Mustang Sally takes over lead

THE weather gods reigned supreme this weekend for competitors at two events on the east and south coasts. Gales and storm force gusts forced cancellation of all but three races in the Heineken Dragon Southern Championship at Kinsale while a brief abatement in similar conditions at Howth yesterday morning permitted race three of the Nissan Autumn League to go ahead.

Nevertheless, the hundreds of sailors racing yesterday had the running spiked by a neat little 40 degree windshift and that upset several top contenders in various classes. Certainly some of the best racing in class zero is taking place at Howth this autumn with the season long spell of a three way battle between Sarah J. Surfin' Shoes and Cracklin' Rosie well broken by a host of would-be class winners.

Yesterday saw Max McMullan's Mustang Sally take over the overall lead thanks to a first place from Dave Cummaford's Converting Machine '96. Previous leader Roy Dickson in Cracklin' Rosie slipped to second as a result of his sixth yesterday and must make up the three point gap over the remaining three weeks in the series.

Peter Beamish and Aztec taking another first in class one was no surprise although pressure from Andy Knowles's Saxon Girl, in second yesterday, marks several X-99s waiting to get in on the act.

Among the smaller classes, the consistent performances from several boats are beginning to seem impossible to break into. Philip Watson's Pathfinder added its third straight win to lead class three on channel handicap, joining Gerry O'Neill's Just Good Friends in the Shipman 28 cruiser/racers and David Lovegrove's Puppeteer Snow Goose as potential six race hat-trick winners.

Simon Brien, of the Royal Ulster YC, who won Friday's opening Dragon race off the Old Head of Kinsale, ended up with another Dragon title to his credit when yesterday's racing was cancelled.

Consistent sailing by Andrew Craig's Chimaera, counting a second, a third and a fourth gave him second overall just under two points ahead of his team-mate Robin Hennessy from the Royal St. George YC.