In breezes that are shifting up to 50 degrees, Olympic single-hander Maria Coleman resumes her bid for the Europe world title in Villamoura, Portugal, this morning in the knowledge that a medal is within her grasp.
Critics who have argued that the world ranked number two has never made it to a podium position in the last three world championships have been silenced this week by her speed in light, medium and strong winds. A new carbon fibre mast has given a speed boost, but it was her pre-regatta preparation in a difficult sea breeze venue that has brought the prospect of a medal much closer this week.
The Baltimore sailor has produced a string of top-10 ten finishes to be placed third overall at the half-way stage of the Europe dinghy regatta. More significantly, however, her results have all been hard won. She has rounded top marks in the teens in the 138-boat but has always had the pace to make up ground over the trapezoid courses.
She arrived in the lead at a top mark that had been moved because of a wind shift and headed for what she thought was the new reaching mark. She was so far in front, she says, the whole fleet followed her downwind. When she was 10 tenmetres from the bottom mark a mid-fleet competitor spotted a coach boat heading to a different mark and twigged the change of course.
"The new mark was miles away and I ended up at the back of the fleet," Coleman said during her day off yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese organisers have already lost a day through lack of wind and another one due to a mix-up in the sailing instructions.
Because there is only today (Friday and tomorrow to complete the full racing schedule, it could be cut further from six to four, a situation that might further improve Irish hopes.
Meanwhile, off the Kerry coast, in an impressive run for a 34ft yacht, Joggernaut battled strong gales to successfully defend it's handicap title from Moonduster in the final hours of the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race.
The Galway-based GK 34, owned by Donal Morrissy, but entered jointly in the names of its crew, Robert McDonagh, Jim Grealish and David Deforge, finished with a corrected time of 50 hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds.
The line honours veteran Moonduster, a 59-footer, finished on 52:01:55 corrected time to finish second overall. Denis Doyle (80), though impressive when winds reached gale force off Kinsale, lost valuable time and distance in the fickle light airs of the first night against a strong tide along the east coast.
Third overall was the brand new Gallileo, a Beneteau 47.7 (Ged Pierse) with a corrected time of 52:12:53.
The two Irish Stars competing at the 51-boat European championships have both discarded their worst results after completing five races. Racing concludes today (Friday with Mark Mansfield throwing out a 35th place to give him 81 points and a 24th placing overall.
Dun Laoghaire's Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks are five places behind the Cork pair under the tutelage of Johnny Ross Murphy. They have discarded a 42nd and go into the last race today on 96 points.
