SAILING:AN IRISH entry and more than a dozen Irish sailors are among an international line-up bound for the Caribbean this month for a Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) offshore race around 11 islands.
Four Irish sailors are on board the biggest entry, Hetairos, the world’s largest carbon yacht that is aiming for line honours in the Caribbean 600 race while a Dún Laoghaire 80-footer, Whisper, is making its West Indian debut in the 30-boat fleet.
Experienced Irish offshore sailors James Carroll, Johnny Mordant, Aaron O’Grady and Mark O’Reilly are among 29-Volvo Ocean Race and America’s Cup veterans on the 200-foot ketch Hetairos.
Although the average length of yacht for this year’s entry is now over 70 foot, and Maxis and Super Yachts are racing, none come close to the Finnish-built ketch, a clear favourite for line honours at the Antigua Yacht Club fixture. The yacht carries 4,400 square metres of sail area so manoeuvring is a major undertaking.
Dún Laoghaire yacht Whisper (Michael Cotter), the line honours winner of the 2009 Dún Laoghaire to Dingle offshore race, is also competing in Antigua. Nine of the 17 crew are Irish including Dublin Bay’s David McHugh, navigator Mick Liddy and ex-Commodore’s Cup crewman Nelson Moore from Cork. The 80-footer will be competitive under the IRC rating system.
All three Irish boats that have qualified for the Olympic regatta make it into the top 10 of the International Sailing Federation world rankings. Two crews are in the top five. Dún Laoghaire’s Annalise Murphy is fifth and is on equal points with World Laser Radial champion Marit Bouwmeester.
Men’s keelboat pairing Peter O’Leary and David Burrows are also fifth in the Star keelboat rankings that is topped by world champions Robert Sheidt and Bruno Prada of Brazil. Belfast 49er pair Ryan Seaton and Matthew McGovern are ranked eighth.
South African yacht Tokoloshe, Holland’s Tonnerre de Breskens, Hong Kong’s Signal 8 and Ireland’s own Ker 39, Antix, will make up one of the most competitive Class Zero divisions for July’s Cork Week in many years. The early news from Crosshaven of the international line-up is a major boost for the Royal Cork fixture.
And in another boost for Irish sailing it looks like the ISAF Youth Worlds in Dún Laoghaire will be a record-breaking affair. To date 102 nations have competed at ISAF Youth World Championships and that number is set to grow on Dublin Bay in July after Georgia, Madagascar and Qatar booked in with the Royal St George organisers – 33 countries are so far signed up for the Dublin event.
