in the brochure! In the distance we could see windsurfers scudding across the waves and when we did get the odd glimpse of sun, we could see the white tops of the waves in the distance as they ran away from us. An initial postponement was signalled! When we did set sail for the start area we were to find a committee boat struggling to hold position and a pin boat that was struggling to get upwind. The former was due to depth complications – we were in 150m of water – the latter was due to the wind and sea. A start was eventually attempted but a major wind shift meant that the beat turned into a two-sail fetch, especially for those who started at the pin. The first reach was another two sail fetch in the opposite direction, which meant that spinnakers were only broken out on the third leg! Boats went left and right to avoid sailing a direct line to the leeward mark. Some of us continued our conservative outlook and two-sailed rather gingerly to the downwind turning point. An early abandonment signal was flying from the committee boat as the stragglers sailed upwind again; problem was the leaders were already on their way back to the leeward mark under spinnaker. That left a long slog home! The reaction shore side was one of consternation.

Day 2 and the wind looked as if it had returned to normal service. The fleet went out again and proceeded to have a very long wait for the first start. Race 1 was sailed to full length, but the second start only got underway after 17:30 and was truncated to a triangle, sausage and final beat. The first race was started in good breeze that faded as the day wore on. The arrival of black clouds in the vicinity of the lake meant that the 2nd start was going to be a bit lively.......and so it was until haven't spent itself out, the breeze faded again to leave us with sunny conditions but a dying breeze. The day was characterised by multiple starts, with initially general recalls being used then the dreaded Black Flag start. Race 2 got away at the second attempt under black flag conditions. It was also a day on which the IJ exercised their muscle, policing Rule 42 infringements. The fleet was back ashore by 19:00, however the IJ were working much later into the evening. Two days gone, two races completed, only one of which went full length.

Day 3: Wind onshore! 13:00 arrives with the postponement flag already in place. Just as well, at the scheduled start time the numbers of boats in the start area could be counted on two hands. The RO is now in a difficult position – starts have not got off on time, so there is less enthusiasm from the fleet to go afloat and wait for a delayed start. The first start of the day is attempted at 14:30. One General Recall and two Black Flags later the fleet is let go under a Z-Flag start. Later 20 boats were listed as being in trouble at the start! Race 2 starts after 17:00 and concludes with the fleet getting shore after 19:00. We have had 6.5 hours on the water for two shortened races.

Day 4: A second Skippers' Briefing has been arranged for 10:00. It proceeds to be a clearing of the air between the fleet and the RO. The frustration of long hours on the water with less than satisfactory results leads to an agreement that a) the fleet will be kept ashore until the wind has stabilized and a race can be started quickly and b) a request that the start lines are laid square to the wind to try and preclude the need for everyone to start early and c) a request that the race committee get on the water earlier to assess the wind situation.

Two full Olympic courses get sailed today, but with a first start after 15:30, we have another late return to shore, post 19:00. These are the best races of the week, relatively quick and clean starts, good spinnaker legs and breeze that stayed on for the duration of the races. Conditions are very pleasant for sailing – warm wind and warm water – and the trapezing isn't heavy duty upwind, though the 2nd reach of the triangles are a bit more challenging. During the second race the wind got up a bit but it didn't last overly long.

As the Championship dinner is scheduled for this evening, the fleet has little time between unwinding after the racing to getting ready for dinner. However, our Italian host put on a great spread – simple but very tasty – antipasto, pasta, spit-roasted pork and ice-cream with lots of wine and water to accompany the meal. The Slovenians also give a presentation on the venue for the 2013 Worlds in Portoroz in September, but the impact of their presentation is partially lost due to us all seating outside and the sheer volume of numbers.

