SAILING: ICRA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: AROUND 500 sailors enjoyed Champagne sailing conditions for much of the weekend off Roche's Point for the annual Irish Cruiser Racing Association national championships at Crosshaven, though popping corks were limited to just a handful of crews.
With a full range of conditions, from light airs yesterday to strong and gusty on Saturday with rolling seas to match, four national titles were decided under IRC handicap as well as prizes under the ECHO system.
Winning Commodores’ Cup captain Anthony O’Leary took the much-reduced Class Zero with a race to spare and a score of mostly wins despite the best efforts of Kieran Twomey’s Gloves Off.
For many, beating O’Leary is a prize in itself, but an elusive one given his track record.
“You need to have an immaculately prepared boat with a steady, well-drilled, well-oiled team,” said Maurice “Prof” O’Connell, tactician on Gloves Off. “All that plus sail intelligently and smartly.”
That plan came apart after a “shocking” day on Friday when they destroyed their brand-new light airs spinnaker after a handling error.
O’Leary retained his title, as did the Class Three champions on Neil Kennefick and Joxer O’Brien’s Tiger, the quarter-tonner dedicated to the famous Golfer.
The Royal Cork boat won every race except yesterday morning’s when a rare slip allowed Eamonn Rohan’s Anchor Challenge from Kinsale in. Rohan had to be content with the prize for first on ECHO handicap.
The Class One title was not defended this year as Paul O’Higgins’ Rockabill V has been delayed during her winter re-fit in Wales. Instead, Pat Kelly’s J109 from Howth emerged as a strong champion with five wins and two second places, echoing Rockabill’s performance from recent seasons and setting-up an interesting show-down when the pair eventually meet later this season.
The Class Two championship was won by Brian Goggin’s Allure from Kinsale in a fleet of 15 boats that saw a three-way fight for the runner-up places between Foynes’ Dis-array, who placed second, narrowly ahead of a string of Royal Cork boats led by Vincent O’Shea’s Yanks $ Francs.
Entries were down on the record turnout for 2010 in Dún Laoghaire though the limited number of boats that travelled south may explain the 30 or so missing boats.
Meanwhile, the next Commodores’ Cup is 13 months away and so far there is no word on whether Ireland, through the ICRA, can mount a defence of its 2010 victory.
“There’s absolutely no news of that at the moment,” said Rose.
