SAILING/Awards: Last June Eric Lisson should have been celebrating the finest moment of his offshore sailing career when he won the Round Ireland race.
Instead the Crosshaven sailor was taking a stand to defend his honour as a skipper against rumours - from within his own class - that the magic handicap victory of his vintage yacht Cavatina, crewed only by a group of friends, was anything other than the sailing highlight of 2002.
The resolution of the issue was found only when those behind the rumours over Cavatina's handicap rating withdrew the allegations.
Round Ireland organiser Denis Noonan of Wicklow Sailing Club saw that issue clearly when he challenged those to use official channels to protest if they so wished.
No one came forward but the involvement of the Wicklow official emphasised that the entire system of handicapping and the racing rules of sailing depend on the honour of each competitor.
And honour in sailing was rewarded this week when, again against stiff competition, the Round Ireland winner was presented with the Cork Dry Gin Sailor of 2002 award by the Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue.
The leading names from dinghy and offshore circuits were in the running for the big prize at the Old Jameson Distillery after individual and crew performances had already earned awards from the monthly Irish watersports magazine, Afloat.
But it was Lisson's amateur achievement that scooped the top prize. In a double week of celebrations, in which Lisson proudly relived his 704-mile circumnavigation victory, he was also named keelboat sailor of the year by the Royal Cork Yacht Club.
In just under two weeks BJ Marine will debut the Beneteau 27.7 at the Irish Marine Federation Boat Show in Dublin. The sailing cruiser has been voted overall winner of the first annual European yacht of the Year Awards.
Editors of the top 12 European sailing magazines voted in the awards and already two 27.7s have been sold in to Dun Laoghaire and one into Northern Ireland.
The Dublin show - that will cover over 5,000 square metres with over 100 exhibitors - runs from February 26th to March 2nd at the RDS Simmonscourt.
Should Alinghi win the America's Cup that starts tomorrow, the winning country, Switzerland, has to decide where to hold it.
Obviously a European staging of the 2005 event would be a significant boost for sailing here but the rules say that it must be on the sea or an arm of the sea, thus ruling Switzerland out.
So far, Porto Cervo, Palma, Genoa, Sete, and Lisbon have all been mentioned but is there a good reason for not including Ireland and in particular Cork?
The club has a proven ability to cater for large yachts with plenty of deep water quays and yard space at Verolme, Haulbowline, Carrigaloe, Crosshaven, Ringaskiddy and Passage.
