K2Q Day Two 1600 hrs Frank Whelan's impressive Elliott 57 Opal took line honours in the K2Q at the entrance to Cork Harbour at 15.43 hrs this (Saturday) afternoon, and it was a slow conclusion to an often slow 160-mile race as the big boat from Greystones crawled across the line in the lightest of airs at 1.8 knots, against the tide.
Opal going well just a mile before the finish off Cork Harbour (see vid below)....Photo: Bob Bateman
...only for the wind to die completely as Opal inches closer to the K2Q line off Roches Point (in top photo and vid below)...
Astern, there has been a re-shuffling of the pack, as recent handicap leader Ruth (Shanahan family, NYC) ran almost completely out of wind and closed off Ballycotton. But the J mantle has been assumed ever more firmly by Mojito (Vicky Cox & Peter Dunlop, Pwllheli SC), which is making 4.9 knots to windward along the steep coast between Power Head and Ballycotton, with only five miles to the finish.
In doing so, Mojito continues to stay ahead on the water of clubmates Andrew & Sam Hall's J/125 Jackknife and the J/122 Aurelia (Chris Power Smith, Royal St George YC), but any late afternoon freshening of the breeze could help boats further back, and boost the chances of current IRC overall leader, the J/97 Jac Y Do (Mark Thompson), which is currently closing the west side of Youghal Bay with 17 miles still to sail.
Tracker below