Patches eases into five points lead

WHILE the TP52 Patches owned by Galway’s Eamon Conneely and steered by Shirley Robertson has eased into a five points lead in IRC Class Zero at the Sovereign’s Cup and the Irish Cruisers Championships off Kinsale, the Cork-Dublin Bay battle in Class 1 looks set to go to the wire.

After winning on the water yesterday, with only one race completed as the light breeze faltered, Voodoo Chile, the Ker 32 drew level on points with Antix, Anthony O’Leary’s Corby 35. With up to three races planned today, there is everything to play for.

“We had a good race and got away well on the start and then managed to pull away well on the run. At one point we had Antix at four minutes behind, but the breeze died and became much more patchy, and they caught up to about a minute and thirty behind but we won on the water,” recalled Eamon Crosbie, Voodoo Chile’s owner and helm.

“Our boat is going okay and we are happy that the racing is so good and so close. We’ve got it all to do and are looking forward to it. There’s not much to choose between us.”

Both Antix and Voodoo Chile are locked on nine points apiece, while Peter Beamish’s Rob Humphreys designed HOD 35 Aztec II from the Royal St George YC lies third in this 34 boat Class 1.

The light breezes allowed Patches to sail their own race Not having to make any tactical decisions based on their opposition, they simply knitting together the big variations in wind strength and direction to best effect around the windward-leeward course.

“We still have it all to do with up to three races to be sailed,” said Patches owner Conneely, “But all of our crew are really enjoying the racing and the regatta. The organisation has been good and the atmosphere excellent.”

Colm Barrington’s Flying Glove lies second, taking second place yesterday.

“It is difficult for us to try to hold our time on Patches as soon as we get into any kind of tactical sailing against boats around us,” said Flying Glove’s Jimmy Houston, “Whereas we’ve had some good scraps, it is tough knowing that you are losing time while this is going on.”