PRESSURE is the name of the game in the 1720 class at the Cork Dry Gin sponsored Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club where favourite Mark Mansfield is threatened after day one by Royal Cork clubmate Anthony O'Leary.
Although easily taking his opening race, the two times Olympian slipped to eighth in race two while O'Leary maintained a front of fleet position to win and take a sixpoint advantage to lead overnight from Mansfield.
Racing was furiously close in this 32 boat one design class that is sailing for its first ever national championship. The offshore breeze varied throughout the day from force two to four and plenty of minor incidents resulted, particularly at mark roundings.
The Evans's Yonka l'Experience from Howth YC put in a consistent performance yesterday to take third overall just one point behind Mansfield and have a small margin over Raz Beshoff's Vuarnet in fourth.
In the bigger handicap classes, John Godkin's VSOP leads narrowly over Gary Horgan's Amazing Grace in class two on Channel handicap. Visiting IMX 38 footer Braveheart from Howth YC holds third.
Another Howth boat, Philip Watson's top performing Pathfinder won the inshore passage race but lost out of a really close battle when Dave Dwyer's Bullfrog had to retire due to unspecified gear damage.
