Fireball (dinghy)

Originally designed by Peter Milne in 1962, the Fireball is a one-design high-performance sailing dinghy. The Fireball is sailed by a crew of two, and sports a single trapeze, symmetric spinnaker and chined hull. The class is strictly controlled, but has adapted to advances in building techniques. The hulls (plywood, FRP or composite) have a strict minimum weight limit of 175 lb (79 kg) (with correctors).

Fireball
Class symbol
Boat
Crew2 (single trapeze)
Hull
Hull weight175 lb (79 kg)
LOA16 ft 2 in (4.93 m)
Beam4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)
Rig
Mast length22.3 ft (6.8 m)
Sails
Mainsail area108 sq ft (10.0 m2).
Jib/genoa area35 sq ft (3.3 m2).
Spinnaker area140 sq ft (13 m2).
Racing
D-PN85.6
RYA PN980
PHRF184
Class is a member of World Sailing
Fireball dinghy under spinnaker

The Fireball is a highly competitive dinghy, with large fleets worldwide and state, national, continental and world championships held annually. Competitors of all ages help make this class enjoyable for everyone. The performance of the boat is very dependent on tuning as the Fireball's rig can be adjusted in numerous ways.

The 2010 Fireball World Championships were held in Barbados in May 2010. The 2011 Worlds were held in Sligo Yacht Club, Sligo, Ireland. The 2012 World Championships were held in Mandurah, Western Australia. The 2012 European Championships were held at Lake Bracciano in July. The Fireball celebrated its 50th year in 2012 and the 50th UK National Championships was held at Penzance in August.

The Fireball can also be sailed in a mixed fleet using the Portsmouth Yardstick handicap scheme. Its Portsmouth number is 980 in the UK[1] and its D-PN (in the USA) is 85.6.[2]

Events

World Championships

Year Gold Silver Bronze
1966 Hayling Island  Great Britain
Bob Fisher
Richard Beales
1967 Ile de Bendor  Great Britain
Peter Bateman
Julian Brooke-Houghton
1968 Brunnen  Great Britain
Peter Bateman
Julian Brooke-Houghton
1970 Fenit  Great Britain
J. Caig
J. Davis
1971 Beirut  Great Britain
J. Caig
J. Davis
1972 Wrightsville Beach  West Germany
J. Deisch
S. Warfvinge
1973 Torbay  Great Britain
K. Brackwell
R. Butcher
1974 Glenelg  Australia
J. Cassidy
W. Crisp
1975 La Rochelle  United States
A. Ellis
Joan Ellis
 Rhodesia
Morgenrood
Latham
 United States
Davis
Davis
1976 Hubbard  United States
S. Benjamin
T. Edmunson
1977 Kinsale  United States
S. Benjamin
T. Edmunson
1978 Pattaya  Great Britain
Lawrie Smith
Andy Barker
1979 Monnickendam  Great Britain
Crispin Read-Wilson
Paul Withers
 Great Britain
Paul McNamara
Nigel Vivian
 Great Britain
Davies
 
