Martin Byrne’s Jaguar Sailing Team used today's UK Dragon Northern Championship event as a warm-up to the Dragon Edinburgh Cup which starts tomorrow at the same venue of South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club in Abersoch, North Wales. The Irish trio missed the first race on Sunday while waiting ashore for some racing wind and began the event with a DNC. However, they made up for this with a second & first in races two & three to lie 10th overall overnight.
Today’s racing, in light breezes again suited the Royal St George Yacht Club team, when they won race 4 to lead overall going into the final two races.
Mike Budd from Abersoch sailing Harry and Graham Bailey from Cowes sailing Aimee were their closest rivals going into races 5 & 6. But all three teams had poor results in race 5 but Byrne was under most pressure having to try and discard his DNC from race 1.
Adam Winkelmann, Martin Byrne and Pedro Andrade at the Northern Area Championships
Byrne was still leading by 1 point going into the final race. But to win overall they had to be just one place behind Mike Budd and keep him out of 1st place. But in an immensely competitive last race in a dying shifty breeze, Mike Budd did win the final race and Byrne was forced to take some “flyers” to remain in touch eventually crossing the line in 5th.
Byrne is sailing with his 2011 Edinburgh Cup-winning team Adam Winkelmann and Pedro Andrade and are clearly competitive in this fleet of 35 Dragons.
Three more Dublin Bay Dragon teams join the Edinburgh Cup racing tomorrow including, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta winner Denis Bergin’s, Sir Ossis of the River, from RIYC and Tim Pearson’s Zu from RSGYC and finally National Champions Peter Bowring & David Williams in Phantom from RSGYC.
Results are here
