Wind speeds dropped as the Ford Cork Week regatta reached the halfway stage at Crosshaven yesterday but Barlo Plastics continued its march towards the top of Class zero in spite of having to restart in the afternoon's windward-leeward race. The Tony Mullins chartered boat is in second place, two and a quarter points behind the leader, Sir Geoff Mulcahy skippering Noonmark VI, a brand new Swan 60. Howth's youthful challenger Emma McDonald at the helm of her father's X332 Equinox, who shot to the front of the leader board in class four, is now back in 20th position overall after four races when her first and second placings achieved earlier this week were scrubbed after she failed to sign a declaration at the end of the race as required by the sailing instructions.
The Royal Cork's Arthur O'Connor sailing Luv still leads class four but only by 1.25 points from England's Nick Colbourne's Sigma 362, Arion.
There was divided opinion within the 1720 fleet on participation in yesterday's harbour course which did not count towards overall points in the European championships which resumes today over two windward-leeward courses in the penultimate day's racing. Conspicuous by his absence was front runner Mark Mansfield in Union Chandlery. Nevertheless over 30 boats did compete and made an impressive sight, tightly bunched in the 10knot breeze and flat seas off Cobh which ultimately became a battle of Olympic champions. Robert Dix, with British silver medallist Ian Walker crewing, slipped past Ben Ainslie at the helm of After Midnight who led the fleet into the harbour from Richard Burrows in Mizzen in Action.
The Prima 38 Diva that raced round Ireland a month ago to sixth overall under skipper Tom O'Connor is back in Irish waters this week and heading up class one under the command of Ken Trench. In race three, Diva won by over three minutes on corrected time after 95 minutes of Olympic course racing.
