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After a single race Sunday two weeks ago and no races a week ago, there was some pressure, possibly self-inflicted, to get racing this past Sunday in the Viking Marine, DMYC hosted Frostbites. As usual, the assessment of what might be possible started early in the week, Wednesday night, with a check on the 7-Day forecast from XCWeather and a further check on the Windy App. Both were giving something similar, 13 – 15 knots with gusts in the low twenties, from a direction slightly west of south, in temperatures of 9 - 10°. As the week worked itself out, there was little change in this forecast and by Friday evening at the Fireball prize-giving, Race Director, Neil Colin, and Race Officer, Cormac Bradley, were agreed that racing was ON!

Conor Clancy (213048), leads Sean Craig (218154), Shirley Gilmore (216238) and Darren Griffin (219867) around the spreader mark in Race 1 Photo: Ian Cutlffe

Sunday was an even better day than the forecast with a blue sky and favourable wind in the racing area of the harbour. Winds at the start of the afternoon’s proceedings were of the order of 13 knots, and by the second race, this had dropped to single figures, getting as low as 8 knots at the end of the afternoon.

Still, competitor temperature is always a factor in frostbite races and the recommended recipe of the day was a quick first race followed by a shorter second one. With the wind at 150 - 160° for most of the afternoon, coming off the East Pier, a short distance inside the bandstand, though we did have a big right-hand shift when the DL Library was the marker, a weather mark was laid between the bandstand and the end of the Carlisle Pier, giving a beat that extended the maximum distance available in the harbour. A leeward gate was set up between INSC’s green platform and the West Pier and a 3-lap Windward-Leeward was set for Race 1.

Sarah Dwyer leads this group around the spreader mark in Race 1 – Stephen Oram (Aero 3288), Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (FB 14775), Andrew Irvin & Aisling O’Grady (RS 400 1044), Glen Fisher & Michael Keegan (FB 14676) and Pierre & Remy Long (IDRA 161). Photo: Ian Cutliffe

Twenty-seven PY entries, the biggest fleet of the day, started the proceeding with a very healthy turnout of 11 Fireballs making up the bulk of the fleet – all bar one of the Fireballs entered in the Frostbites – with a good turnout of Aeros, Pierre Long’s IDRA, an RS 400, a Wayfarer, a Quest, a Vago and Patrick Hackett’s 2.4. Despite a slightly short line due to the committee boat’s position relative to the West Pier, the fleet got away cleanly at the first time of asking and for the first beat seemed to favour an initial left-hand side approach to the quest to get to the weather mark. However, in a short time the fleet was spread across the full width of the harbour. For subsequent beats, the right-hand side seemed to enjoy more favour, but Neil Colin & Margaret Casey (14775) persisted with a left-hand approach for the second beat and got back into the mix at the head of the fleet as a consequence. Despite excellent spinnaker conditions, the Fireballs though well ahead on the water, couldn’t save their time and Noel Butler led home an Aero 1-2-3 on handicap. Frank Miller & Neil Cramer (14915) led the Fireballs home in 4th place on the water. The IDRA of Pierre & Remy Long finished 8th on time.

Gavan Murphy (212521), ahead of Roy McKay (177845), Sean Bowden (193654) and Robbie Walker (210644). Photo: Ian Cutliffe

The 5-boat ILCA 7s saw some new names at the head of their fleet with Gavan Murphy, a regular podium occupier leading home Niall Cowman and Sean Bowden, the latter a new ILCA name to this correspondent. They enjoyed some good racing on the course.

Two ILCA 4s joined the 7s with Sergei Vasilev taking the honours from Zita Tempany.

Twenty ILCA 6s also had a good thrash in Race 1 with a two-boat on-the-water seminar on starting getting underway in the final countdown to their start and continuing after the race was completed. I think the seminar was extended to “Room at the Mark” after the race! It raised the temperature a little on a brisk November afternoon though it didn’t get out of hand! Sean Craig led the fleet home followed by Pascal Boret and Conor Clancy.

For Race 2 a three-lap Olympic was set with a gybe mark positioned to try and ensure the spinnaker classes were able to fly on both reaches. Again, all three starts were clean, and again, the Fireballs did well on the water. Down the second reach of the first triangle an oversized blanket would have wrapped up four Fireballs as a luffing match developed on the latter stages of the leg. The front group in the Fireballs enjoyed some nip and tuck racing before they were led home by Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (15167). However, yet again, the good work on the water came to naught after the computation of results, Roy Van Mannen leading home five Aeros on handicap before Court & Syme took sixth place.

In the ILCA 7s, the same three boats took the podium paces, with Sean Bowden taking the win and Gavan Murphy slotting between him and Niall Cowman.

In the 4s, Zeta Tempany reversed the result of the previous race.

In the ILCA 6s, Darren Griffin took the gun with Pascal Boret, Peter Williams, Sean Craig and Conor Clancy rowing in behind him. Best of the ladies in the ILCA 6s was Shirley Gilmore who scored an 8th and a 6th in the two races.

Racing concluded just before the sun dipped behind the hills at which point the temperature was more keenly felt. Still, after losing three races over the previous two Sundays, getting two good length races in must have been a bonus.

With four Sundays down, it is time for a reminder to the fleet; when the blue flag is flying to indicate the committee boat is on station for a finish, boat may NOT sail through the finish line. The RO automatically shortens the start line in order to remove as much of the line as possible as an obstacle to racing, but boats are still sailing through. In order to avoid potential DSQs, please remember this rule.

And……..if you are due a Frostbite Mug for a race win, you must be on the premises to collect.