Drama on opening day of Sovereigns Cup
Several class national champions that were decided last weekend were toppled in the opening race.
The specially laid ‘Sovereigns’ mark had drifted overnight and when one of the classes arrived to its position as part of a Coastal course it was missing. Hurried VHF radio and mobile phone messages were relayed to Race Officer Peter Crowley who proceeded to abandon the course.
The Quarter-ton class championship was being sailed as part of the event and was affected by the missing mark that had been checked earlier in the morning.
Neil Kennefick’s Tiger has had a run of form that counts almost all race wins and won the separate Class 3 championship last weekend was only able to muster third place yesterday. Victory went to Eamonn Rohan on Anchor Challenge and a show-down is set for the remainder of this regatta.
Meanwhile, in Class Zero on a different coastal course, national champion Anthony O’Leary on Antix placed second behind Neil White’s Independent Bear while third place from Kieran Twomey behind O’Leary was more like last weekend’s form.
In Class One on the same course, Ian Nagle and Paul O’Malley’s Jelly Baby took first overall while Pat Kelly’s Storm from Howth Yacht Club — who was the class winner at Crosshaven last Sunday placed fifth.
John and Pat Downings’ Samba from the host club was the overall leader in Class 5 after two races.
Sovereigns Cup (at Kinsale YC): Provisional overall results after day one:
Class 0 IRC (Coastal): 1, Independent Bear (N White); 2, Antix; 3, Gloves Off (K Twomey); Class 1 IRC (Coastal): 1, Jelly Baby (Nagle & O’Malley; 2, EOS (Dave Scott); 3, Jetstream (Redden Bros); Class 2 IRC: 1, Slack Alice (Shane Strattan); 2, Yanks $ Francs (Vinnie O Shea); 3, White Mischief (Timothy Goodbody); Class 3 IRC (Quarter ton Class): 1, Anchor Challenge (Eamonn Rohan); 2, Aguilla (Rob Gray); 3, Tiger (Kenefick/Kenefick/O’Brien); Class 5 IRC: 1, Samba (John & Pat Downing) 2, Orna (Philip Dilworth); 3, VSOP (Donal McCarthy).
A mixed fleet of midweek sailors took part in the Union Chandlery League/ Victoria Cross Cycles Whitesail League in southwesterly winds from 8kt up to 20 plus.
The fleets set off on a stiff beat in strong winds across to Cage followed by a run to No 7 and a long reach down to No 13. Once round it was back to No 9 before a mix of beating and reaching to the grassy to finish.
Some flew spinnakers with a few anxious moments including one blow out and a few broaches, while most opted for more conservative sailing.
In Class 1, Echo went to Rob O’Leary and his team on Antix Beag with Martin Darrer’s True Pennance second and Frank Doyle’s Endgame in third.
In IRC, Endgame just pipped True Pennance into third.
Class 2 was again a hotbed of contention with Ted Crosbie’s No Excuse taking first in Echo ahead of Paul and Deirdre Tingle’s Alpaca with the Desmond Deasy Ivers Bad Company third.
IRC went to Alpaca from Bad Company with No Excuse third.
In Class 3 IRC and Echo, Jimmy Nyhan’s Outrigger held off a stiff challenge from Fergus Coughlan’s White Knight with John and Fiona Murphy’s Fast Buck taking third in both divisions.
White sail saw the biggest turnout with seven boats. Echo went to Simon Brewitt’s Callisto with Brian Heffernan’s Aisling second and Seamus Gilroy’s Split Point third.
IRC went to Aisling with Ernie Dillon’s Silk Breeze second and Split Point third.
In the Friday IHS system it was Michael Lynch’s Lady T who separated Aisling and Split Point.
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