#fireball – Defending champions Noel Butler and Stephen Oram are lying fourth in a fleet of 15 after the first day of racing at the Fireball National Championships in Skerries, North Dublin writes Cormac Bradley.
For those of us who arrived early in Skerries there was a pleasant surprise - while Dublin Bay was a mill pond, Skerries had a healthy breeze
The flag on the nearby RNLI station was flying healthily. Regrettably as the morning progressed the flag condition wilted.
For the 15-boat fleet what followed was a light wind thriller in F2-3 winds . No serious trapezing, lumpy seas, and an ebbing tide. Liam Dineen, National Race Officer, set two Olympic courses and a closing Windward-Leeward course to get three races in.
Race wins were shared by Niall McGrotty & Neil Cramer (14938) of the home club and Kenny Rumball & Conor Kinsella (15058) of INSC, who took the 2nd and 3rd race wins. A number of different combinations flirted with the front of the fleet - Conor Clancy & Jim Devlin (RStGYC 14807), Gavin Doyle & Dave Sweeney (RStGYC/NYC 14953), Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley (Coal Harbour 15007) and defending champions, Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (DMYC 15061). However, flirting only gets you so far and at the finish of the three races the 1-2-3s were shared between Rumball, McGrotty (N), Clancy and Butler.
The 15 boat fleet is made up of two host club boats, two boats from East Down Yacht Club in N.Ireland, a solitary entry from each of Sligo and Howth and 10 Dun Laoghaire boats.
The event continues over Saturday and Sunday at the seaside venue of Skerries Sailing Club with sponsorship support from Millfield Shopping Centre, Balbriggan. A further 6 races are scheduled.
1 Kenny Rumball & Conor Kinsella 3,1,1
2. Niall McGrotty & Neil Kramer 1,3,2
3. Conor Clancy & Jim Devlin 2,4,4
4. Noel Butler & Stephen Oram 8,2,3
5. Gavin Doyle & Dave Sweeney 4,9,5
