No sealed postboxes. No airport closures. No rows over advertising rights. Few traffic restrictions. That's what the organisers of one of the capital's next big public events promise, as they predict a £60 million spin-off for the economy. Well, they would say that, wouldn't they? But then Tall Ships Dublin Ltd, host for the final leg of this year's Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race, boasts one advantage in attracting spectators. The main venue is on the river Liffey, and the participants will arrive by sea.
The race starts this Sunday in Falmouth, England. It moves on to Lisbon and then to the Spanish port of Vigo with the final leg ending in Dublin. And, by the very nature of things, the 100-strong fleet of windjammers, barques, brigantines and schooners won't be making a concerted landfall in late August. The first vessels will berth anytime after August 17th, en route from Vigo in north-west Spain. Among them will be 16 majestic Class A tall ships, including the world's largest, the Russian Sedov with a crew of 250 dwarfing the Irish sail training vessel, Asgard II. A "Mardi Gras" is promised for the weekend of August 22nd to 25th, the official festival date on the Liffey banks. Over one million visitors are expected to view the craft berthed between the Talbot Memorial Bridge and the East Link toll bridge, and the finale will be a parade of sail as the vessels depart on August 25th. It is the second time that there has been an Irish leg on the prestigious international race Cork hosted it in 1991 and Dublin is said to have beaten off competition from 30 other maritime cities.
Mr John Kelly, director of Tall Ships Dublin Ltd, makes no secret of the fact that he likes to keep his feet on the ground. "I don't know my fore from my aft. I have no knowledge of sailing. I think perhaps that this may be an advantage."
A shrewd observation. Memories of NCB Ireland, and that mighty clash of egos involved in the shore support for Ireland's Whitbread round-the-world entry nine years ago, are still all too fresh among some members of the business community who promised sponsorship.
Mind you, one of the prime movers in NCB Ireland, the former Taoiseach, Mr Charles J Haughey, was instrumental in securing the Dublin leg for this year's event, and in knocking a few heads together to drum up financial support. Almost £1 million has been raised so far by a voluntary steering committee, chaired by Bruce Lyster, an accountant and former commodore of the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire.
Business acumen is well represented on his committee, which includes: promoter, Oliver Barry; businessman, Harry Crosbie; U2 manager, Paul McGuinness; David Palmer, of Independent Newspapers; publicist, Mary Finan; former Dublin Lord Mayor, John Stafford; and former Bord Failte chairman, Padraig O hUiginn. However, sailors do maintain a presence, with Sheila Tyrrell, of Arklow Shipping; solicitor, John Gore Grimes; and Dublin Port chief executive, Captain Enda Connellan among them.
Much of the "spadework" has been dug by that voluntary group over the past three years. However, about two years ago it became obvious that an executive arm was required, and so Mr Kelly was appointed in the autumn of 1996. A business graduate from the University of Limerick, he holds an MBA from UCD and was formerly marketing consultant with the Irish Trade Board in London. He was responsible for forging strategic business links with leading British-based companies, including GEC, Marconi, Philips, Siemens, Matshushita, Anglian Water, Thames Water, Tesco and Marks and Spencer.
Based in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce offices in Clare Street, Mr Kelly now has a staff of five, and the secretary is Bill Taylor, former marketing man in Dublin Port. With 5,000 crew to feed and water, the logistical demands will be enormous. Dublin Port's harbourmaster, Capt Bob Wiltshire, runs one of the sub-committees formed to deal with various aspects of the event, including supply of power, water, collection of refuse and provision of laundry, toilet and shower facilities.
Dublin Port and Dublin Corporation are providing back-up "in kind", and two tented village sites on each of the Liffey banks have been loaned for the weekend by Chesterbridge Construction and Dunloe Ewart. The Army is erecting a Bailey bridge traversing the Grand Canal, while the Naval Service will provide divers and other support.
Through channels developed by the Dublin Docklands Authority, local businesses and residents' groups have been consulted about minimising disruption. The anger expressed by Dublin traders over the Tour de France arrangements has not been lost on Mr Kelly. "We've stressed the positive aspects, and the opportunities for local groups to get involved and run associated activities."
Public access to all of the vessels is free, but hours on some of the larger vessels may be constrained by "corporate" demands. "Some of the eastern European vessels are formerly state-owned and now run by trusts," Mr Kelly explains. "They need funds to keep going, and hosting corporate functions is one way of doing this and one way for us to attract them to Dublin."
Tall Ships Dublin Ltd has its own corporate dimension: by contributing £5,000, companies can receive several benefits, including a VIP table at the Captain's dinner on August 23rd, and exclusive use of the Patron's Club in the Point during the weekend.
Is there a danger that it will become a two-tier event? "No," says Mr Kelly, who points out that the International Sail Training Association, which runs the Cutty Sark Tall Ships race, has set down a range of conditions designed to ensure that the organisers are true to the spirit of the competition. "We have a good relationship with the ISTA," he says. As issues arise, he endeavours to "manage the often conflicting demands of the stakeholders", he adds, diplomatically.
Does his MBA stand him in good stead for this? "Let's say, the MBA was useful for the first phase, putting the building blocks in place," he says again, carefully. "Now I am in fire-fighting mode, however, and that's quite different."
