Sailing: The result of last weekend's ISA All-Ireland Championships, which saw Cork sailors sweep the boards yet again this season, was far from an outright certainty. The senior event was sailed in 1720 sportsboats, but while the three places were taken by current and past-masters of this class, close racing nevertheless prevailed.
Critics of this season finale, variously known in the past as the Helmsman's Championship or Champion of Champions event, have consistently argued that an inherent bias exists towards the nominees from the class which has been chosen to stage the racing on a given year.
But 2006 proved an exceptional example of this, with the eventual winner, Peter O'Leary, obliged to contend with both his father, Anthony, and multiple Olympian Mark Mansfield, both synonymous with this Cork-inspired one-design.
The latter has already added his name twice to the prized silver salver, and won the event in 1720s in 1999.
A regular 1720 sailor races on board as owner's representative and, with no spinnakers in use, just three sail on board including the nominee helm and his invited crew-member, who is often another proven sailor from the class in use. Such an arrangement is intended to help minimise the apparent bias against an inexperienced class helm.
Supporters of the format argue that talent will always prevail, regardless of the class used, a fact borne out by the willingness of so many of the country's individual class champions to accept the invitation to sail.
Of course, there's also the €1,400 purse, unique in Irish sailing, which acts as a further incentive.
In addition to the two other 1720 sailors, O'Leary had to contend with fourth-placed Neil Hegarty, the Dragon-class nominee and a past winner from just three years ago when he won on Dublin Bay racing - well, Dragons actually.
Next on the scoresheet was Anthony Shanks, an Olympic contender and veteran of several one-design classes, but nominated by the Etchells fleet which hosted the championship in 2005 at Howth.
Ironically, that event was won by David Crosbie, who is better known as the helm on Voodoo Chile, winner of the 2004 BMW Round Ireland Race and certainly a relative stranger to sportsboats and one-designs, especially the Etchells.
Missing from the finals this year was a regular contender and Olympian. Ger Owens won the event in 2000 racing Puppeteers in Howth, but didn't get through the repechage series last weekend after a disqualification for failing to wear a life-jacket in a race.
Mansfield also points to the draw of the boats playing a significant factor. "These boats (the 1720s) are probably the best matched around," he told The Irish Times. "But in windy conditions, such as last weekend, Anthony and myself always seem to have an edge regardless of what class we're sailing in. Peter seems to have grown into that too."
But next year may see an answer to the critics, regardless of the statistics that point to winners coming from outside the class of the event as often as do regulars.
The ISA project to introduce a new national keelboat for use in match-racing would also be an ideal class to stage the All-Ireland Championships every year.
Such a move is certain to be both popular and efficient and will secure the future of the "Champion of Champions" trophy as the premiere prize in Irish amateur sailing.
