Jameson form still on the up

AFTER the luxury of fine weather and steady sea breezes of the last two weeks or so in Ireland, spare a thought for the 18 boats competing in the Mumm 36 World Championship at Punta Ala, Italy, this week. The fleet started their 94 mile offshore race on Wednesday afternoon in just four knots of wind, and received only the barest of sea breezes by midafternoon at this notoriously light airs venue.

Tom Roche's Jameson, from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, is on her first major European waters outing since the 1995 season and is in radically newfound form. Her recent selection for the US Admiral's Cup Team reflects her steadily improving results, and crew changes since competing at the last event at Cowes nearly two years ago.

The 36 footer has since added a string of quality results to her track record, including winning the San Francisco Big Boat Series, a second at the last World Championships as well as straight first places in her class in Florida at Key West Week and the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) at the start of the year.

Few on board, however, are under any illusion about the challenge of the European tour.

Primary opposition in this fleet in Italy comes from the prospective German team member, the infamous I-Punkt. Already lending the event going into the offshore course this week, the Irish/American boat has pulled up after a shaky opening race in fluky airs to hold second place overall. Nevertheless, it is the Germans' consistency in all conditions that must be countered and even second overall will be a task.

The rising star of the class is Bradamante, the favourite contender for the Mumm position on the British team. Coskippered by Ian Merricks and John Walker, last summer's silver medallists at the Atlanta Olympics in the Men's 470 class, their jump to keelboats has seen their rankings in the class escalate with every regatta sailed. It will be to their added satisfaction that they are so far also defeating the Star class gold medallist Torben Grael, who is steering Brava for Brazil.

With an American dominated crew, led by J24 champion Chris Larson and skipper Dee Smith, the Irish boat remains a favourite - albeit no longer exclusively - for the Admiral's Cup that begins in July. In the coming weeks, the European circuit takes the fleet to Belgium before a preAdmiral's Cup event in Lymington.

Meanwhile, the trials of this light airs offshore race is ideal preparation for the main event on The Solent if recent windless years are to be repeated.

At home a fleet of 55 Optimists had no such wind problems last Sunday at Baltimore Sailing Club for the Lyttle Traveller Trophy, which was won by Daire O'Reilly from Howth Yacht Club.