fireballing


fireballing


fireballing


Fireballs at the start line on Lough Derg

 

Fireballs at ULSSC

The Fireball is a high performance two person dinghy sailed by a number of members in the ULSSC and the Killaloe Sailing Club (KSC). These boats are privately owned by members of the club. This class is widely know as one of the most competitive one design dinghy class in the country with many fleets around the world with European and World championships being held every year.

 

The boat itself measures 4.93m with a beam of 1.4m and a weight of only 95kg. It is powered by an upwind area of 11.43 sq m and down wind the symmetric spinnaker adds a further 13.01 sq m. All this sail area is kept in check with a single trapeze for the crew. Needless to say that in a good blow the boat can certainly move and still be controllable thanks to it very adjustable rig.

The Fireball represents the high performance end of the dinghy fleet in the ULSSC and a number of sailors have done very well in the fleet at national level. The plan is to further develop the fleet in Lough Derg with regular training sessions between the ULSSC and KSC Fireballs.

 

The Fireballers are a friendly bunch that are big into their sailing so if you'd like to know more about the boat or just help with your own sailing don't be afraid to ask.

Jim Ryan (jim.ryan@ul.ie) is the Killaloe class captain and can help you get involved in fireball sailing.


Further information can be found at the Irish Fireball web site or at the Fireball international web site. The British Fireball association also has some good information and forum pages

The Irish Fireball association has an e-mailing list that is linked to Yahoo group web site. Their is a simple registration form before you can join the group but it only takes a few minutes. The e-mail list keeps you up to date on the goings on in the Fireball fraternity and if you are looking for a piece of equipment, buying or selling your boat or just looking for some crew then this is the place to look.

By Eoin Enright