A summer gale swept Denis Doyle's Moonduster of the Royal Cork Yacht Club to line honours off the Skelligs yesterday afternoon in a heavy weather finish to the fifth Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race that started on Monday evening in the lightest of airs.
Though a winner on the water, Doyle's (83) overall position on corrected time for the overall prize in the handicap race will not be confirmed by organisers until the last boat crosses the line which may not be until lunch-time today.
As soon as Moonduster crossed the line, speculation mounted that the defending champion Joggernaut, a GK 34' type yacht, although some three hours adrift at the Mizen, would be close enough for handicap honours.
Moonduster's time of some 45 hours is 10 hours outside 1997's record-breaking run made by Sarah J (Cormac Twomey) of 35 hours, 36 minutes and 50 seconds.
Moonduster led the fleet past the Saltee Islands on Tuesday lunch-time followed by the Beneteau 47.7-foot sister ships Irisha (Adrian Lee) and Gallileo (Ged Pierse) third.
By yesterday afternoon, the Royal Cork Frers 59 had extended her lead ahead of the Beneteau's and was revelling in the heavy going. At the same time, Gallileo reported torn sails but was maintaining her course to the finish.
On the continent, Maria Coleman has retained her bronze medal position overall at the halfway stage of the Europe world championships, in Villamoura, Portugal yesterday despite 50 degree wind shifts that cost the West Cork sailor a race win in race four and pushed her into the 40s, effectively using up her single discard in the 12 race series. Despite the set-back, the world ranked number two is putting her return to form down to pre-regatta preparation, she spent two weeks training at the venue in advance of this, her best chance at the world title. The final six races resume tomorrow.
In Denmark, Star debutantes Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks have closed the gap after four races on veteran Mark Mansfield at the 51-boat Arrhaus harbour based Star European championships. The Cork Olympian with Killian Collins has posted a 34th and 35th in races three and four of the event and has slipped from 16th to 25th place on 100 points before discard. The Dun Laoghaire campaigners are in 32nd place on 117 points.
A lack of wind on day one of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships off Brittany, France meant all racing was abandoned for all 247 competitors.
