Danish teams are advancing as predicted at the ISAF Women's World Championship Match Race in Cork Harbour with conclusive wins in the opening round robin stages of the Royal Cork Yacht Club- hosted international regatta.
Yesterday afternoon, after 12 flights (out of 20), world number one Camilla Ulrikkeholm lost a match and slipped to third, allowing America’s Stephanie Roble into second behind world number four Lotte Meldgaard Pedersen, who had seven straight wins.
The opening competitions have been full-on affairs, with gusts, wind shifts, broaches and a real test of handling in medium and then light winds.
There were mixed fortunes for two Irish teams, skippered by Royal St George’s Mary O’Loughlin and Howth YC’s Laura Dillon, lying 10th and 12th respectively. The hope is at least one team can progress into the final eight from a fleet of 13 tomorrow.
The surprise Irish success has been the three sailors with the New Zealand entry Claudia Pierce. Diana Kissane, Isabella Morehead and Ellen Cahill have been using their college years to good effect, getting in some serious sailing.
Having failed to qualify for the Irish teams, they were recruited by Claudia Pierce, winning four out of six races on Wednesday. They are fourth overall after 12 flights sailed yesterday afternoon.
Howth Yacht Club hosts one of Ireland’s longest established sailing events tomorrow, marking the 110th Lambay race with a return to the traditional 16-mile course.
There will alos be a throwback to the traditional Lambay races with the vintage Howth Seventeen keelboats starting off the village’s east pier and finishing in Howth Sound.
There will also be a pier start for classic boats for a trophy first awarded in 1899.
Cork Harbour's Nick Walsh was the winner of the 31-boat Laser dinghy Master Championships at the Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) last weekend. With four race wins, the Royal Cork sailor was seven points clear of runner-up Dan O'Connell after six races sailed in the Log Me In-sponsored event.
Although Andrew Craig, Brian Mathews and Mark Pettit went into the last race as leaders of the Dragon East Coast Championships last weekend, the Royal St George trio still needed sixth or better. The host club boat prevailed but only after a tie-break challenge from Kinsale’s Cameron Good, Simon Furney and Henry Kingston.
Transatlantic race
The Northern Irish entry in the Clipper Round the World race, Derry-Londonderry-Doire has arrived in New York, after a fifth place in Race 13, one week ahead of a transatlantic race to
Ireland
into the home port of Derry.
Currently in fourth place on 106 points, skipper Seán McCarter knows with so many points still up for grabs a podium position is still in sight.
The fleet is expected to arrive into Lough Foyle from June 21st, where a week-long LegendDerry Maritime Festival is organised.
Tomorrow the world's third-largest Tall Ship, the 370-foot long, four-masted Juan Sebastián de Elcano will visit Dublin. The steel-hulled schooner will be met by two Dublin Port tug boats and a flotilla of yachts to mark the ship's arrival at 7.30am. The ship will berth at Dublin Port until Thursday, June12th.