Day 5: While we all have a discard with six races sailed, everyone would like to see more races to improve their position. However, being the last day of the event, there is an early cut-off for the last race start of 16:00. And in a typical application of Murphy's Law (if it can go wrong it will go wrong), there is no wind when we arrive at the club. Not a good start! The routine postponement flag goes up and the fleet settles in for a shoreside wait! Noon comes and goes; 13:00 comes and goes. We do go afloat around 15:00 which means at best we will only get a single race in. problem is that the wind is moving significantly with huge shifts that are a RO's nightmare! A start is attempted but we are in default again. Re-jig the line, lift the weather mark, everyone is clock-watching now! We are down to less than 20 minutes before cut-off. The minutes tick by.................and as 16:00 arrives we are done without a race being started. The leaders will be relieved, though the top boat has a six-point margin! The majority of the fleet will be relieved in a different way, they can start packing!

Most regattas are won on the basis of brilliance and consistency. This regatta required both these attributes in a much more conspicuous way. The ease with which big numbers could be accumulated – even for top ten candidates in a Fireball fleet – was unreal at this event.

On the Tuesday evening, Claude Mermod and Ruedi Moser were sitting atop the pile with a 1,2 and three points. Martin Kubovy & Roman Rocek were equally comfortable in second with a 1, 4 and the Venhodas, Kurt and So (SUI 14987) were in third with 9 points. 24 hours later, the Tuesday evening leaders had acquired a Black Flag and an 11, Kubovy/Rocek scored a 9,8 and the Venhodas had picked up a 30 and a 9. The British challenge manifested itself with Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff scoring a 1,2 on Wednesday, Christian Birrell and Sam Brearey scoring a 2,4, Sam Mettam & Richard Anderton securing a 3 in Race 4, David Hall & Paul Constable winning Race 3 only to fall foul of the Z-flag at the start and david wade/Bob Gardner getting a 4th (Race 4), but also a Black Flag.

Thus Wednesday saw a change in the order with Burge/Wagstaff tied with Kubovy/Rocek on 22pts, and Birrell/Brearey in third on 26pts. At this stage Kubovy/Rocek were the only combination inside the top ten overall who only had single digit finishes.

On Thursday Kubovy/Rocek's record of single digit finishes went AWOL as they recorded a 15 and 13, the former becoming their discard. Burge/Wagstaff scored a 1,6, Birrell/Brearey a 9 & 4. Hall/Constable replaced the Z-flag first with the real thing in Race 5 and followed that up with a 6th. Mettam/Anderton also had a good day with a 5,9.

Fireball Europeans – Yacht Club Bracciano East R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Nett

1 GBR 15084 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff 8 11 2 1 6 1 18

2 GBR 15065 Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey 15 5 4 2 9 4 24

3 CZE 15019 Martin Kubovy & Roman Rocek 1 4 9 8 15 13 35

4 GBR 15083 David Wade & Bob Gardner 4 12 bfd 4 13 2 35

5 CZE 15059 Milan Cap & Filip Prochazka 12 14 3 5 32 3 37

6 GBR 15085 David Hall & Paul Constable 11 9 1 18 1 6 45

7 CZE 15079 Jaroslav Verner & Pavel Winkler dnf 2 14 7 11 12 46

8 GBR 15081 Sam Mettam & Richard Anderton 26 15 20 3 5 9 52

9 CZE 14979 Eva Skorepova & Jakub Napravnik 7 10 11 29 10 15 53

10 SUI 14799 Claude Mermod & Ruedi Moser 2 1 bfd 16 21 14 54

Thus the top ten split is GBR 5, CZE 4 and Switzerland 1. This reflects the growing strength in numbers and talent level of the Czech fleet, which we are advised is the fastest growing fleet in Fireball. They are a very young group, which would suggest they are going to be around for a while.

