#fireball – Today we had sun, wind from the prevailing direction and another marathon session on the water. With the wind being onshore the Race Officer was able to anchor in shallow water and within easy sailing distance of the shore. As to be expected at 13:00 the committee boat was flying a postponement flag - just as well - the number of boats within the start area could be counted on two hands!

A start sequence was attempted at 14:30 and one General Recall, two black flags and a Z flag later the fleet got underway. By that stage 16 boats had been dismissed and on the ultimate Z flag start, approx 20 boats were deemed to be over the line. The IJ is busy tonight!

David Hall won the first race of the day.

Of the Irish, Kenny Rumball scored two 11s, Simon Michael got a 14 and a 22, and Luke Malcolm scored a 13 in Race 2.

This leaves Rumball/Kinsella in 9th overall we believe but this will all be subject to the machinations of the IJ who have a full workload this evening.

Race 2 was started after 17:00 leaving the fleet coming ashore after 7pm. 6.5 hours for two races neither of which ran the full length.

The Irish team (excepting those involved in protest/redress action (Butler/Oram & McKenna/O'Keefe)) are eating together in Trevignano.

Results (provisional)

1 Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff GBR 21
2 Martin Kubovy & Roman Rocek CZE 21
3 Christian Birrell & Sam Brearey GBR 25
4 Hadkek Milan & Pavliek Zdenk CZE 32
5 Cap Milan & Prochazka Fillip CZE 33
9 Kenny Rumball & Conor Kinsella IRL 67
15 Simon McGrotty & Ruairi Grimes IRL 92
35 Niall McGrotty & Neil Cramer IRL 171
37 Luke Malcolm & Shane Diviney IRL 173
40 Noel Butler & Stephen Oram IRL 178
61 Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley IRL 223
65 Ed & Ed Butler IRL 245
71 Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keefe 276
92 Mary Chambers & Brenda McGuire 342

#fireball – After two races, Noel Butler and Stephen Oram are the leading Irish at the Fireball Europeans in Italy in 16th place. Kenny Rumball and Conor Kinsella are 20th, Simon McGrotty and Ruairi Grimes are 26th. Niall McGrotty and Neil Kramer are in the 40s and Louis Smyth/Cormac Bradley are in the fifites.

Swiss pair Claude Mermod & Reudi Moser lead overall with a 1, 2.

Butler/Oram had a 14th in Race 1 and in Race 2, Rumball/Kinsella had a top ten finish.

Race 1 went the full length, but with a 17:30 start for the second one it was truncated after the third beat writes Cormac Bradley. While the first race had started in good breeze, it faded away to light conditions. After its conclusion there was a long wait for the 2nd Race. A neighbouring black cloud was always going to influence proceeding, which it did when the 2nd Race started in a flurry of downwardly adjusted rigs. It soon faded however, prompting the shortened course.

It was a day of multiple starts, general recalls and black flags. Four boats were black-flagged on an aborted start in Race 1, the successful start was also under a black flag so there MAY be others whose efforts have come to nought.

Race 2 was also sent away on a black flag, at the second attempt.

The jury were also active today policing Rule 42 transgressions so a number of boats have their first "yellow card" of the regatta.

As to finishing places, this correspondent can't help but in the first race a Czech boat and a Slovenian boat were well up. In Race two, Joerg and Roger from Germany were in 2nd place at the first weather mark.

The fleet got off the water after 7pm - a long day at the office for competitors and officials alike. Evening pasta was wolfed down enthusiastically.

#fireball – After Day 1 of the Fireball Europeans in Bracciano, Rome no races have been completed. As forecast, we woke to rain this morning and an offshore wind blowing away from the club site writes Cormac Bradley. When the sun peeked out we could see the white caps on the waves moving away from us. In the distance we could see windsurfers scudding along the water.
A one hour postponement was signalled, pushing the projected start time to 14:00. At 13:30 the fleet started to launch - possibly incorrectly, but understandable. Thereafter we sailed around for the best part of nearly 4hrs before a start was initiated. Many didn't hear the sound signal and the majority of the fleet sensing a hard left shift went for the distant pin! What should have been a beat turned into a two-sailed fetch.

The first reach was hairy - evidenced by the lack of a solitary spinnaker.

The gybe mark was littered with capsized boats but at least some spinnakers were flown as boats went left and right from the gybe mark. After reaching the leeward mark, we passed to windward of the committee boat and saw that they were flying N over A - Abandonment!

Problem was that the leaders were already spinnakering back to the leeward mark.

