SAILING: The stage in the evolution of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association is under preparation with the confirmation this week that the second annual conference for the nationwide body will be held in Kilkenny in November.

Last year saw the inauguration of ICRA in response to the disjointed national racing structure and culminated with the Saab ICRA Championships in Howth last May that saw for the first time, champions decided in each of the major handicap keelboat classes.

The co-ordinated approach has drawn interest and favourable comment from around Ireland and overseas while the performance of the Irish Commodore's Cup team in Cowes narrowly missed a crowning result for the revival effort at home.

The ICRA conference aims to be a repeat of last year's sell-out and will follow a similar format. Leading yacht designers have been invited as well as Mike Urwin of the RORC Rating Office who provide insights into the state of the IRC handicapping. Since last year, the IRC has been widely adopted by leading regattas in the United States and Urwin's report may hopefully lead to news that the transatlantic 'rating war' stalemate may be at an end.

The 2003 conference set the National Championships as its goal for the season and next June's Sovereign's Cup regatta at Kinsale YC is likely to be confirmed as the date for the 2005 Championship in preference to a stand-alone event.

Boosting the appeal of travelling for east coast boats is a change to the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race event designed to allow competitors to choose to cruise the south-west region as usual or for the racing crews to return to the south coast and the Kinsale event; either way, both events will compliment each.

Only the clash with the Dublin regatta season in June may act as a deterrent to some more hesitant boats when it comes to making overnight passages even though virtually all are well capable of such short journeys.

"Offshore sailing has died down, partly because of laziness but also because of time pressure from work and family commitments," ICRA Chairman Fintan Cairns told The Irish Times yesterday. "We want as many boats as possible to travel to Cork and also to Bangor Week (early July)."

The Flying Fifteen East Coast championships sponsored by CMI Recruitment takes place this weekend at the National YC Dun Laoghaire.

Local favourites include Justin Burke and Alan Green as well as Ian Mathews and Ben Mulligan with stiff competition from Ulster's in-form Darren Martin and Simon Murray from Strangford Lough SC and Morgan Sheehy with Jan Van De Puil from Kinsale YC.