Sailing: Mermaid class champion Roger Bannon has embarked on an ambitious winter plan to build a fibreglass version of a 70-year-old clinker dinghy.

But the project - designed to breathe new life into one of Ireland's oldest racing classes - is meeting stiff opposition from traditionalists, who argue the move from wood to plastic will cause more problems than it solves.

Bannon has identified what he considers the three major problems with the 150-boat wooden fleet contributing to the class's demise at some venues.

Recent seasons have seen disappointing turnouts for the three-man JB Kearney design that has been racing in Dún Laoghaire, Clontarf, Rush, Foynes, Wexford and Skerries since 1932 and more recently expanded into Westport, Co Mayo.

On Dublin Bay, where the Mermaid was the senior dinghy for many years and once reached high double figures for club racing, numbers have tumbled to an average of only four boats on Thursday and Saturday racing, according to Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Donal O'Sullivan.

Leaky, 20-year-old wooden hulls are proving costly both in money and maintenance time, and new builds are labour intensive and getting beyond the reach of many owners.

The last professional hull to be built cost close to e30,000, argues Bannon, who claims his new prototype can be on the water for e12,000.

The Mermaid class have been tackling the problem with the establishment of a central maintenance facility where elderly Mermaids are taken for refitting. The facility currently has a dozen boats on its books for refurbishment.

The class hope that maintenance, perceived to be the Achilles heel of the grandfather of Irish dinghy design, could through this initiative turn out to be a plus for enthusiasts.

The class are also to carry out a recruitment campaign for 30 to 40 new members to revitalise the fleet.

The switch to fibreglass, though a momentous change, has also been a happy one for other classes facing similar problems.

It led to the regeneration of both the IDRA 14 two-man dinghy in the 1970s and, more recently, the Crosshaven-based National 18 fleet in the 1990s.

"We support this experiment but the glassfibre solution is no panacea for the Mermaid class," warned class stalwart Jim Dempsey of Skerries.

Within the fleet there are various hull shapes, giving rise to the perception of a lack of genuine one-design racing.

A new standard hull build, says Bannon, will guarantee all boats are the same design.

Wood will still be very much in evidence in the new design too.

The six-times class champion intends to build only a solid laminate hull skin; the rest of the hull, transom, centre board casing, thwarts and decking will still all be mahogany to maintain the traditional lines and aesthetic appeal of the clinker Mermaid.

The new mould is under construction by Chris Allen in Bray, and Bannon aims to be afloat in the Mark II version by March.

Though the class have been reluctant to formally sanction the experiment, he has been given a licence to take the mould from his own championship-winning boat, Endeavour.

The plastic hull will be allowed compete in the 2004 regatta season but should Bannon win races in it he is prohibited from taking home class trophies.

A decision on whether to change to fibreglass will be made at the 2004 a.g.m. in November.

Meanwhile, Howth Yacht Club are tomorrow staging a 420 dinghy training weekend open to all with a view to filling 14 places for the 420 youth Europeans to be held in Dún Laoghaire next summer.

The emphasis is on starts, mini-races, and on-course coaching, with video debriefing from 420 sailor Neil Spain (more information at www.sail420.ie).

Howth also stage a coaching session for 49ers on December 29th and 30th.

Tom Fitzpatrick and David Harte will be in attendance.