Winds liven up Cup

A perfect score sheet was ruined for Poul-Rickard Hoj-Jensen yesterday afternoon and his massive lead on the scoreboard cut to just under 50 points as 20knot south-westerly winds brought the Dragon Gold Cup to life in Dun Laoghaire.

The successful completion of races three and four in testing conditions means the no-discard series will be completed by a single fifth and final race starting today at 10.50 a.m.. A Danish win is almost certain with Hoj-Jensen,

Torben-Olsen and Broge Borressen occupying the top three places.

On a day when many crews concentrated on boat handling and admitted to underestimating the power of the bay's tidal streams, the overall leader notched another win by a considerable distance yesterday morning before slipping into the 20s in the penultimate race and adding 25 points to an otherwise perfect scoreline.

Dun Laoghaire's Andrew Craig, Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Billy Riordan produced the best Irish result of the day in race three when they reaped the rewards of working the left-hand side of the first windward leg on board Chimaera.

Rounding in fifth place, the Royal St George crew climbed to third and held their position behind Germany's Harmuller Spreer. The result moves them closer to the top third of the fleet in 24th position and they are the fifth Irish boat overall.

Chimaera was followed home by the Sydney Olympic team manager Bill O'Hara sailing with David Burrows on Peter Bowring's Phantom. Robin Hennnessy and Des

Cummins and Philip Watson in Rascal Rat were up there too, in fifth place, but in the afternoon a low placing doubled their overall points to 95.70.