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Displaying items by tag: Fireball European Championships

Day three of the Fireball Europeans in the Czech Republic saw three races completed in a relatively steady 16 - 18 knots sailing writes Cormac Bradley. Yet again British combinations cleaned up with Jeffcoate/Thompson taking two wins to Gillard/Brearey's one. The consequence of that is that with the first discard kicking in, the former close to a point of the latter. Werner/Winkler are a further 2 points adrift in 3rd. Martin Kubovy (15019) drops to fourth. Rush/Lewis rise to 5th after 7,3,7 today. Germans Nolle/Leemann (14508) are in 8th, Eva Skorepova is 12th and Peculier/Novel (FRA 15015) are 13th. And the Irish? A 22,15,25, the last result the consequence of a capsize, get them back into the top 20 to lie 19th overall.
The wind blew down the dam today making for more comfortable coditions but it was no picnic! We are sailing in temperatures of 10 degrees and today's session was 5hrs long. This evening sees the mid-week party in Hotel Pavlov - a sponsor of the event. A barbecue is promised - I can see us huddled around the fire for heat! Or maybe the band, the Fireballs, will reinvigorate us!
Published in Fireball

Two races were completed today in the Fireball European Championships writes sole Irish sailing competitor Cormac Bradley. Conditions started cold and blustery in in the Czech Republic. The day got warmer but the breeze eased off as the temperature rose.

It wasn't T-shirt weather but it was a lot better than y'day. Tom Gillard and Sam Brearey (GBR) lead with two wins followed by a host of Czech combinations.; Verner/Winkler (14809), Kubovy/Rocek (15019) and Koutna/Adam (14879).

Tim Rush/Martyn Lewis (GBR) lie 8th, Tom Jeffcoate/ Andy Thompson 5th and Ireland's Smyth/Bradley 15th (15,19).

Three protests are to be heard within the hour. 49 boats are contesting the event being sailed in a large dam. RO Marek Pavlovsky got the first race away at the first attempt but an aborted second race required a black flag as did the 2nd race completed on the water.

A major windshift made a soldier"s course of the 2nd beat and in truth the first and second reaches were already in trouble - pity we rounded in 4th or 5th!

Last night's opening ceremony was conducted in three languages followed by a spit roast and local foods and wine. This evening it is thankfully dry.

Published in Fireball

The GP14 is a popular sailing dinghy, with well over 14,000 boats built.

The class is active in the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and parts of north-eastern USA, and the GP14 can be used for both racing and cruising. 

Designed by Jack Holt in 1949, with the assistance of the Dovey Yacht Club in Aberdyfi. The idea behind the design was to build a General Purpose (GP) 14-foot dinghy which could be sailed or rowed, capable of also being powered effectively by a small outboard motor, able to be towed behind a small family car and able to be launched and recovered reasonably easily, and stable enough to be able to lie to moorings or anchor when required. Racing soon followed, initially with some degree of opposition from Yachting World, who had commissioned the design, and the boat soon turned out to be an outstanding racing design also.

The boat was initially designed with a main and small jib as a comfortable family dinghy. In a design philosophy that is both practical and highly redolent of social attitudes of the day the intention was that she should accommodate a family comprising parents plus two children, and specifically that the jib should be modest enough for "Mum" or older children to handle, while she should perform well enough to give "Dad" some excitement when not taking the family out. While this rig is still available, and can be useful when using the boat to teach sailing, or for family sailing, and has some popularity for cruising, the boat is more commonly seen with the full modern rig of a mainsail, genoa and spinnaker. Australian boats also routinely use trapezes.

GP14 Ireland Event Dates 2023

  • O'Tiarnaigh (Apr 22-23) Blessington Sailing Club
  • Ulsters (May 20-21) East Antrim Boat Club
  • Munsters (Jun 17-18) Tralee Bay Sailing Club
  • Leinsters (Jul 7-9) Dun Laoghaire Regatta
  • SOYC (Aug 19-20) Rush Sailing Club
  • Nationals (Sep 1-3) Sutton Dinghy Club
  • Hot Toddy (Sep 30-Oct 1) Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club

 

At A Glance – GP14 Dinghy Specifications

Crew 2
Draft 1,200 mm (47 in)
Hull weight 132.9 kg
LOA 4.27 m (14 ft)
Beam 1.54 m
Spinnaker area 8.4 m2
Upwind sail area 12.85 m2

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