Lawrie Smith Continues to Lead at Royal St George Irish Dragon National Championships on Dublin Bay

23rd August 2024

The restored vintage Irish wooden Dragon, Titan, sailed by British professional Andy Beadsworth with Ben Cooke and Justin Heap of the host club, tops the 13-boat Irish cohort in ninth after four races sailed at the Irish Dragon National Championships incorporating a leg of the Grand Prix circuit at the Royal St. George Yacht Club on Dublin Bay Credit: Afloat

Britain's Lawrie Smith continues to lead the Irish Dragon National Championships after four races sailed in strong westerly winds on Dublin Bay.

The Olympian and America's Cup skipper – who took two seconds on the opening day – had a slip in race three's windward-leeward course when he counted a ten in the 28-boat fleet but regained his consistent form by finishing with a race four win on Friday evening.

Britain's Lawrie Smith continues to lead the Irish Dragon National Championships after four races sailed on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

In a fleet studded with world champions, only one amateur team makes it into the top ten: the defending Irish Champion Cameron Good in Little Fella from Kinsale.

As the Royal St. George Yacht Club hosted a seven-race series past its halfway point, the Dublin race track offered a second day of testing championship conditions with winds gusting to 20 knots.

The Japanese entry of Peter Gilmour, Yasuhiro Yaji and Sam Gilmour lies second at the Irish Dragon Nationals on Dublin Bay Photo: Afloat

A restored vintage Irish wooden Dragon, Titan, (pictured top) sailed by British professional Andy Beadsworth with Ben Cooke and Justin Heap of the host club, tops the 13-boat Irish cohort in ninth.

Peter Cooke's YeahNah with Torvar Mirsky, Peter Nicholas, and Cork Harbour's Harry Durcan on board lies third overall at the Irish Dragon Nationals Photo: Afloat

Sailing with Ruairidh Scott, Martin Wrigley and James Taylor of Glandore Harbour Yacht Club, the British ace has a two-point lead over the Japanese entry of Peter Gilmour, Yasuhiro Yaji and Sam Gilmour, who are on 17 points. Lying third is Britain's YeahNah, which Peter Cooke sails with Torvar Mirsky, Peter Nicholas, and Cork Harbour's Harry Durcan.

As Afloat reported previously, the Irish event is part of the international class's European Grand Prix Circuit.

Smith, the current Edinburgh Cup and Gold Cup champion, is among some big international names on the Bay this weekend before the fleet competes at September's Gold Cup in Kinsale.

Racing continues on Saturday, and two more races are scheduled in forecasted strong and blustery south-west winds off the south Dublin shoreline.

Race Results

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Published in Dragon, RStGYC

Published in Dragon

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