UK fleets to the fore

Two giants of the UK fleet rose quickly to the fore in the first race of the Heineken Enterprise World Championship which started in Bray yesterday. It has all the hallmarks of a private battle for the title. Northampton's Ian Pinnell, with John Blundell crewing, stole the opening day from current champion Richard Estaugh with Pete Rowley in second place. However, it wasn't until the closing stages of the course when the ebb tide kicked in that their result became clear.

Roger Gilbert, another UK entrant, had been holding a firm grip on the leading bunch for the first two rounds. However, turning onto the final beat, those that chose the righthand side were favoured; Pinnell and Estaugh moved into contention. Irish boats had a reasonable start to the event with two local crews featuring in the top 20 boats. Bray's Ger Dempsey and Shane McCarthy scored a 15th place; the local helm who won the Northern Championships earlier this year had a last-minute replacement for his regular crew when he asked McCarthy to return from a teaching post in Hawai for the championship.

Greystones Roy Van Maanen, the current Irish champion after 19 years of trying, took 19th in the opening day with crew Sally Brightling. Pre-event Irish favourite and practice race Irish leader Marty Cuppage could only manage 28th in the 107-boat fleet.

Yesterday's weather was in contrast to the windy conditions experienced on Sunday. A fresh force six in the morning gradually gave way over lunchtime to lighter airs from the north although many less experienced crews were still caught out.

Organisers have extended the time limit on the daily race by half an hour to allow the slower backmarkers a chance to score as light airs caught up to two dozen boats who were struggling against the ebb tide and dying breeze.