SAILINGAFTER A summer season washout race organisers from the National Yacht Club are pinching themselves after another perfect September day on Dublin bay for the Laser SB3 World championships.
Admittedly yesterday afternoon presented slightly more challenging conditions with a wind shifting through 40 degrees and lumpy seas but it was nevertheless to the liking of England's Craig Burlton, who is back at the front of the fleet with three top-five positions scored yesterday.
Royal Cork's Peter O'Leary has leapfrogged Peter Kennedy to place 10th, the only Irish entry to make the top 10. He is also within striking distance of the top five.
English boats now occupy the top three and six of the top 10 places in the 137-boat overall with consistent 10- to 14-knot northerly winds forecast to continue.
Steady winds might be the norm for some clubs but those who know the bay's if-you-don't-laugh-you'd-cry history will not be counting chickens yet.
It is two weeks since Craig Burlton lifted the Irish SB3 championship in convincing style here. Yesterday the English helmsman returned to form with a fifth, a first and a third to lead on 12 points after six races and one discard from team-mate Mark Richards on 14.5.
A good starting-line position and an ability to be in the front line was again key, but eagerness saw plenty of boats fall foul of starting penalties though, including two of the top three, who now discard an OCS and Z flag penalty apiece.
Another to come a-cropper was former 1720 class champion Mike Budd, whose disqualification in race six dropped him to 12th overall. "We crossed (the finishing line in) in silence, so we were all a bit down about that. We assume we were OCS'd. If we were over the line today that was careless really, because we were in a good position, and we didn't need to do it, we had good speed.
"Once we've got in the lead we haven't been overtaken all week. We've won four races on the water so far this week, and when we get ahead we extend, so we're a little disappointed."
Next best of the 70-boat Irish fleet competing is Sean Craig in 19th with Emma McDonald from across the bay in Howth in 31st.
The final qualification rounds resumes this morning with three more races scheduled.
