Hegarty moves up to third

SailingNeil Hegarty's reinstatement after a successful protest against the race committee plus a seventh scored yesterday has put the Royal St George helmsman into third place overall at the halfway stage of the Aberdeen Dragon World championships off Dún Laoghaire.

The performance is a significant one for the Irish champion because all his four results so far are in the top 16 whereas other top-10 finishers will already be seeking to discard one bad result later today.

Hegarty successfully protested on Monday evening because of an incorrect procedure after he was judged to have crossed the starting line early. Yesterday he was awarded his finishing position in that race (second in race two) plus 20 per cent of the fleet, giving him a 16th place rather than a disqualification.

Denmark's Frank Berg, on 54.7 points, has closed to within five points of the leader, Marcus Wieser. Defending world champion Jorgen Schönherr (Denmark) is back in the top 15 after a 25th scored yesterday.

Hegarty, sailing with Peter Bowring and David Williams, is 16 points off the lead before a discard after race five today.

A flooding tide was the biggest tactical consideration yesterday and though Hegarty admits to having got only a second-row start he had enough room in the 68­boat fleet to tack away.

An early decision to go right paid dividends and the Dún Laoghaire trio finished 11th after some blistering light-air speed.

It was a strong day for others in the 18­boat Irish team, Don O'Donoghue taking fourth to place seventh overall and John Ross Murphy taking fifth.

The race was dominated by Thomas Müller of Germany, a former Irish Open champion, who led around every mark.

A mark-roundings chart is at www.dragonworld2007.com.