SAILING/News round-up: Cork Week organisers have rejected a suggestion by Ireland's Commodore's Cup team captain, Colm Barrington, that they should take a lead from other international regattas and introduce a super zero class.
The proposal was made to avoid racing yachts that are up to 86 feet in length against a fleet largely comprising 40- and 50-footers.
"I think a rating spread of 528 is too big a spread to have between the top and bottom boats of any class," the Irish captain said yesterday.
Royal Cork provides 18 classes for 500 boats, but last night its race committee was not inclined to introduce a 19th, refusing to take Barrington's point on board.
The big yachts in question, Maxi Z86s, will also be the star attractions of the Cork fleet when they make their European debut in Crosshaven on July 10th.
Fresh from the Newport-Bermuda race, the massive identical designs, Pyewacket, skippered by Roy Disney, and Morning Glory, skippered by Hasso Platner, the winner of the last encounter, are achieving speeds of up to 27 knots through canting keel technology.
Barrington will be racing his new Flying Glove, and using Cork as an important warm-up to the Commodore's Cup at the end of the month in Cowes.
The Cork Week organisers have, however, come up with a novel way of giving the Maxi Z86s, as well as Jo Richard's Full Pelt, a third round on the windward-leeward courses while still being able to give them a result against the rest of the class zero fleet.
Cork Week is also hosting the Sigma 33 European Championships, the 1720 Irish Championships and the Prima 38 Class Championships.
Flying Glove, a Ker 39 design, second in class at the British IRC championships in a debut performance in Cowes last month, will also be racing tomorrow at the Sherry Fitzgerald-sponsored Royal St George Yacht club regatta, where organisers are expecting a fleet of over 300 boats.
The club have written into the sailing instructions a provision that on-the-water coaching will be permitted. British Olympic coach Jim Saltonstall will be advising from an accompanying RIB.
The club regatta is followed on Monday by the junior version with a further 250 entries, when the Topper class will be making its debut.