What followed was a long slog back to base. The mood ashore was a mix of frustration, relief, consternation and wonderment.

Why had it taken so long to get started - 20 degree shifts, fluctuating wind strength, a malfunctioning anchor winch on the committee boat - in 300ft of water!!
Why abandon - rescue considerations, wind strength (average of 22 knots).

Relief - all the boats were safely ashore.

Logistics also contributed to the problems. The abandonment ashore was set for an hour and the fleet went afloat of its own accord. It may well be that the PRO didn't want the fleet at the start area given the conditions and his difficulties. The wind direction also meant that the committee boat had to be anchored in very deep water. Had the prevailing winds blown, he would have been in a much more manageable depth, with the club being on a lee shore.
The various emotions were salved by the supply of huge bowls of pasta for the competitors and officials, made on the spot.
The catering arrangements have been excellent - pasta (€4/plate) & filled rolls made to order!. Free bottled water and a ticket system for beers. Boat parking is a bit congested, as to be expected with a 105 boat fleet.
An L flag tonight advises that 3 races are scheduled for tomorrow.

#fireball – With a fleet that ranges in sail numbers from 12754 (ITA) to 15085 (GBR), the contesting Fireballs for the European Championships in Bracciano, Italy are primed for competition. Measuring concluded today and as a consequence there were lots more boats on the water checking out the conditions.

There was less wind than yesterday, water conditions were flat in comparison to yesterday's easy chop and the wind swung left and right seemingly at random.

The Czechs appeared to go out on the water as a team. Clusters of British boats appeared to be pacing each other, we saw French boats in company, but the Irish each did their own thing. As we wait for the opening ceremony (19:00/18:00 Irish time) the last of the Irish boats is derigging. Kenny & Noel seemed to spend some time in each other's company!

Rain apparently is forecast tomorrow with breeze. At least we expect it to be warm rain!

Entries

British- 30+
Czech Republic - 18
Swiss - 17
Italian - 13
Irish - 9
Canadian - 3
Slovenia - 3
French - 4
Namibia - 1
Germany - 1
Belgium - 1

#dbsc – Over 100 Fireballs have gathered at Bracciano, just NW of Rome to contest the 2012 Europeans. In addition to the traditionally strong British presence there are Italians, Czechs, French, Swiss, Slovenians, Canadians (3), a solitary Namibian and of course 9 Irish boats writes Cormac Bradley.

After a very early flight out of Dublin (6:15) which necessitated a 3am rise, we were greeted with glorious sunshine, good breeze and warm water when we arrived at the venue!

Today has been dedicated to registration and measuring but there has also been some casual sailing done.

Kenny and Alistair Rumball seem to have had a trouble free trip in getting our boats here and their 9-boat trailer has been the subject of much interest. The three boats trailers used by some of the UK travellers pale by comparison.

It is good to meet up with old friends whom we haven't seen for a year or more.

And yet for those of us who knew him well it is odd not to have seen Johan Devocht (RIP), the Belgian IJ who had almost become synonymous with international Fireball events. Sadly he passed away in early July.

Tomorrow will see more registration and an opening ceremony at 19:00.

From a sunny Bracciano...

#Irish Sailing – Foxall ready to step in to the history books, as Galway set for VOR arrival, Ben Duncan puts on an SB20 display in Tralee, Noel Butler and Stephen Oram Win Fireball Nationals, Barry Hurley wins first Round Rockall Race, an amazing last stretch performance gives Inis Mor Round Ireland victory, Kenefick retains Corinthian Quarter ton Crown, All the Royal Irish Regatta results and why its all over for the Volvo 70s in Galway. A Mermaid is battling on against the showers in a five hundred mile voyage from Foynes to Skerries.

#fireball – The 2012 Fireball National Champions are Noel Butler and Stephen Oram from Dun Laoire Motor Yacht Club. The pair sailed an excellent series to claim the title ahead of Simon McGrotty & Darrach Dineen (Skerries SC) and Kenny Rumball/David Moran (Irish National SS) reports Gareth Craig. Photos below by Gareth Craig.

The Irish Fireball Nationals, sailed this past Friday, Saturday, Sunday were certainly not short-changed in terms of available wind. Friday saw heavy conditions for the three races of the day with the fleet being taken off the water between races 1 and 2. Saturday saw a tired fleet come ashore after four races in challenging conditions but by Sunday the breeze had eased to produce what were described as “champagne conditions” for the last day.

