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RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

Fireball Irish National Championship at Royal Cork Yacht Club

by Frank Miller 19 Aug 09:27 PDT 16-18 August 2024

Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella are Fireball National Champions after an eight-race series at RCYC Crosshaven over Friday, Saturday and Sunday supported by Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers.

This was a hotly contested championship with 22 boats competing for the title. Racing on the Friday took place inside Cork Harbour with shifty offshore winds and variations in pressure giving sailors plenty to think about. Racing was around a modified trapezoid course designed to accommodate Fireballs, 420s and 29ers, all sailing their National Championships within a Tri National Championships event. The 29ers sailed a windward-leeward course on the inner loop while Fireballs and 420s had their "sausage" legs on the outer loop with a single leeward mark. All classes finished on a downwind leg. Keeping the course square in these winds was a significant challenge to the race committee who managed the task admirably with exemplary turnarounds of particular note.

For the first day of racing the best wind tended to be on the right side of the beat leading to a hard fought start-line with sailors seeking an early chance to head over to that pressure. It was more complicated than just that however with some massive shifts across the course. The first race was won by multiple Fireball National champions Noel Butler and Stephen Oram with French visitors Xavier Broise and Jean Robillard second and McCartin & Kinsella third. That latter team settled in after that and won race two from Chris Bateman sailing with Lucy Loughton (SYC Devon) and just behind were the Thompson brothers Daniel and Harry. The third race was taken Bateman & Loughton with current Ulster Champions Ewen Barry and Sandy Rimmington second and McCartin & Kinsella third. This gave McCartin & Kinsella the overnight lead as the fleet headed ashore following three efficient races.

The forecast on Saturday was for decent south-westerly breezes and the decision was made to use the race area beyond Cobh for clearer winds. Four excellent races were held is a variety of conditions in a more stable breeze. The challenge for Saturday's racing was to find the best breeze and get into phase with the shifts but also deal with a variable ebbing tide which added a layer of complexity as the day went on. Locals Barry & Rimmington made best sense of the conditions to take race four with McCartin & Kinsella in a solid second and the ever-consistent Thompsons in third. McCartin & Kinsella took races five and six effectively stamping their authority on the event. At this point the fight was still intense for second and third overall with Barry & Rimmington, Butler & Oram, the Thompsons, Ed Og Butler & Fionn Conway, Broise & Robillard, and Bateman & Loughton all in the mix.

The final race of the day was won by Bateman & Loughton with Butler Og & Conway second and the French visitors third. Ashore sailors were treated to an excellent sailing supper by the club but Noel Butler found himself facing the protest committee chaired by international judge Robert Owens, over a finish line incident in race seven with McCartin & Kinsella. Ultimately Butler & Oram were disqualified leading them with result that to discard.

With a light westerly wind forecast for Sunday and two more races to be held before packing up the race committee wisely decided to keep racing nearby so the fleets returned to the same location as Friday. To keep things simpler and more manageable in shifty conditions the course for Fireballs and 420s was changed to the more welcome Olympic Triangle format. After a postponement of about 40 minutes the wind settled into something usable and a tricky and challenging race ensued in about eight knots of breeze with zones of pressure, shifts and lighter holes. That game of snakes and ladders was won by Adrian Lee and Ossian Geraghty with Bateman & Loughton second and McCartin & Kinsella third. By now there were eight races in the can allowing for two discards and after more than an hour of light airs shifting continuously race officer Ciaran McSweeney raised the chequered flag to general acclaim and the massed fleet raced for shore to start packing up.

At the prize-giving Irish Fireball Association chairman Neil Cramer thanked main event organiser Dominic Daly, Ciaran McSweeney and his race committee and especially the fifty plus volunteers at RCYC who made this Tri Nationals possible. This was a very successful event hosted by RCYC and the additional support of main sponsors Waterman Kelly Consulting Engineers helped make the entire event viable. This ranged from snacks for competitors returning ashore to the presence of the international judge to oversee on-the-water rule observance and protests. The shifty winds and mixed fleets made the entire event challenging for competitors and race committee alike but there can be no doubt that as ever the best teams rose to the top.

