Winds freshened gradually on Dublin Bay yesterday for day two of the Volvo Dún Laoghaire Regatta but an encounter with a Storm led to one boat losing its overall lead of one class.
Norbert Reilly’s Crazy Horse from Howth Yacht Club had led Class Zero into yesterday’s two races, placing fourth in the morning course off Howth.
However, a “T-Bone” incident with Rush Sailing Club’s Storm skippered by Pat Kelly, racing separately for the J109 Irish championship, led to Reilly’s Corby 36-footer being withdrawn.
Extensive damage to the stern was reported and a visit to a boat yard for repairs including new guardrails will be required.
Reilly’s prospects for the class win took a severe blow as he scored maximum points for the race despite winning the morning course and had been in contention.
Stephen's Cowie's Scottish entry Zephyr takes over the Class zero lead after winning the first race and then placing third in the afternoon, while Maurice Mitton's Loose Change is the sole Irish representative remaining in the class that features the biggest boats racing under IRC handicap at this 390-boat event.
Overall lead
After winning the opening race on Thursday evening, John Maybury's Joker II scored a fourth and a sixth yesterday, retaining the overall lead for the J109 championship but only after the tie-break.
John Collins’ Welsh entry Jet Stream was the best of the 14-strong class yesterday but even the leaderboard is a finely balanced affair with the third- and fourth-placed boats tied on points as well in what is becoming Ireland versus Wales battle.
A big issue for many of the boats racing on the Howth course was wind – or rather the lack of it at the end of the day.
Having enjoyed up to 14 knots of breeze during the day, the finish of the race became a drift-a-thon with nine of the J109s scoring “Did-not-finish” as they ran past the time limit.
Along with the Class Zero and Class One boats that shared this course area yesterday, only the bigger boats had the speed to reach the finish before the wind died.
Many of the leading contenders will be looking forward to the first discard that will come into force today allowing them to drop their worst score of the series to date.
Biggs in form
Elsewhere on the eight-course event, few classes have outright favourites as the series passes the halfway stage except perhaps Class Two, where Nigel Biggs on Checkmate V continued his season form of straight wins and has a seven-point lead in this 26-boat class.
Visitors Stuart and Julie Fitton’s Scenario Encore from Blackpool & Fleetwood Yacht Club lead the charge for the more closely contested runner-up places, while Galway Bay’s Tribal skippered by Liam Burke is best of the Irish fleet in third overall after three races.
Barry Cunningham and Jonathan Skerritt’s Quest from the Royal Irish Yacht Club continues to hold the overall lead in Class 3, where a gaggle of five J24’s racing under IRC handicap has lined up as challengers for the class win.
Also in the one-design stakes in the regatta, Jean Mitton from the Royal St George YC has topped the Beneteau 31.7 class on Levana with two wins yesterday in this 17-strong class that had been led by Jason and Debbie Corletts’ Eauvation from the Isle of Mann.