A British crew leads the Irish Dragon National Championship after six races at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, where a fresh north-easterly produced fast, physical racing on Dublin Bay.
With one discard now applied, David Tabb's Send in the Clowns heads the 15-boat fleet on 11 net points after a consistent series that includes a race victory and four other top-three finishes.
Fellow British helm Andy Beadsworth, sailing Titan, is just one point adrift in second place on 12 points, leaving the championship finely poised heading into the final races.
Fresh Start: The Dragon fleet powers away in a 15–20-knot north-easterly during Saturday's racing at the Royal Irish Yacht Club. The championship fleet raced alongside the Dublin Bay Sailing Club cruiser course. Photo: Con Murphy
Royal St George Yacht Club's Neil Hegarty sits third overall aboard Phantom on 15 points after posting a race win and a string of consistent finishes.
Royal Irish Yacht Club's Denis Bergin, helming Sir Ossis of the River, is fourth on 18 points, with Cameron Good's Little Fella from Kinsale Yacht Club completing the top five on 21 points.
Conditions on Dublin Bay tested crews throughout Saturday. Race Officer Con Murphy, who was officiating for the Dublin Bay Sailing Club cruiser fleet aboard Corinthian, reported "glorious sunshine and a cracking 020° breeze of 15–20 knots coming straight across the Bay from Sutton."
Murphy said the Dragon fleet's second race was sailed alongside the cruiser course, where gusts reached around 25 knots.
The championship has attracted 15 entries, with one discard now in effect and little separating the leading contenders.
