SAILING: Multiple world and Olympic champion Pol Ricard Hoj-Jensen added yet another to his career of sailing scalps when he won the Setanta Dragon National Championship at Kinsale yesterday. The Dane had a winning margin of 20 points from his nearest rival, though the outcome was far from certain throughout the four-day series.
Defending champion Andrew Craig was unable to maintain his opening form although Chimaera had a narrow lead up to race four on Saturday afternoon.
However, a third on Saturday plus another win in yesterday's brief final race was enough to secure the laurels for Hoj-Jensen.
In the final analysis, Craig was ousted into third place when Neil Hegarty with David Williams and Peter Bowring proved the bettercrew over the final three races and took the best Irish boat crown.
Johnny Ross-Murphy on Topaz with Ailbhe Millerick and Con Murphy plus Clare Hogan's Cloud with Tom Hogan and Mel Collins meant Royal St. George crews took the first four runner-up places.
The series was being used by Irish crews as part of a qualification programme ahead of next August's European championship, also to be staged by Kinsale YC. The class south coast championship at Glandore in two weeks' time completes this process.
DRAGON NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (at Kinsale YC); Final overall after six races: 1 Danish Blue (P Hoj-Jensen); 2 Phantom (N Hegarty); 3 Chimaera (A Craig); 4 Topaz (J Ross-Murphy); 5 Cloud ( C Hogan); 6 Aphrodite (S Brien).
