SAILING: Irish crews began to show their potential as fresh and gusty winds tested the 33-strong fleet competing at the Anglo Irish Bank Etchells Championship at Howth yesterday. Two local boats are in the top six, though the outcome of today's final two races looks increasingly certain.
Croatian brothers Ante and Nils Razmilovic duelled for the Irish National title the previous weekend, with the former winning overall. Now its Nils' turn to lead his sibling by 10 points while Jarvis Tilly is waiting to snatch second should Ante blink.
The Royal Cork father-and-sons act of Kieran Collins with Mel helming and Athens Olympian Killian crewing tops the Irish entries in fourth, just ahead of pre-event favourite and Atlanta Olympian Dan O'Grady with Ben O'Donoghue and Raz Beshoff.
The Irish boats revelled in yesterday's gusts off Lambay Island that took its toll on the fleet with 10 retrials during the day.
Meanwhile, on Dublin Bay, the fleet competing for the Cocoon DBSC Cruiser Challenge had equally challenging weather, though the southwest, offshore wind kept the seas relatively manageable.
In Class Zero, Colm Barrington brought Flying Glove home into first place, ahead of a surprise result from Alan Chambers' Tripp 40-footer Infinity. George Sisk's Wow took third place, but Tim Costello's Tiamat was unable to repeat her Cowes Week success and placed fourth.
Protests peppered the Class One results, where both visitors, Movistar Bleu and On the Rox, ousted Peter Beamish's Aztec 2 into third place. But there was no mistaking Stuart Kinnear's Sceal Eile from the DMYC, which took first overall, just ahead of Brian Mackle's Rebel in second.
Similarly in the Sigma 33 class, Tim Goodbody reigned supreme again on White Mischief while Neil Love's War Dance took second by a one-point margin from Dick Lovegrove on Rupert.