Friday' results were a key element to the overall situation and being able to finish all three races was a significant building block in getting to a podium finish. Simon McGrotty & Darragh Dineen produced the best performance of the day to take two race wins, either side of a race win by Noel Butler and Stephen Oram. This left the Skerries combination with a 1pt lead on the Friday evening over Butler/Oram. Third place overall saw Ed Butler (Jnr) teamed up with recently selected Irish 470 Olympian crew, Scott Flannagan, three points adrift of 2nd place.

Saturday saw four races sailed and Butler/Oram put together a solid performance relative to their close rivals to effectively tie up the regatta with a day to spare. Counting a 2, 1, 3, 1 suite of finishes they opened up a huge gap on their rivals, most of whom carried at least one bad result on the day. The next best result for the day was that of Kenneth Rumball and David Moran who put together a 4, 3, 1 5 followed by Neil Spain and Francis Rowan who scored a 3, 4, 4, 10. However, in terms of total points this left them 20 points adrift of the leaders.

With the first discard coming into play on Saturday evening, the actual situation was as follows;

Wind conditions eased for Sunday's proceedings and the final three races of the series were completed. Butler & Oram sailed the last day even though they effectively had the regatta sewn up.

McGrotty/Dineen came back from a dreadful Saturday (2 x 21pts) to post a 1, 4. Rumball/Moran scored a 4, 2 while Spain/Rowan's regatta came unstuck with a 21 in the last race, which undid all the good work of a 3rd in Race 8. Butler/Oram had a 9 and another first to close out the event with some authority. The nine was to become one of their discards, the other being a third.

The Silver fleet was won by Dave Coleman and Glen Fisher in 17th, followed by Mary Chambers and Brenda McGuire. The ladies applied discretion rather than valour to Friday's racing but finished all the remaining races of the weekend. Dave and Glen had a difficult day on Saturday but had other results just off the top tem. The Classic Trophy was not awarded.

Noel Butler offered the following additional oversight of the regatta;

Quite a few combinations flirted with the front end of the fleet and led races at different times. Frank Miller and Grattan Donnelly sailed a very consistent Friday to lie in 5th overall and their "counted" results showed a consistency that saw them finish in 8th overall. Michael Ennis and Marie Barry also led a race, lost the lead and regained it. Niall McGrotty & Neil Creamer, scored a 2nd to Butler/Oram in Race 7 and Noel admitted they only just caught the former combination in time. In some of the heavier conditions Michael Murphy and Alex Voye got their chance at the front and they secured two 2nd places in their set of results. In Race 8 an OCS was signalled and Butler/Oram and Butler/Flannagan went back. It afforded the former combination an opportunity to see how an Olympic-qualified crew works the boat around the course. Butler/Flannagan eventually got back to 5th in this particular race. From a rare trip through the fleet, as a consequence of going back at the start, Noel also confirmed that there was competition all around the course with individual battles going on right through the fleet.

The testing conditions over the three days put a premium on keeping boats together and among the casualties of the regatta were Luke Malcolm who suffered an exploding rudder stock and Louis Smyth who broke a jib halyard. Butler/Oram suffered no such trauma and were lending equipment to other competitors to keep them on the water. Meticulous maintenance does have its place in Fireball racing!

Race management by Harry Gallagher and Scorie Walls was of a very high standard, as their reputation dictates! Races were started promptly after the last finisher of the previous race and while the fleet was brought ashore on Friday for a period, when the wind eased they were sent back out again to race. All starts were under Blue Peter conditions and the start lines were set up with a laser-spotter for accuracy of length and at the request of the Class, a variable weather mark was used. This is a set up that was encountered at the European Championships in the Czech Republic in 2010. A second weather mark is available to the RO if the wind changes so that a true beat can be set for each windward leg. The RO has the independence to reset the weather mark without having to wait for the last boat to go around the old weather mark before it can be lifted. The irony of this weekend is that the breeze was reasonably steady so the benefit of this mechanism was not as significant as might be the case.

While the turnout of only 20 boats is of concern, there were some mitigating circumstances. Barry Hurley, who has been crewing with Andy Boyle, was racing double-handed around Rockall as part of Galway's festivities for the Volvo Ocean race. Andy Boyle himself was racing in the Round Ireland Race which had started the previous weekend and Brian Flahive was also in double-handed mode, finishing 2nd in the Round Ireland.

Howth have been very anxious to host another Fireball event after the very successful hosting of our Leinsters in 2010. They have excellent facilities and easy access to a very clean racing area, free of any significant commercial traffic.

