With all the hopes and promises of a new year, it was with great expectation that the Fireball fleet put to the water for the first race of the 2004 Fireball World Championships. However the wind lasted just about as long as most people’s new year’s resolutions! Shortly before the scheduled start time the race officer Mike Rogers was forced to put up the postponement flag.

After a hour or so of milling around on the water Mike decided that the best option was to send the fleet back to wait on shore for the wind. At 1600 and with no sign of wind appearing, racing was abandoned for the day.

There is a growing feeling among the UK fleet that: “It is usually like this,” after all in Adelaide! Why else would all the local boats have small crews, such small rudders and large spinnakers? The weather conditions experienced to date only go to further competitors’ suspicions.