Lough Ree crew claim European J24 Championships success in Hungary

As last-minute entries for next week’s ICRA National Championships arrive at Howth Yacht Club, one team definitely not expected to compete will be the Lough Ree crew that has just won the European J24 Championships in Hungary.

For skipper Cillian Dickson, while a return to the Fingal venue on ‘Headcase’ would mark a decade-long journey that began there with an Under-25 team, his sights are set on next week’s world championships in Greece.

The success of that concept first developed at HYC – where a club provides a suitable racing boat and helps develop young keelboat talent – sparked a nationwide roll-out of similar initiatives utilising the venerable and widely loved J24.

Hailing from Athlone, Dickson and his team at Lake Balaton last weekend comprised Ryan Glynn, Marcus Ryan, Louis Mulloy and Sam O’Byrne and the team counted two race wins out of five to secure the overall and Corinthian wins.

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Now with the class national championship rolled into the Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) event next week, as the ICRA Class 4 overall winner in 2022 will be absent for good cause, the field is wide open.

So far, 16 J24′s are expected with a few more due and, along with late-entries for the other cruiser divisions should bring the total up to the event goal of 70 boats.

With funding provided by ICRA and Irish Sailing, the programme has now spread to Rush SC, Malahide SC, Malahide Sea Scouts, Howth YC, Royal St. George YC, Greystones SC, Royal Cork YC, Kinsale YC, Foynes YC, Sligo YC, Mullaghmore SC plus Lough Ree YC.

Mayo SC are approved for funding, but have not purchased a boat yet.

While Dickson and his team have moved on from the U25 programme, they have been cited by ICRA as “a model example of how to nurture and grow a class by assisting new or less able sailors to feel loved. They are committed sailors, that are willing to reinvest to make their sport better for everyone”.

Meanwhile, a fleet of under 100 boats at a Dublin ICRA nationals is being accounted for by ICRA Commodore David Cullen as a consequence of shifting the fixture from its former June date to early Autumn; the reminders to secure crew and get entries in hasn’t yet become fixed in annual planning for individual teams.

While ICRA plans to address this in the winter off-season, next week will be a case of quality rather than quantity with the biggest fall-off in numbers coming from the White Sails divisions.

As for the likely line-up next week in the different classes, the bands under the IRC rating system won’t be finalised until Monday once the final deadline for entries passes on Friday 1st at midnight.

Cullen wouldn’t be drawn on his tips for Class Zero where he races with Nigel Biggs on Checkmate XV though much will depend on wind conditions for the three day event that starts on Friday September 8th.

Class One is likely to see the 2022 ICRA Boat of the Year Snapshot owned by Mike and Ritchie Evans go head to head with clubmates John and Suzie Murphy on Outrageous who defeated their Howth clubmates at the Key Yachting J-Cup in Dun Laoghaire last weekend.

Also in the mix will be Brian Jones Jelly Baby, one of a handful of highly competitive boats travelling from Cork Harbour.

Class Two is looking set to be a battle of the Half-tonners with the RCYC’s James Dwyer’s on Swuzzlebubble matching up against Mata from the host club along with Howth heavy-air specialist Dux skippered by Caroline Koster.

In Class Three, the quarters-tonners are likely to dominate, again with the RCYC and Conor Phelan’s Anchor Challenge up against Brendan Foley’s ALLIG8R from the Royal St. George YC against Joanne Hall and Martin Mahons’ Snoopy from Courtown Sailing Club.

Trophies and national titles will be awarded for both IRC and the national performance handicapping system ECHO for the event sponsored by Monday.com

davidbranigan@mailbox.org