SAILING: Yacht clubs will have to satisfy special criteria if they want to stage international fixtures as part of an overhaul of the national calendar.
The Irish Sailing Association (ISA) say they will enforce the 13-point plan (see panel) in 2007, but it is already in place on an "informal" basis.
The national authority also wants to call their fixtures "primary events", such as the Helmsman's championships and Team Racing National Championships.
Other events would be given a grade - international, national, regional or local - based on ISA criteria such as race and event-management standards.
Only graded events would qualify, said the ISA's David Quinn, for funding from the Sports Council and Bord Fáilte.
For example, the ISA say this summer's GP14 World championships, which will be staged by Sligo Yacht Club, which plans to use a "national" race officer instead of the prescribed international official, may not get full funding if the same arrangements were in place in 2007.
Quinn also said fixture clashes and the complicated nature of the current calendar hinder the ability to promote the sport to a wider audience.
Any attempt to iron out clashes in the calendar is overdue, but it remains to be seen if such robust grading of events can be successfully implemented given the limited resources of most clubs.
There is little to suggest in current plans that it encourages clubs, especially smaller regional ones, with only a small band of members (never mind race officers), to be in a position to stage events if criteria are set too high.
In other news, in Dublin city centre, one of the country's biggest yacht companies is moving to new premises at Malahide marina next month, and in so doing a chapter of River Liffey boating comes to a close.
BJ Marine closes their doors on Sir John Rogerson's Quay this month after 24 years of boat sales on the capital's waterfront.
Managing director Bernard Gallagher started in 1982 in fibreglass hull construction from the river's south campshire with home-spun models from 21ft to 34ft, such as such as the Splinter and Ruffian designs.
The latter is still popular and races as one of the country's largest one-design keelboat fleets, it's biggest centre being on Dublin Bay.
More recently, however, the company, which also have a base in Northern Ireland at Bangor, pioneered international yacht and powerboat distribution in this country, and as boat sizes grow, with 50-foot models now typical, space is proving an obstacle in city centre surroundings.
In other news on the river, the Ireland Challenge, a race around Ireland by novices with professional skippers, will start on brackish waters at City Moorings on Custom House Quay this Easter.
The organisers, Challenge Business of Southampton, say 80 per cent of the crew places are taken, but they'd very much like to fill the remaining berths with as many people from Ireland as they can for the April 22nd start. The berths cost £2,750 (€4,033) . Full details: www.challengebusiness.com/ireland
To qualify to stage international events, yacht clubs now must meet Irish Sailing Association criteria:
International race officer in charge
International jury on site
International events not to be held within 14 days of another
ISAF eligibility rules for professional sailors
Event dates to be agreed 12 months in advance.
Sailing instructions and notice of race approved by ISA
Media plan approved by ISA
Financial budgets approved by ISA
Results publication facilities ISAF
Eligibility rules
Safety statement in force
Significant entry from outside its own region
Market event internationally
