#fireball – The 2013 Fireball Europeans in Slovenia came to a close earlier this afternoon when a third race, from the scheduled nine was completed writes Cormac Bradley. The fleet was afloat early today after a short postponement. The view from the Laguna restaurant terrace, which is providing the Race Office, wasn't that encouraging so there was a sense that the idea was to be afloat to facilitate a quick start if the wind did come in. A substantially sized sail-training vessel dominated the race area, but ultimately we didn't get close to it. After a number of aborted starts the fleet got away in what were to prove (for this correspondent at least) very difficult conditions. It seemed left should pay, but it didn't and we found ourselves significantly off the pace.
Dave Wade led the fleet until the downwind leg of the sausage when Matt Rainback took over the lead. However, Robert Gullan & Ben Ainsworth were lurking with intent and they went on to take the win!
Matt Burge blotted his copybook by finishing 9th, in contrast to his two 1st places on Wednesday & Thursday, but this was modest compared to Gillard's 12th. Wade's 2nd was enough to drag him up the pecking order to finish behind Burge overall. Rainback went into 3rd, Birrell 4th, Gillard 5th, Howarth 6th, Gullan 7th, Mermod 8th, Rumball 9th, Rush 10th.
1 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff - 1,1,9 = 11pts
2 Dave Wade & Tim Hartley - 6,5,2 = 13pts
3 Matt Rainback & Simon Foskett - 10,2,3 = 15pts
4 Christian Birrell &Sam Brearey- 2,9,7 = 18pts
5 Tom Gillard & Simon Potts - 3,7,12 = 21pts
6 Chips Howarth & Vyv Townend - 5,6,11 = 22pts
7 Robert Gullan & Ben Ainsworth - 24,3,1 = 28pts
8 Claude Mermod & Rudi Moser (SUI) - 7,20,5 = 32pts
9 Kenneth & Alexander Rum ball (IRL) - 4,19,14 = 37pts
10 Tim Rush & Dan Ellis 9,21,8 =38pts.
Other Irish
18 Noel Butler & Stephen Oram
36 Frank Miller & Marie Barry
38 Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley
53 Louise McKenna
