Like many sports, sailing has a number of “Holy Grails” that participants in the sport aspire to achieve. Among the more prominent longstanding ones on the international calendar are the Fastnet Race and the Sydney to Hobart Race, and for the Irish racing community, a Round Ireland Race. Many more recent “classic” races have been added – the Caribbean 600 for example! So, when the opportunity to do a race around the Fastnet opportunity to do a race around the Fastnet arose for the Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen fleet, a number of the locals planned to take on the challenge.
The possibility was promoted by current Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen Class Captain, Robin Hilliard who advised that Schull were prepared to accommodate such a race subject to strict weather considerations and the discretion of the Race Officer, Alan Crosbie.
Some of the boats travelling were packed up after the DBSC Facet Trophy sailed last Saturday, while others made an earlier departure.
The Flying Fifteen “Round the Calves” Race Post-mortem at a West Cork hostelry
Regrettably, the weather did intervene with fog hiding the iconic lighthouse, so the RO gave the Flying Fifteens a “semi-inshore race” around the Calves (of Calves Week fame). Class Captain Hilliard reported via WhatsApp that a brief glimpse of the base of the Fastnet was as close as they got.
Race winner, Alan Green, with daughter Caroline, sent me a bullet point precis of the race, which I have tried to develop as follows.
The Flying Fifteens depart on their inaugural race around the Calves Photo: Rosemary Roy
The “Round the Calves” Race for the Flying Fifteens was started in a wind of 8 – 12 knots with a start line that had a 10° bias at the pin end. Having sailed away from the pin in the build up for the start, Alan & Caroline (4026) tacked into the front row of the starting grid and started close to the pin. Immediately after the start they got a nice lift, waited for the reverse shift, dipped a gaff rigged cutter and then tacked back for the weather mark. At the weather mark they were the inside boat with Keith Poole & Robin Prentice (4093) in close company.
The Course card for the Flying Fifteen “Round the Calves” Race is written on a competitor's deck
From the weather mark they navigated through the “Castle Island Grounds”, rounded Calf Island West and hoisted spinnaker with Clear Island in the background dressed in a lace cloud. At this stage they were sailing in larger swells and lighter winds and after a brief search for Mark 5 of the course, rounded it for the leg back to Schull Harbour through the islands.
Another upwind leg saw them put under pressure by Poole who pushed them one side of a perch before heading the other way themselves. When their paths crossed again Green could not cross so lee-bowed Poole instead, to the tune of much muttering before Poole was obliged to tack away. A series of tacks thereafter, some in close company with Poole gained them enough air to breath and get to a winning position at the finish.
Alan Green and daughter Caroline, Flying Fifteen Round the Calves Race Winners with DBSC Honorary Secretary and Calves Week Race official Rosemary Roy (left)
Race results: Alan Green & Caroline (4026), Keith Poole & Robin Prentice (4093), Robin & Dacha Hilliard (3729), Mick Quinn & Mary-Jane Mulligan (3960) and 3558.