1980 Durban  Great Britain
Kim Slater
Richard Parslow
RSA JJ Provoyeur T Twentyman-Jones

RSA D Hudson T Reynolds

1981 Weymouth  Great Britain
Phil Morrison
Jon Turner
1982 Melbourne  Australia
Chris Tillet
Mike Rogers
1983 Estavayer-le-Lac  Australia
Stuart Hamilton
D. Conner
1984 Point Richmond  Australia
Gary Smith
Nigel Conner
1985 Diano Marina  Australia
Tony Weatherill
Martin Penty
1986 Montréal  Australia
Nigel Abbott
Craig Smith
1987 Val-André  Great Britain
Ian Pinnell
Daniel Cripps
1988 Glenelg  Australia
John Clifton
Paul Martin
1989 Paignton  Australia
John Dransfield
Andrew Perry
1990 Enoshima  Australia
John Dransfield
Andrew Perry
1991 Skadergarten  Australia
Jon Dransfield
Gregor Baird
1992 Wrightsville Beach  South Africa
Martin Lambrecht
Alec Lanham-Love
1993 Nieuwpoort  Great Britain
Tim Rush
John Ward
1994 Durban  Great Britain
Ian Pinnell
Daniel Cripps
  Switzerland
Schärer
Moser
 Australia
Cook
Batty
1995 Dun Loaghaire  Ireland
John Lavery
David O'Brien
1996 Kingston  Great Britain
Colin Goodman
Jim Turner
  Switzerland
Erich Moser
Ruedi Moser
 Canada
Toff Nicoll-Griffith
Peter Kelly
1997 Weymouth  Great Britain
David Edwards
Adam Bowers
 Great Britain
Ian Pinnell
John Ward
 Great Britain
Malcolm Davies
Ian Cadwallader
1998 Melbourne  Great Britain
Colin Goodman
Jim Turner
 Great Britain
Ian Pinnell
John Ward
 Great Britain
Malcolm Davies
Russell Thorne
1999 Brest  France
Bénoît Petit
Jean-François Cuzon
 Great Britain
Ian Pinnell
John Ward
2000 Pattaya  Great Britain
David Edwards
Vyv Townend
2001 Trevignano Romano  Great Britain
Steve Morrison
Liam Murray
 Great Britain
Ian Pinnell
David Scott
 Czech Republic
Tomas Musil
Milan Kolacek
2002 Tampa  Great Britain
Ian Pinnell
David Scott
 Great Britain
Richard Estaugh
Simon Potts
  Switzerland
Erich Moser
Ruedi Moser
2003 Kilifi  Great Britain
Chips Howarth
Vyv Townend
 Great Britain
Dave Wade
Richard Wagstaff
 Great Britain
Vincent Horey
Jim Turner
2004 Adelaide  Great Britain
Andy Smith
James Meldrum
 Czech Republic
Tomas Musil
Jan Danek
 Great Britain
Dave Wade
Richard Wagstaff
2005 Teighmouth  Great Britain
Chips Howarth
Vyv Townend
 Great Britain
Andy Smith
Jonny Mildred
 Great Britain
Guy Tipton
Chriss Tattersall
2006 Victoria   Switzerland
Erich Moser
Ruedi Moser
 Canada
Grant Lamont
Tom Egli
 Australia
Heather MacFarlane
Chris Payne
2007 St. Moritz  Great Britain
Richard Estaugh
Rob Gardener
 Great Britain
Vince Horey
Andy Thompson
 Great Britain
Tom Jeffcoate
Mark Hogan
2008 Pattaya  Great Britain
Matt Mee
Richard Wagstaff
 Great Britain
David Wade
Ben McGraine
 Australia
Nathan Stockley
Sam Muirhead
2009 La Rochelle  Great Britain
Chips Howarth
Vyv Townend
 Great Britain
Matt Burge
Richard Wagstaff
 Great Britain
David Edwards
Simon Potts
2010 Bridgetown  Great Britain
Chips Howarth
Vyv Townend
 Great Britain
Matt Burge
Richard Wagstaff
 Great Britain
David Edwards
Simon Potts
2011 Ireland  Kevlar Footprint (GBR)
Matt Burge
Richard Wagstaff
 Great Britain
Thomas Gillard
Sam Brearey
 Great Britain
David Wade
Simon Potts
2012 Australia  Great Britain
Thomas Gillard
Sam Brearey
 Australia
Robin Inns
Joel Coultas
 Australia
Greg Allison
Richard Watson
2013 Slovenia  Great Britain
Thomas Gillard
Simon Potts
 Great Britain
Christian Birrell
Sam Brearey
 Great Britain
Matt Burge
Dan Scieber
2014 Thailand  Great Britain
Christian Birrell
Sam Brearey
 Great Britain
Nathan Bathchelor
Sam Pascoe
 Australia
Ben Schulz
Doug Sheppard
2015 Pwhelli, Wales  Great Britain
Tom Gillard
Richard Anderton
 Great Britain
James Peters
Fynn Sterritt
 Great Britain
Christian Birrell
Sam Brearey
2016 Mossel Bay, South Africa  Great Britain
Tom Gillard
Richard Anderton
  Switzerland
Claude Mermod
Ruedi Moser
 Australia
Ben Schulz
Jack Lidgett
2018 Carnac, France  Great Britain
Matt Burge
Dan Scieber
 Great Britain
Penny Clark
Russell Clark
 Great Britain
Tom Gillard
Geoff Edwards
2019 Montreal, Canada  Great Britain
Ian Dobson
Richard Wagstaff
 Australia
Heather Macfarlane
Chris Payne
 France
Ludovic Collin
Remy Thuillier