Trophy Winners

Race 1 Swiss Cow Bell CZE 15019 Martin Kubovy & Roman Rocek

Race 2 Czech Crystal Bowl SUI 14799 Claude Mermod & Ruedi Moser

Race 3 Slovenian Trophy GBR 15084 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff

Race 4 UK Trophy GBR 15084 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff

Race 5 Italian UVM Trophy GBR 15085 David Hall & Paul Constable

Race 6 French Trophy GBR 15084 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff

Overall Fireball Europeans European Trophy GBR 15084 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff

Classic Boat Classic Boat Trophy CZE 14056 Karel & Matej Smetana (63rd)

Ladies Prize YCBE Trophy CZE 14809 Klara Janderova & Jitka Bidlova (64th)

Under-25s Italian Fireball Association Trophy GBR 15065 Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey

The regatta was generously sponsored by Carige Assicurazioni, an Italian insurance company, who were the main sponsor, Sperry Topsider, who provided a pair of their shoes to every competitor, Dicofarm who specialize in the development of early childhood products and, technical sponsors Aires Tech, a mechanical engineering company and Aliacom, a mass communications agency.

The hospitality of our Italian hosts was exceptional. Bottled water was free and available on each day of the regatta. A small team of Italian ladies produced enormous amounts of food from a very small kitchen on a daily basis – pasta was served to the fleet when it came ashore every day. The Championship dinner was simple but excellent fare and the shore teams enthusiastically helped boats off the small beach into the dinghy park at the end of each day's racing.

Photos by Bob Hobby and Urs Hardi

There was a win for Britain's Matt Burge and Richard Wagstaff when winds didn't settle by the cut-off time for the last start of the Fireball European Championships in Italy yesterday and the overnight results stood. Irish boats are already on the road home with Kenny Rumball and Conor Kinsella and a nine boat trailer rig.

#fireball – A first today - a second Skippers' Briefing for the fleet. Essentially it was an opportunity for the fleet to "clear the air" with the Race Officer writes Cormac Bradley. A number of accusations were made that preparation for the racing left a lot to be desired. The quality of the start lines also came in for criticism. Agreement was achieved on the fact that the fleet wouldn't go afloat unless the RO had a course set.

The consequence was that we didn't go afloat until 15:30. Two full Olympic races were completed with the result that the fleet came ashore after 7pm - another full day in Bracciano. Tonight we have the Championship event dinner and a presentation by the hosts of next year's Worlds - Slovenia. As I type we are sitting in the dark waiting for proceedings to commence.

Results have not appeared yet, doubtless due to the processing of start line infringements.

The two races today were probably the best of the week. Minimal fuss, good spinnaker legs - a revelation. The Irish fleet had a mixed bag of results - breakages, and people in nether regions of the fleet that they would rarely visit.

Sunshine has been in abundance so the holiday aspect of this week has been well sorted. Racing? Well that's another matter!

#fireball – Today we had sun, wind from the prevailing direction and another marathon session on the water. With the wind being onshore the Race Officer was able to anchor in shallow water and within easy sailing distance of the shore. As to be expected at 13:00 the committee boat was flying a postponement flag - just as well - the number of boats within the start area could be counted on two hands!

A start sequence was attempted at 14:30 and one General Recall, two black flags and a Z flag later the fleet got underway. By that stage 16 boats had been dismissed and on the ultimate Z flag start, approx 20 boats were deemed to be over the line. The IJ is busy tonight!

David Hall won the first race of the day.

Of the Irish, Kenny Rumball scored two 11s, Simon Michael got a 14 and a 22, and Luke Malcolm scored a 13 in Race 2.

This leaves Rumball/Kinsella in 9th overall we believe but this will all be subject to the machinations of the IJ who have a full workload this evening.

Race 2 was started after 17:00 leaving the fleet coming ashore after 7pm. 6.5 hours for two races neither of which ran the full length.

The Irish team (excepting those involved in protest/redress action (Butler/Oram & McKenna/O'Keefe)) are eating together in Trevignano.

