On the last midweek night of the DBSC season – truncated by a delayed start but extended by two weeks, both due to the understandable restrictions imposed by Covid-19, thirteen Flying Fifteens enjoyed a genteel night on Dublin Bay.
The first start was abandoned due to a General Recall with IRO Con Murphy adjusting the pin to allow the fleet away at the second time of asking. A variety of approaches were adopted for the first beat, Mulligan & Bradley (4081), Murphy (4057), Dumpelton (3955), Mulvin & Beirne (4068) and Mr & Mrs Colman (4008) all favouring a RHS approach. Colin & Casey (4028), Green & Mathews (3970) working the middle and the balance working the LHS. Hugh Meagher with dad Niall (3938) crewing was also giving it a go on the LHS.
Mulligan & Bradley were struggling a little bit on the RHS, but some judicious tacks and a couple of lifts got them out of trouble and into a favourable position in the RHS bunch. However, the first to round the weather mark, an inflatable located in the approximate location of Bay was Colin & Casey. They had a few boat-lengths to spare over the chasing bunch of Green, Dumpelton, Ryan (4045) Mulligan and Mulvin. Ryan and Dumpelton had a difference of opinion on how the former rounded the weather mark and they went right to get that resolved!
After spinnakers were hoisted for the downwind led to Molly, the breadth of the fleet was quite significant. Spotting Colin gybing ahead, Mulligan did the same and held the port-tack course to deep down the down-wind leg. It paid dividends as they closed on Colin in terms of distance to the mark even if they were on opposite sides of the rhumb line. Green and Murphy were lurking with intent behind these two but there was a bit of distance between the lead two and the others. By the leeward mark, Mulligan was able to claim the lead and went right up the second beat. Colin tacked off and favoured a middle and left approach. The further right he went the more Mulligan got lifted and the closer Colin got. By the weather mark, Colin had restored a healthy lead and while Mulligan was still comfortable in second, he now had to watch Green/Mathews and Fraser/Gabriel (3790) either side of him. Mulligan again gybed out to the left-hand side of the run, but the dividends weren't as generous this time round.
Colin rounded the leeward mark in a comfortable and clear position while Mulligan had to be wary of SB20s (Smoke on the Water) and Glens – a hail of water being used to confirm his right to be where he was relative to a Glen. For Mulligan the challenge was now to keep Green/Mathews behind him; and a slightly late spinnaker drop by Green helped in that regard. Mulligan went left after a short port tack hitch away from the leeward mark. Green worked the RHS but was unable to close the gap.
- Neil Colin & Margaret Casey; 4028 Ffuzzy, DMYC
- Ben Mulligan & Cormac Bradley; 4081 Enfant de Marie, DMYC
- Alan Green & Nicki Mathews; 3970 Frequent Flyer, NYC
- Niall & Susan Colman; 4008 Flyer, NYC
- Fraser & Gabriel; 3790, NYC
DBSC has posted the series results with the conclusion of tonight's race.
- Alan Green & Chris Doorly/Nicki Mathews; 3970 Frequent Flyer, 11pts
- Neil Colin & Margaret Casey; 4028 Ffuzzy, 17pts
- David Mulvin & Ronan Beirne; 4068 Ignis Caput Duo, 22pts
- Niall & Susan Colman; 4008 Flyer, 25pts
- Alistair Court & Conor O'Leary; Ffinisterre, 28pts.
"Fifteeners" are reminded that the National Yacht Club will host the East Coast Championships on the weekend of 19th/20th September and Neil Colin's Captain's Prize will be contested this Saturday – both races to count, no discard, tie-break on the outcome of the second race.
