The competitive instinct of Laser sailors is tightening the battle for honours in the Winter League in Cork Harbour being run by Monkstown Bay Sailing Club.

The fleet has been joined by some of Cork’s leading dinghy sailors. They include John Durcan, 49er sailor and Nick Walsh, 2017 National 18ft British and Irish Championships winner.

Despite their pressure the series leader, Darragh O'Sullivan, is holding his position as the sailors face into the third race of the series this Saturday.

There are three races each day. Last Saturday the weather was calmer than the opening day of the previous weekend. A higher-than-average morning temperature, sunlight and a light Southerly breeze were the conditions when OOD Alan Fehilly set race marks in the middle of Monkstown Bay for racing from Raffeen, to Ringaskiddy and back again.
In the light, changeable breeze, with a very strong tide, consistency was hard to achieve. Only Chris Bateman managed to stay in the top three places in each race, with a hat-trick of seconds. John Durcan was fourth in the first race of the day, but won the second and third races. Charles Dwyer, placing third in the third race of the day, moved into second place overall.
There is a fleet of sixteen boats racing.

O’Sullivan leads on 10 points, Bateman has 12 and Dwyer is on 18. Just behind him, in fourth place on 19 points is Ronan Kenneally. There is a ten-point gap then to Paul O’Sullivan who is fifth on 29 points, followed by John Durcan who, on his first outing, moved into sixth place overall by winning two of the day’s three races.
First Gun this Saturday will again be at 10.15 a.m.