WITH an impressive run of straight wins in the four race series, Bob and Barbrie Stewarts Little Bear emerged the clear winner of the Dublin Bay Sailing Club Cruiser Challenge yesterday.

The victory was all the more dazzling considering their main rival was Peter Beamish's Aztec, the pre event favourite for class one. Little Bear's class one win gave her the event but they also took the class on ECHO handicap with a matching hat trick.

Although the Stewarts were competing in the smallest class of the event, the ten boat fleet saw some of the closest on the water racing with Little Bear, Aztec, XClaim and Malahide entry Frenzy duelling for the lead honours. Nothing could match the Royal Irish Yacht Club yacht's performance though and they took the overall DBSC trophy for the second year running.

The 47 boat event also saw a popular win in class zero when Roy Dickson's Cracklin' Rosie won after a closely fought series at the front of the 14 boat division. Once again, Colm Barrington's Surfin' Shoes, with Jamie Boag helming, came frustratingly close to winning but the short courses wouldn't allow her time to build a decent lead for the handicapping to work in her favour.

But the event also proved irristating for Surfin' Shoes' principal bugbear of the season so far when Cormac Twomey's Sarah J had a disastrous third race which effectively cost the series as no discard is allowed. A small collision with Brava on the last reach to the wing mark of the windward/leeward course saw Sarah J plummet to last in class after they took their mandatory 720 degree turn.

The near maximum points for that race saw Twomey's Beneteau drop from first to fifth overall, spoiling Saturday's first and second places from the racing on Killiney Bay. However, it was consistent sailing by Cracklin Rosie, counting two third places plus an equal third that led to Dickson's win.

In the largest individual fleet competing, John Hall's Eliminator won class two by a three point margin.