Final Result Remains In The Balance PDF Print E-mail
Ireland Green appears to hold the lead, but France Bleu is in the hunt

The final outcome of the Rolex Commodores' Cup could not be closer on this final afternoon/evening of racing. At present the boats are still sailing out to the west of the Isle of Wight. Having parked up off Poole this morning, the event's high scoring final offshore race has effectively restarted.

Very approximate and, it must be emphasised, unofficial corrected time calculations based on the fleet's rounding times at the North Head buoy off the Needles indicate that Ireland Green currently still leads overall while GÈry Trentesaux's France Bleu team have overtaken Ireland White to move into second. With Ireland White now in third, Colm Barrington's Ireland Orange team, having been second pretty much since the outset of this regatta, have been relegated to fourth place.

First on the water to arrive at North Head at 11:00:07 this morning was Andrew Allen/Colm Monohan's No Naked Flames. The Farr 52 Bear of Britain was first in Class 1 to reach the same mark, but with the exception of class leader John Shepherd's Ker 46 Fair Do's VII, the smaller boats in that division appear to have done a better job in the mixed conditions and powerful tides. In Class 1 France White's IMX 45 Codiam ENSP holds second and the Russian Swan 45 Murka third. Crucially Ireland Green's Mills 40 Tiamat is in sixth place some half an hour behind on corrected time.

ìWe are hopeful of a proper outcome still,î commented Tiamat's owner Tim Costello. ìWe're not sure where our fellow team members are at present and the French have come on very strongly in the last couple of days so we can't take anything for granted.î

Overnight, as they were rounding the south side of the Isle of Wight, Costello reported the wind had piped up to 18 knots but at the time they had been on a run. ìWe had a chance to get some grub in and it wasn't too cold or uncomfortable. So spirits are certainly high on the boat at the moment.î However this morning the wind had dropped to a painfully light 5-6 knots from the southeast.

Costello appeared aware that France Bleu's Courrier de Coeur might be ahead of them on corrected time, but said ìit is still early days. There are six or so long legs to go and while the breeze is pleasant at the moment the tidal strategies out here are crucial and so it is very much in the lap of the gods.î

In the middle boat class, sailmaker Stephane Neve's Sinergia 40 Paprec Recyclage sailing in France Bleu appears to be leading from David Dwyer's new Mills 39 marinerscove.ie 2 sailing in Ireland White with Ireland Green's Blondie of Eamonn Rohan is holding third.

At the North Head buoy, the small boat class was the only one where Ireland Green was leading the superb France Bleu effort. Here TBS, France White's First 34.7, was holding a lead over the well sailed J/109 No Naked Flames of Andrew Allen and Colm Monahan, just ahead of France Bleu's Batistyl of Cyrille Legloahec in third.

At present the plan remains for the balance of the race to continue to unfold in Poole and Christchurch Bays, with the fleet undertaking a number of loops between North Head and Poole Bar. The Notice of Race allows for the Race Organisers, the Royal Ocean Racing Club to change the course as required to keep the fleet at sea for 24 hours or longer. This morning the courses for all fleets were lengthened by 24 miles in a freshening breeze. With the wind now predicted to go lighter, the course may yet be altered again.