SAILING:AS THE 33rd America's Cup waits to see if racing can finally be held at Valencia today, Ireland is certain to have a taste of more traditional cup competition next August when Howth Yacht Club plays host to the Etchells World Championship.
The 30-footer counts some of the world’s best-known sailors in its ranks and is often the choice of professionals and Olympians as their amateur class.
Irish interest was boosted last weekend when ex-pat Jamie McWilliam emerged overall winner of the Hong Kong Championship, beating the European favourite Ante Razmillovic in a close contest that was marked by high winds and electrical storms.
However, with the entry list for the world championship not due to go live until March, the form-guide for the Howth Yacht Club spectacle remains unconfirmed.
With the main following for the class centred in Australia, New Zealand and the US, a record fleet is unlikely and last year’s fleet of 85 boats in Melbourne is unlikely to be matched.
Nevertheless, organisers expect between 50 and 65 crews to compete off Ireland’s Eye, with 45 of these drawn from Europe, primarily Ireland and Britain.
Whether McWilliam will be able to compete remains to be seen, but qualifier trials for the 10 places available to the host nation will be held in April when the 20 regular Irish crews will be whittled down.
Of those likely to make the cut, past Olympians will be to the fore. Atlanta 1996 Soling-class veteran Dan O’Grady will come face-to-face with triple Olympian David Burrows, and both may yet have a slight edge of home waters familiarity in August.
Dún Laoghaire’s Jay Bourke defeated Razmillovic to take the European title last year and is an Irish fleet regular.
Nevertheless, most eyes will be watching the international names that sign-up next month before predicting how many local boats can produce a top-10 result.
Only 1983 America’s Cup winner John Bertrand is known to have planned his Irish campaign to better his two previous third-places at world championships.
However, those hoping for a rematch with his famed cup rival Denis Conner will be disappointed, as the San Diego skipper is unlikely to compete.
But, depending on the outcome of proceedings in Valencia (and possibly the New York Supreme Court) three-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts may yet return to Howth in the Etchells since he competed in the Affinity Irish championship in 2004.
If that does come to pass, Dubliner Noel “Nitro” Drennan, widely-regarded as one of the fastest Etchells sailors in the world, is likely to be in his regular crewing spot with the Kiwi legend.
Both are on the challenging BMW Oracle team contesting Alinghi for the world’s oldest sporting trophy in Spain this weekend.
