Sailing Round Ireland RaceThere will be no objection from the main French rivals to last weekend's decision by Wicklow Sailing Club to allow David Nixon to carry a cameraman on board his 60-foot 02 Team Spirit, a race favourite, in this month's BMW Round Ireland race.
Nixon (26), from Howth has asked for permission to bring his crew total to 19, adding, albeit insignificantly, to overall crew weight during the 704-mile race, even though the yacht's racing certificate limits the crew to 18.
Nixon has attracted a strong crew to his Volvo 60, and had been viewed as the strong favourite to lead the entries around the island in this classic RORC race.
But the entry late last month of Paris-based financier Jean-Phillipe Chomett - buoyed by his record-breaking run in the Round Britain and Ireland race - has left the pundits unable to decide on a probable winner.
Chomett has added to the excitement by declaring he intends to break the six-year-old record for the course, held by experienced Irish campaigner Colm Barrington.
The Nixon request is to accommodate a cameraman on behalf of the event sponsor to film the race for its promotion, and last night the confident French skipper told The Irish Times: "I don't have a problem with that. Actually, if they wanted, they could also take a sound engineer, a producer and a special effects specialist!"
Wicklow Sailing Club has granted the request on condition the cameraman takes no active part in crewing the vessel during the race and makes no contribution that might improve the vessel's performance.
Alan Crosbie, of Voodoo Chile, a favourite of the competing small boats, says that although he has no problem with it he can see how others in the 50-boat fleet might have a problem with this grey area in the rules.
