At the end of the opening leg, Mark Higgins, driving a Skoda Octavia WRC leads the Gibbs Aquada Manx International Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British Pirelli sponsored rally championships.

Always having more pace than his rivals, Derryman Kevin Lynch parented by Francis O’Regan (Subaru WRC) won the Midleton-based Moonraker Rally, round four of the McCauley Trailers Irish Forest Rally Championship.