Young and talented Irish sailors are set for a feast of action over the next month as an unprecedented level of racing takes place on home waters.
For the first time in more than 30 years, two Olympic classes are staging significant events in Ireland. Yesterday in D·n Laoghaire, the Royal St George Yacht Club started 99 crews from 25 nations in the Bord Gais 470 European Championships.
In the past, Ireland has been considered too remote from the main European circuit that is carefully timed and co-ordinated in a packed fixtures list.
In the case of the 470, credit is due to Tom Fitzpatrick and David McHugh, unsuccessful campaigners in the class for Sydney 2000. Although primarily concentrating on their Olympic dream, they also acted as effective ambassadors for Ireland among their colleagues over four years.
On Tuesday evening, Australian gold medallists Jenny Armstrong and Belinda Stowell were joined by their Ukranian coach Victor Kovelenko to speak before 100 enthusiastic and, mostly, young sailors, who now have an insight into a world of sailing they might only have guessed at before. The sort of commitment needed to win medals at Olympic Games can be seen by the full-time athletes competing here and a welcome example is being set down.
But if the fleet in Dun Laoghaire is impressive, the expectation for the Laser World Championships at the Royal Cork YC in mid-August is gigantic.
The main event is limited to 165 boats. Following this, the Masters swing into action and the entry for this has swelled to more than 300 sailors at the latest count.
Although the class held a championship in Dublin Bay in 1979, it is only since 1996 that this popular single-hander has become an Olympic class. The already proven ability and resources of the hosts are not in doubt and the sheer size of the attendance will provide considerable justification for Bord Failte's full sponsorship.
Despite this burst of activity, the cream of young Irish talent is already in action overseas. At the recent Volvo ISAF Youth World Championships, East Antrim Boat Club's Debbie Hanna had her best performance ever with an excellent first place, two 12ths, a 15th, a 10th and an 11th to finish in 12th position overall in the 26-boat Laser Radial single-hander.
At the same event, Peter O'Leary scored two first places in the 40-boat Laser class to finish sixth overall.
Meanwhile, WIORA Week continues at Fenit, Co Kerry for a large fleet of 60 boats. Close by, a fleet of classic boats is gathering for the annual regatta and summer school at Glandore next week.
