Sunshine and a moderate breeze of 10-15 knots gave competitors a first day to remember
J/109 European Championships
Eighteen J/109s are competing at Cork Week for the European Championship and they enjoyed some fantastic racing today. Robert O’Leary, steering Jeroboam, got a cracking start, right under Weavers Point, they went on to win the race by over two minutes. Steven Tapper’s Stalker was second and Jonathan & Andrea Tithecott’s Judgment Day taking third.
Jeroboam is owned by Jim Prower from Britain but is crewed by students mainly from University College Cork, including Robert O’Leary, who is just eighteen years of age, in his first year at the University.
‘We started right under Weavers point to get out of the adverse tide and got a bit of help from the surf down the shore. After that, getting under Carlisle Fort was the way to go, again due to the tide,’ explained Robert O’Leary.
Jeroboam led from the start and in clear air they were pulling away from the rest of the fleet, after a cracking first two legs, Jeroboam led the fleet out of the Harbour to Ringabella Bay and then headed offshore. Jeroboam were leading the fleet but only by about 30 seconds.
‘The further offshore we went the more the wind started to go east and we got our lay-line spot on, we had a good run back but didn’t pull away from the pack. We were still vulnerable but we have some great local knowledge and once we got into the harbour for the second time we felt that this would pay. We also managed to slow the opposition down by some good boat on boat work; after we rounded Cobh Mark, we hoisted our spinnaker and gybed immediately on to starboard, several boats behind us had to give way. With a comfortable lead, we could then sail more conservatively.
IRC Super Zero
The Clash of the titans was on the Slalom course today, and it was exciting stuff as Paprec Recyclage tactician, Sebastien Destremau explained: “We were happy with our boat speed and performance in Race One but it was pretty difficult out there. These boats are really powerful and the corners come up a bit too fast. The boats were really close together in Race Two. However the boats in the other classes which were on the same race course were not a problem as far as I am concerned.”
Johnny Vincent’s TP52, Pace came back in a light airs second race to win by a tight margin from Gray and Laidlaw’s Farr 52, Bob with Paprec Recyclage in third. After two races the big boat class is led by Pace, Paprec Recyclage is second, Bob third.
IRC Zero
Anthony O’Leary’s Ker 39 had a solid start to the series and is the overnight leader. Class Zero has some exceptionally close racing and Antix tied with Kieran Twomey’s Corby 38, Gloves Off on corrected time in Race Two. A second on their first race puts the Irish Rolex Commodores’ Cup captain in pole position. Bernard Lambilliotte’s Swan 45, Nemo of Cowes is second, finishing the day on a high note by taking Race Two. Gloves Off is third by just half of one point. It was a mixed day for Richard Matthews and his crew on Oystercatcher XXVI. The Humphreys 42 will have fancied their chances on the slalom course and took the gun in race one by a country mile but were over the line in Race Two and had to go back and take a 20% penalty, meaning that they drop out of the top three, at the end of the first day.
For more class results, CLICK HERE.