A last-minute invitation to compete in tomorrow's Champion of Champions has been rejected by the disabled sailing champion, Feargal Kinsella in a row that will overshadow the event billed as the pinnacle of Irish sailing.
Pressure from both Howth Yacht club and the Irish Disabled Sailing Association (IDSA) forced the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) to climb down and issue an invitation late yesterday evening, one week after the event was postponed due to bad weather.
Kinsella (35) has declined the invitation on the basis that he feels it is futile to mount a campaign for the championship on the eve of the regatta.
"There's absolutely no point in me accepting this hollow invitation at the 11th hour," Kinsella told The Irish Times.
The absence - for the second year running - of the disabled sailing champion prompted the host club to pressurise the association to reverse its decision.
After initially denying Kinsella a place on the basis that they did not receive a nomination from the IDSA, the ISA also added that Kinsella did not meet any of the criteria that would allow him to compete under its wild card rule.
But last night an ISA spokesperson told The Irish Times: "Considerable representations have been made on behalf of Feargal Kinsella and because space is now available we are extending an invitation to him."
The invitation, however did not come before the resignation of Mossy Shanahan, a senior Howth Yacht Club member, from the ISA in protest at the national authority's omission of the north Dublin club's disabled sailing champion.
Kinsella retained his disabled title with five firsts and a second this summer and was awarded an ISA Gold medal in the process.
The measure of his ability was borne out again this Summer at the 98-boat Squib British national championships in Wales when he finished 57th, beating the Irish Squib champion Andy Sargent who finished 77th.
In answer to IDSA claims that they have overlooked the plight of disabled sailing, the ISA have pointed to the funding and assistance given by them to the Sydney paralympic team skippered by John Twomey.
And yesterday afternoon the Kinsale sailor, who returned from Sydney this week, added a further twist to the row when he sought and received a late wild card entry.
His case was based on the fact that wild cards had been extended to all members of the Olympic squad. He too was offered an invitation last night and will participate with his Olympic coach James Hynes crewing.
John L Sullivan represented disabled sailing in the 1997 and 1998 Champion of Champions events but since then there has been no disabled representation.
Under ISA rules for automatic qualification, a national championship fleet size has to have a minimum of 20 boats. The IDSA championship has half that number.
But Disabled Sailing Working Group committee member Gillian Guinness maintains the fleet size rule discriminates against disabled sailors. "There are so few disabled sailors in the country, we can't just go out into the street and collect an extra 10 bodies to comply."
Following last week's postponement, four sailors will not take up their invitations to compete in the event due to prior engagements: Justin Burke (Flying Fifteen); Simon Brien (Dragon), Maria Coleman (Olympic/wild card) and Colm Barrington (Cruiser/wild card).
