Sailing/Scottish Series: The hoisting of the abandonment flags on Loch Fyne spelled victory for Ireland in Scotland yesterday by a single point, Royal Cork's Anthony O'Leary lifting the overall trophy at the annual Scottish series at Tarbert.
In his second major win this month, O'Leary and an eight-man crew took the overall title, from a fleet of 170 boats in 13 classes, when the series was cut short by a lack of wind.
Three guns which signalled the end of racing sent the fleet ashore and secured the winning scoreline for O'Leary and the crew of Antix, an optimised Corby 35, in which O'Leary took the Saab-Irish class one Championships just two weeks ago.
With a tally of 1, 5, 9, (10), 3, 1, 1, Antix's win in the Scottish class 2 was by just a single point in the largest class fleet of 25 boats.
"The three guns were the sweetest sound this morning," O'Leary said last night. "We were a bit deflated after the first day, when it all seemed to conspire against us, but we worked hard for the week and the guys sailed really well."
Backed up by his 21-year-old son Peter, a three times Irish Laser champion, as tactician and Eddie English, Tom Durcan, Brian Lennon, Peter O'Flynn, David Meagher, Hugh Cassidy, Adam McCarthy and Tom Hegarty, the Crosshaven crew will be taking Scotland's most prestigious sailing trophy back to home port in time for Cork Week, a biennial regatta that has already reached it's 500-boat limit.
