Niall Dowling of the Royal Irish Yacht Club finished a close second in the Cape 31 'short series' at the Cowes Week Regatta on Tuesday.
The 24-boat Cape 31 fleet braved the challenging conditions to complete the short series. Sandra Askew and her team on the Flying Jenny from the USA showed their dominance once again with another race win, which was enough for them to clinch the overall trophy. Christian Schwoerer and his team on La Pericolosa also had a strong race, finishing second. However, Dowling's Arabella secured second place overall with 16 points.
The Irish national champion and winner of numerous Solent accolades, Anthony O'Leary, was placed ninth with his team on Antix from Royal Cork. Meanwhile, Michael and Darren Wright's Adrenaline of Howth finished tenth.
The short series contributes to the overall Cape 31 season points, making every race a crucial one.
Despite the tight competition and the sailors' determination, the race committee decided that Wednesday's races would be abandoned because of the Met Office's yellow wind warning in force for the south coast.
The results of the Cape 31 'short series' at Cowes Week Regatta prove that the competition is fierce, and every sailor put in their best effort. The new ultra-fast one designs braved the tough conditions, and the teams showed remarkable skill and sportsmanship.
Results here
