#sb20 – DBSC SB20 Sunday races got off to a great start on Sunday in glorious sunshine and a shifty 10-15knts NE breeze writes Class Captain Michael O'Connor.
Thankfully, someone upstairs is looking down on the SB fleet (please don't stop!) and the storms of Saturday had passed through overnight leaving only the residual lumpy sea for the competitors to contend with. Barry O'Neill and his Committee Boat team of Fionnuala, Cathy and Michael on the other hand really had their work cut out trying to get marks in position and a fair course set in a breeze that was clocking left all day...
Three WL courses were scheduled with the first gun sounding at 12.30pm - unfortunately, despite previous warnings the prompt start to proceedings caught one or two boats out and they were late for the start of the first race - no doubt they will be the first on the course next weekend! 11 boats made it out to the race course today and having so many boats out early on in the season, added to the fact that we were missing some die-hard Munster supporters, augers really well for the rest of the season.
A notable mention goes out to Dinghy Supplies (Daragh, Shane and John) who braved the trip around the head from Howth to join us, and with a 2,2,2 scoreline, it looks like it was a worthwhile trip as they put some manners on the DL fleet! Other honourable mentions go out to Odin (James, Ted and Tooler), Rubadubdub (Nick Doherty and "the lads"), Pubs Global (Enda, Gerry and Marty), Smoke on the water (Bob Hobby, Louise McKenna et al) and Lupi d'Irlanda (Marco and the team - welcome back!) who were all making their seasonal debuts today, Ben Fusco (Sacre Bleu) who made his seasonal helming debut in the fleet today and Dave Barry who was back to his best on the helm of Seriously Bonkers.
The racing was the usual tight SB20 stuff of legend with meters separating the boats at the finish and plenty of place changes on every lap... Race 1 started with a pin-end bias and the fleet were clean away at the first time of asking... Should Be... (Michael, Owen and Anonymous - he has asked that his identity remain secret and Dinghy Supplies led 1, 2 around the first mark and managed to get a jump on the fleet down the first run - the pair battled it out but it stayed that way until the finish... Odin showed a clean pair of heels to the rest of the fleet coming in third followed by Sacre Bleu in fourth.
Race 2 started with a boat end bias but a 20 degree left hander a minute after the start meant a very bunched fleet up the beat and at the top mark. As the wind speed decreased slightly, the emphasis turned to soaking downwind with Seriously Bonkers storming up through the fleet to tussle with early front runners Dinghy Supplies and Should Be... down the run. In the end, Should Be... took the gun (provisionally) by approximately 12 inches from Dinghy Supplies with Seriously Bonkers in a close third and Alert Packaging (Justin, el Presidente, and large ensemble cast) in fourth.
Race 3 saw another pin-end bias start and once again Dinghy Supplies were quick out of the blocks at the pin however it was Venuesworld.com (Ger, Chris and Rory) that led at the first mark followed by Dinghy Supplies in close pursuit and the chasing pack only a few boatlengths further back. By the leeward mark Dinghy Supplies had taken the lead with Should Be... up in second 1/2 boatlenth behind and Venuesworld in a close third a further 1/2 boatlength back... the wind had dropped to about 9knts and both Dinghy Supplies and Should Be... went right with Venuesworld going left hoping for the wind to clock further left. Unfortunately for Venuesworld, they ran out of the steadier breeze on the left and both Dinghy Supplies and Should Be... pulled away up the beat with Should Be... sneaking around the weather mark just a couple of meters in front of Dinghy Supplies. It stayed that way to the finish with Venuesworld taking third from Smoke on the Water in fourth.
Finally, some important points to note:
Next Sunday, 4th May, is SB Sunday 2, and the following Sunday, 11th May is SB Sunday 3 so make sure that you are entered (www.dbsc.org for online entries) and out on the course in plenty of time (12.30pm first gun...we will be starting on time if the course is laid so you have been warned (again!))
As next Monday 5th is a bank holiday, we plan on meeting up after racing next Sunday 4th May for a few pints (thank you James Gorman for reminding us of this important SB tradition!). We will meet up in the Royal Irish after racing (c. 4pm onwards) so I hope to see as many of you as possible on the day. Anyone not racing but interested in a few pints on a Sunday afternoon (present and past SBers) would be more than welcome, the more the merrier!
Any visitors wishing to join in with DBSC racing over the next two weekends (as a warm up for the Easterns in the NYC in three weekends time perhaps?) would be welcome to join us. Darren Martin and crew will be joining us in his new toy, Sharkbait. DBSC have a great offer of a limited 14 day temporary visitor membership of DBSC for €50 (excluding parking fees in the clubs). This will, weather permitting, include 6 WL courses over two Sundays on Dublin Bay and two Thursday evening races... If anyone is interested in availing of this offer, please contact me and we can check parking availability and pricing structures in one of the waterfront clubs for you.
See you on the water this coming Thursday 1st May.
