Big sea with waves coming from all directions. The day started with a beat to Dun Laoghaire and ended with a beat to Howth!
The course had been shortened to the Wicklow outfall buoy rather than north Arklow. So it was start from pier mark around the muglins to starboard and fetch down to Wicklow through very confused seas with wind staying fairly constant 26 to 30 knots. Crew status was that of drowned freezing rats just holding on for 3 hours til we took a hand brake turn (port tack) at Wicklow. There were three ahead of us down to Wicklow being the two j109s and 2041l. It was a reach back up and we managed to move back off rail and some had dryer clothing to change into. Soon wet again when to top things off a heavy shower of rain came by!
Rebellion, the Lambay 55, was about 10 mins behind us at the Wicklow mark but gradually caught us by the time we reached bray head. The three bigger boats increased their distance considerably on the reach back up.
In Killiney bay the wind swung slightly south east and we decided to hoist the small spinnaker. Wind dropped to about 20 knots and just as we were discussing that we should have put up the big spinnaker, wind changed to 30 knots and swung back east north east. Result ... a couple of spectacular broaches and (probably due to the cold reflexes) an almost lost spinnaker and actual broken spinnaker pole. Spinnaker and crew all accounted for and jib back up and racing, left us with a bit of carbon fibre clean up. Pole wrapped in a sandwich bag.
Back around the muglins in 30 knots and then rolled down to Dun Laoghaire harbour finish line hitting 13 knots of speed surfing towards the harbour
Speed overall was fairly constant 7 to 8 knots down and back. With some 11 and 12 knots bursts when reaching back.
Finished at 15.29 through Dun Laoghaire harbour whilst avoiding the lifeboat which was speeding out to rescue a boat that lost its mast out in the bay. 5th on the water and delighted to have been first overall in Dux's inaugural ISORA race.
Crew was Evan Dolan, Ken O'Neill, Philip Malcolm, Zander Mackay, Caroline Gore-Grimes, Ian Byrne and Ryan (Ian's crew). We were very thankful to Ian who decided to forgo Sunburn's double handed attempt and join us instead.
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