SAILING CRUISER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:ALMOST IDYLLIC sailing conditions graced Dublin Bay yesterday for the opening races in the Liebherr Cruiser National Championships for a combined fleet of 117 boats that will decide four primary Irish titles.

As expected, Anthony O’Leary presented Antix Dubh in potent form as the Royal Cork Yacht Club skipper prepares for this summer’s Rolex Commodore’s Cup by staging an assault on the Class Zero Irish championship.

Defending title-holder Dave Dwyer on marinerscove.ie could only manage two fourth places yesterday in the 11 boat class, a worse than expected result, and just rewards in the form of the overall lead under ECHO handicap, while O’Leary’s crew with their two first places hold the lead under IRC for the premiere title.

Class One saw the defender execute almost clinical form in the first race as Mel Collins steered Paul O’Higgins’ Dún Laoghaire entry Rockabill V to victory. However, Collins’ brother Killian returned fire in the afternoon as tactician on Royal Cork entry Jelly Baby that won, placing both boats on even points, with the visitors leading on tie-break.

Waterford Harbour entry Zoom upset the form-guide in Class Two by relegating favourite Kinetic from Howth to second place and 2008 Class Three champion Flor O’Driscoll with Hard On Port, though Cork’s Neil Kennefick on the black-hulled exotic Z was the more consistent boat and could yet deliver the goods as the weekend progresses.