#fireball – Recent father Francis Rowan returned to the folds of the Irish Fireball fleet this past weekend, teaming up with Neil Spain to win the 2012 Irish Fireball Ulster Championships, hosted by East Down Yacht Club writes Cormac Bradley. While their winning margin of five points was comfortable by Sunday afternoon, relative to the one-point margin by which they led on Saturday night, the reality was that this regatta was very much a case of snakes and ladders, for everyone, and a watching brief had to be kept on Messrs Butler & Oram and Butler & Kinsella who were one and two points adrift on Saturday night respectively.

Sunday's two races were trying affairs with a wide range of interpretations on how to sail the beats. The problem we faced was that the forecast for the Irish Sea didn't manifest itself on the coastal waters of Strangford Lough. While Met Eireann was suggesting easterlies of F2 – 4 for Sunday morning, the micro-climate within the SW corner of Strangford was providing light and variable winds flicking from WNW to NNW, meaning we were sailing towards a windward shore. On both races the fleet was split, almost evenly between those going right and those going left. Some even tried the middle and saw lots of boats ahead of them at the weather mark as a consequence. Sailing the Olympic configuration, the beats were very challenging, the reaches became tighter that they were ever meant to be and Fireballs sailed down the second reach on opposing gybes to take "perceived advantage" of win and tide.

Francis Rowan (left) and Neil Spain were winners of the Fireball Ulster Championships at the weekend

Spain/Rowan took Race 5 on Sunday morning with Butler/Oram doing yet another "Houdini act" to finish second. One of the features of their performance this weekend has been their consistent ability to get out of poor positions on the first beat to finish inside the top 3. Rumball/Moran were third, allowing them to leapfrog Ed Butler & Connor Kinsella into third overall, the latter combination finishing fourth.

Thus Spain/Rowan had a two-point cushion in first place. A long period of time elapsed before race Officer Roy Edwards was able to get the final start underway. The wind had gone light again and flicked left and right by 10 - 15º. Yet again the fleet was undecided as to which way to go, left, right or middle! It seemed left paid, but the first reach was very tight and the leading boats struggled to get to the gybe mark with spinnakers. The leading bunch was populated by Niall McGrotty & Neil Creamer, Neil Colin & Margaret Casey, Simon McGrotty & Ruairi Grimes, Spain/Rowan, Michael Ennis & Marie Barry, Connor & James Clancy and a little off the pace, Messrs Butler and Oram. The downwind leg of the sausage started off as a tight reach and became the run it was supposed to be further down the leg. The subsequent beat was a "one-tack" strategy and the first beat of the second triangle was a very tight two sail fetch. By which time Messrs McGrotty & Creamer had gained an enormous lead (given the conditions). In second place were Neil Colin & Margaret Casey, Spain/Rowan had the comfort of third place with Butler/Oram down in 6th. Rumball/Moran who had tried to work the middle on the first beat, and paid heavily for the effort, worked their way up to 11th, ultimately their discard, but enough to give them third overall.

Saturday's racing had consisted of four races – two trapezoids and two Olympics. Due to the wind direction the course was set in the area between East Down Yacht Club and Killyleagh, with the weather mark (No.1) in open water, but the outside loop of the trapezoid parallel to the shore.

The first race was a Team Skerries, father and son benefit as Niall McGrotty and Simon McGrotty, with their respective crews of Neil Creamer & Ruairi Grimes taking first and second. Rumball & Moran finished third. Race 2 saw a new combination, Ed Butler (Jnr) and Connor Kinsella take the race win from Neil Colin and Margaret Casey, with Butler/Oram in third.

Races 3 & 4 went the way of Spain/Rowan with Butler/Oram scoring a 2, 3, Rumball & Moran a 3, 5 and Butler/Kinsella a DNF, 4. This left the pecking order as Spain/Rowan, Butler/Oram, Butler/Kinsella, Rumball/Moran, McGrotty/Creamer and McGrotty/Grimes. A point separated 1 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 4, with 2 points separating 4 to 5th and 6th with the McGrottys tied on 12 points.

A requirement to pass through the start/finish line on the upwind legs of the Olympic courses caught out quite a few people this weekend and there was a liberal sprinkling of DNFs on the final results sheet. Due to the vagaries of the wind, some people also had unusually large numbers on their score cards – Spain/Rowan discarded an 11th, Rumball & Moran the same, Colin/Casey got rid of a DNF, but counted a 15, Michael Murphy & Alex Voye shed a 17, Louise McKenna & Hermine O'Keefe a 18, Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley a 17, while Owen Laverty & Ed Butler shed one DNF but carried another.

