It's first blood to Cork/Dublin pairing Peter O'Leary and David Burrows who lie five places and ten points ahead of Dun Laoghaire's Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks after a blustery first day of racing in the Olympic Star keelboat class at the Delta Lloyd regatta. It's Holland's biggest sailing fixture, the fifth of seven ISAF World Cup events, and it's serving as the first of two Irish selection trials for the London Olympics.
With over 30 knots registered on their racing area, the Stars were postponed until 5pm this afternoon to allow for the wind to abate. It was still around 20 knots when the Star fleet started their first of two races after 6pm!
Dun Laoghaire's Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks in the first race of the Delta Lloyd Series
O'Leary and Burrows, who were second overall in March's Bacardi Cup, have scored a fixth and sixth in the 23-boat fleet, Treacy and Shanks a ninth and a 12th to lie fifth and tenth respecctively. The regatta is being led by Brazilian Gold medalist Roberth Sheidt and his crew Bruno Prada. Britain's Beijing Gold medallists Ian Percy and Andrew Simpson are second.
Racing in the 11–race series continues until Sunday.