SAILING:WITH AN Indian summer widely expected to dominate for the next week, Howth Yacht Club's annual Autumn League series will get an added bonus for the first race of six this Sunday morning.
Its not so long ago the biggest club in the country attracted an entry of 200 boats but that was before neighbouring clubs on the southside started their own event that have kept a chunk of competitors from travelling past the Baily lighthouse each weekend.
But that hasn’t curbed the enthusiasm for the last big series of the season before chillier conditions give way to the variously named Frostbite, Brass Monkey and Turkey shoot competitions either side of Christmas.
The series is sponsored jointly by Crystal Holidays, Irish Life Investment Managers and Today FM.
Meanwhile, weather forecasts and especially the lack of an afternoon marine broadcast on national radio has raised the ire of the Irish Sailing Association that launched a broadside at RTÉ this week.
The 4.50pm broadcast from Met Éireann during the Mary Wilson Drivetime programme ceased “without prior warning or consultation with the ISA” according to a statement on the association’s website.
While a request for comment about cancelling the service is understood to have been made via the Irish Coastguard’s Marine Safety Working Group in which the ISA participates, there is concern for leisure mariners without access to print or electronic forecasts.
Late evening and early morning forecasts are of particular importance to commercial users such as fishermen. However, mid-week evening boat users are more likely to rely on the afternoon broadcast for planning summer time activities, whether racing or recreational
The ISA also highlights the need for even distribution of the forecasts to allow the ever evolving picture of the forecast to be communicated. Significant gaps may mean people are unaware of fast evolving and important changes in the weather.
In a statement yesterday evening, RTÉ said its research found Ireland’s marine community relied more heavily on the morning, lunchtime and night-time forecasts than the 4.50pm forecast and is satisfied Ireland’s marine community is well-served with RTÉ Radio 1’s weather, land and sea area forecasts, with any adverse and/or critical weather warnings in its forecast following hourly news bulletins on all of its services.
At the Rolex Maxi World Championships in Porto Cervo, Mick Cotter’s 78-footer “Whisper” had scored three wins from three races in the Cruiser-Racer division by the halfway stage of the regatta yesterday.
Whisper’s 22-strong crew is drawn mainly from clubs around Ireland and also includes Britain’s Andy Beadsworth on board as tactician. Racing so far has been short offshore courses around the rocky shoreline of Sardinia in winds gusting over 22 knots. Racing ends on Sunday.
branigan@indigo.ie
