Saturday

Responsive race management in trying conditions pulled off a successful day afloat and ­ averted a major regatta set back ­ for the massive 420 boat fleet in the penultimate round of the four day Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta today. In a classic Dublin Bay scenario a light westerly gradient breeze of 8 knots fought an opposing sea breeze leaving Ireland's top race management teams with little option but to reset some courses and abandon others across the regatta's nine different courses.

Despite the on the water headaches however, the outcome has been a full programme of races in nearly all the 25 competing classes, thanks to nimble race teams.It leaves just two more races for the one designs and dinghies and a single race to decide the overall honours in the Cruiser classes tomorrow (Sunday) morning. The hardest done by was perhaps the SB3s and Dragons who were sailing in Scotsmans' Bay. Race three was started twice and abandoned twice as the regatta's Chief Race Officer, Con Murphy, sat between two bands of wind, neither stable enough for racing.

The fickle conditions brought the first slip from Flor O'Driscoll's leading J24 in Cruisers III. Though the Royal St. George Crew still lead, their margin is now a single point over Ken Lawless' Supernova. O'Driscoll who is counting three races wins only managed a second and another untypical 2nd placing today. Supernova closed the gap with two race wins. 21 Cruisers III are racing in IRC and 33 under the local ECHO handicap to be the biggest class at the regatta.

In spite of the race abandonment issues Sharkbait (Ben Duncan/Brian Moran) lead the Laser SB3s. Aidan O'Connell's entry from the Royal St.George is third with John O'Driscoll's BomChickaWahWah third.In the dinghy classes Johnny Ross Murphy's Water wag Little Tern leads from Swift (Guy Kilroy). William and Linda Prentice's Tortoise is third.

	Sat Howth Course
	Sat Sutton Course
	Sat Southbull Course-race5
	Sat Southbull Course-race6