European Championships

YearEventVenueBoatHelm and CrewCountry


2012European ChampionshipItalyFireball 15084Matt Burge & Richard WagstaffUnited Kingdom
2011European ChampionshipEvent not heldN/A & N/A
2010European ChampionshipCzech RepublicFireball 15041Tom Gillard & Sam BreareyUnited Kingdom
2009European ChampionshipFranceFireball 15020Vince Horey & Rob GardnerUnited Kingdom
2008European ChampionshipBelgiumFireball 14948Tom Jeffcoate & David HynesUnited Kingdom
2007European ChampionshipEvent not heldN/A & N/A
2006European ChampionshipFranceFireball 14895 "Gul"Andy Smith & Jonny MildredUnited Kingdom
2005European ChampionshipUnited KingdomFireball 14908 "4 walls 4 sail"David Edwards & Dan NewmanUnited Kingdom
2004European ChampionshipSloveniaFireball 14879 "Aloha Malina"Thomas Musil & Jan StantejskyCzech Republic
2003European ChampionshipUnited KingdomFireball 14801Andy Smith & James MeldrumUnited Kingdom
2002European ChampionshipItalyFireball 14799Erich Moser & Ruedi MoserSwitzerland
2001European ChampionshipItalyFireball 14685 "Last Man's Batter"Steve Morrison & Liam MurrayUnited Kingdom
2000European ChampionshipIrelandFireball 14685 "Last Man's Batter"Steve Morrison & Richard WagstaffUnited Kingdom
1999European ChampionshipFranceFireball 14701Ian Pinnell & M FlintUnited Kingdom
1998European ChampionshipCzech RepublicFireball 14552Thomas Musil & Roman RacekCzech Republic
1997European ChampionshipUnited KingdomFireball 14579 "Kojak's Roll-Neck"Colin Goodman & Jim TurnerUnited Kingdom
1996European ChampionshipSwitzerlandFireball 14540Erich Moser & Ruedi MoserSwitzerland
1995European ChampionshipIrelandFireball 14378John Lavery & David O'BrienIreland
1994European ChampionshipFranceFireball 14376Erich Moser & Ruedi MoserSwitzerland
1993European ChampionshipBelgiumFireball 14376Erich Moser & Ruedi MoserSwitzerland
1992European ChampionshipItalyFireball 14334Jean-Charles Scale & Bertrand LoyalFrance
1991European ChampionshipCzechoslovakiaFireball 14267Ian Pinnell & Daniel CrippsUnited Kingdom
1990European ChampionshipSwitzerlandFireball 14169Jeremy Hartley & Chris MilesUnited Kingdom
1989European ChampionshipBelgiumFireball 14016Ian Pinnell & Jarrod SimpsonUnited Kingdom
1988European ChampionshipItalyFireball 14016Ian Pinnell & Daniel CrippsUnited Kingdom
1987European ChampionshipFranceFireball 13845 "Boy Racer"Ian Pinnell & Daniel CrippsUnited Kingdom
1986European ChampionshipSwedenFireball 13668Andy Rowland & Mark HazelwoodUnited Kingdom
1985European ChampionshipGuernseyFireball 13460Ian Fryett & Giles FryettUnited Kingdom
1984European ChampionshipUnited KingdomFireball 13317Tim Rush & Angus HemmingsUnited Kingdom
1983European ChampionshipFranceFireball 12718Colin McKinnon & Doug PenistonUnited Kingdom
1982European ChampionshipIrelandFireball 12923Tony Wetherell & Steve GoacherUnited Kingdom
1981European ChampionshipItalyFireball 12895Nigel Buckley & Steve BirbeckUnited Kingdom
1980European ChampionshipUnited KingdomFireball 12812Eddie Warden-Owen & Ossie StewartUnited Kingdom
1979European ChampionshipSwedenFireball 12063David Bain & Stuart AngusUnited Kingdom
1978European ChampionshipFranceFireball 11609Kim Slater & Nick Read-WilsonUnited Kingdom
1977European ChampionshipWest GermanyFireball 11059Roger Tushingham & Alistair LockeUnited Kingdom
1976European ChampionshipSwedenFireball 9961Lawrie Smith & Paul WithersUnited Kingdom
1975European ChampionshipUnited KingdomFireball 7429Philippe Gault & Patrice GaultFrance
1974European ChampionshipSwitzerlandFireball 9238Alistair Locke & N RobinsonUnited Kingdom
1973European ChampionshipItalyFireball 8091Phillippe Durr & Yves PochonSwitzerland
1972European ChampionshipWest GermanyFireball 7175Jean-Claude Vuithier & Pierre WaltSwitzerland
1971European ChampionshipSwedenFireball 6396A Batzill & R BatzillWest Germany
1970European ChampionshipEvent not heldN/A & N/A
1969European ChampionshipBelgiumFireball 4161Peter Bateman & Julian Brooke-HoughtonUnited Kingdom

Notes

  1. "Portsmouth Number List 2012". Royal Yachting Association. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  2. "Centerboard Classes". US Sailing. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
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