Although there are no Irish boats at least two Irish crew are participating in Saturday's record breaking Rolex Middle Sea Race from Malta.

Dun Laoghaire navigator Brian Mathews, who narrowly misseed out on an international victory in the Dragon fleet with Martin Byrne in Cannes last month is sailing with Crosshaven's David Kenefick on board the Ex-'Rosie' 36 footer, now the German Registered AOC Rockall racing in IRC class four.

A record has been broken even before the start of the Race say the organisers. Days before final registration for this year's event, entries have risen to a record breaking 81 and there are still a few days to go before the last entry can be accepted.

New entries from Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and the UK have pushed the numbers up to 80, three more than the previous record of 77 in 2008.

"We can accept late entries up until 17th October and we do expect one or two more, said Georges Bonello Dupuis, Commodore of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. As it is, entries for this year are incredible and we are really looking forward to seeing them all berthed outside the Club; the place will be buzzing," he added.

A handful of boats are here, including previous RMSR line honours and overall winner, Alegre together with the back to back winner of the Rolex Fastnet, Ran 2.

Other arrivals include the UK Swan 57 Yellowdrama who'll be fighting for the new Nautor Swan Cup, Echo, Doppelbock (Germany & UK) and Filando and Tyke from Italy. Filando's 14-man crew come to Malta for the first time to take part in a race that they consider "the best offshore regatta in the Mediterranean."

Many of the entries will arrive this weekend, including the brand new 85 foot Nautor Swan ,Berenice from Italy. While good weather over the weekend will ease the passage of arriving yachts, Mr Bonello Dupuis cautioned, "I expect one or two might have problems making their way down to Malta, but fingers crossed that everyone arrives safely; they will certainly receive a warm welcome."

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and has been sponsored by Rolex since 2002.

Three Cork keelboat sailors top the fleet after today's qualifying rounds of the Waterways Ireland All Irieland Sailing Championships at Lough Derg Yacht Club. Royal Cork's George Kenefick leads on four points. Flor O'Driscoll, orignally from West Cork but sailing under the Howth YC burgee this weekend, is second on five points. Sharing the same points is four time Olympic Star sailor Mark Mansfield.

Gale force winds are forecast for tomorrow's final on Lough Derg.

Half of the invited helms have been eliminated and although a pre-event favourite Anthony O'Leary has been the major surprise casualty of the event so far, others that failed to qualify included Roger Bannon, Brian Goggin, David Gorman and Alan Henry.

Also through to tomorrow's final is Olympic dinghy campainer Ryan Seaton, one of three Belfast Lough sailors to make it in to the final eight. Seaton's club mate Adrian Allen is also through as is Squib sailor Gordon Patterson from Royal North.

The only Dun Laoghaire sailor through is Fireball ace Noel Butler.

Final Flight Competitors:

Name	Club	R1	R2	R3	Total
George Kenefick	Royal Cork Yacht Club	1	1	2	4
Flor O’Driscoll	Howth Yacht Club	1	1	3	5
Mark Mansfield	Royal Cork Yacht Club	2	2	1	5
Ryan Seaton	Ballyholme Yacht Club	3	2	2	7
Noel Butler	ISA	2	3	6	11
Gordon Patterson	Royal North Yacht Club	4	4	4	12
Adrian Allen	Ballyholme Yacht Club	8	3	3	14
Ben Duncan	Howth Yacht Club	4	6	4	14

Cork Institute of Technology Business and Management student, George Kenefick, who is skippering the CIT Sailing Team who will be heading to France in October to compete in the Student Yachting World Cup, has just returned from the UK where he achieved a remarkable boost. He was at the helm of "Chimp" for the Half Ton Cup and beat the field of 42 competing boats to achieve victory with a fourteen-point margin.

Twenty three year old George, who will graduate with an Honours Degree this coming November, is now training hard with fellow crewmembers, including Joe Bruen and Kevin Goulding. Joe competed successfully in the 1720 Europeans this year and with George, sailed "Tiger" to success at the IRC Nationals in Class 3.

CIT have enjoyed success previously at the Student Yachting World Championships in La-Trinite-sur Mer, France in 2008. It will be George's fourth time competing, having represented CIT for each of his undergraduate years.

Even a complete lack of wind and racing couldn't dampen the spirits of the Half Ton sailors on the final day of the 2011 Half Ton Classic Cup. While they waited in vain for the wind to fill in they found other ways to entertain themselves including water fights, some dastardly piracy and crew kidnapping with ransom demands (the victim assures us she was very well treated by her captors), and even a beer race with the first boat to propel itself without engine to Half Ton Class Chairman Bert Jansen aboard Envol winning a case of Belgian beer.

Whilst there was disappointment at losing the two final races it was clear that all felt their Champions were worthy winners and at the prize giving Hampshire's Michael Kershaw and the crew of Chimp received a rousing reception as they claimed the trophy.  Helmed by Cork's George Kenefick the crew also included Graeme Love, Ian Brown, Roger Merino and Ed Fitzgerald.

Helmsman George Kenefick from Royal Cork and Chimp crew pick up their prizes. Photo: Fiona Brown

Howth's King One skippered by Dave Cullen finished 14th, not having completed the final three races of the series.

Speaking after racing Michael Kershaw was both thrilled and a little surprised to find himself holding the trophy noting that his crew selection came about as much through luck as judgement and that they had never sailed together as a crew before the first race of the championship.  He praised the outstanding quality of the competition and thanked the members and staff of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Race Officer Rob Lamb and his team, the Half Ton Class and Richard and Ursula Hollis who led the Regatta Committee for what he described as a fantastic marker event for the class with so many boats.  Certainly 38 boats is possibly the biggest gathering of Half Tonners ever, including the Half Ton Cups of the class's heyday in the 1980s.

