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Displaying items by tag: Irish Fireball Association

28th July 2009

Fireball

The Fireball is a high performance two-person sailing dinghy offering exciting sailing, intense competition and a great social life off the water. For all the latest Fireball news click here. The thrills of trapeze and spinnakers are hard to match in any type of sailboat or board and neither age nor gender determines your ability to be competitive.

Fireballers sail all year round – during the Winter at the DMYC Frostbites in Dun Laoghaire and the during Summer at many events around the country and the DBSC Tuesdays and Saturdays again in Dun Laoghaire. In addition there are active fleets in Clontarf, Killaloe and Dunmore East. If you would like to sail then get in touch with one of the following people who will help you find a spot!

Siobhan Hayes, Dun Laoghaire – tel: 087 205 8879
Hugh Johnson, Clontarf – tel: 087 659 3533
Cormac Bradley, General – tel: 086 814 3618
Owen Laverty, Dun Laoghaire – tel: 087 6107857
Richard Fox, Killaloe – tel: 087 248 4977
Brian O'Neill, Ballyhenry – tel: +44 7849 465124

Irish Fireball Association, c/o Margaret Casey, Secretary, 48 Riverside Drive, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Email: [email protected]

 

Afloat's Graham Smith wrote, in the One Design Class Review for the February/March 2009 issue:

"The Fireball has been written off so many times yet consistently defies all obituaries. In fact, it has grown slightly over the years to provide a national fleet in the region of 70 boats at 15 venues which tends to substantiate its claim of being one of the leading dinghy classes in the country.

Twenty-eight boats at the Nationals in Westport was a little down on the previous year but entries in the mid-20s for the other regional events would be considered more than satisfactory by a lot of other classes in this day and age.

Noel Butler and Seamus Moore of DMYC retained their national title in Mayo, won the Ulsters in Carlingford and also won the Traveller’s Trophy for consistency of results. Fifteenth overall in the 68-boat World Championships in Thailand was a highly creditable finish for the Dun Laoghaire duo.

Another Dun Laoghaire crew, Kenneth Rumball and Dave Moran, had a seventh overall at the Europeans in Belgium while, at home, Andy Pearce and Francis Rowan of the National YC won the Leinsters in Mullingar and the Skerries helm Simon McGrotty notched wins in the Munsters and Open Championships with two different crew. National Champions: Noel Butler and Seamus Moore, DMYC." 

 
There is a space for Irish boating clubs and racing classes to use as their own bulletin board and forum for announcements and discussion. If you want to see a dedicated forum slot for your club or class, click here

Published in Classes & Assoc

Ireland & La Solitaire du Figaro

The Solitaire du Figaro, was originally called the course de l’Aurore until 1980, was created in 1970 by Jean-Louis Guillemard and Jean-Michel Barrault.

Half a decade later, the race has created some of France's top offshore sailors, and it celebrated its 50th anniversary with a new boat equipped with foils and almost 50 skippers Including novices, aficionados and six former winners.

The solo multi-stage offshore sailing race is one of the most cherished races in French sailing and one that has had Irish interest stretching back over 20 years due to the number of Irish stopovers, usually the only foreign leg of the French race.

What Irish ports have hosted The Solitaire du Figaro?

The race has previously called to Ireland to the following ports; Dingle, Kinsale, Crosshaven, Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

What Irish sailors have raced The Solitaire du Figaro?

So far there have been seven Irish skippers to participate in La Solitaire du Figaro. 

In 1997, County Kerry's Damian Foxall first tackled the Figaro from Ireland. His win in the Rookie division in DHL gave him the budget to compete again the following year with Barlo Plastics where he won the final leg of the race from Gijon to Concarneau. That same year a second Irish sailor Marcus Hutchinson sailing Bergamotte completed the course in 26th place and third Rookie.

In 2000, Hutchinson of Howth Yacht Club completed the course again with IMPACT, again finishing in the twenties.

In 2006, Paul O’Riain became the third Irish skipper to complete the course.

In 2013, Royal Cork's David Kenefick raised the bar by becoming a top rookie sailor in the race. 

In 2018, for the first time, Ireland had two Irish boats in the offshore race thanks to Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy who joined the rookie ranks and kept the Irish tricolour flying high in France. Mulloy became the first Irish female to take on the race.

Tom Dolan in Smurfit Kappa competed for his third year in 2020 after a 25th place finish in 2019. Dolan sailed a remarkably consistent series in 2020 and took fifth overall, the best finish by a non-French skipper since 1997 when Switzerland’s Dominique Wavre finished runner up. Dolan wins the VIVI Trophy.

Dolan finished 10th on the first stage, 11th on the second and seventh into Saint Nazaire at the end of the third stage. Stage four was abandoned due to lack of wind. 

Also in 2020, Dun Laoghaire’s Kenneth Rumball became the eleventh Irish sailor to sail the Figaro.

At A Glance – Figaro Race

  • It starts in June or July from a French port.
  • The race is split into four stages varying from year to year, from the length of the French coast and making up a total of around 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles (1,700 to 2,300 mi; 2,800 to 3,700 km) on average.
  • Over the years the race has lasted between 10 and 13 days at sea.
  • The competitor is alone in the boat, participation is mixed.
  • Since 1990, all boats are of one design.

2023 La Solitaire du Figaro Course

Stage #1 Caen – Kinsale : 610 nautical miles
Departure August 27 (expected arrival August 30)

Stage #2 Kinsale – Baie de Morlaix : 630 nautical miles
Departure September 3 (expected arrival September 6)

Stage #3 Baie de Morlaix – Piriac-sur-Mer : 620 nautical miles
Departure September 10 (expected arrival September 13)

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