The final day of the Cocoon Cruiser Challenge brought challenging conditions for the competitors with winds in excess of 30 knots from the West. The race committee laid a Windward Leeward course for all classes.
Class 0
Colm Barrington got Flying Glove off to a fine start and this their first time competing in heavy breeze must have been content with their excellent speed to take another win.
The crew of Blue Magic were also on song going well in the tough conditions also beating O2 Team Spirit. Nixon's team struggled slightly in the heavy airs blowing out 2 kites on the first run. Soon after this their electronics failed. From then on it was a case of getting to the finish in a respectable position.
With the breeze building further throughout the morning the PRO decided to call it a day and cancelled the second race of the day allowing all ashore to the shelter of the RIYC. The overall results brought O2 Team Spirit home with the win on Echo and a clear 2nd overall on IRC.
Class 1
Connor Walls and Chris Cawleys Velvet Weapon (Ex Lethal Weapon) took 2nd in IRC, loosing out by 4 seconds overall to Aztec 2. On the Rox took third place overall on both IRC and ECHO, three points behind Velvet Weapon on IRC in the no-discard series.
Apparently, Velvet Weapon and On the Rox were some of the few boats in the class to hoist a spinne in the heavy conditions.
Class 2
In Class 2, this was a strongly contested series with Howth boats well placed going into the final day. In IRC, Declan Byrne�s Rum Doodle had a commanding lead of 4 points over Colm Byrne�s X 302 Mixed Feelings with Anthony Gore Grimes� Dux 1 point behind and Ian Byrne�s Sunburst in 4th a further point behind.
Wind gusting up to 35 knots favoured Dux who came in a comfortable first with Rum Doodle 5th and the other Byrnes a bit further down the field.
The final race was cancelled so it looked as if Rum Doodle had done the business, but a protest from Dun Laoghaire based Sceal Eile resulted in Rum Doodle�s disqualification and an unexpected birthday present for Anthony Gore- Grimes on his 65th birthday.
Sunburn won the Echo and was 4th on IRC.
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