It didn’t look very promising when the Flying Fifteen competitors arrived at the National Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Saturday as the sea was flat calm with only an odd hint of wind and none forecast till later in the day. Despite this, the PRO Keith Poole headed out and set up station just to the north of the harbour mouth. Eight boats either paddled out or got a tow from the ribs it was that light. After a short postponement, a gentle breeze came in from the N/NW, and a course was quickly set with just one lap.
The first two positions overall were known before the start of the days racing, with Shane MacCarthy & Alan Green winning the trophy in first place and David Mulvin & Ronan Beirne in second. Third place was up for grabs. Green & MacCarthy alternated helming duties every second race so it was a successful joint effort.
Niall & Nicky Meagher sailed a great beat and were first to the weather mark, followed by Tom Galvin & Cormac Bradley and then a bunch led by Mulvin, O’Sullivan and MacCarthy in fifth. Galvin got very close to the Meaghers on the upwind to the finish bit the Meaghers prevailed to take the gun with Galvin & Bradley in second and John & Emmer O’Sullivan in third.
A downwind finish at the Flying Fifteen Frostbite Series at Dun Laoghaire Harbour
Race 2 got off quickly as it was apparent that the wind would drop. The rib crews were on call and ready to shorten the course, and this was how it panned out as the boats finished at the committee boat on the first run with the help of the tide under them. It was a clean start, and Joe Coughlan & Andy Marshal sailed an excellent beat on the right of the course to get to the weather mark just ahead of Galvin & Bradley, who recovered well after getting squeezed out at the start followed closely by Mulvin & Beirne with Jill Flemming & Joe Hickey fourth and Green & MacCarthy in fifth. It looked all over and that Coughan would win, but as a small zephyr of wind came in from behind it all changed in the last 50m. Galvin sailed past Coughlin with Mulvin and Fleming also piping Coughlan to the line.
With a consistent day's sailing in tricky conditions, Galvin & Bradley had moved up to a well-deserved third overall.
In a competition that has been on the go since 1979, this was as good and enjoyable as any of them, and at the prize giving in the NYC, winners Green & MacCarthy thanked the PRO Keith Poole and all the volunteers on the committee boat, including the owners Ronan and Cameron Columb, and those in the mark laying ribs.
