The weather forecasts during the week leading up to Round 2 of the post-Christmas Frostbites in Dun Laoghaire, sponsored by Viking Marine, might have led one to believe that racing would not be possible. Indeed, on Thursday and Friday one would not have contemplated an on-the-water session at all and even by Saturday night some might have considered it “touch and go”. However, despite those pessimistic numbers, Race Director, Neil Colin, held on to a glimmer of hope that racing would be possible and his optimism was rewarded when two races were completed.
This correspondent wasn’t on the water having been given the weekend off to allow others to have a turn at the Race Officer duties. That mantle was taken on by Gerry Glynn from the Shipman Class and he set the fleet triangular courses of three laps for both races. The results sheet has the wind recorded at 8 – 20knots SW and talking to some of the competitors afterwards, the common theme was that the conditions were challenging. Indeed the “birthday girl” from the Aero fleet told me that she had tacked without moving the tiller such were the vagaries of the wind. And Stephen Oram took the first race on handicap when, on-the-water he was able to plane away from his immediate competitors who didn’t get the wind he had.
With the wind in this direction, the beat was across the shortest dimension of the harbour, with a weather mark off the marina entrance, a gybe mark out towards the East Pier and the leeward mark in the mouth of the harbour.
Viking Marine Frostbites; Series 2, Round 2, 8th January 2023
PY Fleet (18 boats, 1 x DNF, 2 x RET).
Race 1:
- Stephen Oram (Aero 7)
- Stuart Harris (Aero 6)
- Roy Van Maanen (Aero 6)
- Noel Butler (Aero 6)
- Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (FB 15167).
Race 2: (16 boats, 1 x OCS, 1 x RET).
- Noel Butler
- Roy Van Maanen
- Stephen Oram
- Frank Miller & Neil Cramer (FB 14915)
- Stuart Harris
Overall (after 4 races): Butler (8), Van Maanen (14), Miller & Cramer (19), Harris (20), Sarah Dwyer (Aero 6) (29).
ILCA 7s (6 boats)
Race 1:
- Niall Cowman
- Conor Byrne
- Chris Arrowsmith
Race 2:
- Conor Byrne
- Gavan Murphy
- Roy McKay
Overall: Byrne (5), Chris Arrowsmith (12), Cowman (17).
ILCA 6s (21 boats, 3 x DNF, 2 x RET)
Race 1:
- Judy O’Beirne
- Barry McCartin
- Darren Griffin
- Pascal Boret
- Sean Craig.
Race 2:
- Barry McCartin
- Judy O’Beirne
- Conor Clancy
- Sean Craig
- Darren Griffin
Overall: Craig (12), John O’Driscoll (19), David Cahill (22), McCartin (25), O’Beirne (25).
ILCA 4s.
No boats on the water!
Overall: Patrick Foley (2), Zeta Tempany (4), Sam Legge (6).
Fireballs (Overall): Miller & Cramer (7), Louise McKenna & Hermine O’Keeffe (12), Alastair Court & Gordon Syme (14). There is a protest pending in this fleet!
Aeros (Overall): Butler (7), Van Maanen (9), Stuart Harris (13).
Not all the day’s Frostbite Mug winners were present to collect their Mugs which means they forego the Mug unless they win later in the Series. Among those to miss out were father and son, Pierre & Remy Long (IDRA 14) for Race 1 in the PY fleet (7th place), Niall Cowman and Roy McKay in the ILCA 7s and possibly Stuart Harris for the second race in the PY fleet.
There was also a reminder that when the blue flag is flying to indicate the committee boat is on station for a finish, competitors ae not allowed to sail through the finish line………..and the finish line is dramatically shortened in length to accommodate such avoidance.