DESPITE leading the fleet for the whole Sports boat race, Colm Barrington's decision to defy the premature start rule cost him the opening race of the Carlsberg RAYC Superleague on Dublin Bay yesterday.
In fickle winds, Barrington and his crew in Surfin' Slipper sailed consistently in the 12-boat race and by the end of the second windward leg, had opened up a lead. As fog threatened racing, Barrington slipped across the line in first place to the absence of a finishing gun.
Instead, Howth entrant Yonka'll Experience, helmed by Mike Evans, took the honours in the first ever 1720 Superleague race on the bay.
A fleet of 16 Dragons were led around the light-air course by Michael Cotter's aptly named Whisper, who outwitted Northern Ireland's Kin, sailed by Simon Brien, for the gun. Clare Foley, in Aphrodite, was third.
Nine starters on the Class Zero course in Scotsmans Bay were also wrapped in fog, with Mustang Sally's Howth crew showing their light-air edge with a Channel handicap corrected time of 2 hours 10 mins and 53 seconds. Defending Class Zero champion Sarah J (Cormac Twomey) was second, with Big Ears (Michael Boyd) third.
At Wexford Harbour Boat Club, mist also threatened to cut short the optimist Leinster championships. Stefan Hyde (15) became the new Leinster champion, beating defending champion Colin Lough (15).
