Frequent Flyer Comes Through the Fog in Dublin Bay

18th July 2014

#flyingfifteen – On one of the warmest days of the summer Flying Fifteens were all greeted by a bank of fog when we arrived in Dun Laoghaire but there was enough visibility particularly in Scotsman's Bay to proceed with the race. Last night's Flying Fifteen race with fifteen boats out was won by Alan Green & Chris Doorly in Frequent Flyer but the lead did change several times during the race.

The winds was generally light, force 3 or less, from the SE with the tide going out, the pin end was slightly favoured and Tom Murphy got a good start on the pin with Colman, Dumpleton and Green just above him. Green was forced to tack off, this was no harm as everyone was distracted looking for the mark in the fog. When Green went back out Coleman and Dumpleton crossed him but at the mark it was all very close with Peter Sherry also in the mix. Green rounded the mark first but was quickly over taken by Colman and Dumpleton who sailed higher, Green not being able to see the next mark in the fog!. It stayed this way for the next two marks and on the next beat Colman went right and lost the wind, Dumpleton went left but lost some ground as an SB20 who didn't know his rules sailed down on top of him. Meanwhile Green went left of middle in clear air and came out first at the weather mark, down the run to Pier Colman and Dumpleton gybed towards the shore, Green covered them but soon realised the error of his ways and gybed back to the right as there was always more breeze out to sea.

Alan Dooley had caught up and when Green couldn't get his spinnaker down he went the wrong side of the mark as Dooley took the lead. On correcting himself he stayed second. On the final beat up to Poldy Dooley tacked and went towards the shore as Green went more out to sea, as it had all night this paid and he had the lead at the mark, then it was a very light sloppy run/reach down to the finish at harbour mark. The boats were still all very close, Mulvin had moved into second place now followed by Dumpleton, in third, Leonard fourth with Dooley now in fifth place. This is how it finished.

Well done to the PRO Jack Roy and his team on Freebird for getting a good race in on a difficult night. This Saturday the DBSC series continues.

Published in Flying Fifteen

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Flying fifteen

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