SAILING/CORK WEEK:THE OUTCOME of the Class Super Zero exotic boats at ACCBank Cork Week continues to be finely balanced despite a late-night protest-room hearing before the international jury. The series comes to an end today with a single race for the 410 entries across the five courses.

A claim for redress had been entered against the race committee alleging the class runner-up Numbers, owned by Dan Meyers, had been called as OCS - on course side - in the second race yesterday. Niklas Zennstrom's Transpac 52-footer Ran holds a one-point lead over the Judel Vrolijk 66-footer.

Today will feature just one race in the final day of the series and the big boats are due to take their turn on the hugely popular Slalom course, which involves a series of reaching legs that have tested every fleet to have sailed it so far.

The outcome of the class is wide open to either boat to win or lose.

Stronger winds forecast for the day could yet favour the bigger boat in second place, though more likely to affect the outcome is the uncertain nature of the course for the professional navigators and tacticians on board.

Elsewhere in the regatta fleet, few of the 26 divisions have slam-dunk results and the final day is all to sail for.

An exception is the family battle that has been taking place in the 1720 class, which features Nicholas O'Leary in the top position that he hasn't relinquished all week. A challenge from his younger brother Robert - who, incidentally, took up sailing two only years ago having previously eschewed the family passion - has brought him into the runner-up place in the 13-boat class.

A win for the younger O'Leary was a shot across the bows in the opening race and was the result of a match-race between the siblings. Later, though, the elder returned fire with his fourth win of the series and even has the luxury of discarding a second place.

The overall win of the class seems certain though the future could prove more challenging.

Only disaster today can prevent Stuart Kinnear and his team on Dick Dastardly from picking up the overall prize for Class Four on IRC Handicap.

A hard-fought win in yesterday's scenic Harbour Course race for the Dún Laoghaire entry places him seven points clear of ISA president Peter Crowley and his brother Bill on Hi-Time in second place.

But a seven-point lead would be the stuff of dreams for other Irish boats in more than half a dozen classes at the event.

Barry Rose's Obsession VI scored a second place yesterday as Phil Eagleton's Chia Chia took the bullet to move to within two points of the Class Five leader, while Richard Colwell's Kinetic is tied with Eagleton in a private group clearly ahead in this 28-boat fleet.

A three-way battle this morning is a given as is neck-strain for all three crews trying to watch for one another.

In the Laser SB3 fleet, class newcomers David and Roger Hudson, with City of Cape Town, have a 10-point cushion and should collect the trophy in this fleet, which will hold its world championships in Dún Laoghaire this autumn.

Meanwhile, there were diversions of sorts when a school of dolphins became entries in the event, joining in the pre-start manoeuvres for the Laser SB3 fleet in the afternoon.

As race officer Alan Crosbie counted down the remaining seconds, the newcomers neatly crossed the wrong side of the line ahead of the 40-strong fleet.

The starting gun was duly fired followed by an individual recall signal, though it was a premature SB3 that returned to restart correctly while the dolphins simply dropped beneath the waves and disappeared, apparently unimpressed.

CORK WEEK: Provisional overall results after day four: IRC Super 0 - 1 Ran (Niklas Zennstrom); 2 Numbers (Dan Meyers); 3 Flash Glove (Colm Barrington); TP52 - 1 Ran; 2 Rio (Charles Dunstone); 3 Flash Glove; IRC 0 - 1 Oystercatcher XXVI (Richard Matthews); 2 Tiamat (Tim Costello); 3 L'Ange De Milon (Pelletier Jacques); IRC 45 - 1 Werewolf (Jerry Otter); 2 Fortis Excel (Agne Nilsson); 3 International Rescue (Led Tracy); IRC 1 - 1 Marinerscoveie (David Dwyer); 2 Apollo (Nigel Passmore); 3 Jammy Dodger (Neil Martin); IRC - 1 ACC 1 Trilogy II (Jean Gabriel Samzun); 2 Freya (Conor Doyle); 3 Pi Squared (Fin McGurran); IRC 2 - 1 Rosie (Roy & Vera Dickson); 2 Rockabill V (Paul O'Higgins); 3 Barafundle of Mumble (Neil White); IRC 2 ACC - 1 Barafundle of Mumble (Neil White); 2 Duckwall Pooley (Kevin Aitken); 3 Encore (Steven Anderson); X35 - 1 Kiss (David Pinner); 2 Nexus (Mike Budd); 3 Vortex (Tim Harrington); IRC 3 - 1 Bengal Magic (John Moorehead); 2 Fools Gold (Robert McConnell); 3 Ex Pat (Herve Chanu); IRC 3 - ACC 1 Eos (David Scott); 2 Musk-Ox (Neville Devonport); 3 VSOP (Tom McCarthy); IRC 4 - 1 Dick Dastardly (Stuart Kinnear); 2 Hi Time (Bill & Peter Crowley); 3 Fixation (Nick Fullagar); IRC 4 ACC - 1 Dick Dastardly (Stuart Kinnear); 2 Hephzibah of Lymington (David Lees); 3 Zoom (Nicola & Stuart Harris); IRC 5 - 1 Obsession VI (Barry Rose); 2 Chia Chia (Phil Eagleton); 3 Kinetic (Richard Colwell); IRC 5 ACC - 1 Chia Chia (Phil Eagleton); 2 Flash II (Adam Kyffin and Jon Oliver); 3 Catch 22 (David Rider); IRC 6 - 1 Bandit (Ian Travers); 2 Shillelagh (John Twomey); 3 Peanut (Ron Campion); IRC 6 ACC - 1 Bandit (Ian Travers); 2 Peanut (Ron Campion); 3 Impecunious (Edward Rice); 1720 - 1 Wet n Ready (Nicholas O'Leary); 2 Antix (Robert O'Leary); 3 YKnot (Michael/Anthony Wilson/Ellis); J109 - 1 J Dream (David & Kirsty Apthorp); 2 Tigh Soluis II (Ken Grant); 3 Joker II (John Maybury); SB3 - 1 City of Cape Town (David and Roger Hudson); 2 Redman Fisher and Ridgefence (Dave Cheyne); 3 Sailingwestie Sharkbait (Ben Duncan); Sigma 38 - 1 Errislannan (Patrick Kirwan); 2 Enigma (Howard Morrison); 3 Red Macaw (John Edwards); Corporate Class - 1 Anticipation (Peter Newlands); 2 Puma Logic (Sailing Logic Ltd); 3 Hot Stuff (Flying Fish); Gentlemen's Class 1 - 1 Orna (Philip Dilworth); 2 Persistence (Charles Broadhead); 3 Nadie (Stephen McCarthy); Gentlemen's Class 2 - 1 Minx III (Tom McNeice); 2 Cavatina (Ian Hickey); 3 Expression (Billy Duane); X332 - 1 X Rated (John and Gair Gordon); 2 Roxanne (Robin Smith); 3 Brightwork (Bob and Jon Baker); Beneteau 317 - 1 Alpaca (Paul & Deirdre Tingle); 2 Tigger (Cassidy & Mulhall); 3 Eauvation (Jason & Debbie Corlett);