Howth YC’s Round the Island Race on March 8th was sailed in conditions that belied the date and brought the curtain down on the 50th anniversary celebration of the Club’s long running Frostbite Series.

 

After a week of forecasts that queried whether sailing would be possible, either because of too much or too little wind, the day dawned with rain and a breeze that was much lighter than expected. By the time the briefing was finished, the sun was out and the breeze had increased enough to make it at least feasible to consider a race around Ireland’s Eye. The format for the event is a preliminary warm-up race to get sailors used to the conditions and ready to tackle the main event, with this year’s iteration also under the time constraint of the fleet being ashore for the 2.15pm Ireland-France kick-off.

 

Whilst the wind was generally easterly, as forecast, the strength never reached the levels hoped for and the race management team were challenged by the variations in strength and direction as the breeze cycled through a 90-degree arc and oscillated between 2 and 10 knots. The preliminary race was completed after a struggle, limited to just one lap of a 500m long Windward Leeward course. Despite the short length, the 25 boat fleet spread out over a considerable distance as the holes in the breeze and the flooding tide caught out those either who were either unwary or unlucky.

 

The conditions put an end to the possibility of the fleet racing around the Island and a Windward Leeward sailed in the Sound was the only option. After a course relocation to hunt for wind and a delay to allow it to reach a worthwhile level, the race enjoyed great conditions with the changes in direction easing for the duration and the strength reaching a heady 10 knots, at least for a few minutes, before it faded away just after the fleet had finished. The safety cover was called into action to tow the latter boats ashore to ensure they were in time to cheer on Ireland’s hoped-for success in the Aviva.  

 

After his domination of the pre-and post-Christmas series, Dan O’Connell was the hot favourite in the ILCA 7s but an upset in form, matching that still to come in the rugby match, saw Tom Fox and Daragh Kelleher take first and second places with Dan in third. In the ILCA 6s, Harry Dunne took the gun from Peter Hassett. The PY Class included entries from a wide variety of boat types, including IDRA 14s, a Mermaid, Finn, Aero and a good representation from the Howth fleet of Melges 15s. The conditions best suited the older designs and the top three places were taken by Ryan Cairns and Orla Doogue (IDRA 14), Richard Tate (Finn) and Darach Dinneen and his son Max (usually an Optimist sailor) who raced with just two aboard Endeavour, their renowned and pristine Mermaid. Ryan and Orla also took the prize for first IDRA 14 while Andrew Johnston and Matthew Cotter took first place in the Melges 15s.

 

After enjoying lunch and the rugby match, the latter to a lesser degree, the prizegiving for the Frostbite Series and for the Round the Island was overseen by Class Captain Conor Costello with Club Commodore Kevin Monks presenting the prizes. In addition to the Frostbite and Round the Island prizes, awards were presented for the most improved sailor over the Frostbite Series and for the ‘personality’, the person deemed to have made the greatest contribution to the fleet’s enjoyment of the event. Max Tipp-McKnight (Rush SC) took the prize for most improved sailor, his climb up the fleet to take 3rd overall in the Spring Series having distinguished him.  Daragh Sheridan, who organised the very successful 50th Anniversary Dinner to celebrate the event’s long running success, was the very popular winner of the ‘personality’ award.

 

The results are available at www.HYC.ie/results. Photos, both afloat and of the prizegiving, can be viewed here.

 

For more photos from the water by Karolina Kernan click here.