2011 Worlds - Day 4

Fast, furious and frenetic gives way to disappointment

The fleet assembled early in Sligo this morning, ready to embrace a day that offered the prospect of 4 races. Yesterday’s layday, in a true application of Murphy’s Law - this is Ireland we don’t use Sod’s Law - the wind blew and some of our British friends and both the Czech boats took advantage to have a session of their own.

As usual the speculation was on what the wind Gods would give us, Ireland’s Sea Area forecast had promised F4 – 5 moderating to F3 – 4, XC Weather were talking of 15 – 20 knots moderating to 10 – 15 knots. That brought varying degrees of pleasure to the fleet!

In the end the wind ranged from 16 – 21 knots during the races with gusts of around 23/24 knots in-between, direction moved during the day.

Conditions were excellent for Fireball sailing with moderate seas and a steady breeze which was its strongest during the first race.

Three races were sailed today even though the programme was for four. As you can appreciate the reporting of three races in one day can’t allow for the detail that everyone might want so I will instead try and provide a flavour of the day!

The charge to the first weather mark was tight in every race but in the last race in particular, the lead enjoyed by the first three or four boats was very comfortable indeed, not only over each other but relative to the bulk of the fleet. Included in this bunch were Messrs Burge & Wagstaff, Wade & Potts, Horey & Thompson, Gillard & Brearey, Taylor & Anderton, Rush & Pepperdine and Krailing & Saunders. However, black flags were to dictate who were legal finishers and from this bunch came Taylor/Anderton (1st), Gillard/Brearey (2nd) and Schulz/Bowley (3rd).

Schulz & Bowley scored a win in the middle race and were relieved to see the breeze back on the course and were never outside the top 2, losing a place on a gybe mark but recovering to take the gun. Behind them came Gillard/Brearey, Wade/Potts, Horey/Thompson and Krailing/Saunders.

Matt Burge & Richard Wagstaff opened the day’s proceedings with the first race win, leading from start to finish. It was to be their only race finish as they are currently sitting with an OCS and a BFD for races 2 and 3. Wade/Potts took second and Gillard/Brearey 3rd.

For some of the other visitors, the day’s breeze saw a change of fortunes. French pair Martin Peculier & Jean-Francois Nouel, who had scored a fifth on Sunday, put together a 21, 15, 24 today to see them into 18th place overall. Canadians Joe Jospe & Tom Egli had a similar day (16, 24, 11) to lie 20th overall.

Among the Irish, Butler/Oram scored a 9, 11, 14 to see them into the top ten with 5 races completed. Immediately behind them are Kenny Rumball & Seamus Moore who had a 12, 9, 10. Third Irish boat is Simon McGrotty & Tony Fitzgerald in 13th overall.

5 black flags in race 3 have skewed the overall results, as the combinations who have added these to their points collection include Wade/Potts, Burge/Wagstaff and Horey/Thompson. The International Jury has some work on their hands this evening!

Thus with five races completed and a single discard kicking in, the status of the Championship is as follows...

Results after Day 4:

The conversation ashore this afternoon is flavoured by the disappointment that a fourth race wasn’t sailed. Conditions appeared to be ideal for Fireballs but a fourth race wasn’t sailed as the Race Management Team sent the fleet ashore – arriving at 14:30. The sun was out, the seas were great for surfing and the wind appeared to be steady – challenging Yes, but this is an event that people have trained for and under what appeared to be ideal sailing conditions, the fleet was ashore by 14:30.

A gallery of photographs will be available at fotosail.com/2011fireballworlds courtesy of Gareth Craig of Fotosail.