After a week that saw snowfall over large parts of Dublin and further afield on Friday, Sunday was, by comparison, a pleasant spring day with sunshine and a gentler breeze than the previous Sunday. The forecast had been a mixed bag during the latter part of the week, but by midnight Saturday (Met Eireann forecast) and Sunday morning, a genteel 6-7 knots from the south was predicted for the Viking Marine Dun Laoghaire DMYC dinghy Frostbites.
Mother Nature did better than that with winds that started around the 14-knot mark and slowly dropped to about 6.5/7knots by the end of racing. Additionally, it initially came from a direction of 120° before moving further south to 130° for the second race, prompting a change of the weather mark.
Given the conditions and forecast, the pre-race speculation onshore was about the number of races we might get in. At the clubhouse the wind was very fickle and we speculated that only one race might be sailed. However, given that three Sundays (in a row) and six races had already been lost, the idea that we might get in an extra race was also on the agenda. It was decided we would wait and see what was on offer before making a definite decision. Getting to the race area, we had a pleasant surprise, good winds from a S-Easterly direction – three races might be possible!
With that in mind the first two races of the day were 2-lap Windward-Leewards with the weather mark about 100m on the sea-side of the bandstand on the East Pier. A leeward gate was set up about 100m outside the end of the western breakwater which gave the fleet the whole East-West axis of the harbour for their race area.
All three fleets, each modest in size - PY 12 boats, ILCA 7s 9 boats and ILCA 6s 13 boats - got away cleanly for Races 1 and 2 with the favoured approach to the beat being a long starboard tack off the line before working across to the starboard layline on port tack. It was gratifying to see tight roundings of the weather mark in all three fleets – six Fireballs rounded in very close company and proceeded to sail a very tight downwind leg to the leeward gate.
While the Fireballs enjoyed success on the water, the Aeros would take the honours in terms of corrected time. They occupied three of the top five places, 1,2, and five, while the IDRA of Pierre and Remy Long finished 3rd and the Finn of Brian Sweeney took fourth. Fireballs occupied the places 6 – 11 in the twelve-boat fleet, led home by Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (15167) In the second race the corrected time spoils were shared by the same five boats but in a different order – Butler, van Maanen, Dwyer, Sweeney and the Longs, with the Fireballs led home by Frank Miller & Neil Cramer (14915), occupying 6th – 9th places.
The ILCA 7s and ILCA 6s also enjoyed close racing on the two-lap race and with Theo Lyttle absent, Gavan Murphy had a purple patch day scoring 1,1,2 to take the day’s honours in the 7s. That “trick” was repeated in the ILCA 6s where Conor Clancy ran up a similar score of 2,1,1.
ILCA 7s in close company at the spreader mark of the Windward-Leeward course - From right to left, Chris Arrowsmith (201829), Gavan Murphy (212521), John Marmelstein (219147), Niall Cowman (211857) and Aidan Geraghty (201375)
While there was some movement in the breeze as monitored by the RO, the fleet would advise that the upper end of the beat was quite shifty. It became apparent for the second race that the weather mark would have to move and it went further inshore in accordance with a 10° shift measured at the committee boat. That put it in line with the bandstand, but also meant that the dolphins for the Hyspeed ferry were a slight factor on the starboard side of the beat. Fortunately, going upwind this wasn’t a major issue, but downwind those who stayed on that side of the course scored.
Race 2 was another short two-lap Windward-Leeward course and again, the fleets seemed to enjoy close racing. While the upwind approach to the race remained the same, increasing numbers were sailing down the inshore side of the run. This prompted more consideration about what to set for the third race which had been notified to the fleet at the end of Race 1 – move the committee boat or move the weather mark again. The former would take up valuable time gained from having two short duration races, the latter would mean bringing the weather mark to the west of the dolphins which would also affect the quality of the beat.
ILCA 6s are led down the downwind leg of the first race by Sean Craig (218154), with Hugh Delap (211171), Darren Griffin (218967), Shirley Gilmore (216238), Mary Chambers (202051) and Conor Clancy (213048) in pursuit
The wind appeared to go back left, which prompted the RO to stick with what he had, and the fleets were given a three-lap Olympic course to close out the afternoon. The wind strength stayed up for the majority of this final race and the spinnakered boats certainly appeared to enjoy some good three-sail reaches. Among the Fireballs, there was very close racing and continuous place-changing at the front end of the fleet.
Yet again on corrected time, the Aeros occupied the top steps of the podium – Butler and Dwyer, with Sweeney getting into third before two Fireballs, Miller & Cramer and Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14998/775) took fourth and fifth, Miller breaking away from Colin after the leeward mark being the vehicle by which he went from second to first in the “on the water” race.
The ILCAs also enjoyed some good racing, but the ILCA 6s got a bit spread out as the race progressed.
Despite the three-race agenda, the fleets were all finished by 16:15.
Viking Marine Frostbites 2023/24 – Sunday 3rd March
Viking Marine Frostbites 2023/24 – Sunday 3rd March
Frostbite Mugs were awarded on the day to Dave Coleman in the ILCA 6s and to Neil Colin & Margaret Casey in the Fireball. There was a full roster of Mugs available for the day’s racing, but the rule is that you don’t get if you’re not there, and you only get two chances to collect.
Neil Colin (L) and Margaret Casey (R) received their Frostbite Mugs from Viking Marine DMYC Dun Laoghaire Frostbites RO Cormac Bradley Photo: Frank Miller
DMYC Dun Laoghaire Frostbites ILCA 6 Mug Winner - Dave Coleman
Frostbiters are reminded that there are only three Sundays of Frostbite racing left, and we will be racing on St Patrick’s Day.
Tight Fireball action at the weather mark - Owen Sinnott & Grattan Donnelly (14865) lead a cluster of Fireballs at the weather mark with (right to left) Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775), Frank Miller & Neil Cramer (14990), Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (15167) and Pat McGoldrick & Paul ter Horst (14790) in pursuit.
The turnout was low for what was a pleasant Sunday, but those who made the commitment got in three races with reasonable turnarounds between the races.
There was one General Recall on the day, a lady leading the ILCA 6s over the line early in Race 3. On the restart, there was a single OCS….who didn’t return. He took his medicine in a gentle manner!