Aside from the overall and race winners, there were some other combinations who gave a good account of themselves, Connor and James Clancy finished 7th overall with all their results inside the top ten. Gavin Doyle and Richard Franck had four top ten finishes on their way to 9th overall. And newcomers (of a sort), Ed Butler and Connor Kinsella finished 6th with a race win, three 4ths and a 13th.

The Silver Fleet was a home affair with John Orr and Karen Caughey from EDYC winning from Brian O'Neil & Don Howes, with Mary Chambers and Brenda McGuire of Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club in third. Orr and Caughey also won the Classics prize.

The venue was shared with the Wayfarers who were sailing their National Championships, a repeat of the arrangement on our first visit to EDYC in 2010. East Down was hospitality personified! The welcome was warm and genuine. They provided a self-serve buffet of packed sandwiches, fruit, chocolate bars and a variety of cold drinks to allow competitors to put their own lunch together. On the Saturday night there was a BBQ and live band, with the evening a social event for members and competitors alike. On the Sunday, soup and rolls were available in advance of the prize-giving.

Gordon Jess, of Wayfarer fame and persuasion, was responsible for the organising of the event from a club perspective (as well as being a competitor) and he and his team are to be congratulated on a great weekend. Race Officer Roy Edwards had his work cut out for him with the elements, but he manfully stuck to his task to get six races in.

#regattas – After a week of rain and gales there was a full programme of yachting round the coast at the weekend with one of the biggest fleets racing for RAYC Bloomsday regatta honours at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. From the same club the clinker Waterwags celebrated 125 years of racing on Dublin Bay with a 20–boat fleet and a Victorian high tea yesterday afternoon. There were celebrations too further up the east coast for K. Halliwell's 'She of the North' who won the fiftieth round Ailsa Craig race from the Royal Ulster Yacht Club.

Antrim sailor Chris Penney won the Laser Leinsters at Howth and in a possible sign of good things to come ISAF Youth Rep Finn Lynch of the National YC won the radial division. The Ruffian 23s raced for national honours on Dublin Bay and 20 Fireballs turned up to race for Ulster honours at East Down Yacht Club.

In Cowes, Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary, who finished second last weekend in the 1720 Nationals on home waters, was second overall again yesterday in IRC one class at a windy British National Cruiser Championships. Great onboard action video from Cowes here.

And finally, if you are on the south coast this week and see a small half decked Mermaid dinghy take the time to say hello. She is currently in Crookhaven, West Cork heading east so expect to see her in Cork harbour this week or next! The clinker built Thumbalina is cruising round the coast from Foynes on the Shannon Estuary to Skerries in North Dublin as part of the eightieth celebrations of the traditional Dublin Bay class.

#fireball – Despite forecasts of much heavier winds in y'days Sea Area forecast of 6pm the Fireball Ulsters had to wait until the 4th race of the day to use trapezes in anger writes Cormac Bradley. 2 trapezoids (R1 and 2) and 2 Olympic races were sailed. We had 3 different race winners in Niall Mc Grotty and Neil Creaner, Ed Butler (Jnr) and Conor Kinsella, and Neil Spain and Francis Rowan (R3 and 4).

This gives Spain/Rowan the overall lead after Day 1 but only by a 1pt margin over Noel Butler and Stephen Oram. They together with Kenny Rumball and Dave Moran proved to be the most consistent over the four races scoring 7, 3, 2, 3 and 3, 4, 3, 5, respectively. Thus the top 4 boats are separated by a pont between each place with 5th and 6th tied on 12 points and 2 off 4th place overall. Niall and Simon McGrotty dominated R1 with Niall 1st and Simon 2nd. In thid place are Butler/Kinsella who scored a 4, 1, 4 but also had a DNF.

Almost everyone is carrying one bad result. Colin/Casey scored a 15, Smyth/Bradley a 17, Mike Murphy/Alex Voye a 17 and Laverty/Butler a DNF.

Conditions were light with grey skies but breeze came in as the afternoon wore on. There are 20 Fireballs here at EDYC and no doubt there will be many a post mortem over the BBQ this evening.

1 N Spain and Francis Rowan 7pts

2 N. Butler and Stephen Butler 8pts

3 Ed Butler and Conor Kinsella 9pts

4 Kenny Butler and Dave Moran 10pts

5 Niall McGrotty and Neil Creamer 12pts

6 Simon McGrotty and Ruairi Grimes 12pts

Leading Silver Fleet boat is Michael Ennis and Marie Barry in 13th overall from a 20-boat entry.