Results (provisional)

1 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff GBR 21
2 Martin Kubovy & Roman Rocek CZE 21
3 Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey GBR 25
4 Hadkek Milan & Pavliek Zdenk CZE 32
5 Cap Milan & Prochazka Fillip CZE 33
9 Kenny Rumball & Conor Kinsella IRL 67
15 Simon McGrotty & Ruairi Grimes IRL 92
35 Niall McGrotty & Neil Cramer IRL 171
37 Luke Malcolm & Shane Diviney IRL 173
40 Noel Butler & Stephen Oram IRL 178
61 Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley IRL 223
65 Ed & Ed Butler IRL 245
71 Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keefe 276
92 Mary Chambers & Brenda McGuire 342

#fireball – After two races, Noel Butler and Stephen Oram are the leading Irish at the Fireball Europeans in Italy in 16th place. Kenny Rumball and Conor Kinsella are 20th, Simon McGrotty and Ruairi Grimes are 26th. Niall McGrotty and Neil Kramer are in the 40s and Louis Smyth/Cormac Bradley are in the fifites.

Swiss pair Claude Mermod & Reudi Moser lead overall with a 1, 2.

Butler/Oram had a 14th in Race 1 and in Race 2, Rumball/Kinsella had a top ten finish.

Race 1 went the full length, but with a 17:30 start for the second one it was truncated after the third beat writes Cormac Bradley. While the first race had started in good breeze, it faded away to light conditions. After its conclusion there was a long wait for the 2nd Race. A neighbouring black cloud was always going to influence proceeding, which it did when the 2nd Race started in a flurry of downwardly adjusted rigs. It soon faded however, prompting the shortened course.

It was a day of multiple starts, general recalls and black flags. Four boats were black-flagged on an aborted start in Race 1, the successful start was also under a black flag so there MAY be others whose efforts have come to nought.

Race 2 was also sent away on a black flag, at the second attempt.

The jury were also active today policing Rule 42 transgressions so a number of boats have their first "yellow card" of the regatta.

As to finishing places, this correspondent can't help but in the first race a Czech boat and a Slovenian boat were well up. In Race two, Joerg and Roger from Germany were in 2nd place at the first weather mark.

The fleet got off the water after 7pm - a long day at the office for competitors and officials alike. Evening pasta was wolfed down enthusiastically.

#fireball – After Day 1 of the Fireball Europeans in Bracciano, Rome no races have been completed. As forecast, we woke to rain this morning and an offshore wind blowing away from the club site writes Cormac Bradley. When the sun peeked out we could see the white caps on the waves moving away from us. In the distance we could see windsurfers scudding along the water.
A one hour postponement was signalled, pushing the projected start time to 14:00. At 13:30 the fleet started to launch - possibly incorrectly, but understandable. Thereafter we sailed around for the best part of nearly 4hrs before a start was initiated. Many didn't hear the sound signal and the majority of the fleet sensing a hard left shift went for the distant pin! What should have been a beat turned into a two-sailed fetch.

The first reach was hairy - evidenced by the lack of a solitary spinnaker.

The gybe mark was littered with capsized boats but at least some spinnakers were flown as boats went left and right from the gybe mark. After reaching the leeward mark, we passed to windward of the committee boat and saw that they were flying N over A - Abandonment!

Problem was that the leaders were already spinnakering back to the leeward mark.

What followed was a long slog back to base. The mood ashore was a mix of frustration, relief, consternation and wonderment.

Why had it taken so long to get started - 20 degree shifts, fluctuating wind strength, a malfunctioning anchor winch on the committee boat - in 300ft of water!!
Why abandon - rescue considerations, wind strength (average of 22 knots).

Relief - all the boats were safely ashore.

Logistics also contributed to the problems. The abandonment ashore was set for an hour and the fleet went afloat of its own accord. It may well be that the PRO didn't want the fleet at the start area given the conditions and his difficulties. The wind direction also meant that the committee boat had to be anchored in very deep water. Had the prevailing winds blown, he would have been in a much more manageable depth, with the club being on a lee shore.
The various emotions were salved by the supply of huge bowls of pasta for the competitors and officials, made on the spot.
The catering arrangements have been excellent - pasta (€4/plate) & filled rolls made to order!. Free bottled water and a ticket system for beers. Boat parking is a bit congested, as to be expected with a 105 boat fleet.
An L flag tonight advises that 3 races are scheduled for tomorrow.

