Sailing ColumnIreland's flagship grand prix racing yacht Patches will be on the starting-line for the inaugural Dún Laoghaire Regatta Championship that starts next Thursday on Dublin Bay. A fleet of about 400 boats is expected, including a strong-line up from Cork as well as boats from around Ireland, Wales and the Solent.
Eamon Conneely's Transpac 52 had originally been expected to sail but doubt emerged based on concerns the Class Zero division might be unfairly disadvantaged with her presence.
Last weekend saw the Galway yacht win the ICRA Class Zero National Championship at the Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale. But as a significantly longer, and faster, boat than any other class rivals, Patches led her 19 rivals and ended most races up to two stages ahead of the next boat.
A repeat performance can be expected next week on Dublin Bay and a win here would add to last weekend's victory plus the Dún Laoghaire to Dingle Race hat-trick earlier in June.
However, this event will be her last in Irish waters this season since her launch just one month ago. Next up will be Cowes Week and the Fastnet Race, the latter being one of Conneely's ambitions. Her true test follows when Patches moves to the Mediterranean racing against the other crop of new TP52 footers.
Ian Walker, a double Olympic silver medallist and America's Cup skipper, plus his mostly professional crew, is joined by some of Conneely's regulars from Galway Bay Sailing Club.
Meanwhile, differences between how organisers allocate yachts within their handicap bands means there will be no showdown between two rivals from last weekend's championship at Kinsale.
The Royal Cork YC's Anthony O'Leary emerged overall winner of the Sovereign's Cup beating Eamon Crosbie of the National YC after a fractious series on and off the water in Class One. However, the Dún Laoghaire boat's higher handicap places her within Class Zero where she will have to contend with Patches and a clutch of other fancied boats.
Colm Barrington's Flying Glove leads the chasing pack in Patches' wake while a repeat performance of Tim Costello's new Tiamat, winner of the Scottish Series, is proving elusive since May though could yet find form on home waters next week.
For O'Leary, bringing Antix to Dublin Bay also means coming to the home waters of Peter Beamish's Aztec 2, third-placed entry in Class 2 in the National Championships.
Currently entries stand at about 370 boats but in traditional Dublin Bay regatta form, late entries are likely to swell the final entry particularly in the one-design and dinghy fleets.
Before then, Kinsale has not quite returned to normality. Over 25 boats are already competing for the Irish Champion title that started yesterday.
The strong line-up includes defending champion Simon Brien from Belfast, Johnny Ross-Murphy, Ward Woods, John Laverty and Neil Hegarty head up the Dublin fleet while Pol-Ricard Hoj Jensen and Martin Payne lead the international fleet. Local hopes will be on James Matthews and Cameron Good.