With competitors ranging in age from 11 to the over 70s there was a vast range of youthful energy and cunning experience on display around the course. When discards were applied the overall winners were McCartin & Kinsella leading by 9 points over Barry & Rimmington with Bateman & Loughton third. Silver fleet winners were Jack McNaughten sailing with Hugo Micka in the latter's boat with that team also winning the new Youth trophy for best boat under 22, based on the helm's age. Second silver were Colin Barry & Olin Bateman and third Tiarnan Brown with Cormac Doolan. A special prize went to 11-year-old Oliver Kenneally helming for his father Ronan on the final day of racing. That boat also won the classic prize and as a bonus Ronan took away a voucher for a new Irish designed wetsuit from Covy Watersport.

The Nationals concludes the main summer regatta season for Fireballs as several boats are heading to Italy for the Europeans but one last event before winter is not out of the question. After that the class action will take place mainly at the DMYC Frostbite Series and a winter racing and coaching series at Monkstown Bay SC. As always the class warmly welcomes new sailors, young and old seeking affordable, fun and friendly high performance racing without tears.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmHelm's ClubClubCrew's ClubFleetR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8Pts
1st14996Barry McCartinGSCConor KinsellaRStGYCGold‑313211‑5311
2nd14395Ewen BarryMBSCSandy RimmingtonMBSCGold5‑62143‑10520
3rd14695/14849Chris BatemanMBSCLucy LoughtonSYCGold‑19218‑1371221
4th15156Daniel ThompsonWHBTC/Royal Cork YCHenry ThompsonWHBTC/Royal Cork YCGold43‑113266‑1024
5th14969Ed ButlerMullaghmore SCFionn ConwayGalway Bay SCGold‑8554‑1052425
6thfra 14973xavier broisesociété nautique l'armoire plagejean robillardcercle de la Voile du centreGold2‑1067‑1423626
7th15017Adrian LeeMBSCOssian GeraghtySligoGold6‑138664‑12131
8th15061Noel ButlerNYCStephen OramNYCGold144‑1558(DSQ)1133
9th14915Frank MillerDMYCEd Butler SnrRstGYCGold‑13‑197101197953
10th15016Louise McKennaRStGYCHermine O'KeeffeRstGYCGold1112‑16531611‑1758
11th14101Jack McNaughtonDMYCHugo MickaMYCSilver791011814‑16‑1859
12th14938Niall Mc GrottySkerries SCNeil CramerSkerries SCGold‑208912710‑131359
13th14775Neil ColinRStGYCMargaret CaseyDMYCGold‑187‑181315174763
14th14870Colin BarryMBSC & Royal Cork YCOlin BatemanMBSC & Royal Cork YCSilver(OCS)‑1614991315868
15th14567jon evansSligoAidan CaulfieldDublin BayGold121113‑17‑171291269
16th14816Tiarnan BrownGlandore Harbour YCCormac DoolanGlandore Harbour YCSilver17‑181516(DNC)1181582
17th14676Ciaran HickeyRStGYCMichael KeeganRstGYCGold1515‑191812‑19141488
18th14362Ronan KenneallyMonkstown Bay SCLauren MurphyMonkstown Bay SCSilver101412‑1918‑20181991
19th14683Colm BreenDMYCCormac Power BreenDMYCSilver141717141615‑19‑2093
20th14770Brian JonesMBSCTJ O BrienMbscSilver9‑20(RET)201918171699
21st15102Frances CorkeryRoyal Cork YC/ISKCSean O'HerlihyRoyal Cork YC/ISKCSilver16‑222122212121(DNC)122
22nd14663Brenda NashDMYCUna LestrangeSligo YCSilver‑2121202120‑222021123

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