Who would be a forecaster? XC Weather was suggesting that at 19:00 it would be blowing 2 knots from the south, gusting to four knots. We could expect some light rain writes Cormac Bradley
In reality it was blowing quite healthily from the SSE, immediately before the race we had hailstones and heavy rain and still the atmosphere remains cold as does the sea! And this is mid-May!
Tuesday night Fireball order was restored when Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (15061) led from start to finish on a trapezoid course with 3 laps. 7 boats took to the water and six started. Louis Smyth & Cormac Bradley (15007) started early at the pin............too early and got a blue cross on a white background flag for their effort.
All the starters went out to sea initially to benefit from the ebbing tide. Virtually everyone went to the port layline before tacking onto port for thie approach to the weather mark. At Mark 1 the running order was Butler/Oram, Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775), with Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly (14713), Louise McKenna & Hermine O Keeffe (14691) and Smyth/Bradley rounding in close company, followed by Cariosa Power & Marie Barry (14854).
Butler/ Oram were the only boat to fly bag across the top of the course and sailed away as a consequence. Colin/Casey maintained the gap on the next three who indulged in a boat for boat surfing challenge all the way from Mark 2 to Mark 4.
Up the second beat Miller and Smyth were in close company going to sea. McKenna went inshore. But at the 2nd weather mark they were still in the same order. An immediate gybe at the 2nd weather mark gave Smyth an advantage over the other two which allowed him to round Mk 4 the 2nd time ahead.
On the last beat an inshore lift on starboard tack benefitted those who went that way. McKenna dropped behind the other two. But on legs 2, 3 and 4 of the final lap, the three boats closed up again. Smyth held off Miller to the finish but crossed the line in silence.
1st Noel Butler & Stephen Oram 15061
2nd Neil Colin & Margaret Casey 14775
3rd Frank Miller & Grattan Donnelly 14713
Order restored!
