Sailing: In a welcome spark back to life, Ireland's Maria Coleman in the Europe single-hander scored a race win at the Spa Olympic Regatta at Medemblik, Holland, yesterday to mark her return to form after prolonged spell in the doldrums at successive regattas recently.
An "on-course-side" start resulting in disqualification in her second race of the day did little to detract from her earlier victory against a full Olympic standard fleet.
There was further good news later in the afternoon when David Burrows doggedly clipped at fleet leader Ben Ainslie in both races to produce twin third places for the day, boosting the Malahide sailor from eighth to fifth overall.
In both races, the Irish sailor held a close second overall before dropping a place in the final downwind sprint to the finish.
Elsewhere in this 1,000 competitor event, Irish boats fared less well. It wasn't a great day at the office for several boats. Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins scored a 16th and a 26th to finish the day 16th overall, down from eighth in the opening day.
In the 470 Men's class, Ger Owens and Ross Killian are now 14th overall after a 6-10-18 day.
The Laser class has 78 entries and Roger Craig tops the Irish contingent in 27th overall thanks to his second top 10 result of the series to date, an eighth place.
Nicholas O'Leary is 39th while James Espey is 65th. In the Finn single-hander, Aaron O'Grady is 21st overall with three days of racing left.
Meanwhile, Cork Week gets underway in six weeks and with entries capped at 500 boats, barely a dozen places remain available as the entry deadline looms on 1st June.
Among the overseas entries are Glynn Williams from Southampton Yacht Club, who returns to defend his title in the IRM Class with Wolf.
Mustang Sally, a Farr 46 cruiser from Fremantle Sailing Club is heading to Crosshaven as well as Clay Deutsch in his Swan 68 "Chippewa".
Fresh from a very successful Antigua regatta, the headline double-act of Pyewacket and Morning Glory will be making their way across the Atlantic to renew their rivalry in the exciting new MAX Z86 Class that has chosen Cork Week for the first leg of its European Circuit. Owned by Roy Disney and Hasso Plattner respectively, these cutting edge boats are 86 feet long with canting keels and will be racing in Class Zero.
These will be the fastest boats to have ever raced at Cork Week and each provided an economic bonus of 100,000 for their duration of their visit.
Another highlight on the water will be British America's Cup supremo Peter Harrison with his new £10 Million Farr 115 super-cruiser Sojana.
Launched last September, this ketch-rigged, light displacement, fast-cruising superyacht will attend Cork Week as mothership to Harrison's Farr 52 "Chernikeeff 2".
Flying Fifteen Western Championships (at Lough Erne Sailing Club); Final Overall: 1 B Willis & J McPeake (Antrim SC); 2 D Martin & S Murray (Strangford Lough YC); 3 D Gorman & F Burgess (National YC).
