Home star Supernova wins in Dublin Bay

LIGHT winds on Dublin Bay ended the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta in marked contrast to Thursday’s opening race near gale conditions and left close results across the fleet before the overall prize was awarded to the class two entry Supernova from the host port.

After replacing their broken mast on Friday, Anthony O’Leary’s 1720 Antix Beag hauled up the Class One standings but although each of the class leaders used their discards to drop one maximum points race from their respective series scores, the Cork skipper placed third in the end.

Instead, local John Hall on his J109 Something Else delivered all top three results to win the class.

However, although the local boat’s score matched Supernova’s overall score, the overall winner had all race wins and second places —as did its main rival Hard On Port. The third tie-break was needed to decide their result.

O’Leary’s more usual Class Zero was missing several key contenders from this event so the favourite’s cap fell to Howth’s Crazy Horse that scored three wins and a second place. Nobby Reilly and Alan Chambers’ boat would have been overall winner except their class was significantly smaller than Supernova’s.

Amongst the one-design classes, Ben Duncan continued his winning streak with Brian Moran on Sharkbait from Howth Yacht Club. No fewer than four race wins in their 10-race series served up a whopping 22-point lead on the rest of the 30 boat class with a clutch of boats left squabbling for the runner-up places.

Pat Kelly’s Storm sailed jointly from Rush Sailing Club and Howth was competing for the J109 National championship to add to an earlier IRC title from Crosshaven last month but was beaten into second place by John Maybury’s Joker but only after tie-beak in the 11-boat class.