Ireland's Ger Dempsey and Shane McCarthy continued to improve in the overall standings at the Heineken Enterprise World Championship at Bray, Co Wicklow, yesterday. The local pair took third place just ahead of World Champion Richard Estaugh in fourth and who moves into the overall lead.
Meanwhile, there was muted disenchantment ashore following the race. Almost two thirds of the fleet finished out of time when the breeze died from a force three or four to almost nothing in the space of 20 minutes. There were just 38 finishers out of 104 boats.
However, the earlier weather certainly aided Dempsey and McCarthy who had been hoping for a good breeze to suit their preferred conditions, especially for off-wind work. The fleet launched shortly before lunchtime with the last of the flood tide pushing against a fresh force five northerly wind with small rollers setting the first challenge for departing Bray Harbour.
Principal Race Officer Jack Roy was able to set 1.2 mile windward legs which the leading boats easily managed in about 20 minutes. As the wind began to die, the weather leg was reduced to .9 miles before the finish was moved to the leeward mark. Looking ahead to the forward weather charts that showed a high pressure system over Ireland, Roy later remarked dryly that there are "testing days ahead."
Although the middle ranks of the fleet scored maximum points for the day, the battle for the overall leadership stakes continues with Irish boats again improving for the third consecutive day. As Estaugh now starts to focus on building his one point advantage at the head of the pack, several challengers are showing consistent form and Saturday's final result is far from a sure bet.
Overnight leaders Roger Gilbert and Alan Skeens from Frensham Pond SC slipped to second overall, just ahead of Race Three winners Ian Fisher and Simon Cook from Hallamshire SC. A seventh from joint pre-race favourite Ian Pinnell has not helped his chances as he has now dropped to fifth place. Pakistan's Zahid Rauf with Shehryar Arshad has pulled into fourth place.
Roy Van Maanen and Sally Brightling are holding steady in the top 20, improving one place from 16th on Tuesday night thanks to a ninth place yesterday, their best to date. Fellow Greystones helm Mark Usher with Bernadette Fox also improved to 18th place but are under pressure from class master Marty Cuppage and John Cuppage.
In the Figaro Single-handed Race, Kerryman Damian Foxall continues to upset the cosy world of French Offshore Racing following his setback last week. The Kinsale YC sailor competing on Barlo Plastics is currently the first foreign national to lead the race and with 121 miles to sail, the 29-year-old could make history by winning the final leg. Foxall made the history-books last month by being the first non-Frenchman to win the Prologue event.
Although Foxall ended leg two in third place, he was heavily penalised for receiving outside assistance from another competitor. A fish box had trapped on his rudder and while leaning overboard to free his 30-foot One-design, he lost his grip and fell in. While his yacht sailed happily on under autohelm, another entrant picked him up and the pair caught up on Barlo Plastics where skipper and boat were reunited.
Heineken Enterprise World Championship (at Bray SC); Overall after three races; 1, R Estaugh & P Rowley (Chase SC); 2, R Gilbert & A Skeens (Frensham Pond SC); 3, I Fisher & S Cook (Hallamshire SC); 4, Z Rauf & S Arshad (PN Aquatic Club); 5, I Pinnell & J Blundell (Northampton SC); 6, N Craig & M Carlton (Frensham Pond SC); Best Irish; 10, G Dempsey & S McCarthy (Bray SC); 15, R Van Maanen & S Brightling (Greystones SC); 18, M Usher & B Cox (Greystones SC); All results provisional.
