A POTENT force of 43 Irish entries set sail on a feeder race from Bangor, Co Down for the Scottish Rover series yesterday to swell tomorrow's Tarbert starting line to a massive 268 entries.
A number of strong Irish contenders includes a late charter of the Bashord Howison 41, Surfin Shoes by Northern Sailmaker John McWilliam. There is also a line up of Dublin class zero cruisers attending the notoriously tough Scottish regatta.
Aztec, the new Irish designed and built 31 footer, skippered by Peter Beamish, won last weekend's light air class one racing in Dublin Bay but is still a relatively unknown quantity in a breeze and if forecasts are correct Scotland may well be her testing bed.
Cormac Twomey's new Beneteau 42, Sarah J, under sailing master Mark Pettit is also travelling to Tarbert along with Roy Dickson's new John Corby designed Crackling Rosie of Howth and Richard Burrow's IMX 38 Prospector.
On Dublin bay, the heralded arrival of a new sports boat class has so far failed to materialise. Anticipating the arrival of the new age keelboat designs both Dublin Bay Sailing Club and the Royal Alfred Yacht Club made a racing provision under category B but so far this season the starting lines have remained empty.
DBSC secretary Donal O'Sullivan confirmed he has received two entries, for the high performance keelboat class and is holding these until he gets the required minimum of six entries to form a class.
In Cork, however, the story is quite different with up to a dozen 1720's in regular competition. Cork sailors are enjoying the benefits of close one design keel boat racing without the vagaries of handicapping and by all accounts the 1720 is now firmly established.
Joe English, the man behind the 1720, now operating from Union Chandlery, has half a dozen orders for Dublin and these are to be delivered shortly.
Traditional keelboat classes, who at first feared their own fleet numbers may be depleted by the new arrivals are breathing a sigh of relief and are claiming sportboat status for themselves.
Likewise Dublin Bay Flying 15 class captain, Ken Dumpleton, says that Sportsboats have been on Dublin Bay for years otherwise known as Flying 15s and this season the fleet boasts 26 entries with plenty of new blood.
Meanwhile, Sean and Chris Craig's Gossip enters this weekend's Carlsberg RAYC Baily bowl One Design competition as a favourite in the J24 class while Northern Ireland's Kim steered by Simon Brien will make the trip south to maintain his current winning form in the 25 boat Dragon class.
Four races are planned for the Bailey bowl regatta hosted by the National YC, with an 11.20 a.m. start on both days, under race officer Tony O'Gorman.
Brien, the 1996 East coast championship winner outwitted 18 local helmsman, including Mick Cotter in his new Dragon, Whisper, last weekend in the first outing of the RAYC superleague in Dun Laoghaire.
As class captain of the J24 class, Chris Craig has introduced a new series of trophies to be presented within the DBSC racing programme. His idea has been to create a series of special race days during the season to encourage participation by as many fleet members as possible and to provide a reason for more interaction between J24 sailors from the different waterfront clubs.
On June 1st, the first of these prizes, the Key Events trophy, will be awarded after racing. There is no additional entry fee, no forms to complete, just turn up and race.
Down south, a number of sporting and social events are being held as part of the Irish Naval Service's 50th birthday celebration. A Water Sports week will include the Defence Forces Sailing Championships, sailed in GP14 dinghies, to be held in Haulbowline between June 13th-15th.
