SAILING:JUST TWO Irish boats at this weekend's important Red Funnel regatta on the Solent is an indication Ireland will struggle to meet last year's expectation of three teams for August's Commodore's Cup.
Anthony O’Leary’s Ker 39 Antix will join Conor Phelan’s Ker 37 Jump Juice on the Cowes start line tomorrow for the British warm-up event.
The world is a very different place now and this has taken its toll on the tiny professional sailing ranks here.
The numbers might be down but determination remains to muster a team capable of bringing back a cup that has eluded Ireland so many times in the past.
O’Leary is leading the assault in the big boat for what looks increasingly like Ireland’s only Commodore’s Cup team in five months’ time.
The middle boat is suggested as the 2009 UK and Irish IRC Champion, Mariners Cove (Dave Dwyer), with a brand-new Corby design as the small boat but neither are racing tomorrow.
Of course hope springs eternal and team insiders said last night the Irish Cruiser Racer Association (ICRA) was not giving up on a second team entirely.
It may well be another three boats can come together at the 11th hour and this is made all the more likely because each country can have as many as four teams in the event.
Although not on the Solent, the new small Corby is down for the Irish ICRA Championships at the end of May.
With eight titles in the air, it’s not surprising 91 boats are signed up for the ICRA event on Dublin Bay.
Such a fine early entry though belies the fact that 20 per cent of the fleet comprises white-sail entries, competing for the first time for ICRA’s new Corinthian Cup.
In this regard the event still has some way to go to build entries for its IRC divisions but with only 39 local boats entered so far there should be a swelling of these ranks before first gun on May 21st.
Of some significance is the uptake from boats coming from outside the bay.
There are entries from Howth, Malahide, Bray, Arklow, Waterford, Tralee, Royal Cork, Cobh, Mayo Sligo, Liverpool, London and Pwhelli in Wales.
In other news, two early-season sailing events in Dún Laoghaire are under investigation this week after sailing boats crossed the path of the Stena Sea Lynx car ferry last Saturday morning.
The ferry, arriving from Holyhead in Wales, was forced to stop and sound the ship’s whistle as a warning to various dinghies in the harbour fairway.
At one point the dinghies were in such close proximity to the ferry, the Sea Lynx captain was able to talk directly to a junior sailor from the bridge of the ship.
University College Dublin have won the Scottish University Championships adding an overseas victory to the sailing club’s achievements this season.
Three Irish teams – one from UCD and two representing University of Limerick – travelled over to compete in the team racing event.
Youthful Olympic hopefuls are recording mixed results from the Princess Sofia regatta in Palma where conditions have been varied at best.
Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern lie 10th in the 49er silver fleet with Ger Owens and Ross Killian dropping back to 26th.
Tiffany Brien is the top Irish Laser Radial in 16th, Annalise Murphy is 35th, and Debbie Hanna lying in 47th place in the 70-boat fleet. James Espey, in the full rig, is just inside the top half, in 65th of 131 boats, with Ross Hamilton 43rd of 53 Finns.
At home, Kinsale Yacht Club host the 420 Munster Championships tomorrow and on Tuesday, the current Under 17 Laser Radial World Champion, will compete in the ISA Youth National and Junior Pathway Championship in Schull, Co Cork.
