As the The biggest one-design fleet, the SB3s, is currently dominated by a New Zealand skipper, Ben Duncan, who was given a scare in the final race yesterday (FRIDAY) but mounted an impressive comeback to finish third and retain the overall lead.
Duncan was pushed close to one of the leeward marks by a strong ebb tide, causing him to hit the mark and take a costly penalty turn.
Struggling with reduced options in the light airs, Duncan was forced out the right-hand side of the course, while the left had paid all day.
"Ben had come across from the left along with a few others," said John Sheehy, sailing Tiger Lite.
"I think he just got squeezed in with Sean Craig, and then on the last beat, the leaders were looking very good on the left and then the breeze shut off."
"The forecast was for it to veer and that's what happened, and the guys who hit the right hard, who probably looked awful, suddenly looked very good close to the finish."
"We went from first to eighth. Brian Reilly was the only guy who came out of the left, and he won the race."
Reilly sits in third overall, with clubmate Sean Craig in second.
Visitors dominate IRC0 as well, with Richard Filder’s Corby 37, Impetuous, winning the first race of the day and coming third later in the day to top their class.
Tactician on Impetuous is Hamish MacKay, a Scottish Commodore’s Cup sailor, who praised the organisers for making the most of the conditions.
“The race officer did a great job today,” he said.
“He was patient enough to let the breeze settle in and gave us a short course for the second race before it shut down.
"It is a competitive class and if we get big breeze tomorrow, we may struggle against the bigger heavier boats, so it still all to play for.” In second place is Plymouth-based Argie Bargie, helmed by Alan Hogg, which ended the day with a win to stay ahead of top local boat, Tim Costello’s Tiamat.
In IRC2, John Murphy’s Corby 26, Kinetic, is looking like a good bet for the overall title. Kinetic has three straight bullets. The Howth skipper is delighted with their performance:
“We work hard on our boat preparation and our sailing and there is good hardware, good sailors, good racing, and great Craic in IRC Class Two.”
It's neck and neck in the J80 Interreg Championship, a team competition which pitches four Irish boats against four Welsh boats. The Irish are dominating the top end of the fleet, with the top two slots, but overall, things are much closer, with both teams evenly matched.
"It's pretty equal because Ireland are probably first and second of the eight boats, but our other boats are in the bottom two, said Irish sailor Nick Smyth.
"So there's a need to ensure that our weaker boats improve and aren't in the back few."
"It's really essential for the first two boats to try and ensure the other two Irish boats get away on the start at least, and if we can get them into the lead at the windward mark we're in with a shot."
To ramp up the intensity, races toward the end of the weekend are weighted in importance, with everything resting on Sunday's performances.
"Given the points are increasing, on Sunday with the double points, the two races are going to be the equivalent of four races," said Smyth, cleary revelling in the nip-and-tuck racing, which rewards innovative techniques in spinnaker handling.
"At one point we were doing six gybes in quick succession."
"If you can put the [spinnaker] pole down on the deck, it really gives you options, particularly in those last ten boatlenghts when you don't know what mark you're going to be going to. "
Racing continues today (SATURDAY), with gale warnings in effect on Irish waters, in stark contrast to the light and patchy conditions so far.
