THE sixth, and final race of the Nissan Autumn League brought little in the way of surprises for the 211 competitors assembled off Ireland's Eye on Saturday. Most of the leading contenders in the 22 racing divisions clung on to their cumulative margins in steady, south westerly breezes.
As predicted, Dun Laoghaire's 32 footer, Aztec completed her debut season with a convincing win in Class Two CHS in spite of losing the last two races of the series.
In the penultimate race Aztec lost out in heavy airs to Donal Morrissy's Joggernaut of Galway Bay SC, and at noon on Saturday Midnight Express, sailed by Tommy Murphy of Waterford Harbour, showed her might in the marginal conditions to win from the Royal Alfred champion by one minute 48 seconds to secure second overall on 13.75 points. Aztec was still a clear winner on 6.25 points.
Joggernaut failed to continue her winning run in the lighter winds but settled for fourth in the 24 boat class to keep the Connacht flag flying and give her fourth overall.
A previously well placed Scenario Encore, skippered by Stuart Kinnear, slipped down the results sheet to 13th overall following last weekend's dismasting.
Elsewhere Aztec's success story was repeated in class three where sailmaker Philip Watson and a high calibre crew which included Peter Wolfe and Des Cummins was the first around every mark of all six races in Pathfinder. His Bolero design finished the series with a perfect score sheet on CHS and after a virtuoso performance at the Rover series in Scotland in May, Pathfinder ends the season the way she started, on a winning note.
On ECHO, though, Watson was beaten in to first place by Hellyhunter (L and S McMurtry) and in the one designs there were few as consistent as Gerry O'Neill's Shipman, Just Good Friends that won again on Saturday to complete another perfect scoreline with just three nett points.
Crosshaven's Mark Mansfield reappeared for the final race to claim an overall win in the 1720s. The class made an important debut in the league but it will be an event local favourite Robert Dix and the crew of Lemon will want to forget.
After leading the series they suffered with a disqualification after a collision and ended the series on Saturday with another disqualification, pushing them down to fifth overall in the 17 boat fleet.
. Mike Golding, the leader of the BT Global Challenge with Group 4, is now only 34 miles ahead of Simon Walker in Toshiba Wave Warrior. Walker halved the lead during Saturday night as the two boats spearheaded the fleet down the Brazilian coast, 900 miles from Rio de Janeiro. Chris Tibbs in Concert is another 14 miles behind.
