Challenging conditions for Fireball Championships

19th May 2009

This year’s Fireball Ulster Championship was held on Lough Neagh where a fleet of 17 boats competed at the two-day event hosted by Lough Neagh Sailing Club. The quality of organisation and the level of hospitality offered by the club was very impressive, which was fortunate because strong and gusty southerly winds prevented racing on Saturday so Fireballers had to content themselves with a fine buffet dinner and live music instead.

The weather allowed for racing to go ahead on the Sunday but conditions were challenging. OD John Murtagh ran three quick races on an olympic course with a fast turn around in between. The first and second races saw over 18 knots of breeze and a chop on the lake. Gusts of around 25 knots were experienced by the fleet as rain squalls crossed the course.

Race one (part of start line pictured above) saw gold fleet sailors Noel Butler and Seamus Moore lead the way to the windward mark with Andy Pearce and Hugh Butler fighting to overtake. Tom Gillard, sailing with Francis Rowan, chased in third place. There was a capsize during the race for Pearce/Butler and also for Butler/Moore. Gillard/Rowan took the gun with Butler/Moore in 2nd and Pearce/Butler in 3rd. In the Silver fleet, the new pairing of Stephen Oram and Leo Bishop took the honours ahead of Louise McKenna and Guido Denzler.

Gillard/Rowan (pictured above) shot off the line in race two, rounding the windward mark in first place. They continued to extend their lead over the chasing pack of Pearce/Butler, Butler/Moore and Damien Bracken and Brian O’Hara. Squally conditions saw some thrilling kite sailing on John Murtagh’s well set reaches. Butler/Moore took second from Bracken/O’Hara, fourth place going to Pearce/Butler. The silver fleet saw Oram/Bishop (below) triumph again.

The wind then moderated during race three. Butler/Moore led from Pearce/Butler and then Gillard/Rowan. The breeze dropped as the leaders reached the gybe mark. Gillard/Rowan took advantage of a shift on the third beat to complete a hat trick of firsts for the event. Butler/Moore were a close 2nd with Pearce/Butler in 3rd, the same order that would constitute the final result in the gold fleet. Oram/Bishop nailed the silver fleet first prize ahead of Jonathan Nicholson and Vivian Bessler in 2nd with McKenna/Denzler in 3rd overall.

The fleet was honoured to have Lough Neagh fireballing legends Maeve and Adrian Bell at the prizegiving. Next event on the Irish Fireball calendar is the Leinster Championship hosted by Skerries Sailing Club on the 20th-21st June. (Photos: Walter Johnston).

RESULTS: Gold fleet – 1 Tom Gillard & Francis Rowan; 2 Noel Butler & Seamus Moore; 3 Andy Pearce & Hugh Butler. Silver fleet – 1 Stephen Oram & Leo Bishop; 2 Jonathan Nicholson & Vivian Bessler; 3 Louise McKenna & Guido Denzler.

Published in News From the Afloat.ie Archive

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