Straight firsts

Rowan and Pearse took an immaculate victory at the Fireball Open from Mullingar Sailing Club

The Fireball season started off in fine form in Mullingar Sailing Club this weekend. This season opened with a supreme performance by “Splash and Dash”, the boat owned by Francis Rowan and helmed this weekend by Andy Pearse from the UK. Francis has been likened to Simon Cowell in recent years with his talent spotting ability to find Rock Star Helms to complete the Splash and Dash Dream Team. No words of criticism for this team as a perfect score of firsts discarding a first settled the competition for the team.

The first race of the series was started in five to ten knots of breeze and the course was set in the Olympic style that would not change for the weekend. Two weekends ago saw silver fleet training in Mullingar, and it was a Silver fleet boat who gained from the knowledge of the venue to lead to the Windward mark. Not only are Derval O’Carroll and Siobhan Hayes in the silver fleet, but they are also the silver fleet captains. It might be time for new captains as their fine third position in race one saw them come second in the Gold fleet overall for the weekend.

Following this team to the mark, were Andy Boyle and Brian Flahive. This pairing had shown fine form in the Winter DMYC 'Frostbite Series', where they finished second. Today, however, they were to go to first, drop to sixth and then finish this race in fourth. Finding the breeze was the clear goal today, and it was Pearse and Rowan who managed to sort this area to finish first in race one. The defending Leinster Champions of Noel Butler and Seamus Moore, who had a poor first beat to end tenth at the windward mark, finished second in this race.

Race two started in much the same vain, as the top four boats changed places at least six times during the course of the hour long race. It was again Pearse and Rowan who won out with the new team of Conor O’Toole and Chris Clayton, who finished second. Conor and Chris broke out their new boat this weekend, and this and their partnership seemed to excel in the conditions to be strong contenders throughout the weekend. Third place went to the Butler and Moore partnership. Consistency would be the key to this weekend, and Boyle and Flahive showed this with another fourth.

The third race of the day would be the final one and again it was Pearse and Rowan winning from an extensive lead gained at the windward mark. The newest boat in the fleet sailed by Owen Laverty and Ed Butler finished second having been in this position from the onset. Third place went to O’Toole and Clayton following an excellent downwind battle with Butler and Moore and Boyle and Flahive. The fleet now returned to shore for a much needed break. The fleet retired to Weirs in Multyfarnham for dinner and a few pints. Much craic was had and a few sore heads arrived the next morning.

Sunday dawned with a glass lake outside the clubhouse. Racing was postponed from 10am to 1pm and finally race four in the championship could be sailed, thus allowing a discard. It was Boyle and Flahive who lead to the windward mark followed by Pearse and Rowan. The other teams in contention for second (Butler and Moore and O’Toole and Clayton), had gambled on the right paying and were well down the fleet by the first mark. Wind whispering, much like horse whispering was called for, as the search for new breeze ensued. Following a strong first lap Moore and Butler were up to third. This is where they would remain. Boyle and Flahive slipped to second, but on the final lap O’Toole and Clayton took advantage of new pressure and drove them to fourth. So a nervous time was had by Butler and Moore on the final beat to finish third.

In the Gold second fleet a fine performance by Laverty and Butler, saw them clinch the title from the Silver fleet sailors of Derval O’Carrol and Siobhan Hayes. The best performances for both teams to date. Third in the fleet was the ever present team of Jon Evans and Aidian Caulfield.

In the Silver Fleet, another new team came to the front. Marie Barry in her first event helming, and Leo Bishop crewing for Marie for the first time gained top spot following a fine consistent performance in the tricky conditions. Second went to Henry Rice and Frank Neylon, thirrd went to the local team of Paddy and Sean Mulholland.

Special thanks must go to Mullingar Sailing Club. An incredibly beautiful venue, with a log cabin for a club house, and a two minute sail to the race area. The race officer managed to set fair courses in the most difficult of sailing conditions. The next event is a training event next weekend in the National Yacht Club, with the British 470 coach Adam Bowers. Hope to see you all there.

Results:

Gold Fleet

1-Andy Pearse, Francis Rowan 3pts
2-Noel Butler, Seamus Moore 8pts
3-Conor O’Toole, Chris Clayton 9 pts

Gold 2 Fleet

1-Owen Laverty, Ed Butler 15 pts
2-Deval O’Carroll, Siobhan Hayes 19pts
3-Jon Evans, Aidian Caulfield 21pts

Silver Fleet Results

1-Marie Barry, Leo Bishop 39 pts
2-Henry Rice, Frank Neylon 48 pts
3-Paddy Mulholland, Sean Mulholland 50 pts