Close Results for Squibs in Dublin Bay Sailing Club Race

15th August 2021

While the thirty-one countries of the ILCA 4.7 fleet were completing the final race of their Youth World Championship in Dublin Bay, there was another close competition taking place in the bay under Barry O'Neill as P.R.O. This was under the burgee of Dublin Bay Sailing Club in the combined National Squib Class / Dublin Bay Mermaid fleet, of the Dublin Bay Green Fleet who completed two races on Saturday 14 August.

Race one was sailed over a windward-leeward course in a somewhat unstable wind of force two from the south-east. Tony Mullett's Allsorts, crewed by Paul Mills, started at the committee vessel Freebird. By the windward mark Noel Colclough's Periquin with Rupert Westrup crewing had closed the gap, and the two boats came to the windward mark with only half a boat length separating them. On the run it was Allsorts ahead, trying to keep her air clear. At the leeward mark, Allsorts had a problem with the spinnaker gybe to the finish, allowing Periquin to close the gap. After twenty-eight minutes racing, the margin between the two boats was three seconds which probably represents the distance from the bow to the mast.

Race two was sailed over the same course with the length of the beat reduced to compensate for a falling breeze. Allsorts won the start by hitting the line on port tack at the pin end. Again, she rounded the windward mark a boat-length ahead of her rival. This time Periquin was able to blanket Allsorts and thus was able to gain the inside berth which she held for the entire run to the leeward mark. Allsorts did a better rounding and managed to pass to lee of Periquin. Although the two boats split tacks on the second beat, when they came together again, Periquin on port passed across the bow of Allsorts, who was heading towards the favoured end of the line. In the official results, the margin between the boats after thirty-eight minutes racing was again three seconds, with Periquin taking the win.

This racing is great practice for the Irish East Coast Squib Championship at Howth Yacht Club on the first weekend of September.

Published in Squib, DBSC

Published in Squib

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