Parkin makes light work of race

Sailing /Flying 15 World Championships: More light and shifty winds on Dublin Bay yesterday created further upset for the 77 boats competing in the Subaru Flying 15 World Championships, with two of the seven races now sailed.

With little prospect of fresher weather until later in the week, the series seems set to be a high-scoring event with little certainty of the final outcome.

Opening day leaders Mike Hart and Richard Rigg maintain their overall lead with a 10-point margin thanks to a seventh place yesterday.

The result sits well with an opening race win on Sunday, and three British boats dominate the top standings. Hart, a full-time sailing coach working with children at the Royal Hospital at Ipswich, is competing with a borrowed boat and crew.

Barring a major reversal in fortune, John Lavery and David O'Brien now appear to be out of contention following their second disastrous result of the championship yesterday.

A weighty 45 points for their 39th placing belies their boatspeed, but highlights the critical nature of light airs tactics. The duo are currently 61st overall.

With a strong likelihood of a sea-breeze on Dublin Bay, the choice facing the fleet is whether to sail up the first beat on the left or the right-hand side of the course. The arrival of the sea breeze prompted many to opt for the latter in anticipation of the new wind - that never arrived.

Instead, the wind remained relatively constant and gradually shifted by just 20 degrees, a stark contrast to Sunday when the fleet had to contend with a sudden, 40-degree turn that turned leaders into losers.

Yesterday's winner, Barry Parkin, said the race was fairer than Sunday's opener. "This is going to be a light airs regatta and no one's going to get five firsts, but will also have to avoid disasters. I reckon that if you get two disasters then you're out of it."

But the race to the first mark is also crucial, and few major changes are possible after the running order is established.

Ireland's Seán Craig, with Stephen Boyle, scored an impressive second yesterday that came close to a win. "It's all in the first beat and we were third at the first mark before moving into the lead for the next lap," Craig said.

Parkin then edged ahead on the final leg to win by 10 boat lengths, while third-placed Roger and Barbera Palmer were a similar distance behind.

An exception to the rule of minor gains were Australians Grant Alderson and Dean MacAuley who powered from 60th at the first mark to an impressive final result of 22nd.

Like the Palmers, yesterday's winners are also a husband and wife team. While the Parkins lie 12th overall, Craig reckons the pair are sailing faster and higher than the other boats and are a force to be reckoned with.

After four races, the single discard will come into force and a reorder should see these top boats improve in the standings.

However, Craig warns that "it's the guys who don't need the discard after race four tomorrow that are in a nice position."

Meanwhile, who takes over the mantle of Irish favourites from Lavery and O'Brien falls to a few contenders. While Craig and Boyle are hitting form with the second yesterday and lie seventh overall, 2002 national champions Justin Burke and Alan Greene are sailing well, with a sixth yesterday boosting them to fourth overall and best of the home fleet.

A 20th yesterday for Gerry Donleavy and Ciarán Crummey sees them slide to sixth place.