SAILING: Plans to stage the Admiral's Cup (AC) in Dún Laoghaire were sunk last night by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) who announced that the 2003 event will return to the Royal Yacht Squadron Cowes next July following a dispute between the British club and Irish hosts, the Royal St George Yacht Club (RSt.GYC).
In a statement issued by the London-based club their commodore Peter Rutter said: "RORC and the RSt.GYC had not been able to agree the criteria required to run an event at the highest level of international sailing."
Last night the stunned Dún Laoghaire waterfront club was coming to terms with the news from London: "This is a great disappointment for the club, we were at an advanced stage in planning," said the club's AC organiser, Bruce Lyster, who confirmed RORC's decision.
While neither side was forthcoming about what detail broke up the staging of the biennial event, it is clear that RORC made a clear decision to pull out of the deal despite the fact that the Royal St George had secured significant sponsorship to fund the Grand Prix regatta - the so-called world championship of offshore yachting since 1957.
Crosshaven sailor Donal McClement, a member of the main committee of RORC, admitted to being "speechless" after hearing of the decision to withdraw from Ireland at last night's RORC committee meeting.
The RSt.GYC club had pressed ahead over the last 10 months with ambitious plans to rekindle the foundering event that had - ironically - sunk without trace in Cowes three years ago because of a lack of interest.
Bord Fáilte were to be announced as title sponsors in a multi-million Euro event to be known as the "Admiral's Cup Ireland" this month following the unveiling of the recast event last January by the then minister for the marine, Frank Fahey, in the RORC's London headquarters.
The AC fleet were to be berthed in Dún Laoghaire harbour's new 750-berth marina highlighting, organisers said, Ireland as a world-class sailing venue. The AC Ireland programme also included the replacement of the 605-mile Fastnet race with a 704-mile Round Ireland race in what would have been the first staging of the event outside the UK.
Last night the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) expressed their disappointment and neighbouring yacht clubs pointed out the impact it would have on the sport.This view echoed was by Dublin Bay Sailing Club commodore Fintan Cairns, who said: "I don't know the circumstances but I do know it's a great pity for Irish sailing."
ISA spokesman Paddy Boyd went on to express doubt about the future direction of the event, bearing in mind the high costs of putting a team together.
When asked if Ireland would continue to prepare an AC campaign in light of the change of venue he said: "That remains to be seen." So far there are no official entries for the event but the RORC says it intends to publish the notice of race by November 16th.
Meanwhile, in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the GBR Challenge finished seven minutes 45 seconds astern of the Swiss yacht Alinghi yesterday. However, the British skipper Ian Walker has queried the validity of the race, held outside the normal America's Cup course area. A 20 foot-high island was on the line from the first mark to the second.
