With just two races left in the Image Skincare Irish Optimist Championships at Howth Yacht Club, the status quo remains at the top of both the senior and junior rankings, the results of two races on Friday making no difference to the top three places in each division, although points margins have narrowed in the senior fleet.

Second-placed Peter McCann (RCYC) got off to a perfect start, winning the first race of the day, sailed in a moderate southerly breeze but a second retiral in successive days didn’t help his chances of overhauling leader Sean Donnelly (NYC), although the gap between the two is now down to just two points. For his part, Donnelly recorded a 27^th (to be discarded) and a 4^th to hold on to his lead, but only by two points.

Tralee’s Sophie Browne is still a serious threat to the other two, and winning the second race of the day has brought her to within four points of the outright lead. Everything hangs on the last day and the final two races but Irish boats filling the top seven places is clearly very satisfying.

If it’s tight at the top of the senior leaderboard, it’s anything but that in the junior ranks with UK Junior Champion Max Clapp (Royal Southern YC) wrapping up the event with his fifth bullet in 10 races. Even if nearest challenger Milo Gill-Taylor (Spinnaker SC) could win the last two races, it won’t be enough.

Ronan Cournane (RCYC) won the ninth race of the championship and notched a 2^nd in the next to move up four places in the rankings but Irish hopes of a medal rest with Howth’s Ewan McMahon. He has been in third place from early on in the series and must put in two consistent performances on the final day to prevent Benno Marsteller making it a British 1-2-3 in the Junior Championship.