After five races sailed, there are big changes at the top of the leader board in three of the four IRC classes at the Irish Cruiser Racing Association National Championships this evening which means the stage is set for tomorrow's cliff–hanger finale to decide much sought–after cruiser national titles at Howth.

Only Royal Cork's Jump Juice (Conor Phelan) has managed to retain his overnight lead but only just, as East Down YC's, Licks, a First 40, is only one point behind after five races in the six boat class zero fleet. Third is regular Scottish visitor, the XP38i Roxstar from the Clyde.

New arrival Rockabill VI, a JPK 1080 took a fourth in race four

Six of the top ten places in IRC one are held by J109s. Defending champion John Maybury's Joker II from the Royal Irish Yacht Club has not only overtaken club–mate Tim Goodbody for the lead in ICRA's biggest – and hottest – class but also built a large margin to boot. Maybury, who counts Olympic helmsman Mark Mansfield among his crew, has a 15–point cushion after five races going in to tomorrow's final two rounds. Goodbody spoiled a near perfect scoreline this morning when he finished 13th in the 21–boat fleet and drops to sixth overall. Second is former ICRA champion Storm (Pat Kelly) who is racing on home waters. Kelly has good company chasing him as just half a point behind are Liam Shanahan’s Ruth and Colin Byrne’s Bon Exemple together with Fool’s Gold: all three are tied on 31 points apiece. After them there is a nine-point gap to previous overnight leader Goodbody on White Mischief.

Winds strengthened for the second day of competition for the 86–boat fleet and this perhaps gave an opportunity for the much touted JPK 1080 Rockabill VI to improve her score, taking a fourth in this afternoon's fourth race in IRC one. 

Divisions 2, 3 and 4 each sailed four races today to catch up on the overall schedule.

Checkmate leads an almost exclusive Howth based class 2 fleet

In IRC two, where 14 of the 15 entries are from the host club, Dave Cullen's Modified Half Tonner Checkmate has overtaken ovenight leaders and club–mates Mike and Richard Evans sailing the Humphrey's MG 30.

Cullen, on ten points, now has a four point lead over HYC's J97 Lambay Rules (Stephen Quinn). Third is Johnny Swan's Half tonner Harmony on 19.5 points. The Evans Brothers are now fourth on 24–points, the same total as defending champion Ross McDonald's X332 Equinox lying fifth.

In IRC three, the Royal Irish Yacht Club’s Barry Cunningham and Jonathan Skerritt on Quest narrowly lead clubmates Ken Lawless and Sybil McCormack on Cartoon just a point apart.  In turn, Paul Gibbons Anchor Challenge from the Royal Cork YC is just half a point behind in third.  As with the other classes, a discard if applied tomorrow would have a significant bearing on Sunday's outcome. 16 are competing but it is J24s and Quarter ton designs that occupy the top six berths.

OctopusE (right) leads a two boat class four

Full IRC results (after fives races sailed) are downloadable below

Afloat's WM Nixon has a review of day one's ICRA racing action in his Sailing on Saturday blog here 

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