RSsailing – RS Sailors were on the water in Dun Laoghaire for yesterday afternoon's latest round of the DMYC dinghy Frostbite series writes Sarah Byrne.
With a lovely westerly breeze forecast on a crisp cloudless afternoon in the busy harbour, PRO Olivier opted for two races 'inside' on the default trapezoid. 14 boats on the RS start line proved boisterous and noisy at the Committee boat end, one OCS By Alexander Rumball in 1143 and a lone 200 owning the pin end.
The first beat proved uneventful with a cluster at the first mark and prompt hoists separating the wheat from the chaff down the first reach. At the second mark, some gybed away from the breeze bouncing around the HSS pier, only to arrive together again but with water at the next mark, then heading up onto a rather tight reach with some being forced to drop their kites. Multi fleet traffic forcing tacks spread the fleet further on the second beat. Marty & Rachel managed to maintain their lead throughout the four laps in the 200 fleet; Totts/Kelly battled with Enzo/Tom while Sarah/Katie hot in pursuit performed a particularly idiotic capsize to put them out of the race. Marty and Rachel came in just 1 second (on PY) behind the lead 400, Ross McDonald and Peter Bayly, taking joint second with Emmet and James Ryan.
Counting down to race two, with those in shorties beginning to get a bit chilly, the fleet were less unruly on the start line and again a lone boat owned the pin end. Two thirds up the first beat, the wind dropped and shifted a little to the north and hey ho a fishing boat comes barging through the fleet towards the first mark, messing it up a tad. Again Marty had made it first 200 to the top mark hunting down the new 400 pairing Sean Clery and Ronan Jones throughout and finishing together. Totts and Myles stayed just out of Sarah and Katie's reach for two of the three lap race when it was sadly and prematurely shortened as the Grannuaile demanded her passage through the course. On PY Marty and Rachel yet again owned the race, the Ryan Bros. and Andrew Algeo and Paul Nolan came in second and third overall.
Maeve Rafferty loving her new hull – thank you RS sailing! Quite the pleasant afternoon! The weekly Mug went to Ross McDonald and Peter Bayly for the first race and Emmet and James Ryan for the second race.
