#fireball – The advent of the Irish Fireball sailing season is usually heralded with the arrival on these shores of Adam Bowers to provide us with a coaching weekend for the forth-coming season writes Cormac Bradley. 2013 will see us being visited for at least the fourth time by Adam who not only is a highly regarded coach internationally, but is also a great character. In addition to the technical advice he brings to his coaching sessions, he throws in hands-on experience, commitment, entertainment and expertise in keeping both the classroom and on the water exercises interesting and challenging.
The classroom sessions combine video footage, discussions, sketches and pro-active interaction between coach and students. Adam makes a point of moulding the weekend to the requirements of the group by discussing the theories in the classroom and then applying them on the water.
"WUMPETA" will invariably come up in the classroom session within minutes of the discussion commencing but it can only be applied on the water. "PSSSTT" isn't a description of one's level of sobriety but rather a key aspect of the Bowers school of getting a boat to go fast off the start-line!
While some may suggest that after four years of Adam's start of season coaching us we should all be better Fireballers, there is an aspect of the weekend that says – it is just invigorating to be under his tutelage for a weekend!! Based at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire over this coming weekend, April 20/21st, the two days will be certain to be full of interesting discussions and action, culminating in the three-race-back-to-back-no-discard-highly contested Porsche Cup.
