SAILING/Dragon European Championship A fresh breeze blew ill-luck for many of the leading Irish boats competing in day two of the Setanta Dragon European Championship at Kinsale yesterday. After a mixed start on Monday, the cream of the continental Dragon class appear to have recovered their composure and are rising to the top of this event.
Yesterday saw Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark first out to the course, almost beating Principal Race Officer Alan Crosbie and his team on the flagship Putana to the waters off the Old Head of Kinsale in their common quest for a steady breeze.
As with Monday, this early start was a move that paid off, with a third place for the skipper of Nanoq who retains his overall lead of the event with an extension to his scoreboard advantage.
But while royalty leads for the present, pressure is growing from a clutch of courtiers who may yet provide a palace coup of sorts.
A fifth yesterday for pre-event favourite, four-times past winner and double-Olympic gold-medallist Poul Richard Hoj-Jensen brings him into fifth place, just two places behind Dragon Gold Cup runner-up Frank Berg, making four of the current top six places Danish.
The Netherland's Fred Imhoff is also nicely positioned with a second place yesterday giving him second overall. French class master Louis Urvois had a win yesterday, making up for his 31st in the opening race and brings him to ninth overall.
A host of other class stars had similar misfortune in scoring poorly early on with the result that the battle to the leaderboard is slow and tortuous as the week drags towards the single race discard, which comes into force after race five.
This is much like coiling a spring to be released and a major shake-up of the standings seems on the cards if the fancied names can maintain their form.
Possibly less likely to be amongst these are Irish boats that had started with high hopes following steadily improving results on the international class circuit recently. While one bad result would simply provoke use of the "get out of jail" discard, a second poor showing piles on the pressure. Mediocre showings today would slam doors shut so race three, this afternoon, will be make or break for those hopeful of getting amongst the leaders by Saturday evening's prize-giving.
So Irish eyes focus on previous champion Andrew Craig with Edward Peel and Aidan O'Connell on Chimaera. A fifth on Monday contrasted with 24th yesterday - a certain candidate for the discard - a placing which dropped the Dún Laoghaire trio to 10th overall, although they are still best of the home fleet.
And Ward Woods's Jessica, with Brian Mathews and Mark Pettit, saw the memory of their 38th place following a collision on the start line of race one fade somewhat thanks an eighth place yesterday, which moved them up 18 places in the overall standings; the discard beckons for them also.
Setanta Dragon European Championship (at Kinsale YC, Ireland) - Race 2: 1. Ar Youleg - France (Urvois/Chapalain/Magnen); 2. Danish Joker Netherlands (Imhoff/Van Rijj/den Outer); 3. Nanoq - Denmark (Frederik/Hendriksen/Hars-berg); 4. Malou - Denmark (Holm/Holm/Selko); 5. Danish Blue - Denmark (Hoj-Jensen/Hoj-Jensen/Rappel); 6. Dirastac'h - France (Kersale/Franck/Ravach); Overall after two races: 1 Nanoq; 2. Danish Joker; 3 My Way - Denmark (Berg/Kaestel/Rapfod); 4. Bahati - Germany (Brennecke/Wieser/Auracher); 5. Danish Blue; 6. Malou.
l All results provisional subject to protest.
