Irish Fireball Nationals at Tralee Bay Sailing Club

Action from the Irish Fireball National Championships at Fenit, Kerry, Ireland © Will Moody

Action from the Irish Fireball National Championships at Fenit, Kerry, Ireland © Will Moody

The Irish Fireball National Championships was hosted over the weekend by Tralee Bay Sailing Club at Fenit, in the kingdom of Kerry. The club celebrating its 50th anniversary welcomed back the Fireball class having previously hosted the Fireball Worlds in 1970. On the entrance to Fenit harbour the status of St Brendan, the founder of the new world pointed westward to the Atlantic and the adventures it holds. The 9 race 3 days series was to finish with 4 boats vying for the Irish title going into the final race. Among them, 3 were newly formed teams in 2006. The 31 boat Irish fleet welcomed 3 British boats which included former Fireball World Champion and sail maker Tim Rush and P&B’s Sails Dave Wade who had teamed up with local Irish sailor Hugh Bulter for the event. The Scottish fleet where represented by Euan Sellar and David Philips.

For the 4th successive event this year the fleet were greeted with 15/20 knots of breeze that held for 3 days. Friday saw choppy conditions as the fleet set off on the Olympic course that was set for the days racing. Race 1 saw Dave Wade lead from start to finish, followed by Tim Rush, Ian McGonagle, Damien Bracken, Noel Bulter and Mick Creighton. Impressive sailing on the last race of the day saw Louis Smyth and Joe O’Reilly score a 2nd in race 2 between the two sailmaker.

Day two saw a change to Windward Leeward courses as the PRO decided to try for 4 races. Race 1 and outhaul problems saw McGonagle and Rowan head to shore for quick repairs, managing to make it back to the race area for the 2nd race. Bracken and O’Mara also visited shore with a torn spinnaker, missing two races but returned to score 3’s in the final two races of the day. Butler and Moore had an up and down day with a 2, 7, 3 and 8. Creighton started the day with a bad capsize which resulted in a bent mast and a 18 to discard. His day got better with a more consistent 3, 5, 5. The Corinthian award for the event must go to the team of Damien McCullagh and Mike Murphy. Following rudder problems on Friday and Saturday the guys retired to shore. But ever the sportsmen and in true fireball fashion they gave Damian Bracken their mainsail for Sundays racing, and their mast to Mick Creighton.

Going into the finals days racing, Dave Wade still lead overall. Tim Rush was second, but the race for the Irish title was ever present with 6 points separating Bracken, McGonagle, Butler and Creighton. Race 1 saw an individual recall flag fly as the fleet took off. McGonagle and Rowan took as swim as a wave swept Francis off his feet. This put them back into 10th position where they never recovered. Bracken continued his dominant display, even after his gib block exploded and Brian held the gib for 3 laps to finish 3rd. Butler was 2nd around the windward mark, only to have his uphaul jam thus dropping him back to 6th but he regained 4th, ahead of Creighton. But Bulters effort where in vain with no gun at the finish identifying him as the OCS. So going into the final race it was Bracken leading from McGonagle, Creighton and then Butler. But then a masterful match race between Bracken and McGonagle saw McGonagle lead Bracken across the line with 1 minute to go. Bracken could not get back in time and was black flagged. He was out of the competition. The title would be McGonagles if he could keep ahead of Butler and Creighton which he managed despite numerous attempts to capsize. The race was won by another new team of Phil Lawton and Peter Coad, next was Tim Rush, then McGonagle. The race for 2nd in the Irish Nationals was now down to Mick Creighton and Noel Butler. Creighton lead the whole way until a spinny jam at the leeward mark gifted Butler 2nd and meant Creighton finished 3rd. What an end to possibly the most open Nationals in recent years.

So McGonagle and Rowan took their first Fireball National title and the trophy which was originally present at the 1970 Worlds in Fenit 36 year ago, Butler and Moore finished 2nd and Mick Creighton and Steve Oram took 3rd. Bracken finished in 10th having to count a DNS. In the Open Event it was Dave Wade sailing with Irish Crew Hugh Butler who took the title from Tim Rush and Sam Bearley. Dave and Hugh had an impressive regatta with 6 wins, two seconds and a DNC in the last race, as Wade had to head back to Dublin for the ferry home. Tim Rush took second with another comfortable display of sailing marking their pedigree.

In the Gold 2 fleet, Ian OGorman/Glen Fisher took the title from Jim Ryan/David Tanner and John Dunne/Matt Barnes in 3rd. Consistent sailing from Ian took the title for this newly formed team despite constant pressure from the chasing pack.

In the Silver fleet it was Kevin Foley/Paul Flannery who took the title from Cariosa Power and the birthday girl Marie Barry. Alison Coleman /Magali S from Dunmore East took 3rd. This surely sees the team of Foley/Flannery rise to the Gold 2 fleet for next season.

The classic trophy went to Karl Leavy and Marguerite O Rourke. After some punishing conditions for the classic fleet.

And so the fleet sailed to shore past the adventurer Brendan. Many tales will remain in people’s memories from the Kingdom of Kerry. Special thanks must go to Tralee Bay Sailing Club, The PRO and Grattan Donnelly for an excellent event. Also to Will Moody who leaves the shores of Ireland for new adventures in South Africa. A presentation was made to Will on Saturday night for his dedication and year’s service.

Alternative Report from Cormac Bradley:

British visitors, David Wade, with Irish crew Hugh Butler, and Tim Rush, crewed by Sam Brearey occupied the top two places at the Irish Fireball Nationals in Fenit,Co. Kerry on the SW seaboard of Ireland over the weekend just past.

Wade and Butler took six race wins in the nine-race series with Rush/Brearey picking up two of the remaining three. The only Irish race win went to Phil Lawton and Peter Coad in Race 9, though another Irish race win was ultimately taken away by a disqualification.

The continuous presence of Wade/Butler at the front of the fleet, their other results on the water being two second places, saw them win the regatta with a very comfortable ten-point margin from Rush/Brearey, who in turn had thirteen points on the best of the Irish, Ian McGonigle and Francis Rowan. The points gaps from third onwards were more like what we are used to in the fleet, McGonigle/Rowan having 3pts to spare over Noel Butler and Seamus Moore, who in turn had a four point advantage over Mick Creighton and Steve Oram.

As per programme, nine races were sailed with three Olympics on Friday, four windward/leeward on Saturday and two Olympic on Sunday. Winds for the regatta were probably between 15 - 20 knots with biggish seas generated by a wind versus tide situation on the water. This made for ideal surfing/planing conditions for the fleet on the offwind legs and on the Friday and Saturday nights the mood in the camp was just a little subdued after the physical exertions on the water.

Scottish Fireballers, Euan Sellars and David Philip finished 7th overall, a BFD in Race 1 putting them under some pressure for the balance of the regatta.

The battle for the domestic Irish title went all the way to the last race where Damien Bracken and Brian O'Hara also picked up a BFD to finally snooker their chances of taking the Irish title.

In the Gold 2 fleet, Ian O'Gorman & Glen Fisher took the title with second and third in this fleet, Jim Ryan & David Tanner and John Dunne & Matt Barnes, immediately behind the winners in the overall standings.

In the Silver fleet, Kevin Foley/Paul Flannery won the honours with two all-girl crews Cariosa Power/Marie Barry and Alison Coleman/S Magali in second and third respectively.

The Classic Trophy went to Karl Leavy & Marguerite O'Rourke.

Overall Results: