RC's notes:
"Friday 3/16 - Wind SSW 10-15kt, 2 races."
"Saturday 3/17 - Wind variable, midday postponement on land due to calm, racing back on at 1500, 3 races"
"Sunday 3/18 - Wind NE 8-15kt, 2 races."
Now in 36th consecutive year at DIYC.
Double last year's fleet size.
"Newly built and rehabilitated boats from Pennsylvania and Ohio result of Jefferson-Morgan High School Industrial Arts program as featured in US Sailing's Winter 2001 ""Junior Sailor"" article."
"International Fireball class secretary Andrew Davies on-hand from England to survey racing area/conditions, DIYC facility, race management."
DIYC will host Fireball Internationals and Worlds (two-week event) next year.
Long distance travellers were easy to find too - 3 boats from Colorado, 1 from Nebraska (!), and a full 25% of the fleet was made of boats that made the trek down from Ottawa. A few crews came from even further afield - Vermont, Montreal, and even the Evil Dr, Rob Thompson flying in from Victoria. Special guest was F.I. secretary Andrew Davies coming in from England to observe the event, as the Worlds will be in the same venue next year.
Now for the sailing! Thursday was planned as a training day, but the high winds put a bit of a crimp in those plans. Several boats took the opportunity for a shakedown sail (and their first capsizes of the new season). The wind was still cranking on Friday, with a pretty good chop whipping up in Tampa Bay. A few boats decided that the shore was more inviting than the water, but better than half the fleet went out in the challenging conditions (challenging for those who hadn't sailed since fall anyway!). The starting line was looking a bit crowded when Bill Miller should have zigged rather than zagged (or was that zagged rather than zigged?). Regardless, a bit of a commotion was heard as he rode up and over the transom of Bill Johnson's boat, and whacking Rob Thompson in the back at the same time. Everyone kept sailing, but after the first triangle the Miller's in Astral Planer were looking a bit low in the water and headed for the harbour where the bow tank was found to be full of water, and Bill was proclaiming the boat would be renamed Subastral Planer! Fireballer's love to work on their boats, so there was an enthusiastic workparty that night patching up the holes, and the Millers were off and racing again on Saturday.
Saturday dawned with a morning breeze and clear skies. Everyone enthusiastically hit the water for the 9am start, but the breeze started to fail. The RC made the right choice in shortening the race before the wind died completely, and we all got a tow back to the harbour with an A.P. flying on land. Assorted sailors took the opportunity to work on boats (I think Steph was still rigging his new hull), play soccer, or just hang out. Just when we thought the day was shot, a breeze came up and we hit the water again about 3pm for two light air races, with Dave & Mona having the nerve to win a race in their brand new boat, one of the few races that Henry let get away from him (Congratulations!).
Sunday - WIND! Sleeping under the palm trees, I thought it was blowing a gail, but it turned out that palm trees just make a huge fuss over a little bit of wind. Still, the RC reported that it was blowing 20 to 25 further out in the bay. Hmmm. But flat water since it was an offshore - great conditions for Fireballing! This was probably the best sailing of the weekend, and great fun for all. Two races, then back to land for packing up for the long journeys home.
Phil Locker, CAN14678
| Sail | Boat name | Skipper | Crew | Origin | Club | Points | Place |
| 14700 | Risky Business | Henry McCray | Michael Miller | "Charleston, SC" | . | 8 | 1 |
| 11451 | Tooth Fairy | Patrick Crump | Ned Goss | "Kernersville, NC" | CPYC | 12 | 2 |
| 14626 | Boomer | Gary Van Tassel II | Gary Van Tassel | "Seaford, VA" | YPDC | 23 | 3 |
| 14558 | Cold Smoke | Alan Boeve | Bruce Osmun | "Boulder, CO" | DSA | 28 | 4 |
| 14744 | Mamba | David Landsberg | Mona Barakat | "Ottawa, ON" | NSC | 29 | 5 |
| 14415 | American Psycho | Mark Matthews | Kevin Baum | "Portsouth, VA" | . | 41 | 6 |
| 14678 | Epuffany | Phil Locker | Tom Egli | "Ottawa, ON" | NSC | 43 | 7 |
| 10149 | Jacquiline | Bill Johnson | Robert Thompson | "Kiemarnock, VA" | . | 43 | 8 |
| 2669 | Witch Of Endor | Duncan Schaefer | Graham Schaefer | "Chardon, OH" | PSC | 45 | 9 |
| 13890 | Punk Flamingo | Mike McEvoy | Gary Godberson | "Ottawa, ON" | NSC | 46 | 10 |
| 12847 | Ecologa | Fred Steward | Sarah Steward | "Pittsburg, PA" | MSC | 76 | 11 |
| 14490 | Astral Planer | Bill Miller | Mark Miller | "Denver, CO" | DSA | 84 | 12 |
| 3057 | Mojo | Steph Serre de St Jean | Martial Havard | "Nepean, ON" | NSC | 97 | 13 |
| 7703 | no name | George McKim | Devin McKim | "Raleigh, NC" | CYC | 100 | 14 |
| 10280 | Yes Dear | Mike Reid | Mike Pepera | "Westerville, OH" | SSC | 102 | 15 |
| 14717 | Smiles | David White | Lainey White | "Pittsburgh, PA" | . | 103 | 16 |
| 11890 | Pyro Maniax | Chris Dorrington | Rick Dorrington | "Ft. Erie, ON" | BCC | 104 | 17 |
| 12362 | Martian Express | Doug Corner | Antica Locker | "Ottawa, ON" | NSC | 115 | 18 |
| 13281 | Straight No Chaser | Quinn Olson | Brian Cagle | "Lincoln, NE" | HLSC | 122 | 19 |
| 14666 | Devil's Haircut | Mary Wood | Daniel Lemier | "Denver, CO" | DSA | 126 | 20 |