SAILING: After yesterday afternoon's reinstatement of the Class Zero boats, and another race win yesterday, Colm Barrington's Gloves Off, the Dun Laoghaire Corby 38, leads the big boat class by a single point from Robert Boulter's Thunder 2 from the Isle of Wight.
Irish Commodore's Cup Team member Cracklin' Rosie suffered a set-back yesterday when the Corby 40-footer was carried over the line early, closely sandwiched between two larger yachts. It was almost 10 minutes before skipper Roy Dickson could find the sea-room and boatspeed to turn-back and restart correctly. By the end, their 12th place became their first of two worst race discards and Howth YC crew was seventh overnight.
After waiting almost two hours for the first race start, the combined IRM and classes Zero and One fleets started the wait for the second race. By almost four o'clock, the race officer saw the writing on the water - no wind - and called it a day, provoking rapturous applause and cheering from bored and sunburnt crews.
For Irish crews, class five is providing some of the most intense competition with the first discard expected after today's racing. Eamon Crosbie suffered a huge 11 points for the Harbour course yesterday while Stuart Edmundton's Kit Off took over the lead. Howth's Michael Guinan on Phantom continues to hold third with Martin Reilly from Sligo unchanged overnight in fourth.
In the 1720 Sportsboats, previous national champion Anthony O'Leary has overtaken Des Cummins on Merlin to lie best of the Irish in fourth overall, while John Rickards' Babbalaas continues his runaway lead of the class.
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