The O'Leary/Burrows pairing posted a respectable 12th yesterday in the 132-boat Star Europeans in Italy, keeping them close to the top. Discards come into play after today's race, and on current points, the Treacy/Shanks team have a 20-point deficit to make up, despite standing to discard a 95th. They lie in 37th at present. 

At the top, the German team of Polgar Johannes and Koy Markus, who have led from race one, had their first slip, posting a 21st, which allowed the second-placed team steal a march on the leaders and come within one point.

The relatively worthless Star Europeans website is HERE.

With a fourth place in today's race, Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks are perfectly placed to take advantage of the discard when it comes into place and move up the leaderboard.

The Irish crews lie in 28th and 44th overall after three races, with the O'Leary/Burrows pairing ahead. If you take away the worst score from both teams as things stand, they are on equal points, with 52 points net, meaning that they are, in effect, even stevens. 

After some initial inconsistency, the top ten is full of familiary names, with Torben Grael, George Szabo, Mateusz Kusznierewicz, Mark Mendelblatt and Xavier Rohart all within striking distance of the top, and more world champions within the top 20.

Results to date are HERE.

Ireland's two Star crews have struggled to make an impact in the initial stages of the Star Europeans, which started on Monday in Villareggio, Italy. A whopping 132 boats are taking part, with the entire fleet starting on one line for each race.

Peter O'Leary and David Burrows, sailing together for the first time, are the top Irish boat at present, lying in 43rd position, carrying a 44th and a 52nd in the two races so far. Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks are further back in 77th, with a scoreline including a 95th and 57th. 

Racing continues today. 

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(PS: Bonus video below from photog Amory Ross)

Seven Irish crews are on the entry list for the Delta Lloyd regatta starting on May 26, with representatives in six Olympic classes. Sisters Annalise and Claudine Murphy will compete in the Laser Radial class, with Ross Hamilton in the Finn the only other single-hander on the list.

Thomas Chaix and Barry McCartin continue their nascent 470 campaign, and Ireland is represented twice in the 49er class, with Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern facing a better-trained Ger Owens & Ross Killian wo emerge from several weeks' training in Palma for this event (see yesterday's podcast for more).

However, the eye-catching pairing is Peter O'Leary and David Burrows, who finally join forces for a Star regatta. Burrows steps in to replace Ballyholme sailor Stephen Milne to face a small but competitive Star fleet ahead of the European Championships in early June.