SAILING/Commodore's Cup: The opening day of the Rolex Commodore's Cup Cup at Cowes produced a mixed set of results for the two Irish squads. Eleven teams of three boats sailed the first two of seven scheduled windward-leeward courses in decisive tidal conditions and a moderate wind.
The Ireland Orange team, led by Dun Laoghaire's Colm Barrington on Gloves Off, lies third overall by a 1.25-point thread from the England Red squad. Racing with his Corby 38-footer are the larger adopted team-mates of Peter Morton's Mandrake and Charles Dunstone's Carphone Warehouse Communicator, both racing with Irish sailors to qualify for national status.
Morton's 50-footer is a design from Wicklow's Mark Mills and pursued the latest and faster Farr 52-footers throughout the day. A 14th followed by a first place made the local Cowes boat best of the Ireland Orange line-up.
Barrington had a 10th and a 12th to lie 10th overall out of the entire 33-boat fleet. Dunstone's Corby 41.5-footer had a fourth followed by a weightier 19th, one of seven boats penalised for crossing the line too early.
Overall, the France Red team leads by a respectable six point margin. Gery Trentesaux's IMX 40 Courrier Nord scored a second and a fifth while a second IMX 40 added an eighth and an 11th. Their X442 made up for a 20th in race one by taking eighth in race two.
The "Commonwealth" team, another late entry with the Ireland Orange line-up, is second overall after day one. America's Cup Team GBR founder Peter Harrison had a good day on Chernikeef 2 with a first and a second. Ireland's Maurice "Prof" O'Connell is on board the Farr 52 calling tactics.
While not especially happy with his performance yesterday, Barrington was optimistic about the series that is still in its infancy. In addition to the 12-mile windward-leeward courses, a 36-hour offshore plus a long inshore race remains. "We had very one-sided beats today," he said.
Meanwhile the Ireland Green team started out closer to the bottom of what was always intended to be a learning experience for the young crews. While Howth's Cracklin' Rosie had a good day, beating Gloves Off in the second race, the team languishes in 10th place overall.
Ger O'Rourke's Chieftain from the Royal Cork was obliged to return to the starting line four minutes after the race two start for an 'On-course-side' infringement. Similarly, Simon Brown and Deirdre Horneck's Prima 38 White Knuckles 2 from the Royal St George YC found the going tough.
Teams overall after day one (two races); 1 France Red: Courrier Nord (Gery Trentesaux - X442); Clin D'Oriel (Jean-Yves Le Goff - IMX 40); Fastwave 3 (Eric Fries IMX 40); 2 Commonwealth: Chernikeef 2 (Peter Harrison - Farr 52); Natti Vee (Nick Harrison & Robert Greenhalgh - Ker 11.3); Blue Belle (Tony Clarke - Ker 11.3); 3 Ireland Orange: Mandrake (Peter Morton - Mills 50); Gloves Off (Colm Barrington - Corby 41.5); Carphone Warehouse Communicator Charles Dunstone - Corby 41.5); 4 England Red: Bear of Britain (Kit Hobday & Tim Louis - Farr 52); Fandango (David Scanlan - First 40.7); Kerisma (Chris Bull Ker - 11.3); 5 Wales: Team Tonic (Nick Hewson - Farr 52); I-Site (Robbie Cameron-Davies - Kerr 11.3); Minnie the Moocher (Anthony Richards - Ker 11.3); 6 Netherlands: Salty Dog (Hans Hout - IMX 40); Checkmate 3 (Peter de Ridder - BH 41); Satori (Hans Horrevoets - Grand Soleil 40); Other Irish: 10 Ireland Green: (Cracklin' Rosie - Roy Dickson Corby 40); White Knuckles II (Simon Brown & Deidre Horneck - Prima 38); Chieftain (Ger O'Rourke - First 40.7).
