Criticism of the Irish Sailing Association's (ISA) Fixtures calendar should be halted by the resounding success of both of this week's cruiser-racer regattas on the east coast.
Serving as examples of the durability and size of Irish sailing, the 72-boat Bangor Week fleet on Belfast Lough and the 55-boat Barlo Plastics ISORA Week off Howth have proved their worth as compact, manageable and enjoyable regatta fleets. Their success comes in the face of criticism that the Irish Sailing Association's (ISA) fixtures list is fraught with conflicting dates.
Concern from various quarters that an event can suffer because another is thriving simply over a clash of dates is not entirely accurate. "We're finding things very manageable and friendly this week and there is a great atmosphere without things getting too crowded," said Judith Malcolm, Howth YC's regatta organiser.
It has long been acknowledged that the way in which we go sailing is changing. And for many sailors time afloat is a precious commodity in otherwise busy lives. Consequently, sailing administrators are aware that a sailor's diary can only hold so many fixtures.
Small locally based regattas - perhaps of two or three days duration - are now finding favour with many crews who can manage only one or two week-long sailing regattas each summer.
Not every port can hold a 650-boat Ford Cork week spectacular and in the last couple of season event organisers have been unwise in over-selling the numbers expected at regatta weeks. In this respect Kinsale Yacht Club are to be applauded for making the decision this month to limit the entries to 100 boats for the Sovereign's Cup in 2001.
Just because Bangor Week and ISORA Week attracted only 120 boats between them is no cause for alarm. These are perfectly healthy numbers and it serves no useful purpose making over inflated claims in advance about how big a regatta is going to be.
This week in particular is evidence enough of the successful staging of what has been criticised - in this column too - as a clash of fixtures.
Both events this week follow a six week period peppered by the Tarbert series in Scotland, Sovereign's week at Kinsale, Celtic week at Pwllheli, as well as the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race. These events all come on top of the traditional one and two day club regattas to which sailors normally owe their loyalty.
Surely it is perfectly acceptable for sailors to choose what events they want to do? And surely a variety of events actually adds to the spice of the year's sailing calendar?
