Duncan steers Sharkbait in to lead

SAILING/DÚN LAOGHAIRE REGATTA 2009:KIWI BEN Duncan sailing Sharkbait is the clear leader in the SB3 keelboat class after four races sailed at the Volvo Dún Laoghaire Regatta.

On a day forecasted to produce very little, Dublin Bay surprised by offering the 21 competing classes a 10-knot southerly breeze. It was more than enough to complete three more races and bring the country’s biggest regatta to the half-way stage.

After scoring a first and a second in the first two races Duncan led by seven boat lengths around the first mark in yesterday afternoon’s final race only to drop to third on the first downwind leg.

The breeze dropped to five knots as the boats soaked downwind and race officer Alan Crosbie set a new weather mark and decided to shorten the course.

The beat to the finish was a slow affair in a flooding tide but Boomsticks (Brian Reilly) took full advantage of the windshift to finish first and move into third overall. Second was Splash Gordon (Gordon Patterson) and third Duncan’s Sharkbait.

Visitors dominate in IRC0, with Richard Filder’s Corby 37, Impetuous, winning the first race and coming third later to top their class. Tactician on Impetuous is Hamish MacKay, a Scottish Commodore’s Cup sailor, who praised the organisers for making the most of the conditions.

“The race officer did a great job today,” he said. “He was patient enough to let the breeze settle in and gave us a short course for the second race before it shut down.”

“It is a competitive class and if we get big breeze tomorrow, we may struggle against the bigger heavier boats, so it still all to play for”. In second place is Plymouth-based Argie Bargie, helmed by Alan Hogg, which ended the day with a win to stay ahead of top local boat, Tim Costello’s Tiamat.

Strong winds are forecast overnight and for this morning’s three races a gale warning has been issued.

The regatta concludes tomorrow with the homecoming for Green Dragon. The Irish round-the-world yacht will muster off Bulloch harbour at 12.30pm and will be escorted by the lifeboat in to Dún Laoghaire harbour.

The ceremony will start on the East Pier and it is hosted by Hector. There will be entertainment by Arcana and Superfly.

Interviews will be held with Dún Laoghaire cathaoirleach Marie Baker and the regatta chairman, Phil Smith, prior to the Dragon’s arrival in to the harbour at 1pm with the 450-boat regatta fleet. The prize giving at the National Yacht Cup follows.

Race Two

Beneteau 317 – 1 Levante (M Leahy), 2 Fiddly Bits (K Byrne), 3 Bluefin 2 (Bryson and OCallaghan).

Beneteau 317 IRC – 1 Levante (M Leahy), 2 Levana (Jean Mitton), 3 Fiddly Bits (K.Byrne).

Class 0 Echo – 1 Tiamat (Tim Costello), 2 WOW (George Sisk), 3 Tsunami (Vincent Farrell).

Class 0 – 1 Argie Bargie (Allan Hogg), 2 Tiamat (Tim Costello), 3 Impetuous (Richard Fildes).

Class 1 Echo – 1 Flashback (P Gregory and D.Breen), 2 Rockabill V (Paul OHiggins), 3 Another Adventure (D Cafferky).

Class 1 – 1 Rockabill V (Paul O'Higgins), 2 Waterjet (S Northmore and C Arscott), 3 Flashback (P Gregory and D Breen).

Class 2 Echo – 1 Red Rhum (J and C Nicholson), 2 Kinetic (R Colwell and J.Murphy), 3 Hot Chocolate (Philip Lee).

Class 2 – 1 Kinetic (R Colwell and J Murphy), 2 Red Rhum (J and C Nicholson), 3 Dick Dastardly (Brian Cusack et al).

Class 3 Echo – 1 Supernova (K Lawless et al), 2 Hard on Port (Flor O'Driscoll), 3 Alliance (Vince Gaffney).

Class 3 – 1 Supernova (K Lawless et al), 2 Hard on Port (Flor ODriscoll), 3 Alliance (Vince Gaffney).

Dragon – 1 Phantom (Williams), 2 Diva (R Goodbody and Johnson), 3 Decision (Chris Fleming).

Etchell – 1 Crop Duster (D OGrady and P Reilly), 2 Ladies Who Launch (Mary OLoughlin), 3 Matatu Dubh (R and D Burrows).

Fireball – 1 Butlers Ball (A Pearce and A Broughton), 2 South Paws (Andy Scott), 3 NN (Peter Gray).

Flying 15 – 1 Hy5ive (David Gorman), 2 Gekko (S and P Nolan), 3 Fifty Somethings (David Mulvin).

Glen – 1 Glenshesk (Henderson), 2 Glenluce (D and R OConnor), 3 Glenmarissa (F Elmes and W Higgins).

Howth 17 – 1 Pauline (S O'Doherty and E Ryan), 2 Leila (Roddy Cooper), 3 Echo (Bryan Lynch).

IDRA 14 – 1 Starfish (Alan Carr), 2 Charmian (Gerard OHanlon), 3 Dunmoanin (Frank Hamilton).

J109 – 1 Christie Cancer Care (T Hyland and N Biggs), 2 Joker 2 (John Maybury), 3 Juniper (Kenneth Hunter).

J80 – 1 Dyno Rod (Andrew Fowler), 2 KPMG (Thomas Dawson), 3 DL Marina (Callum Edge).

Laser SB3 – 1 Modus (Ronan Collins), 2 Sharkbait (B Duncan and B Moran), 3 Squalo Bianco (Sean Craig).

Mermaid – 1 Tiller Girl (J ORourke), 2 Dolphin (Shay OToole), 3 Jill (P Smith and P Mangan).

Ruffian – 1 Carmen (Brendan Duffy), 2 Ruff N Ready (Brian Cullen et al), 3 Riff Raff (Paul Fagan).

Shipman – 1 Curraglas (John Masterson), 2 Whiterock (Henry Robinson), 3 Just Good Friends (Micheal Carroll).

Sigma 33 – 1 Sigmatic (Donald McLaren), 2 Rupert (R Lovegrove and P Varian), 3 Popje (Ted McCourt et al).

Squib – 1 Klipbok (Emmet Dalton), 2 Femme Fatale (J OByrne and V Delany), 3 Why Not (D and J Jago).

White Sail 1 Echo – 1 Pretty Polly (Chris Horrigan), 2 Xerxes (Dan ONeill), 3 Persistance (Charles Broadhead et al).

White Sail 1 – 1 Orna (Philip Dilworth), 2 Pretty Polly (Chris Horrigan), 3 Gums nRoses (J and G Rose).

White Sail 2 Echo – 1 Mac Magic (P and D McCabe), 2 Jokers Wild (Gordon Knaggs), 3 Windermere (Joe Taylor).

White Sail 2 – 1 Mac Magic (P and D McCabe), 2 Archatron (J Godfrey and R Taylor), 3 Chimaera (George Baird).

Race Three

Fireball – 1 South Paws (Andy Scott), 2 Butlers Ball (A Pearce and A Broughton), 3 NN (Peter Gray).

IDRA 14 – 1 Starfish (Alan Carr), 2 Charmian (Gerard OHanlon), 3 Chaos (J Ascoop and H Keenan).

J80 – 1 Smart Telecom (Laura Dillon), 2 Dyno Rod (Andrew Fowler), 3 DL Marina (Callum Edge).

Laser SB3 – 1 Boomsticks (Brian Reilly), 2 Splash Gordon (Gordon Patterson), 3 Sharkbait (B Duncan and B Moran).

Mermaid - 1 Tiller Girl (J ORourke), 2 Jill (P Smith and P Mangan), 3 Dolphin (Shay OToole).