#calvesweek – Very light wind conditions from the southwest, with a forecast for them to drop further over the afternoon, on day 3 of Cork Dry Gin Calves Week 2014 made a sharp contrast to the first few days' racing. The changeable conditions challenged helmsmen to keep spinnakers filled with many boats resorting to long reaches to attain the downward mark.
From the start outside Schull Harbour, all classes were sent on a 2 mile long windward leg to a laid mark south of Goat Island. Most classes then turned onto a broad reach southwest towards the Calf Islands with a gybe west of the Middle Calf to head north back to the Amelia Rock. A further windward/leeward loop proved unattainable for the majority of classes with the race ended at that point. Class 4 and Whitesail 2 were able to complete a windward/leeward loop in the time available.
The conditions ultimately forced Race Officer Neil Prendiville to curtail the race for all classes after over 3 hours of slow progress. Despite that, the warm, sunny weather that has been a feature of this year's Regatta meant few complaints among crews on a more restful day after the excitement of the Fastnet Race.
Paul O'Higgins made the most of the conditions in his Corby 33, Rockabill V to win IRC Class 0/1, ahead of Conor Doyle in Freya (Kinsale YC) and Rob McConnell in Fools Gold (Waterford Harbour SC). Freya was ahead in Echo however ahead of fellow Kinsaler Thomas Roche (KYC) on Meridian and Rockabill V. In Class 2 IRC, Dexterity from Foynes YC (McEneff/Madden/Hobbs) again had another win ahead of local rival Big Deal (Derek Dillon, Foynes YC) and the Cobh-based Corby 27, Kodachi (Denis Ellis, CSC) ORegan KYC). Dexterity and Kodachi swopped places in the Echo handicap placings.
Another Cobh boat, Muskateer (Billy Burke/Danny McCarthy) took Class 3 IRC honours and a second place in the Echo ratings, ahead of Jimmy Nyhan on Outrigger (RCYC) in both, with Gary Fort's J24, Jaguar from Tralee Bay third in IRC. Padraig O Donovan on Chameleon (KYC) continued his great run with first place in the Echo Class 3.
Local Boat, Shelly D, Mick McCarthy, again won Class 4 IRC. Visiting boat Andraxi (Chris North) was pipped for first place in Class 4 Echo by local man Simon Nelson on Witchcraft (SHSC), with Edmund Krugel (SHSC) on Barossa third.
In the fleet of larger whitesail boats, Kinsale-based Ger Hayes found the conditions suited him on his Beneteau First 36.7, Y-Dream and was ahead in both IRC and Echo of Aidan Heffernan (RCYC) on Indulgence. John Downing in Samba (RCYC) placed third in IRC and Samatom (Bob Rendell) in Echo. In Whitesail 2, Lady T (Michael Lynch, RCYC) took IRC honours, with local sailor James Crowley on La Perle Noire pipping him at the post for Echo honours.
