28–knots Blows for Dublin Bay Flying Fifteen Frostbite Series

26th October 2015

The Flying Fifteen Frostbite series continued with a great turnout of 16 boats after the break last week for the Lough Derg Keelboat Regatta. Race officer Ian Mathews and his team got two races completed in a building NW wind that touched on 28–knots at one stage during race 2.

Race 1 got going at first time of asking, the line was reasonably square but those who started at the pin end and went in towards the shore came out best at the weather mark after a nice lift up towards the weather mark, McCambridge with Andrew Marshal crewing led the way from Fraser Mitchel & Peter Murphy with the Meaghers, Dooley and O’Neill just behind. This is how it stayed but on the reach of the second lap a valuable lesson was about to be learned.

The two lead boats were vying with each other in a luffing match as they approached the gybe mark. McCambridge luffed up to protect his position but Mitchel kept at him and up and up they went. Rumour has it they touched but no turns were done- we wonder why? Meanwhile as the fleet saw what was happening and the Meaghers quietly went through to take the lead, a lead they kept to the end.

On the next beat McCambridge got back to second place, downwind on the last run was exciting with the wind now up at 20knots, McCambridge was unfortunate as his gooseneck at the boom broke and his race was over. The Meaghers won, with Fraser second, O’Rourke third and the Cahills fourth.

For Race 2 the wind was really up, some boats headed in so only 10 started. Johnny O’Rourke, guesting instead of David Mulvin, and with Ronan Beirne crewing led most of the way but at the last leeward mark they headed up to do another beat, but the blue flag was on the committee boat signalling the finish line, this allowed Murphy to slip in and finish in first place, with O’Rourke second and Colman & Quinn third with the Meaghers fourth.

There are two more weekends of the series left and David Mulvin & Ronan Beirne lead the way from Niall & Nicki Meagher with Alan Dooley & Joe Hickey third and Ben Mulligan & John McAree fourth.

a great turnout of 16 boats after the break last week for the Lough Derg Keelboat Regatta.

Published in Flying Fifteen

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