Day two at ACC Bank Cork Week dawned with a solid south-westerly breeze gusting to more than 20 knots at times for the 410 entries gathered at Crosshaven. Boat-handling skills were tested across the variety of courses though the fleet did not escape without gear failure and ripped sailcloth.

The Super Zero and Zero classes were at full pelt, reaching on the trapezoid course in stark contrast to the more leisurely, light airs conditions of Monday’s Harbour Race to Cobh. Day Two’s racing saw Dan Myers’ Numbers emerge with two wins, taking him to second overall in the Super Zeroes, within three points of Niklas Zennstrom’s RAN.

RAN’s navigator, America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race sailor Steve Hayles, commented: “We knew it would be a tough day for us, the bigger boats have more stability upwind and that’s a big advantage in the upper wind range,” he said. “The TP52s tend to slow each other down fighting for supremacy whilst the bigger boats don’t get involved.”

On the opposite end of the sailing spectrum, the innovative slalom course specially designed for this event made for spectacular racing as the combined fleet of 1720 Sportsboat, IRC class 3, Sigma 38-footers and X332 divisions all enjoyed plenty of fast reaching conditions.

Nicholas O’Leary, skipper of the leading 1720 Wet ‘n’ Ready, commented: “We are really pleased to be leading the class but more so to see my brother Robert behind me so he doesn’t have any bragging rights during the week.” Nevertheless, 16-year-old Robert was placed third and fourth in the 13-boat class yesterday, and lies third overall.

For a list of full results www.accbankcorkweek.ie .