The 101 boats at the Fireball Worlds in France had an exciting day on the water with wind strength of the order of 16 – 22 knots and good waves to negotiate upwind and enjoy downwind writes Cormac Bradley.
A “three-committee boat” arrangement was put in place for the starts with the middle boat making the starting signals. The first start had a slight starboard bias and with the wind clocking right, a huge bunch assembled at the right hand side leading to U-starts and black flags. Five attempts at starting were made before the fleet got away. Facebook reports suggest that the recipe was repeated in the second start, except in this instance the favoured end was the pin.
Course symmetry was reported as being exemplary, giving very exciting reaches but still allowing spinnakers to be flown.
The attrition rate in the second race was more pronounced with a wooden French boat having to be towed ashore when its tanks filled and a number of retirees after “fun and games” at the gybe mark.
2018 Fireball Worlds, Carnac, NW France
Day 1; Sunday 26th August 2018.
Helm & Crew Sail No. R1 R2 Tot.
1 Ian Dobson & Richard Wagstaff GBR 15141 2 2 4
2 Penny & Russell Clark GBR 15096 4 1 5
3 Matt Burge & Dan Schieber GBR 15123 3 3 6
4 David Wade & Richard Pepperdine GBR 14143 6 4 10
5 David Hall & Paul Constable GBR 15122 7 5 12
6 Tom Gillard & Geoff Edwards GBR15127 1 14 15
7 Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella IRL 15114 10 6 16
8 Paul Cullen & Simon Forbes GBR 15147 9 7 16
9 Milan Cap & Filip Prochazka CZE 15131 11 8 19
10 Peter & Tom Kyne GBR 15124 13 9 22
The leading French combination, their 2018 National Champions, Ludovic Alleaume & Loic Bertholet, are in 13th place with a 16th and a 15th. The solitary Aussie entry, Heather Macfarlane & Chris Payne are in 18th, counting a 22 and a 18. A number of high profile combinations find themselves in the latter pages of the results by way of carrying a Black Flag score in the second race.
Of the balance of the Irish, the best are Niall McGrotty & Neil Cramer in 42nd (54,39), followed by Louise McKenna & Hermine O’Keeffe in 59th (69,52), while Frank Miller & Ed Butler had a more trying day counting a 61 and a DNF when their spinnaker got wrapped around the spreaders after a gybe/capsize!
