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Wallace Extends Lead at Howth Yacht Club Frostbites

26th November 2018
Laser racing at Howth Laser racing at Howth Credit: Neil Murphy

Easterlies were in place again for this weekend’s Laser action in Howth. Unlike last weeks’ pleasant smooth rolling sea, the breeze was stronger and the ebb tide made for a steeper chop which was much harder work. With winds ranging from 17ts to 25kts, there was plenty of action for the rescue boats too, including a dramatic capsize to weather by your author in race 2. An eager fleet tested race committee patience with a general recall in race one, nicely recorded on video by Harry Gallagher. The fleet got away on the second start, with Conor Murphy leading at the first mark followed by Mike Evans and David Quinn. Evans and Quinn got through Murphy on the first lap with Evans establishing a nice lead on the second beat. Ronan Wallace sailed a superb first run to take the lead, which he kept to the finish. Mike Evans finished second with Quinn in third.

Wallace led from the start in race 2, with Dan O’Connell not far behind in second throughout the race. Mike Evans and Dave Quinn got tangled at the first weather mark (I was fully to blame after a terrible tack!!), leaving Daragh Sheridan to sail past the carnage and maintain third place to the finish. Ronan Wallace now has a commanding lead, winning 7 of the 8 races so far, with Dan O’Connell now lying second and Mike Evans in third overall.

In the Radial Fleet, Tom Fox continued his string of bullets, winning both races today, from Peter Hassett with 2 seconds. Sophie Kilmartin similarly dominates the 4.7 fleet, discarding a second after another 2 bullets yesterday.

Published in Laser
Dave Quinn

About The Author

Dave Quinn

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David is a keen Laser sailor, having previously sailed an SB20 and a number of IRC Cruiser Racers.

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About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):

  • ILCA 4: sail of 4.70m2
  • ILCA 6: sail of 5.76 m2
  • ILCA 7: sail of 7.06 m2