MARTIN BYRNE underlined his intentions for next week's 1720 national championships in Kinsale when, despite a left hand injury, captured his own club's silverware in light and shifty winds on Saturday afternoon.

Byrne, a convert from the J24 keelboat, in only his sixth outing in the 1720 class, claimed the Carlsberg National Yacht Club regatta prize following a last beat tactical battle where he outwitted top ranked Robert Dix, sailing Lemon, to cross the line and win by a margin of only four boat lengths.

Byrne, who put his win down to 40 minutes of wind tracking prior to the start gained his initial advantage by spotting the wind was shifting to the right hand side of the course.

By the end of the second beat Byrne re-established his lead after earlier allowing Dix's Howth crew go in front and was able to concentrate on keeping Lemon in a close cover as the 18-boat fleet, which included Olympic Laser helmsman Mark Lyttle, split into two distinct groups.