Timely victory for Stewart

After a month of chasing Cracklin' Rosie's heels, Bob Stewart's Great Bear finally took its first race win of Class Zero in the Heineken Autumn League at Howth yesterday as the series reaches its finale. Conditions were once again fresh off the Fingal coast though with less violent gusts this week, the fleet escaped the widespread damage that was a highlight of the previous Sunday.

Stewart's win yesterday now brings the Prima 38 footer to within two points of Roy Dickson's seasoned crew on the Corby 40 footer for the overall win. Both boats are duelling together with no clear challengers in this nine boat class.

The Dun Laoghaire boat's winning time of two minutes on handicap will be a morale booster but a win next Saturday, plus Cracklin' Rosie taking third or worse to allow Great Bear victory will require a stroke of luck.

Dickson has already used his discard for a fourth place but another poor showing in this final series seems unlikely.

Meanwhile, Colm Barrington's Velvet Glove has secured Class One with five straight wins to date and need not compete on the final day as second placed Jim Hyland on Maxim is out of reach in spite of a creditable string of straight second places. Kieran Jameson's Changeling is similarly secure in third overall at the front of this 24 boat class.

However, Class Two favourite Space Odyssey spoiled the certainty of their outright victory in Class Two when an `On-course-side' infringement dumped them into maximum points yesterday to take up their discard to keep them in the running at the front of the pack. A return to earlier form on Saturday should secure victory in the league but pressure from Kebec and Oddball among others could threaten Moran and Connellan's six point lead.

Few other classes among the 211 strong fleet are as certain as the bigger boat divisions. Howth's Reilly and Beshoff paired Tuff Stuff leads the 1720 Sportsboats by a slim two points margin. Max McMullan's first full season in the class, sees him in second place although a fifth yesterday may have cost him overall honours.

In one of the smallest classes competing, David Lovegrove of the host club has gradually eroded the lead that McAllisters' Jellyroll from Belfast Lough had established in the Puppeteer 22 fleet. Two points separate first and second but Lovegrove will need a small miracle to stop the visitor from taking the class for the second year running.