SAILING CORK WEEK:WITH SPARKLING seas, blue skies and good breeze almost everywhere on the five racecourses, Cork Week 2010 opened with "champagne sailing" conditions for the 193 competing boats.
Despite the lowest turn-out in close to two decades, it was a case of quality rather than quantity in the IRC classes. And there were upsets a-plenty across the 13 classes.
Last night home favourite Anthony O’Leary emerged from the protest-room on the losing side with Antix following a ruling that dropped the Crosshaven sailor from the overall lead of Class Zero to 10th. Kieran Twomey’s Gloves Off was up to second place behind overnight leader Nemo of Cowes, owned by Richard Cotter.
Ireland’s Dave Dwyer, on marinerscove.ie, didn’t fare much better with a sixth place in race one followed by an eighth in the afternoon.
But that place was impressive enough considering Dwyer’s premature start under the Flag Z penalty that added 20 per cent to his finishing place in addition to the obligation to restart correctly.
Meanwhile, Robert O’Leary saved the family blushes in the J109 fleet yesterday as the 19 boats started their EuroCup series with the Harbour Course. With six friends from UCC and UL sailing clubs, the 18-year old came to the aid of Jeroboam owner Jim Prower who needed a crew.
O’Leary and his team obliged and yesterday led the fleet from the second mark around home waters off Roche’s Point for an emphatic race one victory.
There were other upsets. Two-time Irish national champion Rockabill V, owned by Paul O’Higgins, showed less than sparkling form as Dún Laoghaire rival Barry Cunningham’s Contango made good on a better start to edge ahead to take second place, while the Sailing Logic training school from Britain won the day.
There were other incidents, including an entire crew taken overboard when the safety line broke, leaving the helm to retrieve three people left hanging-on before returning for a fourth almost a quarter-of-mile away.
CORK WEEK(at Royal Cork YC) – Overall Day 1 – Super 0 1 Pace (J Vincent); 2 Paprec Recyclage (PH Finance, S Neve); 3 Bob (Gray, Laidlaw); IRC0 1 Antix (A OLeary); 2 Nemo of Cowes (R Cotter); 3 Gloves off (K Twomey); IRC1 1 Impetuous (R Fildes); 2 Jump Juice (C Phelan); 3 Roxy 6 (R Davies); IRC2 1 Visit Malta Puma (Sailing Logic Limited); 2 Contango (B Cunningham); 3 Rockabill V (P O'Higgins); IRC3 1 Bengal Magic (J Moorehead, C Ferres); 2 Equinox (R McDonald); 3 Mumbo (D Cronin); IRC4 1 Errislannan (P Kirwan); 2 Ruthless (C Ronan); 3 Alpaca (P D Tingle); IRC5 1 Yanks $ Ffrancs (V O'Shea); 2 Thunderbird (D Coleman); 3 Antix (J Allen); IRC6 1 Tiger (J O'Brien, Kenefick Kenefick); 2 Hard On Port (F O'Driscoll); 3 Prometheus (P Murray); J109 1 Jeroboam (R O'Leary); 2 Stalker (S Tapper); 3 Judgement Day (J A Tithecott); 1720/Mixed Sports Boats 1 Yknot (M Wilson); 2 Dark Side (B Hassett); 3 King Louie (M Thorpe); SB3 1 Sharkbait (B Duncan B Moran); 2 Profile Park (R Downing); 3 Bullet (T D'Arcy); White Sail 1 1 Orna (P Dilworth); 2 Xerxes (D O'Neill); 3 Aisha (K Lane); White Sail 2 1 Harmony (J McCarthy, Clarke McMullin); 2 Minx III (T McNeice); 3 Expression (B Duane). All subject to protest.
