While Storm Clodgah produced the wind conditions she promised, meaning that sailing was impossible in the last weekend of November, the Irish Fireball family weren’t completely inactive as they had gathered at the National Yacht Club to celebrate the 2015 regatta season.
45 were in attendance including most of those who had raced over the past season, though there were a number of absentees. The class were joined by a significant number of Fireballers who haven’t got their feet wet in competition this year but remain stalwart supporters of the class.
The end of season party is a chance to award the Travellers Trophy medals and prizes and to recognise those who have stood out by way of contribution, excellence, consistency, performance and support to the class.
The National Yacht Club put on a very good meal and when this was concluded, Class Chairman, Marie Barry (14854) opened the prize-giving proceedings. After a short precis of the season just past, Marie started the awards handover;
Marie Barry (L) and Mary Chambers (14865) – Winning helm of the Travellers Trophy Silver Fleet
Marie Barry (L) and Mary Chambers (14865) – Winning helm of the Travellers Trophy Silver Fleet.Marie Barry (L) and Mary Chambers (14865) – Winning helm of the Travellers Trophy Silver Fleet.
Significant Contribution to the Class, the Asterix Trophy
In a year when the hull weight of the Fireball was reduced by 3kg, which translated to the potential removal of 3kg of lead from the weight correctors, a day-long session of lead removal, weighing, re-cutting and re-insertion was undertaken involving 14 boats. Stephen Oram (15061) organised premises for the weigh-in, making it available for the drying out of the boats for a week in advance, organised to get suitably sized scales to the venue and co-ordinated with the two class measurers who were required to supervise the weighing operations for each boat. For this effort, Stephen was awarded the Asterix Trophy.
Most Improved – the India Trophy
The India Trophy went to a combination that, according to Marie’s award speech, is the longest active partnership in the current fleet, being a helm/crew relationship that goes back to 2002. For the past couple of years they have not been the most active as one of them is now resident on the west coast, but they are committed Fireballers and stalwarts of the Irish fleet. They had dropped from the Gold fleet to the Silver fleet but worked their way back up the pecking order. This year, their first outing was the Worlds in Pwllheli where they acquitted themselves very well, given their lack of racing activity this season. Two weeks after Pwllheli, Jon Evans and Aidan Caulfield (14748) were on the podium at the Munsters in Lough Derg.
Captain’s Prize – Awarded at the discretion of the Dun Laoghaire Class Captain
Suzie Mulligan (L) and Hermine O’Keeffe (DL Class Captain) – Suzie won the Captain’s prize
In her nominating speech, Dun Laoghaire Class Captain 2015, Hermine O’ Keeffe advised the party that her award recipient had made the magnanimous gesture of donating her refurbished Fireball, a brand new mast and sail to the Schull Community School as the Fireball was sitting in her driveway doing nothing. The point was made that there are lots of Fireballs that are not being used that sit in gardens or driveways when better use could be made of them in terms of onward sale or loaning them out so that we can rebuild the Class. Suzie Mulligan has gone a considerable step further by donating a boat that will be sued and may even provide a youthful entry to the class in years to come.
Ladies Trophy – Awarded to the leading lady helm in the Travellers Trophy
This is a results based award that goes to the highest placed lady helm on the season long Travellers Trophy competition. This incorporates the five regattas organised by the Class – the Ulsters, the Munsters, the Leinsters, the Open Championship and the Nationals.
In 2015, this trophy goes to Louise McKenna (14691), 7th Overall 33pts
Louise and her crew Hermine O’Keeffe (14691) were also recognised for their achievements at the Pwllheli Worlds particularly on the breezy last day when they stayed out for all the racing when it might have been easier to retire and come ashore as a significant number of others did.
Marie Barry (L) and Louise McKenna – Leading Lady Helm, Travellers Trophy
Liam Bradley Trophy – Awarded at the discretion of Cormac Bradley
Cormac Bradley (L) and Kenny Rumball – Liam Bradley Trophy winner
Sometimes we have to concede that sailing Fireballs does get overshadowed by other sailing accomplishments and achievements and in recent years one of our number has significantly broadened his racing horizons beyond our two-man dinghy. However, this is not limited to local waters but to two different blue water racing challenges, one a classic and the other than even in its relative infancy may become a classic. Racing the Sydney to Hobart race couldn’t be further removed one imagines from sailing a Fireball in the northern hemisphere. Likewise racing the RORC Rolex Middle Sea Race in the Mediterranean, but for Kenny Rumball (15058), who has sailed at least two editions of the former and possibly the same number of the latter, racing these epics, with some significant success, is almost the norm. For this he takes home this trophy.
Travellers Trophy Overall
As previously advised, the Travellers Trophy is a season-long event that incorporates the five regattas that the Fireball Class in Ireland organises itself. Our participating numbers started off modestly but built as the season went on, culminating in a fleet of nearly twenty boats at the last two events in Lough Derg and Clontarf. From my own recall of participation and event reports, I don’t think we lost any races to weather which, if correct means that we sailed 33 races in total (4x 6 at each of the provincials and a nine-race Nationals).
1st: Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella, IRL 15114, Royal St. George Yacht Club – 4pts.
2nd: Noel Butler & Stephen Oram, IRL 15061, National Yacht Club – 7pts.
3rd: Conor & James Clancy, IRL 14807, Royal St. George Yacht Club – 14pts.
This year the Travellers Trophy had a total of 27 entries. In the introduction of the winners Barry & Conor (in absentia), Marie pointed out that it was the first time since our results were recorded on the web that the same helm/crew combination had successfully defended a Nationals and a Travellers Trophy. She also referred to their 11th place overall at the Pwllheli Worlds, losing 10th overall on countback to Australia’s Ben Schulz and Doug Sheppard.
Marie Barry (L) and Barry McCartin (15114) – Winning helm of the Travellers Trophy
Barry closed the formal proceedings thanking the committee for their efforts on behalf of the class during the year and thanking the competitors for the competition they had provided over the five regattas. He acknowledged the hospitality of the fleet since he had become involved and said that racing the boat had given himself and Conor enormous fun and enjoyment.
Marie Barry thanked everyone for their attendance and reminded them that a party to celebrate the Fireball Class’ 50th Anniversary in Ireland was being organised for 6th February 2016. The current Class committee are not the organisers of this auspicious occasion, but we are lending our support to the promotion of the event.
Photos by Frank Miller
