Picking my spot at the mark..
So, round two was scheduled for Castlegregory in Kerry and as usual the online registration had attracted only a handful of regulars to pre-enter. That was until Thursday afternoon when Met Eireann, Windguru, Big Salty and whatever your havin’ yourself was calling for 30 to 40 knots across Brandon bay for the whole weekend. I HAD already pre-entered.. J
Saturday morning was sopped in with heavy rain, but at least there was wind. Registration was in Jamie Knox Watersports centre and the instructions were to head to Scraggane, rig up and briefing at 10:30.
I rigged my 7.0 & 6.3 Loft Blades as “lighter wind” alternatives even though I couldn’t see myself on anything but my old reliable Pryde 5.0 RS racing.
The course was set as a figure of eight with the first race starting in 25 knots gusting 35 knots. I sailed my JP Slalom VI 92 with the 5.0. Its was perfect on the outside mark but not enough on the inside, which was a problem planing away from the gybe mark, which was carnage ! I sailed my 6.3 Loft Blade for the rest of the day with the 92 which was manageable at best but at least it carried me off of the inside mark and back out into clean air. The rest of the day was spent being stacked on the outside with the inside providing a bit of respite from the gale.
The heavy conditions thinned the fleet a bit with some sailors just not MAN enough to sail all the races. Lucky for these few competitors there were “controversial” wind shifts in the last few races which resulted in the races being discarded by the OD. All in all the best days slalom racing in years in this country.
Spillanes was where we converged to feed, fuel and watch a certain Heineken cup rugby final. I’ve no idea who was playing but all I know is MUNSTER wasn’t. Maybe next year ! Jokes aside though it was an incredible 2nd half from Leinster and a well deserved Heineken Cup Title for the 2nd time. Sunday was calling for a bigger forecast than Saturday so with the pints kept to a minimum and a belly full of crab claws it was off to bed for some well earned rest…
Sunday started with lighter winds in Scraggane of 15 to 20 knots. It was showing signs of picking up all the time so I rigged the same as the day before; 7.0, 6.3 and 5.0. I started the first race on the 5.0 and my JP 92 as 30 knots gusted through the course during the 3 minute countdown to the start. I came paddy last…DOH..! MAJOR lull after the first mark saw me struggling to get planning as I watched the whole fleet pull away. Fin change, sail change and a banana later I was ready for race two. Sunday was definitely the more enjoyable of the two days racing. We ran about 6 races in the best down wind slalom conditions I’ve ever sailed.
Inside mark flat water gybe.....sweeettt
The course was tight at times but as we raced further down the bay the conditions at the marks changed every time. Mark 1, slight chop, Mark 2, glass flat, Mark 3 Chop with slight swell then broad reach down over larger chop to the finish. The last race saw a 4th mark added in for flavour out in the bay. This was my favourite race J I’ll explain why. I had a good start but got smothered at the gybe mark. The top 4 guys charged ahead and seemed out of reach until I gybed at the 2nd mark and couldn’t figure out why one by one they seemed to wipe out??? As I got closer I realised that a trailing line from a lobster pot had taken out the opposition and I gladly, but sympathetically sailed by J. The outside mark was the treat of the weekend as a huge swell rolled throught the gybe mark with 30 knots of wind making it even sweeter.
I was reasonably happy with 6th place overall for the weekend but my nemesis and good friend Steve Williams has to fall at the next event, as he pipped me for 5th….
