With five races to go in Ballyholme's Multihull Icebreaker Series, there was not much room for error at the top of the fleet. An added uncertainty was that if all five races were sailed, a third discard became applicable. An uncharacteristic sixth place from Johnny Mullan's Brace-yourself-Bridget in Race 10 brought Stephen Polly & June McMinn (Mine's-a-Double) up into top overall spot, after finishing second to Alan Bell's Supernatural (Dart 18). In the three races that followed, the overall lead changed hands with every result, albeit mostly on tie breaks as both boats finished in the top three places. Other sparkling performers included Elaine & David Taylor (Yani the Cat, H5.9) with a second in Race 11 (and a really snappy pitchpole in Race 13!), Mark Valentine & Nicky Knox, and Wic McCready singlehanding the Dart 16 to a second in Race 12. Pete McDowell & Stephen McMinn (Hawk) monopolised fourth spot except when it was grabbed by George Crowe & Jan Nixey in Race 10. Interestingly, among the twelve boats in Race 11 was a cat crewed entirely by Sigma 33 owners!

Going out to the start for the last race, Brace-yourself-Bridget was trailing the series by one point when disaster struck and a temporarily repaired mainsheet fitting let go, finishing their race before it had begun. The race was won by Mine's-a-Double (Stephen Polly & June McMinn) with Mark Valentine & Nicky Knox second, and Stephen McMinn narrowly avoiding fourth place again by jumping ship to Wic McCready's Dart 16.

Turnouts averaged 10.5 boats for this series and the traditionally large turnout for the last race did not happen. Race 1 and Race 2 promised great things with twelve and thirteen starters respectively, but strong winds in the middle races and non-sailing commitments towards the end of the series meant that numbers only once reached this level again. Three boats started all twelve races (good man George!) , but six boats started three or fewer races. Rumour has it that there will be some not-so-strange boats and faces on the Starting Line for Part II of the series on 7th February! Hopefully there will be stacks of local opposition to keep them busy.

Place	Sail No.	Name	Owner	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	R13	R14	Total Pts.	Dis. 1	Dis. 2	Dis. 3	Net Pts.
1	6932	Mine's-a-Double	S Polly & Mrs JE McMinn	1	2	dnf	-	4	-	1	2	1	2	3	3	1	1	31	10	4	3	14
2	80	Brace yourself Bridget	JV Mullan & IH Wilson	6	1	2	-	2	-	3	1	4	6	1	1	2	dnf	40	11	6	6	17
3	7117	Two's Company	M Valentine & N Knox	2	6	1	-	5	-	ocs	5	dns	dnc	6	7	3	2	69	12	10	10	37
4	769	Tiercel	P McDowell & S McMinn	9	dnf	dnc	-	1	-	4	8	dnf	3	4	4	4	4	76	14	11	10	41
5	5775	Supernatural	A Bell & M Crowe	5	5	4	-	6	-	dns	6	dnc	1	7	9	6	6	76	11	10	9	46
6	189	Yani the Cat	E & D Taylor	8	dnf	5	-	dnc	-	2	3	dnc	9	2	5	10	8	90	14	13	11	52
7	5044	Macavity's Back	G Crowe & Amanda/Jan	4	8	dnf	-	8	-	dnf	7	dnf	4	rtd	6	7	5	92	13	10	10	59
8	5736	The Business	R & A Armstrong	3	4	3	-	10	-	dnc	9	5	dnc	10	dsq	8	dnc	98	12	12	11	63
9	6983	Seeing Double	PA Kernohan & C Sibbald	7	dnc	dnc	-	7	-	5	4	dnf	7	8	dnc	5	dnf	102	15	12	11	64
10	5120	Felix the Cat	D & J Rennie	dnf	11	dnf	-	dnc	-	dnf	10	2	5	9	8	9	7	107	13	13	11	70
11	1670	-	W McCready & S McMinn	dns	7	dnc	-	3	-	dnc	dnc	3	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	3	114	14	13	13	74
12	4786	-	ADP Allen	dnc	3	dnc	-	dnc	-	dnc	dnc	dnc	10	5	dnc	dnc	dnc	127	14	13	13	87
13	1670	-	W McCready	dnc	dnc	dnc	-	dnc	-	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	2	dnc	dnc	140	15	14	14	97
14	1362	The Slack Tart	A McIlroy & A McKee	dsq	10	dnf	-	11	-	dnc	dnc	dnc	8	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	137	14	13	13	97
15=	1337	Electrika B.	Matthew Ridout	dnc	dnc	dnc	-	9	-	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	146	15	14	14	103
15=	5040	-	D Price & R Gray	dnc	9	dnc	-	dnc	-	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	dnc	144	14	14	13	103
17	1706	-	J Campbell & J McIlroy	dnc	dnc	dnc	-	dnc	-	dnc	dnf	dnc	dnc	dsq	dnc	dnc	dnc	148	15	14	13	106

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