Results Race One Friday:
Beneteau 31.7 IRC- 1. 30 Something (Kavanagh et al), 2. Magic (D.O'Sullivan/D.Espey), 3. Bluefin 2 (Bryson/O'Callaghan)
Beneteau 31.7 - 1. 30 Something (Kavanagh et al), 2. Magic (D.O'Sullivan/D.Espey), 3. Levana (Jean Mitton)
Class 0 Echo- 1. Tsunami (Vincent Farrell), 2. Tiamat (Tim Costello), 3. WOW (George Sisk)
Class 0 - 1. Impetuous (Richard Fildes), 2. Argie Bargie (Allan Hogg), 3. Quokka 7 (Peter Rutter)
Class 1 Echo - 1. Phoenix (Richard Dalton), 2. Off the Wall (Conor Walls), 3. Black Velvet (The Parnell Family)
Class 1 - 1. Rockabill V (Paul O'Higgins), 2. Off the Wall (Conor Walls), 3. Contango (Barry Cunningham)
Class 2 Echo - 1. Red Rhum (J & C Nicholson), 2. Kamikaze (P.Nash), 3. Ruthless (Conor Ronan)
Class 2 - 1. Kinetic (R.Colwell/J.Murphy), 2. King One (David Cullen), 3. Dux (Anthony Gore-Grimes)
Class 3 Echo - 1. Tango (Andy Dunn), 2. Goldust (Alfred Wood), 3. Jabiru (M & S Renwick)
Class 3 - 1. Hard on Port (Flor O'Driscoll), 2. Supernova (K.Lawless et al), 3. Alliance (Vince Gaffney)
Colleen - 1. Colleen Deas (Patrick Carter), 2. Colleen Bawn (David Williams)
Dragon - 1. Jaguar (Martin Byrne), 2. Zu (P.Dee et al), 3. Susele (Michael Halpenny)
Etchell - 1. Crop Duster (D.O'Grady/P.Reilly), 2. Matatu Dubh (R & D Burrows), 3. Fetching (Stephen O'Flaherty)
Fireball - 1. South Paws (Andy Scott), 2. NN (Peter Gray), 3. All Balls No Fire (Tim Rush)
Flying 15 - 1. Hy5ive (David Gorman), 2. Fifty Somethings (David Mulvin)
Glen - 1. Glenluce (D & R O'Connor), 2. Glendun (B.Denham/D.Freedman), 3. Glenmarissa (F.Elmes/W.Higgins)
Howth 17 - 1. Pauline (S.O'Doherty/E.Ryan), 2. Sheila (Derek Bothwell), 3. Gladys (Cronin/Jones)
IDRA 14 - 1. Starfish (Alan Carr), 2. Chimaera (Killian Sargent), 3. Charmian (Gerard
J109 - 1. Jalapeno (D.Baker et al), 2. Christie Cancer Care (T.Hyland/N.Biggs), 3. Jukebox (Brian
J80 - 1. Dyno Rod (Andrew Fowler), 2. Smart Telecom (Laura Dillon), 3. KPMG (Thomas Dawson)
Laser SB3 - 1. Sharkbait (B.Duncan/B.Moran), 2. Milvus (Robert Howe), 3. Squalo Bianco (Sean Craig)
Mermaid - 1. Tiller Girl (J.O'Rourke), 2. Dolphin (Shay O'Toole), 3. Jill (P.Smith/P.Mangan)
Ruffian - 1. Diane 2 (Alan Claffey), 2. Ruff N Ready (Brian Cullen et al), 3. Icicle (Colm Murray)
Shipman - 1. Curraglas (John Masterson), 2. Whiterock (Henry Robinson), 3. Jo Slim (John Clarke et al)
Sigma 33 - 1. Sigmatic (Donald McLaren), 2. Popje (Ted McCourt et al), 3. Rupert (R.Lovegrove/P.Varian)
Squib - 1. Toy for the Boys (Peter Wallace), 2. Femme Fatale (J.O'Byrne/V.Delany), 3. Why Not (D & J Jago)
White Sail 1 Echo - 1. Sea Safari (Jacquelin Smith), 2. Persistance (Charles Broadhead et al), 3. Pretty Polly (Chris Horrigan)
White Sail 1 - 1. Orna (Philip Dilworth), 2. Persistance (Charles Broadhead et al), 3. Pretty Polly (Chris Horrigan)
White Sail 2 Echo - 1. Mac Magic (P & D McCabe), 2. Bite the Bullet (Colm Bermingham), 3. Vespucci (S & K O'Regan)
White Sail 2 - 1. Archatron (J.Godfrey/R.Taylor), 2. Bite the Bullet (Colm Bermingham), 3. Katanca (B.O'Connor/C.Ennis)
Results Race Two Friday:
Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009
Beneteau 31.7 - 1. Levante (M.Leahy), 2. Fiddly Bits (K.Byrne), 3. Bluefin 2 (Bryson/O'Callaghan)
Beneteau 31.7 IRC- 1. Levante (M.Leahy), 2. Levana (Jean Mitton), 3. Fiddly Bits (K.Byrne)
