Howth Yacht Club Dinghy Frostbites Spring Series - Update
by Conor Murphy 17 Feb 04:27 AEDT
1 February 2026
After missing the previous weekend due to a lack of wind, the Dinghy Frostbite Spring Series sailors returned to the water at Howth Yacht Club on Sunday with a building forecast and a narrow window to get racing completed.
An ebb tide combined with a strengthening westerly breeze set the tone for a demanding afternoon. Gusts were already in the low 20-knot range for Race 1 and continued to build, reaching close to 30 knots by the end of Race 2. With conditions escalating quickly, time management was critical, and the Race Committee made the wise call to shorten both races, ensuring sailors could return ashore before things became too hairy.
There are now four races remaining in the series before the annual Round the Island Race on Saturday 7 March, which promises to be a fitting and exciting finale to the winter season.
In the ILCA 7 fleet, Dave Kirwan extended his overall series lead with a strong 3rd and 2nd. The 3rd was particularly hard-fought after an error on the start line left him chasing the fleet.
Tom Fox retains 2nd overall in the series with a 4th and a 5th — a rare outing outside the podium places this winter.
Andrejs Samoilovs put together an excellent day with a 2nd and a 3rd, consolidating 3rd overall in the series.
Conor Murphy took two impressive race wins in the challenging conditions, but remains 4th overall as he continues to close the gap on the leaders.
The ILCA 6 fleet saw the tight battle at the top continue, with Darragh Peelo and Peter Hassett each taking a 1st and a 2nd across the two races.
Dylan Cassidy is finishing the series strongly, posting consistent 3rd places in both races.
Peelo remains at the top of the leaderboard, but Hassett is now just two points behind. With four races still to sail, the title race is wide open.
In the PY fleet, the big breeze and fast reaches of the triangular course made for ideal conditions for the RS Aero and Melges 15s.
Daragh Sheridan enjoyed a standout day in his RS Aero 6, scoring a 1st and a 2nd, including a dominant Race 2 win by nearly two minutes on corrected time.
Ronan McDonnell and Eoin Kernan's Melges 15 took the alternating 2nd and 1st, while Cormac Farrelly and Justin Cullen secured consistent 3rd places in both races.
Richard Tate's Finn sailed steadily throughout to take 4th in each race.
With just two weekends remaining in the Frostbite Series, everything is still to play for. The club now turns its attention to the Round the Island Race, open to all competitors (subject to PY restrictions in the Notice of Race), followed by series prize-giving and lunch - enter now - shaping up to be a brilliant close to the winter programme.
Howth YC results