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Having enjoyed the biggest fleet of the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites on the last Sunday of November with 50+ entries, the first Sunday of December registered the smallest fleet of the series thus far with only forty boats on the water. The lion’s share of the fleet was in the PY category with eighteen boats while the ILCA7s had a close to maximum nine boats. The principal absentees came from the ILCA6s, who mustered only thirteen boats.

At a small prize-giving in the DMYC, populated by the Fireballs, Aeros and a few ILCA participants, a very popular winner of a Frostbite Mug was in attendance. Everyone who is in anyway familiar with the ILCAs will be aware that they have a very well-established system of age category racing and the Mug Winner for the ILCA6s came from the (currently) very exclusive category of Great Grandmaster in Ireland. I may not be thanked for drawing attention to this achievement, but it was “whispered in my ear” that it should be acknowledged.

Mary Chambers has served an appropriate apprenticeship in the ILCAs having previously campaigned a Fireball for an extended period. Thus, she was acclaimed by all present as the make up of the audience in the DMYC came from people who would be familiar with Mary’s dinghy exploits.

And the Mug was won on merit, with Mary leading the fleet around the first weather mark of a 5-lap Olympic configuration course. For the balance of the race, she remained in the top five boats mixing it with the overall leaders of the series, Conor Clancy (1), Shirley Gilmore (2), Darren Griffin (3) and Judy O’Beirne (4). She crossed the finish line in second place, only bettered by Conor Clancy. Congratulations, Mary!

ILCA6s
Race 9 results: 1. Conor Clancy, 2. Mary Chambers, 3. Darren Griffin, 4. Shirley Gilmore, 5. Judy O’Beirne.
Overall: Clancy (11), Gilmore (17), Griffin (28), O’Beirne (29), Justin Geoghegan (31).

Mary Chambers leads the ILCA6s down the first reach of the first triangle with Shirley Gilmore leading the charge behind her at the DMYC Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ian Cutliffe

The ILCA7s had a turnout of nine boats which is only one off their biggest turnout thus far. In this fleet, Theo Lyttle has assumed the role of the rabbit most Sundays with the greyhounds being made up of Gavan Murphy and Gary O’Hare. This past Sunday, they were joined by John O’Driscoll who was rewarded with second place on the water and the day’s Frostbite Mug. Having won the majority of the races thus far, Theo enjoys a 4pt advantage over second-placed Gavan Murphy, with Gary O’Hare in third, five points adrift of Murphy.

Gary O’Hare (ILCA7) rounds the weather mark at the DMYC Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ian Cutliffe

John O'Driscoll (ILCA7) receives his DMYC Frostbite Mugs for Race 9 of the Series from Neil Colin

ILCA7s
Race 9 results: 1. Theo Lyttle, 2. John O’Driscoll, 3. Gary O’Hare.
Overall: Lyttle (7), Murphy (11), O’Hare (16).

PY fleet

The PY fleet was the biggest of the day and while the start line had been fixed in length for the ILCA6s, the PY were the actual beneficiaries, though for the first time this year, they were subject to a General Recall and eventually got away on a black flag after another aborted start. The General Recall relegated them to the back of the starting sequence after the Aeros and Fireballs hid the pin end from the Race Officer. Four boats fell foul of the black flag start, two Fireballs, an Aero and a Finn. And it wasn’t a marginal call, they crossed the line almost immediately after the one-minute signal was sounded. The RS200 of Katie Tingle was well up the running order at the first weather mark, but her race seemed to go a little pear-shaped shortly thereafter. The Fireballs of Neil Colin & Margaret Casey and Alastair Court & Gordon Syme diced each other for the early part of the race with Colin & Casey leading the way round the first triangle only to lose out to Court & Syme up the second beat, before recovering on the downwind leg of the sausage. Colin & Casey, having regained the lead on this leg then increased their lead to win comfortably on the water.

Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (FB/Red spinnaker) lead Colin Breen & Paul Ter Horst (14790/blue spinnaker), and Cariosa Power & Marie Barry (14854/Red Spinnaker [hoisting]) around the weather mark, chased by Aeros, the IDRA 14 and more Fireballsat the DMYC Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites at Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Ian Cutliffe

The Fireball finished in 58:50 and of the first five on handicap, Roy van Maanen (Aero 6) was the last home in 68:02, nine minutes and twelve seconds behind. On corrected time van Maanen beat Colin by 14 seconds, but Pierre Long and son Remy, in the IDRA 14 and Noel Butler in the Aero 6 both beat van Maanen into third place on time, with Colin fourth and Katie Tingle in the RS 200 fifth, tied on corrected time with the Fireball at 61:48. Colin’s margin on the water was comfortable, relative to his fellow Fireballs and the balance of the PY fleet so it must be a bit frustrating to have been relegated to fifth on corrected time.

PY Fleet
Race 9 results: 1. Pierre & Remy Long (IDRA 14), 2. Noel Butler (Aero 6), 3. Roy van Maanen (Aero 6), 4. Katie & Jamie Tingle (RS200) & Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (Fireball).
Overall: Butler (9), Long & Long (16), Sarah Dwyer (Aero/20), Tingle & Tingle 27.5), Court & Syme (Fireball/29).

With the wind forecast all week showing a very modest 5 – 6 knots for the day and temperatures down to 4/5°, the plan was to sail a single long race that could be shortened if necessary, rather than risk people getting excessively cold waiting for a second race.

For the majority of the afternoon, while the sun was out, the temperature recorded in the committee boat was 7°, but as soon as the sun disappeared behind cloud, it dropped almost immediately to 6° and got even cooler as grey cloud came in and it started to drizzle. No-one seemed to have a problem with dropping the fifth lap of the race, in order to return to their respective clubs.