Class 0 Echo - 1. Tiamat (Tim Costello), 2. WOW (George Sisk), 3. Tsunami (Vincent Farrell)
Class 0 - 1. Argie Bargie (Allan Hogg), 2. Tiamat (Tim Costello), 3. Impetuous (Richard Fildes)
Class 1 Echo - 1. Flashback (P.Gregory/D.Breen), 2. Rockabill V (Paul O'Higgins), 3. Another Adventure (D.Cafferky)
Class 1 - 1. Rockabill V (Paul O'Higgins), 2. Waterjet (S.Northmore/C.Arscott), 3. Flashback (P.Gregory/D.Breen)
Class 2 Echo - 1. Red Rhum (J & C Nicholson), 2. Kinetic (R.Colwell/J.Murphy), 3. Hot Chocolate (Philip Lee)
Class 2 - 1. Kinetic (R.Colwell/J.Murphy), 2. Red Rhum (J & C Nicholson), 3. Dick Dastardly (Brian Cusack et al)
Class 3 Echo- 1. Supernova (K.Lawless et al), 2. Hard on Port (Flor O'Driscoll), 3. Alliance (Vince Gaffney)
Class 3 - 1. Supernova (K.Lawless et al), 2. Hard on Port (Flor O'Driscoll), 3. Alliance (Vince Gaffney)
Dragon - 1. Phantom (Williams), 2. Diva (R.Goodbody/ Johnson), 3. Decision (Chris Fleming)
Etchell - 1. Crop Duster (D.O'Grady/P.Reilly), 2. Ladies Who Launch (Mary O'Loughlin), 3. Matatu Dubh (R & D Burrows)
Fireball - 1. Butlers Ball (A.Pearce/A.Broughton), 2. South Paws (Andy Scott), 3. NN (Peter Gray)
Flying 15 - 1. Hy5ive (David Gorman), 2. Gekko (S.& P.Nolan), 3. Fifty Somethings (David Mulvin)
Glen - 1. Glenshesk (Henderson), 2. Glenluce (D & R O'Connor), 3. Glenmarissa (F.Elmes/W.Higgins)
Howth 17 - 1. Pauline (S.O'Doherty/E.Ryan), 2. Leila (Roddy Cooper), 3. Echo (Bryan Lynch)
IDRA 14 - 1. Starfish (Alan Carr), 2. Charmian (Gerard O'Hanlon), 3. Dunmoanin (Frank Hamilton)
J109 - 1. Christie Cancer Care (T.Hyland/N.Biggs), 2. Joker 2 (John Maybury), 3. Juniper (Kenneth Hunter)
J80 - 1. Dyno Rod (Andrew Fowler), 2. KPMG (Thomas Dawson), 3. DL Marina (Callum Edge)
Laser SB3 - 1. Modus (Ronan Collins), 2. Sharkbait (B.Duncan/B.Moran), 3. Squalo Bianco (Sean Craig)
Mermaid - 1. Tiller Girl (J.O'Rourke), 2. Dolphin (Shay O'Toole), 3. Jill (P.Smith/P.Mangan)
Ruffian - 1. Carmen (Brendan Duffy), 2. Ruff N Ready (Brian Cullen et al), 3. Riff Raff (Paul Fagan)
Shipman - 1. Curraglas (John Masterson), 2. Whiterock (Henry Robinson), 3. Just Good Friends (Micheal Carroll)
Sigma 33 - 1. Sigmatic (Donald McLaren), 2. Rupert (R.Lovegrove/P.Varian), 3. Popje (Ted McCourt et al)
Squib - 1. Klipbok (Emmet Dalton), 2. Femme Fatale (J.O'Byrne/V.Delany), 3. Why Not (D & J Jago)
White Sail 1 Echo - 1. Pretty Polly (Chris Horrigan), 2. Xerxes (Dan O'Neill), 3. Persistance (Charles Broadhead et al)
White Sail 1 - 1. Orna (Philip Dilworth), 2. Pretty Polly (Chris Horrigan), 3. Gums'n'Roses (J & G Rose)
White Sail 2 Echo - 1. Mac Magic (P & D McCabe), 2. Jokers Wild (Gordon Knaggs), 3. Windermere (Joe Taylor)
White Sail 2 - 1. Mac Magic (P & D McCabe), 2. Archatron (J.Godfrey/R.Taylor), 3. Chimaera (George Baird)
Results Race Three Friday
Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2009
Fireball - 1. South Paws (Andy Scott), 2. Butlers Ball (A.Pearce/A.Broughton), 3. NN (Peter Gray)
IDRA 14 - 1. Starfish (Alan Carr), 2. Charmian (Gerard O'Hanlon), 3. Chaos (J.Ascoop/H.Keenan)
J80 - 1. Smart Telecom (Laura Dillon), 2. Dyno Rod (Andrew Fowler), 3. DL Marina (Callum Edge)
Laser SB3 - 1. Boomsticks (Brian Reilly), 2. Splash Gordon (Gordon Patterson), 3. Sharkbait (B.Duncan/B.Moran)
Mermaid - 1. Tiller Girl (J.O'Rourke), 2. Jill (P.Smith/P.Mangan), 3. Dolphin (Shay O'Toole)
