Irish crews set for strong finish

SAILING/Cork Week:  This afternoon sees the conclusion to Cork Week with Irish crews in strong overall placings in several key handicap classes. Fresh winds are forecast once again, hopefully without the deluge that accompanied yesterday's competition.

A week of steady results at the front of their fleets are paying off well for two Dublin yachts holding their own against stiff overseas competition.

George Sisk's Wow, from the Royal Irish Yacht Club Dun Laoghaire, holds the overall lead in Class One with a comfortable eight-point advantage over British yacht Maverick 2.

A strong showing in the fresher conditions over the last two days is paying dividends for Eamon Connelly's team on Dark Angel, the former Nimmo, and now lies third overall and within striking range of second.

Anthony Gore-Grimes' team on Dux from Howth YC have one of the best scorelines of any boat across the 18-class event, with four first places to date and counting just an eighth after the single discard for the event came into force yesterday. Their position is slightly more vulnerable as the second placed boat in that class is just four points behind.

Under the "almost there" heading, defending title-holder Tim Goodbody lies second overall in the Sigma 33 European Championships but has an eight-point gap to overcome today to reclaim the event from Colin Porteous on Sqawk in first overall.

In what remains of Class Zero after Morning Glory's departure from the race course yesterday, the outcome for Pyewacket seems without doubt - the American maxi has it in the can.

However, the duel between Colm Barrington's Flying Glove against Robert Elliott's Erivale continues with the latter holding sway. Both stand to take second and third place overall but counting the German maxis results last night, were fourth and third respectively.

In the Class Two, Eamon Crosbie's Calyx Voice & Data faces a similar battle, lying second overall to Nick Jones Tarka after failing to reclaim the overall lead of her class yesterday.

DAY FOUR - Race 5: 1 Morning Glory (H Plattner); 2 Constanter (W Mesdag); Satori (S Blom). IRC0 Race 6 1 Pyewacket (R Disney); 2 Chippewa (C Deutsch); 3 Satori (S Blom). IRM Race 5 1 Babbalaas (D McLean); 2 2XL (D Murrin); 3 WOLF (G Williams). IRM Race 6 1 Chernikeeff 2 (P Harrison); 2 Babbalaas (D McLean); 3 WOLF (G Williams). IRC1 Race 5 1 Wow (G Sisk); 2 Blue Magic (R Napier); 3 Wight Link (B Archer). IRC1 Race 6 1 Wow (G Sisk); 2 Dark Angel (E Connelly); 3 Freya (C Doyle). IRC2 Race 6 1 Tarka (N Jones0; 2 Salvo (P Morton); 3 Trilogy 2 (J G Samzun). IRC3 Race 6 1 Yeomantix (R Aisher); 2 Vixen (Cowper & Jones) 3 Merlin (Moreau). IRC4 Race 5 1 Jacana (B Douglas); 2 Inis-Mor (B Gouy); 3 TBS/DSM (J Burgaud). IRC4 Race 6 1 Inis-Mor (B Gouy); 2 Jacana (B Douglas); 3 TBS/DSM (J Burgaud).