#fireball – With a fleet that ranges in sail numbers from 12754 (ITA) to 15085 (GBR), the contesting Fireballs for the European Championships in Bracciano, Italy are primed for competition. Measuring concluded today and as a consequence there were lots more boats on the water checking out the conditions.

There was less wind than yesterday, water conditions were flat in comparison to yesterday's easy chop and the wind swung left and right seemingly at random.

The Czechs appeared to go out on the water as a team. Clusters of British boats appeared to be pacing each other, we saw French boats in company, but the Irish each did their own thing. As we wait for the opening ceremony (19:00/18:00 Irish time) the last of the Irish boats is derigging. Kenny & Noel seemed to spend some time in each other's company!

Rain apparently is forecast tomorrow with breeze. At least we expect it to be warm rain!

Entries

British- 30+
Czech Republic - 18
Swiss - 17
Italian - 13
Irish - 9
Canadian - 3
Slovenia - 3
French - 4
Namibia - 1
Germany - 1
Belgium - 1

#dbsc – Over 100 Fireballs have gathered at Bracciano, just NW of Rome to contest the 2012 Europeans. In addition to the traditionally strong British presence there are Italians, Czechs, French, Swiss, Slovenians, Canadians (3), a solitary Namibian and of course 9 Irish boats writes Cormac Bradley.

After a very early flight out of Dublin (6:15) which necessitated a 3am rise, we were greeted with glorious sunshine, good breeze and warm water when we arrived at the venue!

Today has been dedicated to registration and measuring but there has also been some casual sailing done.

Kenny and Alistair Rumball seem to have had a trouble free trip in getting our boats here and their 9-boat trailer has been the subject of much interest. The three boats trailers used by some of the UK travellers pale by comparison.

It is good to meet up with old friends whom we haven't seen for a year or more.

And yet for those of us who knew him well it is odd not to have seen Johan Devocht (RIP), the Belgian IJ who had almost become synonymous with international Fireball events. Sadly he passed away in early July.

Tomorrow will see more registration and an opening ceremony at 19:00.

From a sunny Bracciano...

#Irish Sailing – Foxall ready to step in to the history books, as Galway set for VOR arrival, Ben Duncan puts on an SB20 display in Tralee, Noel Butler and Stephen Oram Win Fireball Nationals, Barry Hurley wins first Round Rockall Race, an amazing last stretch performance gives Inis Mor Round Ireland victory, Kenefick retains Corinthian Quarter ton Crown, All the Royal Irish Regatta results and why its all over for the Volvo 70s in Galway. A Mermaid is battling on against the showers in a five hundred mile voyage from Foynes to Skerries.

#fireball – The 2012 Fireball National Champions are Noel Butler and Stephen Oram from Dun Laoire Motor Yacht Club. The pair sailed an excellent series to claim the title ahead of Simon McGrotty & Darrach Dineen (Skerries SC) and Kenny Rumball/David Moran (Irish National SS) reports Gareth Craig. Photos below by Gareth Craig.

The Irish Fireball Nationals, sailed this past Friday, Saturday, Sunday were certainly not short-changed in terms of available wind. Friday saw heavy conditions for the three races of the day with the fleet being taken off the water between races 1 and 2. Saturday saw a tired fleet come ashore after four races in challenging conditions but by Sunday the breeze had eased to produce what were described as “champagne conditions” for the last day.

Friday' results were a key element to the overall situation and being able to finish all three races was a significant building block in getting to a podium finish. Simon McGrotty & Darragh Dineen produced the best performance of the day to take two race wins, either side of a race win by Noel Butler and Stephen Oram. This left the Skerries combination with a 1pt lead on the Friday evening over Butler/Oram. Third place overall saw Ed Butler (Jnr) teamed up with recently selected Irish 470 Olympian crew, Scott Flannagan, three points adrift of 2nd place.

