Sailing/ Admiral's Cup:With less than six months before the Admiral's Cup gets under way at Cowes, Irish plans to field a serious squad for this prestigious event have been strengthened with the news that Colm Barrington is joining the board of management for the campaign.
Sponsorship remains a significant issue, but regardless of the success of this hunt all are agreed a basis for a cohesive national offshore squad is emerging under a long-term strategy.
Barrington's presence with the campaign fills a gap in the line-up, as his absence could have been seen as a loss due to his experience over the last 10 years. His Commodore's Cup forays, alongside Round Ireland Race victories and other events at IRC handicap level, have effectively made him Ireland's most successful owner since the demise of the IOR rule more than a decade ago.
His sailing record has taken up where the last Irish Admiral's Cup team in 1995 left off and departed the international scene.
Alongside Galway's John Killeen, chairman of the syndicate, and technical director John McWilliam, a sailmaker, a powerful triumvirate of experience has been formed with a neat spread around three provinces.
David Nixon from Howth YC, the team instigator who evolved the process from his successful 02 Team Spirit Round Ireland Race, entry has brought all the key players to the same table and avoided a damaging spilt of interest.
All are committed to sail under the nationwide Irish Cruiser Racing Association burgee, the new representative body for big boat racing in this country.
As the campaign prepares to step up the sponsorship hunt at next month's Allianz Direct IMF Boat Show, all the team boats have been secured, along with some of the main professional sailors needed to give the edge for Admiral's Cup competition.
Already committed is Eamonn Conneelly's Transpac 52 Patches, currently in build at Lymington, with Ian Walker signed up as skipper. The Swan 45 mid-sized boat will be a joint national effort with owner Charles Swingland on Piper at the Gates of Dawn.
The team small boat will be the Hamble-based Mumm 30 owned by Ed Clayson and helmed by Olympian Tom Fitzpatrick.
The team captain and manager will be appointed nearer the time, but the crucial sponsorship presentations required to secure €370,000 come first.
Some approaches are already under way and detailed negotiations are needed by mid-March to have money in place by April.
"Our policy is very straight-forward: if we don't get the sponsorship, we're not going to do it this year," Nixon said yesterday.
"Far better to set the stage for the following year and the Commodore's Cup than to be cleaned by being under-resourced in 2005."
The approach differs from previous Irish Admiral's Cup team models where one or more wealthy owners would foot virtually the entire bill of boat and equipment costs plus, perhaps, some key crew-members expenses. Sponsors would add the "gloss" of team costs ranging from clothing to accommodation and promotion.
"You can't call on owners to put up that kind of money anymore - it's simply not fair," said Nixon.
Meanwhile, the now customary waiting game has begun to see just how many teams will declare entries to the Royal Ocean Racing Club organisers. If suggestions from St James' Place of 10 possible teams run true to RORC form, then possibly half a dozen three-boat squads will turn out in Cowes. Australia, Britain and France are expected to be certain entries, but to date the rumour mill is curiously quiet.
