SAILING/Weekly column: Ireland's offshore supremo Damian Foxall, who finished third in November's double-handed Jacques Vabre transatlantic race, has backed Wicklow Sailing Club's introduction of a new double-handed class for June's Round Ireland race and added his name to the entry list.
Wicklow's addition of the double-hander has raised eyebrows, on safety grounds, among some veteran campaigners, who until now have tackled the 704-mile race with crew numbers from five to 20.
Race organiser Dennis Noonan insists the demand for the new division exists both at home and abroad and safety, under strict Royal Ocean Racing Club guidelines, will not be compromised.
Last month Foxall (34) and French yachtswoman Karine Fauconnier finished third after 11 days at sea in a race from Le Havre to Brazil for giant multihulls.
"I certainly think that the development of a double-handed class for the Round Ireland is a good move because it merges one of the most difficult and demanding disciplines in sailing with a classic event," Foxall said.
Foxall was the first Irish entrant in the single-handed La Solitaire du Figaro and also became the first non-French entry to win a rookie section in that race. He explains that short-handed sailing, single or double, demands all-round seamanship, good teamwork and good preparation and gives back maximum satisfaction without the complicated logistics of managing a full crew.
He adds that internationally he has seen a demand for shorthanded sailing over the last seven years, endorsing Wicklow's move to gain some of the market.
Also in the Round Ireland build-up, the 2002 race champion Eric Lisson from Royal Cork has repeated his appeal to each boat to try to recruit one more entrant to boost numbers for the 2004 race, which starts on June 26th.
Fleet numbers grew to a record 52 in 1998 but fell to 30 for the last race, hence the champion's plea.
It's a self-help notion that makes a lot of sense as cruiser-racing folk have been brimming with confidence since last month's inaugural conference of the Irish Cruiser Racer Association (ICRA) where 120 enthusiasts gathered for discussions in Kilkenny that will ultimately lead, among other things, to what is being referred to as a potent 2004 Irish Commodore's Cup team.
There is little doubt the long-overdue overhaul of cruiser affairs, ushered in by Commodore Fintan Cairns, will translate into more entries for races such as the Round Ireland, and may spawn others. And the green shoots of the ICRA initiative are already showing. Wicklow Sailing club have received 15 entries six months in advance of the 25th anniversary of the classic offshore race.
At Olympic level, sailing has been boosted by an Irish Sports Council announcement that it is one of five sports to participate in the Athens Enhancement Programme with increased funding.
The final rankings for 2003 were released by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) this week. As the grade-one event season comes to an end, only the Star class, where Irish interest is highest, sees significant changes in the rankings following the class ISAF Grade One, Star North American Championship.
The rankings also confirm that seven Irish sailors have either held or gained a place in the world top 20 in their disciplines.
Atlanta and Sydney veteran Mark Mansfield (world ranked fourth and sponsored by Jetmagic) - who must still qualify through Irish trials for Athens - was showcased in Kinsale this week by the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), who announced that Londis will be one of six main sponsors of an 80-strong team for Athens.
Another Olympic veteran in Kinsale on Tuesday was single-hander David Burrows, who has just returned to full-time campaigning after the completion of accountancy exams.
Burrows (world ranked 32nd) is back in harness for his third Olympics but must first become the top-ranked Irish Finn sailor in a three-way Irish ranking trial with Aaron O'Grady and Youen Jacob by the end of May.
Irish windsurfer Finian Maynard (29) has broken the world windsurfing speed record. Using a 5.5 asymmetrical sail and a 38cm Hybrid board, Maynard clocked a top speed of 46.24 knots on a French canal at St Marie de la Mer. The only record left is the outright speed record of 46.54 knots set in Victoria, Australia, by the Yellow Pages speed pod boat in October of 1993.
ISAF RANKINGS FOR 2003: Star: 4 Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins; 16 Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks. Finn: 29 Aaron O'Grady; 32 David Burrows; 39 Youen Jacob. 49er: 14 Tom Fitzpatrick and Frazer Brown. Europe: 10 Maria Coleman. 470: 27 Gerald Owens and Ross Killian. Tornado: 92 Damian Foxall and Jeff Condell Laser: 75 Rory Fitzpatrick; 103 Gavan Jones; 116 Russell McGovern; 180 Peter O'Leary; 203 Roger Craig.
