A breeze for crews in the Autumn sunshine

A GRAND total of 85 boats turned out for the opening race of the C.H. Marine Autumn League at the Royal Cork YC in Crosshaven where the skippers and crews just could not have had it any better.

The sunshine was glorious and exceptionally warm for the time of the year and after race officer Fred Cudmore delayed the start for an hour to give the breeze a chance to kick in it duly arrived on schedule a delightful 10 knot breeze appearing from the west, even strengthening as the race progressed.

In Class 1 Barry Rose on Obsession did everything right and coasted to victory over Anthony O'Leary's Antix in IRC with eighty seconds to spare. Tom Crosbie sailed his father's Excuse Me to third. In Echo the bigger boats fared better with Kieran Twomey's Flying Colours holding off Gary Horgan's Lobster to win by eight seconds with Obsession third.