Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo M50

Fireball Open at Harlow (Blackwater) Sailing Club

by Terri Sharman 1 Aug 2009 21:43 UTC 25-26 July 2009

HBSC held a successful Fireball Open on 25/26 July with a total of 16 entries.

For the first day the conditions started off light and variable with a slightly stronger breeze kicking in later in the day. The fleet were taken out in the main river for committee boat starts and some good courses were set. There was some extremely tight racing in the 1st race with the lead being held by team Fry and McCarthy. However, with local boat (Scarth/King) staying on a longer port tack and with some favourable shifts, it was Scarth who took the lead and held it for the rest of the race followed by fellow Blackwater sailors, team Richards, with Mark and Dawn Maskell coming in 3rd.

In Race 2 a poor first beat left Scarth and King well down the fleet but they managed to recover to 3rd behind Mark and Dawn Maskell (2nd) and Al Fry and Shane McCarthy (1st).

A force 5 kicked in for the first race on Sunday and the Committee boat set some fine courses which gave way for some great reaching and long beats off Osea Island. Race 3 saw a textbook port tack start from Mansfield/Sanderson which gave them the lead at the first mark. However, it was Fry and McCarthy who then took the lead on the run to Steeple followed by Scarth and Richards.

Gambling to carry the kite failed to pay off for Fry and McCarthy which allowed Scarth/King to take the lead at the next mark. After some exciting close racing the final beat saw the Maskells chasing hard but it was eventually Scarth who won the race, Maskells in 2nd with Richards in 3rd .

Scarth and King were leading at the windward mark in Race 4 when unfortunately a trapeze line pulled out of the mast and they were capsized for some time. Close racing took place between Islin/Batt and Richards/Riley for 2nd and 3rd place respectively with Fry and McCarthy taking their 2nd win of the weekend.

The prizegiving saw prizes awarded to the first five places presented by the Commodore, Ian Henderson, and his wife.

Results

1st Martin Scarth / Tony King - Blackwater SC
2nd Al Fry / Shane McCarthy - King George SC
3rd Maria Richards / Tim Riley - Blackwater SC
4th Mark Maskell / Dawn Maskell - King George SC
5th Richard Mansfield / Graham Sanderson - Brightlingsea SC

Related Articles

2025 Fireball World Championship overall
Switzerland's Yves Mermod & Maja Siegenthaler crowned champions on Lake Garda The Fireball World Championship 2025 concluded on Friday, 29 August, hosted by Circolo Vela Arco (North Lake Garda, Italy), in what turned out to be a historic edition for both participation and the number of nations represented. Posted on 30 Aug
2025 Fireball World Championship day 4
Plenty of drama on the penultimate day on Lake Garda The penultimate day at the Fireball World Championship 2025, organized by Circolo Vela Arco in collaboration with the Italian Sailing Federation and the Italian and International Fireball Classes was, marked by unstable weather but also plenty of drama. Posted on 28 Aug
2025 Fireball World Championship day 3
The standings tighten up on Lake Garda - Trentino After three days of competition and six races completed, with the first discard now applied, the leaderboard of the Fireball World Championship 2025 is getting closer and more exciting. Posted on 26 Aug
2025 Fireball World Championship day 2
Classic Garda conditions and British dominance The second day of racing at the Fireball World Championship, hosted by Circolo Vela Arco on Lake Garda, brought two more races and confirmed the event's high technical and competitive level. Posted on 25 Aug
2025 Fireball World Championship day 1
Spectacular start for the 136 boat fleet on Lake Garda The 2025 Fireball World Championship kicked off in record-breaking style, hosted by Circolo Vela Arco and running on the waters of Lake Garda - Trentino until Friday, 29 August. Posted on 24 Aug
The countdown is on for the Fireball Worlds
Largest fleet ever recorded outside the UK The countdown is on for the Fireball World Championship 2025 on Lake Garda - Italy, organized by Circolo Vela Arco in collaboration with the Italian Sailing Federation, the Italian Fireball Association and the International Fireball Association. Posted on 21 Aug
Irish Fireball Exodus to Lake Garda is underway
20 sailors will be competing under the Irish flag at the Fireball Worlds 20 sailors will be competing under the Irish flag at the Fireball World Championship on Lake Garda from this weekend. The Worlds takes place at the Northern end of the lake at Arco hosted by Circolo Vela Arco. Posted on 20 Aug
Fireball Worlds 2025 Runners, Riders & Rascals
Team GB Storm Garda in the Italian job Picture this: a battalion of salty sea dogs squeezing into red, white, and blue Minis, armed with daisy roots and dry bags, storming across the Channel, charging through fine patisserie country, and scaling the Alps. Posted on 19 Aug
Fireball Irish National Championship at Tralee Bay
23 boats attend, with plenty of new young talent Barry MacCartin and Conor Kinsella are the 2025 Fireball National Champions after six races at Tralee Bay SC, Fenit, Co Kerry over the weekend. Twenty-three Fireballs competed in a breezy event. Posted on 11 Aug
Australian team gears up for Fireball Worlds
A record Australian contingent is ready to compete at Lake Garda Lake Garda, Italy's largest lake, is set to host the 2025 Fireball World Championship - a first for the Fireball class at this iconic venue. Hosted by Circolo Vela Arco on the lake's northern shore, the event runs from 21-29 August 2025. Posted on 8 Aug
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo M75