IRM Class at Cork Week - Day 3
by Andi Robertson 15 Jul 2004 19:05 BST
Action from the IRM class at Cork Week © Ingrid Abery
The best day of racing yet at Cork Week was one to order. With fifteen to twenty knots of fairly steady westerly breeze and long periods of sunshine the competition in the IRM fleet was always close, and right down through the fleet seconds counted. While the first two days were often tests of sheer boat speed, today the pressure was back on crew work around the traditional Olympic style courses.
It was Peter Harrison's Farr 52 Chernikeeff which scored best for the day, taking line honours and first on corrected time in the first race, and then a second behind Kit Hobday and Tim Louis' 52 Bear of Britain in the second race, to earn their place at the top of the IRM Class leaderboard.
Chernikeeff had the better start in the first race and was able to lock into the first couple of windshifts well, giving themselves breathing space over Bear by the windward turn. From there they extended slightly to win.
Bear of Britain lined up alongside Chernikeeff at the start gun of the
second race and the pair fought a drag race out to the far left of the
course, Chernikeeff took a couple of bad waves allowing Bear to get a
nose
in front and that was enough to get in control.
With the pair fighting it out the lead IC 45's were hard on their
heels at
the first turn and they both had to work hard to save their time on the
chasing pack.
Building up a small margin Bear was able to come out of the leeward
mark on
starboard tack and cause some problems for their main rival who were
completing their run on port.
Forced into a rapid drop Chernikkeeff's kite was in the water
momentarily,
while Bear went on to take the honours for the second race.
"A pretty good day for us. Ian Budgen and Chris Main both did a good
job
for us today, Chris keeping us on the right bit of water at the right
time
and Budgie steering." Chernikeeff's navigator Marc Fitzgerald
commented.