Vintage Half Tonners won both of Thursday's (12th September) opening races in Class Two of the Maples Group RORC IRC European Championships off Dun Laoghaire this afternoon, but a J97 lies second overall after an unfortunate collision between two Half Tonners in race one.
Shifty northwesterly winds gusting up to 20 knots on Dublin Bay got the championships off to a flying start, but there was a disappointing outcome in the six-boat fleet when one of three Half-Tonners. competing, Adam Ovington's Head Hunter from the UK, was dismasted in the first minutes of the opening race as Afloat reports here.
James Dwyer's Swuzzlebubble leads with a one, and two scored, but P Kelly's 2 Farr from Rush shook off the DNF score after her first race collision with a win in race two.
Lying second overall is Colin Kavanagh's J97, Jeneral Lee from Howth Yacht Club counting a 2.3. Third is Ian McMillan's J105, Only Just with a 3,4.
Racing continues in the nine-race Royal Irish Yacht Club hosted championships on Friday and concludes on Sunday.