SAILING: Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks can see their dream of a top 10 finish at the Star European Championship come true this afternoon if the rookie pairing can hold on for the final two races at the Yacht Club Italiano, Genoa, today.
Triple Olympian Mark Mansfield with crew Killian Collins - sailing a chartered boat - is 13th overall in a regatta which the number five in the world admitted yesterday had been "difficult" with "severe shifts".
Last night a protest was lodged by 15 competitors against the race committee in an attempt to have yesterday's race thrown out after the first leg of the windward leg of the course became a reach after a 55 degree wind shift turned the race inside out.
America's Mark Reynolds, sailing with Austin Sperry, still tops the leader board but a discard will come into operation after the first of this morning's races is completed.
Also last night, tension in the Irish camp rose between the Cork and Dublin crews when it emerged that Mansfield lodged a port and starboard protest, claiming he was infringed by Treacy on the final beat to the finish line.
The protest, however, was disallowed by the international jury after it was discovered a red protest flag was not flown immediately at the time of the incident as required by the rules of sailing.
In sixth overall and equal on points with France's Xavier Rohart and Adde Yannick, the Royal St George team have exceeded all expectations - including a third race win this week - to be seven places ahead of Mansfield and Collins at this morning's closing stage.
At home, a lack of wind for the 190 boats competing in Howth Yacht Club's Kingfisher Autumn League means no change to the overall results and all to play for with a single throw-out now allowable if Sunday's penultimate race goes ahead as scheduled.
In Class 0 IRC, Colm Barrington's Gloves Off leads the fleet, but competition increases with the debut of Conor Fanning's new IMX 45 Fanatix, a dual purpose cruiser-racer, this weekend.