Half Ton Classic Cup Day 4
Completing the podium line up were defending champion Philippe Pilate's French team aboard General Tapioca, a 1978 Berret, and Concorde, the 1989 Gautier design, owned by Francis Marshall from Cornwall.  The battle for third between Concorde, Tim and David Cunliffe's Insatiable and Robbie Tregear's Per Eilsa had been fierce and Francis Marshall was thrilled to receive his third prize having beaten both boats by just 1.7 points.  Insatiable claimed fourth on count-back with Per Elisa fifth.

In the Production Boat Division the winner was Francois Michelin's Chani, one of Ron Holland's wonderful Golden Shamrocks.  In second place was the SJ32 Fletcher Lynd, owned by Fredric Denis, and Michael Langhan's Albin Ballad Strolch came third.

There were also plenty of humorous prizes including a bucket and spade for Sibelius who went aground on Ryde Sands, a No Parking sign for Red Cloud who took up temporary residence on one of the marks, and a Best Party Games book for Hullabaloo XV who were the last the leave the bar every night!  Special prizes were also awarded to General Tapioca, Ian Van Burn's Fantasy and Toni Stuschek and Janne Tulokas' Blues in recognition of having competed in all five editions of the revival Half Ton Classic Cup.

Arguably one of the most important prizes of the entire event is the Half Ton True Spirit Trophy, which is awarded not to the winning team, but to the team that best represents the true spirit of camaraderie and competition in the Half Ton Classic Class.  The members of the fleet elect the winner and by a massive number of votes the 2011 recipient was confirmed as Jean-Benoit Boels' Envol crewed by Diego Boels, Lionel Coquelet, Bert Jansen, Olivier Michel, Adrien Michele and Tom Jansen.  At 11 years old Tom Jansen was also the youngest competitor and it was a lovely sight to see him proudly holding aloft the keeper prize, a unique canvas printed photograph by local photographer Hamo Thornycroft.

Class Chairman Bert Jansen concluded proceedings by once again thanking the 38 teams from seven nations for making the trip to Cowes and invited them to join him for the 2013 edition of the Half Ton Classic Cup, which will be held in France at a venue to be confirmed.

Top Cork youth sailor George Kenefick at the helm of Chimp has tightened the strangle hold on the lead of the Half Ton Classic Cup and now has a 14-point margin over  nearest rivals off Cowes. One time series leader Howth's King One, skippered by Dave Cullen, did not complete any of yesterday's races, dropping to 14th overall.

The old adage that things become better with age has never been more apt than in Cowes this week, where a 38 strong fleet of historic little yachts racing in the 2011 Half Ton Classic Cup supported by South Boats has been enjoying a wonderful fifth edition of this revival event.  The boats may be old but their hearts are still strong and it's great to see not only superbly close racing on the water, but also the wonderful camaraderie of the crews ashore.

Today's fourth day of competition in the five-day regatta featured three more races, bringing the total number sailed to ten.  With rain and no wind greeting the bleary eyed crews as they pulled back the curtains first thing Race Officer Rob Lamb made the judicious decision to hold everyone ashore until conditions improved.  At 11.15 the fleet was sent afloat and by the time they came to the line for race eight in the series they had around 13 knots from the southwest and the sun was breaking through.  Again the Race Committee was able to complete three races, the first two of which were windward leeward's and the third a round the cans race.

Once more it was cut and thrust on every leg of every race, both on the water and in the corrected time results.  In the two windward leeward races Michael Kershaw's Chimp and Jean-Philippe Cau's Sibelius virtually match raced around the course.  Chimp went on to win both races with Sibelius claiming second in both.  In race eight David Evans' Hullabaloo XV just pipped Robbie Tregear's Per Elisa for third by 6 seconds.  In race nine it was the turn of Philippe Pilate aboard reigning Half Ton Classic Cup champion General Tapioca to fill the final podium slot.  In the tenth race Francis Marshall's Concorde, General Tapioca, Hullabaloo XV and Chimp were locked in battle and the final beat, right across the central Solent to finish on the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club's line in front of the spectators on the Parade, was a delight to watch.  On the line the boats were so close that the competitors couldn't be certain of the corrected time positions and there was a frantic rush back to the club house to find out the results, which revealed that Concorde had won with General Tapioca second, Hullabaloo XV third and Chimp fourth.

In the overall standings Chimp has tightened her strangle hold on the lead and now has a 14-point margin over her nearest rival.  Michael Kershaw has put together a strong young crew for Chimp at this event.  On the helm is Ireland's George Kennefick,  one of Ireland's top young sailors.  For Geroge IOR sailing is in his blood (his father is the legendary Neil Kennefick of Quarter Ton Cup winner Manzanita fame) and he's been sailing Quarter Tonners and Half Tonners for several seasons.  Also on the crew is Roger Merino, well known as one of the top Etchells crews and a regular member of the Chimp team. Graham Love and Ed Fitzerald who both have previous Half Ton Classic Cup experience and Ian Brown of Quantum complete the crew.

General Tapioca continues to hold second place and is now 18.3 points ahead of  Concorde.  Tim and David Cunliffe's Insatiable has dropped down into fourth place and are now tied on points with Per Elisa.

Two final races remain to be sailed and the regatta concludes tomorrow, Friday 26 August.  The forecast is for more rain overnight and tomorrow morning with light winds during the first part of the day so the fleet has its fingers crossed that they can achieve two races before the 14.30 final start time cut off.