Sailing Column: French entry into this month's Round Ireland race, sponsored by BMW, not only provides Howth's Volvo 60 entry with some real competition in 22 days' time but heightens the prospect of breaking the six-year-old race record with a sub-three-day time.
Jean Pierre Chomett threw down the gauntlet to rival David Nixon's O2 Spirit yesterday when the Paris-based financier declared that his interest in entering the record-breaking 60-footer Salune is not only to win on the water but also to smash the race record set by Colm Barrington in Jeep Cherokee of three days, four hours, 23 minutes and 57 seconds for the 704-mile course.
During the round Britain record in May, Salune reached top seeds of 26-knots in short surf, but also managed to average 22-knots for long periods.
It is all weather-dependent of course but Chomett believes the new design, a cross between a Volvo and open 60, has a better upwind performance than the Volvo 60 in both light and strong winds, a key sailing angle in the Round Ireland race where up to half the race can be spent on that point of sailing.
Last night, however, youthful 02 skipper David Nixon (26) who, has chartered the Volvo 60 from the UK for Wicklow's biennial fixture cast doubt over the performance boasts of the French prototype. "As long as there is breeze we'll be okay," he maintained.
Built by the same team that built the Alinghi America's cup hulls, Salune broke the round Britain and Ireland record by more than three days and 15 hours ahead of the previous record, two weeks ago. It was during that trip off the Irish west coast that Chomett made up his mind to return for a second record-breaking attempt.
There is little doubt the La Rochelle entry is up to the job. The broad-beamed boat comes complete with powerful gennaker, twin rudders and a canting keel. For the circumnavigation Chomett will have the Playstation's weather router and navigator Chris Tibbs of Cowes on board.
Last night, as a mark of respect to its organiser Mary Nolan, the Dun Laoghaire Dragon fleet put their boats head to wind for a minute ahead of last night's Dublin Bay sailing club race.
Mary, who died on Tuesday after a long illness, was credited, among other things, with the success of the Dublin staging of the Dragon Gold Cup in 1990.
The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) has appointed Laser sailor David Quinn (30) to a new position as Racing Manager.
Eamon Crosbie's Voodoo Chile, the Irish IRC class zero champion, continued her winning form last weekend but on this occasion she really was in the money when - quite unusually in yachting competitions - the National Yacht Club skipper picked up a cash prize of €300 for first place in the Round the Kish double-handed race run by the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC). The overall winner in ECHO was Kealan Guilfoyle's Flyover in a Sigma 33.
Tomorrow's DMYC regatta has an expected entry of 200 boats.