Saturday saw four races sailed and Butler/Oram put together a solid performance relative to their close rivals to effectively tie up the regatta with a day to spare. Counting a 2, 1, 3, 1 suite of finishes they opened up a huge gap on their rivals, most of whom carried at least one bad result on the day. The next best result for the day was that of Kenneth Rumball and David Moran who put together a 4, 3, 1 5 followed by Neil Spain and Francis Rowan who scored a 3, 4, 4, 10. However, in terms of total points this left them 20 points adrift of the leaders.

With the first discard coming into play on Saturday evening, the actual situation was as follows;

Wind conditions eased for Sunday's proceedings and the final three races of the series were completed. Butler & Oram sailed the last day even though they effectively had the regatta sewn up.

McGrotty/Dineen came back from a dreadful Saturday (2 x 21pts) to post a 1, 4. Rumball/Moran scored a 4, 2 while Spain/Rowan's regatta came unstuck with a 21 in the last race, which undid all the good work of a 3rd in Race 8. Butler/Oram had a 9 and another first to close out the event with some authority. The nine was to become one of their discards, the other being a third.

The Silver fleet was won by Dave Coleman and Glen Fisher in 17th, followed by Mary Chambers and Brenda McGuire. The ladies applied discretion rather than valour to Friday's racing but finished all the remaining races of the weekend. Dave and Glen had a difficult day on Saturday but had other results just off the top tem. The Classic Trophy was not awarded.

Noel Butler offered the following additional oversight of the regatta;

Quite a few combinations flirted with the front end of the fleet and led races at different times. Frank Miller and Grattan Donnelly sailed a very consistent Friday to lie in 5th overall and their "counted" results showed a consistency that saw them finish in 8th overall. Michael Ennis and Marie Barry also led a race, lost the lead and regained it. Niall McGrotty & Neil Creamer, scored a 2nd to Butler/Oram in Race 7 and Noel admitted they only just caught the former combination in time. In some of the heavier conditions Michael Murphy and Alex Voye got their chance at the front and they secured two 2nd places in their set of results. In Race 8 an OCS was signalled and Butler/Oram and Butler/Flannagan went back. It afforded the former combination an opportunity to see how an Olympic-qualified crew works the boat around the course. Butler/Flannagan eventually got back to 5th in this particular race. From a rare trip through the fleet, as a consequence of going back at the start, Noel also confirmed that there was competition all around the course with individual battles going on right through the fleet.

The testing conditions over the three days put a premium on keeping boats together and among the casualties of the regatta were Luke Malcolm who suffered an exploding rudder stock and Louis Smyth who broke a jib halyard. Butler/Oram suffered no such trauma and were lending equipment to other competitors to keep them on the water. Meticulous maintenance does have its place in Fireball racing!

Race management by Harry Gallagher and Scorie Walls was of a very high standard, as their reputation dictates! Races were started promptly after the last finisher of the previous race and while the fleet was brought ashore on Friday for a period, when the wind eased they were sent back out again to race. All starts were under Blue Peter conditions and the start lines were set up with a laser-spotter for accuracy of length and at the request of the Class, a variable weather mark was used. This is a set up that was encountered at the European Championships in the Czech Republic in 2010. A second weather mark is available to the RO if the wind changes so that a true beat can be set for each windward leg. The RO has the independence to reset the weather mark without having to wait for the last boat to go around the old weather mark before it can be lifted. The irony of this weekend is that the breeze was reasonably steady so the benefit of this mechanism was not as significant as might be the case.

While the turnout of only 20 boats is of concern, there were some mitigating circumstances. Barry Hurley, who has been crewing with Andy Boyle, was racing double-handed around Rockall as part of Galway's festivities for the Volvo Ocean race. Andy Boyle himself was racing in the Round Ireland Race which had started the previous weekend and Brian Flahive was also in double-handed mode, finishing 2nd in the Round Ireland.

Howth have been very anxious to host another Fireball event after the very successful hosting of our Leinsters in 2010. They have excellent facilities and easy access to a very clean racing area, free of any significant commercial traffic.