Tornadoes!
As we arrived at Blessington Sailing Club for the first sail of '98, none of us could imagine what we were going to experience while sailing.
With only 4 Dart 18s, 2 Hawks and 1 Hurricane 5.9 we started Race 1 in a force one to zero with the sun shining on and off. As we sailed around the first lap, the wind was swinging and got up for a few minutes and died back down again. Dermot Mangan had opened up a lead after taking it from Dermot McHugh. The Dart 18's and Cathy MacAleavey, 3 up on her Hurricane 5.9, swapped places in the changing wind directions.
As we rounded the windward mark for the second last time, the wind filled in, giving the boats at the back of the fleet a boost, bunching all the Dart 18's and the Hurricane 5.9.
What we saw when we gybed around the gybe mark was unbelievable. A wall of what turned out to be big hailstones was heading towards us. As we looked at this we saw water jump up from of the lake and form into mini Tornadoes (about 15m high & 5m wide). As we sailed on, one crossed our path about 100 metres in front in us. Dermot McHugh & Julie McGuire just got their Gennaker down when another mini Tornado caught up with them and threw the boat over like a toy.
Those who missed the Tornadoes now headed straight into this wall of hailstones and close to a force 10 wind firing hail stones at us like bullets. If this wasn't enough there were a few flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder. The whole thing only lasted about 5 minutes and left 2 boats capsized - Dermot McHugh, and Dave & Susan Lynch.
We then sailed on in a dying force 3, which made Dermot Mangan's big lead look much smaller.
Only one race was sailed due to the wind dying away to nothing.
Results:
1st Neil Mangan - Dart 18
2nd Dermot Mangan - Dart Hawk
3rd Phillip O'Sullivan - Dart 18
4th Fergus Madden - Dart 18
5th Dave Lynch - Dart 18
6th Cathy MacAleavey - Hurricane 5.9
7th Dermot McHugh - Dart Hawk
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