Sailing Dragon European Championships: Just two races remain before the new title-holder is decided in the Setanta Dragon European Championship at Kinsale, with the top positions wide open to any of six or more possible contenders.

Fresh winds wrought havoc on the 51-boat fleet, upsetting the running order and producing several potentially serious incidents.

The lead remains in royal control after four races with Prince Frederik of Denmark narrowly avoiding a drop from first place by finishing 13th, but mainly thanks to gear failure on Fred Imhoff's Dutch entry Danish Joker, which retired. Just 1.3 points separate first and second, now held by Frank Berg on My Way.

To a point, the scores are irrelevant as today sees the discard sort out the exceptionally close standings within the top six boats. Prince Frederik, Imhoff, Berg, France's Louis Urvois and Switzerland's Vincent Hoesch all stand poised to take the lead depending on the outcome of today's fifth race.

Quietly chipping away at the points difference is class master Poul Richard Hoj-Jensen, who now lies fourth, one place better overnight thanks to a solid heavy airs performance yesterday that was rewarded with a second place.

Although written off by some as far as the overall title is concerned, "Ho-Jo" himself cautioned earlier in the week that "anything can happen - to any of us" and the weather seemed to deliver on that forecast.

Winds gusting to 27-knots and higher made for challenging sailing and the full-weight crews had the advantage. Swedish skipper Sputte Baltscheffsky had to receive hospital treatment for a dislocated shoulder incurred in a mark rounding, while as many as nine boats became rafted while attempting to simultaneously round the leeward gate mark.

Best of the Irish was a ninth for Andrew Craig on Chimaera to close ninth overall. A top six is still his best prospect, while Neil Hegarty on Phantom has taken 11th place ahead of Johnny Ross-Murphy's Rigmarole in 12th.