Please select your home edition
Edition
Sunstorm Marine - Mesh Bag - RIB

Brewin Dolphin Dragon Gold Cup at Kinsale Yacht Club - Day 2

by Fiona Brown 10 Sep 2012 21:17 BST 8-14 September 2012

Tommy Mueller claims the lead

Day two of the Brewin Dolphin Dragon Gold Cup in Kinsale gave the sixty strong fleet another tough work out as they completed race two of the series in big seas and winds of up to 28 knots from around 220 degrees.

After an initial general recall the fleet got away cleanly at the second time of asking. At the first mark those who had worked the centre left came out on top with Ferenc Kis-Szölgyémi, sailing HUN57 Bear, leading the fleet from Tommy Mueller, sailing GER1123 Sinewave, second and Frank Berg, sailing DEN266 My Way, third. Hard on their heels came a pack of boats led by Martin Byrne, in IRL201 Jaguar, whose port tack approach fell foul of starboard tacker Joergen Schoenherr, sailing DEN406 African Queen. Although Byrne rounded the mark ahead he then had to do a pair of turns to exonerate himself and by the time he'd pirouetted his way down the spreader leg he had been passed by Jens Rathsack, in MON2 Jeanie, Klaus Diederichs, in GBR758 Fever and Dimitry Samokhin, in RUS76 Strange Little Girl.

Kis-Szölgyémi did his best to defend on the first run but he was no match for the impressive speed of Mueller. By the first gate Mueller had the lead with Kis-Szölgyémi second, Schoenherr had moved up into third and Diederichs was fourth, just ahead of Berg. Having rounded the gate in eighth Byrne decided it was time to get his skates on and up the second beat he worked the shifts that came through under a heavy rain squall to best advantage. By the second weather mark he was up into third behind Mueller and Schoenherr and just ahead of Kis-Szölgyémi, Diederichs and Poul Richard Hoj-Jensen, sailing GBR775 Danish Blue.

Down the second run both the breeze and the wave height had increased and as the sun broke through the dark clouds the fleet made a spectacular sight surfing flat out against a backdrop of rolling Irish countryside. At the second gate Schoenherr had closed up on Mueller but it wasn't enough and on the final beat Mueller stretched out his lead again leaving Schoenherr to trail him across the line. The battle for third place was fraught and was only decided in the closing moments with Diederichs crossing the line just ahead of Byrne and Hoj-Jensen.

In the overall standings overnight leader Lawrie Smith, sailing GBR763 Alfie, exacerbated a knee injury sustained yesterday and struggled to finish the race crossing the line in 18th place so drops down into seventh overall. Today's race win takes Tommy Mueller to the top of the league table with five points while Poul-Richard Hoj-Jensen's steady fifth means he remains in second overall on seven points. Joergen Schoenherr has jumped up into third place and is just a single point behind Hoj-Jensen with Dimitry Samokhin fourth on eleven points and Martin Byrne fifth on fifteen.

In the Corinthian Division for the all-amateur crews today's race winner was Reemt Reemtsma, sailing GER1121 Caroroo, who also claimed sixth place in the overall division. Second place went to Remy Arnaud, sailing FRA396 Legend, Frank Berg was third and local boy Cameron Good, sailing IRL211 Little Fella was fourth. In the overall Corinthian standings Reemtsma now leads the fleet on four points from Good on five with Berg third counting eight points and Arnaud fourth on nine points.

This evening the crews are enjoying a cocktail reception, supported by Kinsale Town Council and OPW, at the historic Charles Fort, which has guarded the entrance to Kinsale Harbour since the 17th century.

Four more races are scheduled and the regatta continues until Friday 14th September.

Keep up with all the latest news, results and updates from the event via www.dragongoldcup2012.com

Related Articles

Solent Dragon Fleet Builds Momentum
Ahead of biggest Cowes Week showing in years The Solent Dragon fleet made a powerful statement this summer as five boats, Bertie, Fit Chick, Jerboa, Dreki, and Bluebottle, travelled from Cowes to Torquay to compete in the 2025 Edinburgh Cup and South West Championship. Posted today at 9:34 am
Cowes Week 2025: The countdown to race time begins
Anticipation is building for one of the world's most iconic regattas With just a few days to go, Cowes Week 2025 is shaping up to be another unforgettable celebration of sailing and summer. Entries are already ahead of last year, and anticipation is building for one of the world's most iconic regattas. Posted on 30 Jul
Burnham Week preview
All comers invited to join in the fun at this premier east coast regatta With one month to go to the start of Burnham Week 2025, preparations are well under way for this premier east coast regatta. The buzz around town and news of entries gives a good indication that this event is gearing up to be a classic edition. Posted on 23 Jul
Hong Kong to host 2027 Dragon Worlds
Taking place from 21 to 29 November 2026 The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Sailing Federation of Hong Kong, China in partnership with the Hong Kong Dragon Association, is proud to announce that Hong Kong will host the 2027 Hong Kong Dragon World Championship from 21 to 29 November 2026. Posted on 17 Jul
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay overall
Tight Racing and Tactical Brilliance The final day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup brought sunshine, shifting breeze, and two exciting races that kept the championship wide open until the very last run. Posted on 11 Jul
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay Day 2
Champagne Sailing and Fierce Competition Tor Bay turned on the charm on Day Two of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup, delivering stunning champagne sailing conditions for the International Dragon fleet. Posted on 10 Jul
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay Day 1
Sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing Tuesday 8th July welcomed the opening day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup in Torquay with sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing. Posted on 9 Jul
British Dragon South West Championship
A spectacular warm-up for the 2025 Edinburgh Cup Torquay delivered a spectacular warm-up for the 2025 Edinburgh Cup, as 13 Dragon teams took to the waters of Tor Bay for the South West Championship, a two-day regatta packed with shifting breezes, tactical gambles, and top-class racing. Posted on 8 Jul
Celtic Challenge at Glandore Harbour
Junior sailors steer the way to victory in annual team race The vibrant spirit of sailing camaraderie was alive and kicking in Glandore over the weekend as GHYC proudly hosted the much-anticipated annual team race against RAYC. The friendly rivalry, known as the Celtic Challenge, was anything but tame. Posted on 3 Jul
Medway YC Keelboat Regatta
What a blast - on the water and shoreside The regatta was a two day event with an additional practice race on the Friday evening. The cruisers racing two races on the Saturday all within the River Medway and down river as far as the entrance at Queenborough. Posted on 21 Jun